Learning

Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, I just had to pay attention to the teacher and do all the homework in order to do well in the class. As long as I did those two (not that it was easy) I knew I was prepared for the tests. However, I learned (very early on) that that's not how college works. College has really changed the way I study and go about doing my work.

Here are the changes:

1. I barely use my agenda book anymore. If you asked me in middle school or high school, I could not have gone through the day without my agenda book. However, college isn't looking at the work that is due only tomorrow. It's about looking at what's due within the next few weeks and knowing when your next exams are. Now I just write everything on my online calendar.
2. Everything is online! This was the biggest change. I know that some schools (especially in other counties) integrate technology within the classrooms, but everything in my high school was done in paper and pen/pencil. I also turn in a lot of my writing assignment online and these mark the exact time when you turn your assignment in. Your professor can see it even if it's one minute late!
3. I began taking notes on my laptop. I think it was the hardest part to get used to; while I do need my laptop to take notes, it takes so much self-control not to go on facebook during class. Since you use your laptop all the time, I would say that choosing the right laptop for your needs is one of the most important decisions you will make for college!
4. I started studying with other people more frequently. Other people know something I don't and I know something they don't. It's really helpful to learn from others. You just have to be careful who you're getting your information from.
5. This semester I began recording lectures on my phone. It really helps to be able to listen to what my professor said again because I have a hard time following what's going on in class in the first place.
6. I try to get as much homework and work done during school. This was really difficult to get used to last semester. I was used to having a set schedule - go to school, come home and do homework, and then repeat. But I have so many gaps and come home pretty late sometimes. I'm still learning to use my time efficiently in school but thank God I can concentrate more in school than in the beginning of last semester.
7. I learned that everyone comes to classes with different backgrounds. Because I have a harder time understanding something doesn't mean I'm incapable of understanding it. It might mean that other people learned about the topic in the past and it just means that I have to work harder to understand it. 
8. It's important to know your resources and to use them. In high school I never really interacted with my teachers. However, at such a large university such as the University of Maryland, it is so beneficial to go to professor's office hours and learn personally from them. I find myself doing much better when I take the initiative to go talk to a professor or the TA.
9. Studying from old tests. This was considered cheating in high school, but it's not in college. It's so so important to know the test style of your professor. Even though you might be taking the same class with your friend, the way you study and what you study may drastically be different. Although professors change the information tested, their style will most likely be the same.
10. Befriend people in class. It's impossible to befriend 200 people, but having at least one or two friends in each class really makes a difference (at least for me). It makes the class more enjoyable. 

Although I'm finding myself adapting new ways to learn and study, I'm so thankful for the foundations I learned in high school. The study habits taught by Mr. Hendley in AP Chem in high school really helped me last semester in Organic Chemistry I when my professor didn't assign any homework. I resorted to taking lecture notes, reading the book and making outlines, and doing book problems (though I started slacking off at the end of the semester). I'm still learning from my mistakes and trying to learn effective ways to study. I find it fascinating learning how the brain stores and retains information.

How you study is also heavily dependent on your major and your coursework, but maybe the basics are similar. Well, this is all from a bio major's perspective who attends 90+ people lectures.