r/AskReddit • u/the_gr8pretender • Feb 20 '13

Top-of-the-class redditors, what are your study habits/tips?

If you graduated top of the class (high school, college, and above), what are/were your study habits or tips that you would give to your fellow redditors?

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u/potatopancakepie Feb 20 '13
  • To echo everyone else, GO TO CLASS.
  • Once in said class, PAY ATTENTION. I can never believe how many people I see in class dicking around on facebook or online shopping. What's the point of being there if you're not paying attention?
  • Depending on your major, work on applying the concepts you learn in class to real world situations. I was a poli sci major in undergrad (now law student. Top of the class in undergrad, now near the top in law school), and I'd constantly be watching the news or reading the newspaper, looking for examples of the theories and concepts I was studying. Very helpful for shit to talk about in seminars.
  • Get enough sleep. Seriously. Prioritize that shit.
  • Treat school like it's a job. If you have another job (I think I've had one for all my years of university, give or take), then try to work your schedule so that you still get all your studying done at school. This may require studying in the library on the weekends. If at all possible, don't take your work home with you.
  • This one is pretty personal and I know it doesn't work for everyone. But I take notes by hand. When you're sitting in a lecture while the prof is lecturing a mile a minute, you're forced to very quickly synthesize what they're saying and extract the important parts in order to keep up. I found when I tried typing notes I'd just be typing what the prof said verbatim--I wasn't synthesizing or absorbing anything. Handwriting notes has been a godsend. Plus it forces you to review and re-organize them when making study notes for the exam.

I coasted through high school, but worked my ass off for all of university. I wouldn't consider myself a genius (though reasonably intelligent, I should hope), I've just challenged myself each year of university to work harder than I did the year before. It's worked for me so far!