Am I just dumb or not booksmart or what lol So I'm going to start college soon but I'm really...

robertsnj · 56-60, M

Congrats in getting in and I hope the best for you! I did bad in high school but descent in college and got a degree. I don't want to be vapid and say you will do fine because I have no idea what your situation is like but I can offer up a few things

1) Get good at reading. The amount of reading you do in college can be a culture shock. It was difficult for me and I leisure read in high school. Reading a text book is different than leisure reading. Have high lighters and write notes in the margins. See how others read their textbooks and ask them questions.

2) If you are morning person take lots of morning classes. If you are not take 11 AM or afternoon classes. Over time as you select a major and take higher level classes you will not get that option anymore.

3) Study groups, if they are committed to doing well, are really valuable. You can see how others absorb the material and some of them will catch things you miss. however some study groups turn into social groups which is detrimental. Join some but be ready to walk away if they don't feel committed to learning the material.

4) Remember things (form your post) is important maybe mostly for history class. In other classes it is often more about why and how as opposed to just what (remembering things). I realize you are in Canada but I bet it is a similar thing.

5) Have an exercise outlet. Can be yoga, dance class anything --but it is easy to blow off exercise and slowly drive yourself insane by all the thinking and reading an no physical outlet. You will see what I mean when you get there.

6) Make getting the degree your biggest goal until it is over. College isn't for everyone and you may think this is for the birds one year in. Totally fine. However if you think you do want to slug it out in academic-ville make that your biggest goal. Bigger than whomever you are dating, your social circles, your job you had in college and your hobbies. Almost everybody I knew and now know with a degree thought that way. Tunnel vison on getting a degree is an important thing to have in those days. And those days do not last. They start and one day they end one day-for the rest of your life.

On a sidenote friendships are fleeting in college. As I say this I keep in touch with about 10-15 people from my college days which is insanely high. But realistically you are all just passing each other by going in your own directions. No advice on this but just that will probably happen to you too.

I hope the best for you and that you find fulfillment in the experience.

dancingtongue · 80-89, M

We all have different ways of learning and remembering, which aren't necessarily the same. One of the great things about college if you will be living in a group setting (dorm, sorority, co-op, etc.) is the increased opportunity to discover how others manage to remember and learn. You should also be thinking about the field you go into and what is required to qualify and perform in it. If
it requires a lot of remembering a long list of data and specific information , then perhaps you should be looking at another field where learning the hows and whys are more important than the specific data points.

Third thing to consider is whether your problem is remembering or taking written tests. Person who used to work for me froze up whenever she had to take a written test from her earliest school days. Her dad used to go in and fight the school to give her an oral exam rather than a written exam. When she worked for me she already had her master's degree. She recently decided to go back for her doctorate and gets her PhD this Saturday.

HannibalAteMeOut · 22-25, F

Maybe you just haven't found the right method to study yet. I hope college and what you chose to go there for was something you wanted. Some people have trouble at school because they don't choose to go, but succeed at university because they love their degree.

TallMtnMedic · M

I was the same way, but I actually had a better time with those classes in college. I would do one of the classes that I was kinda nervous about each semester. I would also change the way I wrote notes, asked questions, sat towards the front and was considering a tudor for a class. None of these I did in highschool. The tudor wasnt needed actually, me changing my notes actually did a lot for me.

My mindset also changed. It went from "I'm in hs, none of this matters after highschool" to "Im in this for me, this is all on me only." That added a bit of stress and anxiety to my life, but it was needed to keep me focused.

Freetime · 56-60, M

I think we always assume things will be harder than they actually turn out to be. Think positive!

iamBen · M

My experience was that being more motivated, once I got to college, made a huge difference. I did fine. If you work at it and avoid taking too big a course load you'll have the chance to succeed too. Why not try taking taking a limited number of classes at the start to get used to the work load. Hang in there? I know it can be intimidating, but the education can be worth the effort. Best of luck to you.

Theyitis · 36-40, M

It’s okay, school is mostly just to show potential employers that you can jump through hoops. The stuff you actually learn is usually not important after you finish school, and it’s not really predictive of success in your career.

Rambler · 61-69, M

Booksmart is one way to be smart but not the only way. Lots of people learn what they need by watching other people and then working on your own, not reading about it. My son is that way..hated school, but he's doing fine. So try it and see if you like it and how you do.

originnone · 61-69, M

Just stay caught up. College is often more of a challenge in that respect even than learning the material. You may find you do better because of that.....I did better in college in similar classes.