As the fall term is coming to end, the library floors will be packed with students studying for exams. The library is not the only place to study, although some still prefer the common study location. While students will be studying more and finishing projects and papers, students may feel overwhelmed not even knowing where to begin with their studies.
I asked several students where they like to study most on-campus and if they had any study tips for their fellow Augie students.
Senior Fiona Bowers and sophomore Alondra Perez preferred the library as their main study space.
“My favorite place is the third floor of the library. I get distracted way too easily on the second and fourth floors and the third floor is a great spot to ignore distractions,” Bowers said.
Perez enjoys studying on the third floor as well. “I prefer this place to study because it is quiet and no one can bother you. I find that if I need to write a paper or do heavy reading, it gets done on that floor.”
Sophomore Kayley Larson went with a different route when choosing her favorite study space.
“My favorite place to study is in the dining hall because I can get a snack anytime I need it. It helps motivate me to finish my work if I use food as a reward. I study there at least three to four times a week,” Larson said.
While spots within the Gerber Center seem to be popular, there are also different areas where students study. When asked if she knew about unusual study spots on-campus, Larson said, “I’ve seen someone walking on the Swanson bridge while reading. Definitely not the best way to study.”
“I hear a lot about studying in Evald since it’s so far away from everything. No one really goes there, so it’s quiet as well,” said Perez.
As for study tips Senior Emily Fahs said, “I’ve found that it’s really helpful to use online resources to learn material I don’t understand. There have been a few classes with concepts I was unable to understand from lecture, but watching videos and reading articles from other sources helped me to understand the topic better. I think the most helpful videos online can be found on Khan Academy. Also, be careful of over-studying; it can be almost as detrimental as barely studying.”
Bowers suggested using the best of your resources.
“Take all the practice tests offered by professors. Those are vital to success because they familiarize you with how that professor tests,” Bowers said.
Yen Dao, the director of Student Success Services, gave some end of the term study tips as well.
Dao said, “I would study a little bit each day. I’m a huge fan of small goals. So instead of waiting until three days before a test and do five-hour sessions of studying, do more 30- 60-minute sessions per day a week or two leading up to the test and then the night before, do one heavy study session, and then go reward yourself with something fun afterwards.”
Dao also suggested getting more sleep.
“I do want to recommend that students get their sleep. What happens is students cram and stay up late and try to get work done. When you don’t sleep well, you’re not functioning well and you’re not going to think nearly as well when taking a test or type a good paper by staying up later. To me, managing sleep and managing time is a really important part of good study habits,” Dao said.
While the end of the term may be stressful for students, Dao emphasizes self-care. “Even if this term doesn’t go as well as someone would hope, it doesn’t mean that you couldn’t learn these things at the beginning of next term. It’s never too late to figure out new study skills. Don’t feel like because there’s only a week left, that there isn’t time to improve later.”