Starting Studies Early: Tips and Benefits for Success in School

[BioCore]

So I am about a week from starting school. I have been reading a bit from my course textbooks but nothing big or extensive. I was wondering what your thoughts were on starting studies early? Do any of you begin studying for future classes ahead of school start times or do you all just get really good (efficient) study habits and begin with the rest of the class?

 

[Defennder]

It helps immensely. If you have read through your notes before attending a lecture, you'll notice yourself understanding the concepts a lot better. Sometimes certain concepts cannot be understood fully until other complementary concepts have been taught as well, so it pays a lot to read through and understand something long beforehand.

 

[danago]

I fully agree with what Defenner said. I've found that reading ahead of my lectures is one of the best ways to make use of the lectures effectively. Some of my classes move pretty fast and it can get hard to keep up, but if I've read ahead of schedule then the lectures really just act to fill the gaps on content i may have missed or had a hard time understanding.

 

[Saladsamurai]

It helps immensely. If you have read through your notes before attending a lecture, you'll notice yourself understanding the concepts a lot better. Sometimes certain concepts cannot be understood fully until other complementary concepts have been taught as well, so it pays a lot to read through and understand something long beforehand.

I fully agree with what Defenner said. I've found that reading ahead of my lectures is one of the best ways to make use of the lectures effectively. Some of my classes move pretty fast and it can get hard to keep up, but if I've read ahead of schedule then the lectures really just act to fill the gaps on content i may have missed or had a hard time understanding.

Ditto. I know that I understand something much better the second time around.

 

[JoshHolloway]

I definitely agree with you guys. But I find it very difficult to study for a class when I am not "forced to". I know I am never actually forced to, but I think you know what I mean. I call this the "force factor"!

I have tried many times to teach myself a subject or topic, but I really don't put all my effort toward trying to really understand it until class begins.

But I still think that even reading up on something thing just a little before the class starts is a great advantage over starting a class when you know absolutely what the hell you are going to be taught, or why you are learning it.

 

[loonychune]

As far as doing well in your degree goes, reading over things before the lectures is really a should-do. I've come to think that's pretty much the point of lecture courses. Then you're given free reign to consolidate that topic and related topics.

As for giving good time to things in advance, i'd have said, so long as you enjoy it, that you'll really benefit if you want to do a bit more with your course. My attitude is slowly becoming: "It's all a work in progress!"

So I expect to meet things early, forget things, relearn things (a good deal quicker) and so on...