i kind of have a problem, i cruised through elementary and junior high without studying or doing any homework.

and i had a private tutor for high school. i didn't even bring books to most of my classes, i would just sit and listen to the teacher.

basically i have no idea what it takes to get an a in a class or how to get one. my first semester was a shit show. 3 c's and a d. this semester im probably going to get a couple b's.

is there a book or a system for taking notes and studying that anyone here uses? has anyone else ever been in a similar situation? how do people here study? i have no idea how to go about doing this.

i have been trying but it seems like most of my effort is wasted. like im just copying shit out without really understanding it.

That depends a lot on your individual learning style--unfortunately, you're at a rather massive disadvantage in that you came into college without knowing what works best for you. Some people benefit from taking very detailed notes during lecture--so much so that they may not process what they're hearing--and then reviewing them and/or copying them over to another sheet of paper later on.

Some people (myself included) benefit more from paying careful attention during class and not really taking any notes at all--I just listen closely during lecture and jot down what I really don't think I'll remember. I (and others) find that I get the most out of a class when I just pay attention, try to think critically about what's being presented, and ask questions when I have them.

You might also find it useful to record lectures (either audio or video) so you can refer to them later.

As far as studying goes, make sure you don't get behind on your reading; getting caught up is a bitch, and once you start to fall behind, it's tough to stop. Again, different strategies apply for just how to do readings.

Most people like to highlight as they read--it makes going back through later to review much easier, and forces you to pay attention. I've also heard of people recording themselves reading the text out loud for similar reasons.

What works best for me personally is to take notes as I read. I write down relevant parts of the text (along with a page number), and then review it later.

Hopefully some of that was helpful.



Entheogenic

yeah, essentially there is no trick that will work for everyone. i fall into the class of people who will only write down examples in lectures, and just pay attention.

it depends on what you are doing too, something like maths you study by doing questions. more book based subjects you will learn by breaking down key points and commiting to memory (like this (http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~burciagj/study/textbooks.html)).

some subjects you won't even need to study for, you will learn the material through doing labs and assignments. those are good ones.

It depends on the class. For a history or lecture based class, I just memorize the key concepts the teacher talks about. Then I read about it and write an essay or two for each concept.

For math or something math based it's simply just doing the problems over and over again until you recognize patterns. And just writing down the rules over and over again.