Top Study Tips for the College Transition | CollegeXpress
Illustration of a woman wearing headphones sitting on blanket writing notes

Video: Top Study Tips

Ready for college academics? In this video, Joe offers tips on handwriting notes, joining study groups, and finding the perfect study environment.

A big difference between high school and college is the studying aspect. In college, there is a lot more independence, which means there is not always going to be someone to tell you how and when to study. Studying takes a lot of patience and practice, but Joe answers three common questions to get you started. Check out the video below!

How do you take notes? (1:08)

A study conducted by Mueller and Oppenheimer found that students retain information better when they write their notes by hand (2014). Whether or not you decide to type or write your notes is up to you; it may vary depending on the class.

Study groups: What and why? (2:45)

Find a study buddy in each of your classes or join a study group. Being a part of a study group makes it easier to figure things out because you have more brainpower! It also allows you to compare notes in case you missed out on a detail. Some people would rather keep to themselves during lectures, but making at least one friend in class who can give you notes on a day you miss is super helpful.

What are some other tips and tricks? (3:45)

  1. Switch up where you study: The library, your dorm room, a café, or even outside on a nice day.
  2. When you should study: Not the night before an exam! Your grades in college are usually based on a small amount of assignments, so start studying or completing assignments in advance.
  3. Don’t be hard on yourself: Studying is a skill that takes practice, so be patient if it takes you a little while to test trial-and-error methods that work best for you!

Do you have other study tips up your sleeve that you didn't see in this video? Let us know! Subscribe now if you want lots of college help on the regular, and be sure to let us know what you'd like to see by leaving a comment.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About CollegeXpress

CollegeXpress

Welcome to CollegeXpress, your one-stop college shop! We’re a free college planning website used by millions of college-bound students, parents, and counselors—anyone who needs help navigating the college search and application process, financial aid opportunities, and more. 

You’ll find comprehensive College Search and Scholarship Search tools, tons of articles and expert advice, unique college Lists & Rankings, and lots of other resources to help make your life easier. Teen Vogue even named us one of the 7 Best College Search Websites!

Current college students and recent grads also love CollegeXpress for our Graduate Program Search tool and endless information on student life, internships, and beyond. We really have something for everyone, no matter where you are in your college journey.

Create a free CollegeXpress account to start connecting with colleges, winning scholarships, and simplifying your life as a student!

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI


Samantha Fils-Aime

Samantha Fils-Aime

High School Class of 2019

I love that CollegeXpress has helped me find some scholarships to apply for but also helped me succeed in school with lots of tips. I also really like how they consistently email me about webinars that teach me a lot of things from the comfort of my home!

Kamal

Kamal

Student, University of the People

I registered with CollegeXpress and filled all my necessary and relevant information as well as the course I wished to study. A few days later, an email was sent to me with a list of schools offering the course; amongst them was the University of the People, the school I got admitted to.

Abhishek Kumar

Abhishek Kumar

High School Class of 2022

As a high schooler, I know how hard it is to plan for college. You have to consider a lot of factors: SAT/ACT scores, college searches, scholarships, and more. CollegeXpress has been a helpful resource that solves all these problems. One can easily create a free account and search away. They help you search for scholarships and colleges, they have graduate program search, they have lists and rankings, and so much more. CX also has a lot of articles and advice to read—whether it’s financial aid, test prep, campus visits, internships/careers, or anything. Not only that, CX gives out free scholarship money to students who sign up and create a free CX account. I love CX and will continue to use it! Thank you CollegeXpress for making my college journey easier!

Amelia

Amelia

High School Class of 2023

CollegeXpress helped open me up to many colleges that fit my interests. I’m only a sophomore in high school, so I like having a lot to look at, and CX does a great job of picking colleges that meet my wants. It's a great website that I'll continue to use until it comes time for me to apply for colleges. I also like that it notifies me through email with options to look at. Thanks CX!

Keaun Brown

Keaun Brown

$2,000 Community Service Scholarship Winner, 2020

As I transition to furthering my education, I can say with certainty that it simply wouldn’t be possible without the help of generous organizations such as CollegeXpress. Those who initially founded CX had no idea their platform would give a plethora of information to a first-generation homeless kid native to the ghettos of over half a dozen states. Everyone at CX and Carnegie Dartlet gave me a chance at a future when the statistics said I had none. And for that, I thank them.