What every professor should look like. Swoon.

It’s no secret that, in high school, we all had certain teachers we just didn’t “mesh” with. Sometimes you could solve teacher issues by going to your mom, a school counselor, the principal or the teacher him or herself. But usually the teacher was pretty reasonable in the end.

College is a bit different. First of all, they’re called “professors.” Intimidating, right? You’ll get over it. They also don’t tend to change any assignments, exams or rules to fit your needs. Basically, it’s their way or the highway (literally, you might end up working as a highway construction crewmember if college doesn’t work out. No, not really).

Let me tell you about some of the interesting professor experiences I’ve had this semester – which is coming to a close!

First, there’s my “Writing for Communication” professor. She’s quite an impressive woman, having produced dozens of films for networks like Discovery and National Geographic. However, she’s not the most organized professor. And I wouldn’t exactly call her omniscient. Class time usually runs out faster than we can get things done and her teaching strategy is basically, “This is what a press release looks like. Now do one!” She also scheduled some of our last assignments to be due after the semester ended, not aware of the academic calendar. That was quite a class discussion, trying to explain to her – and give physical evidence – that we won’t physically be here to turn in our story assignments.

Next, there’s my “Spanish Teaching Methodologies” professor. Homeboy does what he wants when he wants. Our class time runs from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays. However, last night he just decided he wanted to keep talking for TWENTY EXTRA MINUTES, without even acknowledging that he was running over time. Okay, professor, cool. He also forgot that my group was supposed to present our scholarly article on Second Language Acquisition (I like to use the term because it sounds smart). And it’s not like I can go to the head of the Spanish department and complain that he’s keeping us against our will on Thursday nights because, guess what. He’s the head of the Spanish department! So basically, if I wanted to talk to someone about my frustration, I’d have to go to the president of the school himself. Well that’s not gonna happen.

But professors aren’t always bad. Sometimes they’re so out of their minds that you can end up with an A in the class without every having learned anything – simply because he feels bad about being such a failure of a professor. Enter the man who’s supposed to teach me everything I need to know about “The Rise of Critical Social Thought.” Sometimes he’ll email us in the morning to tell us class is cancelled because he “just couldn’t do it today.” Seriously. I just finished working on a five-page rough draft that was originally supposed to be eight to ten pages. But, because the professor’s life is supposedly in shambles, not only was the due date pushed back several times, but the length of the paper also changed dramatically. What was originally a final page count of 16 to 20 pages is now eight to ten pages for the final paper. Hey, it works for me, since I know next to nothing about “The Rise of Critical Social Thought.”

But please don’t think that all professors in college are either sticklers for the rules or complete jokes. During my three semesters so far, I’ve had amazing professors that I still talk to on a regular basis. This post should serve you as a warning to ALWAYS look at the professor reviews online. Usually your school offers a database that contains all the student evaluations of each professor. They include factors like, what grade each student expects to receive, how many hours they devoted to the class each week, how much they took away from the course, etc.

But please don’t go on ratemyprofessor.com. I once had a professor admit to me that he wrote every single review of himself on that site.

As Thanksgiving approaches, the work just keeps piling up and my motivation keeps getting worse. Between Facebook stalking, discovering Tumblr and Pinterest, Tweeting, skyping friends abroad and discovering that I can now watch Vampire Diaries on Netflix, my productivity is shot.

Not gonna lie, I just got distracted by Facebook for 20 minutes.

So you won’t be shocked to hear that I haven’t done much in terms of schoolwork this weekend. I spent Friday interviewing for two internships for the spring (and scored one!), watching some good ‘ole Vampire Diaries, and going to the Foo Fighters concert at Verizon Center. Exciting, right?

Naturally, I woke up at noon on Saturday (which is actually very uncharacteristic of me), watched some more Vampire Diaries (noticing a pattern?), skyped for two hours, finally left my dorm at five p.m., went to see the Wizard of Oz for the girl I babysit, and went to bed by midnight. I’m just overachieving all over the place, right?

So, having done absolutely no homework for the majority of the weekend, I woke up early this morning to get to the library. BUT, I also went to breakfast with a friend for 2 hours – 2 hours of productivity I’ll never get back.

But, you know what? I’m not stressing. I still have the entire day. I’ve finished everything that’s due tomorrow. So, here’s my advice for the week: it’s great to get ahead on your work, but if you don’t need to spend the entire weekend doing homework, then don’t.

If I thought I needed to be in the library all day long today, I probably would’ve started doing work Friday afternoon. But I’m pretty good at anticipating my workload and staying in my dorm for the majority of the day yesterday just happened to fit into my schedule. Sue me.

So, if you don’t mind – and don’t judge – I’m going to leave the library as soon as I post this blog entry, shower, watch some Vampire Diaries, go to my chapter meeting, do a bit more work and go to sleep at a decent hour.

Happy studying!

This eecard says it all.

I’m currently working in a semester-long multi-faceted partner project for my impossible Spanish class. Not only does this class require a ton of extra work just to understand what’s going on, but I’m also paired with someone who works full time and takes all evening and weekend classes. Needless to say, finding times to meet that work for both of us is quite a task.

I can’t complain too much because my partner is actually fantastic. For someone so swamped with school and work, she’s great about managing her time and always does her fair share of the work.

But sometimes we’re not so lucky. In addition to this great but sometimes stressful partnership, I’m in a three-person semester-long group project for my international business class. You know how my Spanish partner pulls her weight and always does her fair share? Well, with these two it’s the polar opposite.

This class, “The Global Marketplace,” has two midterms. For each of the midterm reviews, every group is required to write a multiple-choice question and turn it in before the review.

Well, for the first review, my group never answered any of my emails and we didn’t get the question in on time. So that was a bummer. Then, for the second review, neither partner answered my emails – once again – and I simply sent the question to the professor and cc’d them on the email. Thanks for your help, guys!

So I have some advice when it comes to group projects in college. Granted, sometimes it doesn’t matter how hard you try to be respectful, organized and on top of your game – some people just don’t get it.

Plan from the Get Go

The second you get your syllabus – or at least within the first few weeks – get together with your partner and figure out when you want to do a preliminary meeting, just to talk about what you’re plan of action is. At the end of that meeting, plan your next meeting. Don’t tell them you’ll “be in touch,” plan it right then and there. And make sure you see them write it down in their planner, notebook or phone, and exchange phone numbers. Just because your partner may look put together does not mean he or she is dependable or won’t forget about your meeting.  

Consult Your Professors

Just because you’re told that professors won’t baby you in college doesn’t mean they’re not helpful or they don’t want you to succeed. They are there to help you. So if, say, your partner never showed up for your meeting and you haven’t spoken to him in days, it’s probably time to at least ask your professor what you should do. It’s possible they’ll tell you to – more or less – suck it up. But, most likely, they’ll figure out a better option.

Sometimes partners don’t work out simply because your schedules are too different. It doesn’t have to be awkward. Your partner will probably want to make a change as well. Simply go to your professor together and explain that it’s hard to be productive and get things done because you have totally different availability.

Divide the Work Fairly

This one’s a no-brainer once you get to college. But I vividly remember choosing to do all of the work in high school because outside input was just too stressful. But high school was a different story all together, as we all know. Your professors don’t consult each other and see what kind of workload you have before assigning a project, presentation, exam and paper all on the same day. So there’s no way you’re going to offer to do the majority of a project.

Make sure you’re familiar with the material before meeting with your partner or group and get a rough idea of what each other’s strengths are. Division is especially easy when the project requires a PowerPoint. Just outline your slides and decide who’s responsible for which slides. Never do more work than you need to. Another person’s success is not your resonsiblity.

How I feel about group projects.

But I had a nice break from everything last weekend when my mom and grandma came! I don’t think it has ever felt so good to be with my mom, even if it was just for a few days. I’ll let you in on a little secret: no one tells you that sophomore year is kind of boring.

I’m past the freshman year honeymoon stage, I’m comfortable at school and I’m familiar with the city. It’s nice to not walk around campus like a deer in headlights but life is, quite frankly, mundane these days. I need more.

I’ve made a point to get out and explore DC more this year, hang out with new and fun people, change things up. But nothing was better than just hanging out with my family for a weekend.

After experiencing last year’s family weekend, I mad sure to organize our weekend perfectly.

First, I made sure that I had a shopping list. My family is always aware that visiting means – at the least – an essentials trip to CVS. But the list included fall wardrobe essentials as well, of course! The future of my ensembles depended on getting a new pair of brown, leather boots. Momma and Steve Madden took care of me. And, coincidentally, Sephora is right next door to Steve Madden in Georgetown. Who’da thunk it?

Second, I made sure we ate like queens. Trust me, the first thing most college co-eds think about before family weekend is, “Expensive meals!” Mom is the queen of finding the best restaurants. Friday we dined Asia Nine. Sushi, my favorite food, is a rarity for a poor college student like myself. Therefore, I feasted. Saturday we brunched at the hotel and dined at Blacksalt before attending a speech and concert by John Legend at American. Sunday we brunched at my favorite breakfast place in DC, Kramer Books.

Third, I made sure we did fun things! Shopping was the first stop on that list, obviously. We also took a tour of The White House, walked miles around the National Mall, and strolled around Dupont Circle.

So, boys and girls, remember to take advantage of family weekend. Spend quality time with mom, dad, brother and sister. But don’t forget that this might be the only time you see them all semester. Make every moment useful.

Also, follow me on Twitter and Tumblr!

Mom and Me at the WWII Memorial

The look of the Mid-Semester Slump.

It has started. The dreaded middle-of-semester slump. Midterms have seriously got me down.

I mean, I can’t lie and say that they’re all that bad. Actually, in all honesty, I only have one left. But, believe me, I’m still recovering from the other four.

Last week, my first exam was in “The Global Marketplace,” an international business class. It was open-note. Piece of cake. Then, “Spanish Teaching Methodologies.” Kill me. I’m taking this class as a 300-level course. The majority of my classmates, however, are graduate students taking it as a 600-level course. You can imagine the pain my brain feels.

This week, I started out with a “Communication & Society” exam. This class is probably the most boring demonstration of the effects of PR any professor could have come up with. I used the last lecture period to read consumer reports and decide whether I want an iPad, Kindle or Nook. So let’s just say I had to do a bit of studying to prepare for that one.

Then Thursday I had the hardest exam I’ve ever had to prepare for in the history of ever. “Critical Social Thought.” What I originally assumed would be an interesting sociology class focused on government functions (how could I be so dumb?) turned out to be a straight philosophy class. I’ll let you in on a little secret: Philosophy and I do NOT mix. I just don’t get it. You cannot answer a question with a question!

Anyway, before I get too carried away with my hatred for this class, I’ll get to the point. Because I automatically assume I won’t understand any of the readings or lectures in this class, I simply don’t read and don’t pay attention in class. Good strategy, right?

Well, my plan of never paying attention was working out for a while. I used the class time to answer emails, apply to internships, online shop and catch up on facebook stalking. Everything was great until the time came for an actual exam. I didn’t know anything. Luckily the professor put extensive notes and slideshows online, but I had to teach them all to myself.

Times like these are when it’s good to have friends – or make friends – in your classes. Use people to help you in your classes. Most professors are easy to talk to and reasonable with questions you may ask about tests, projects and papers but occasionally you get one of those flustered, impossible, incomprehensible professors where it just seems like there’s no hope.

Study groups are wonderful because you can work off of points that your classmates might have heard that you missed, and vice versa. They are also great therapy tools. Commiserating about the difficulty of a class or the ridiculousness of a professor is my favorite part of study groups. But, be careful how far you take it. Wednesday night I was studying with a friend and literally wanted to cry. I was sure I was going to fail the exam the next day. It was a little embarrassing breaking down in front of this guy I just met in class but he completely understood. The class is absurd and it feels good to know I’m not the only one who thinks so.

So complain as much as you want. Cry a little if you have to. Call your parents and warn them that you’ll never amount to anything because you got one bad exam score.

When you finish being melodramatic, turn your passionate frustration into production. Get your butt to the library and teach yourself everything you have to. Grab a latte and stay up all night if need be. Even if the exam is impossible the next day, at least you can say you gave it your all.

And guess what. I taught myself everything there is to know about Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hume, Smith and Kant, and I’m proud of myself. I actually get it without having paid a minute of attention in class. And the midterm wasn’t terrible. I mean, it wasn’t easy. But I wrote comprehensible responses and I understood what the professor was looking for.

But don’t expect that kind of experience to happen to me again. Starting Monday, I’m putting away the laptop and taking straight pen and paper notes the rest of the semester. Big girls don’t cry in the library.

Now, I know none of these horrible scenarios will actually happen to me but I’m just trying to make my point clear. I’m not much of an exaggerator as you can tell.

I really have improved, though, in my overall well being compared to freshman year. Anyone who knows me can attest to that statement – especially my family and former roommate.

It all started the third week of first semester, right after Labor Day weekend. Sunday night I started to feel very achy and cold. My throat felt like knives were cutting into it when I swallowed. I had no energy. By the next day I was officially on my deathbed (again, one of my infamous exaggerations). I went to the Health Center (famous for being incredibly sub-par) and was told I had Strep Throat and possibly the dreaded Mononucleosis.

Luckily I have family in the area that allowed me to continue dying in the comfort of their home instead of my dorm room, which was still unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory in those early days.

I was sick for about two weeks. During that time I lost about 10 pounds, wore zero makeup and slept for approximately 1,000 hours (you get the idea). Here is a lovely photo of me during this wonderful time in my life. Though I’m utterly humiliated by it, I wish to use my story – and hideousness – as a cautionary tale for all you future and current freshmen who think taking vitamins is a waste of time.

Don't end up like this girl. Take care of yourself.

Take your vitamins, people! This bout of strep was only the first of several I had throughout the year. Serously. All in all, I had Strep Throat three times during my freshman year, one of which was during move out. Do you know how tiring, infuriating and tear-evoking it is to have to pack up your entire life when you can barely move to begin with? I do!

And it’s not like I’m an unsanitary person. I shower every day, sing “Happy Birthday” two times every time I wash my hands and regularly sanitize before and after I take the metro. You might as well call me a germaphobe. My immune system just wasn’t used to being around germs all day every day living in the dorms.

Well, I’ve learned my lesson. I take a Women’s One-a-Day Vitamin every single day. And I can almost guarantee I’d have been sick by now if it weren’t for them. Already this semester, my roommate has had the same horrible cough for the past three weeks and was diagnosed with some kind of virus and eye infection. Guess who doesn’t have any of those things. This girl!

Take 'Em.

Having the immune system of a newborn and all, Lord knows I’d probably be dying on my aunt’s couch right now if I didn’t take my vitamins every day.

Again, use my stories as cautionary tales for yourself, your friends or you kids. And always remember to take those One-a-Days with food. Trust me.

That being said, lots of huge things are happening on campus right now. One of the most significant events is fall fraternity rush. At American, freshmen aren’t allowed to go out for Recruitment until the spring. But upperclassmen who haven’t experienced Greek life can rush in the fall.

With all the talk of rushing, bid parties and hazing going around, I figured I’d take this blogging opportunity to discuss the advantages of going Greek or remaining unaffiliated. Mind you, I’m slightly biased because I happen to be affiliated with a sorority that I love obnoxiously and will defend to the death (figuratively). But I still have lots of friends who never went out for recruitment and are perfectly content.

Philanthropy

Greek life catches a lot of criticism for supposedly being all about drinking and partying and – we’ve heard it a thousand times – “paying for our friends.”  None of us joined for any of those reasons – at least the girls didn’t. I joined a sorority to have a tight-knit group of friends who have similar interests but are all individually unique. We do lots of things together. We explore DC, we go to sporting events and we do rewarding things like supporting our philanthropy.

Each sorority and fraternity has its own cause. We plan huge fundraisers, participate in walks and perform hands-on service supporting our foundation. I’m currently in the middle of helping plan my organization’s biggest event of the year. A huge portion of the student body will participate and donate, making all the stress of planning very rewarding.

If I weren’t affiliated with my sorority, I would probably be less inclined to do community service by myself and on my own time. It’s sad, but true, and I know a lot of people who hold the same feeling. We have a specific number of service hours that we must complete each semester. It’s a requirement, but – let’s face it – it’s not the worst requirement in the world.

Greek Alphabet courtesy of greek.iastate.edu

Sisters Have Your Back

My first semester freshman year was awesome. I found a very small group of friends with whom I went to meals, parties and the library. However, I didn’t feel that special bond I was looking for. Sometimes I wondered if I was just friends with these people because I didn’t know anyone else. It wasn’t true – we really did have great friendships – but I was curious to see what else (or who else) was out there. When I got my bid and started getting to know my pledge sisters, I felt like we all had some sort of unspoken bond. Sure, it was a little awkward being thrown into friendships with these girls you’ve just met, but less than a year later, I honestly do feel like we’re actual sisters. Every girl has her own role within the group, distinct personality and interests she wants to share. Yes, we get in little tiffs every once in a while, but when it comes down to it – just as I am with my little brother – we’ve got each other’s backs.

Parties

I won’t try to deceive you: part of being in Greek life means that you’re invited to more social events than you might be otherwise. It’s nice to go to a social event and have all your sisters around you. I’ve never experienced pressure to drink and my sisters will always respect my decisions and give me advice when I need it in situations involving alcohol. It’s a touchy subject because – I’ll admit – there are a lot of rules when it comes to drinking and talking about drinking, so I’ll just leave it there.

Courtesy of American University

Remaining Unaffiliated

My school is 18% Greek life. On a campus of about 7,000 undergrads that number may seem huge or completely insignificant. Honestly, I chose American because I thought that number was very small and pictured Greek life as something I wanted absolutely nothing to do with. But in the winter, I was just looking for something more. I went out for Recruitment with the mindset that I’d try it out and if I felt uncomfortable, I’d quit. None of my close friends rushed with me but when they realized how excited I was after each round, they completely supported me. My friends helped me choose my outfits each day, Facebook stalked each organization with me and were just as excited as I was when I got my bid.

I’ll admit, as the semester progressed and I got more into my New Member process, my unaffiliated friends and I did drift apart. But we both knew we had different things going on and that we were still very good friends. We’d go out of our way to make time for each other and I currently live with my best friend from first semester, who is not in Greek life.

At some schools, Greek life is everything. But when you go to a school like American, where there is so much to get involved in, not being in a sorority or fraternity is by no means the end of the world. I know people in clubs like the student newspaper or student Democrats or Republicans that seem like they might as well be in fraternity, based on their close friendships. So don’t think that your social life will be affected negatively in any way if you don’t rush or don’t get a bid. I know it’s totally cliché, but really – College is what you make of it and attitude is everything.

Recruitment Poster courtesy of greeklife.tamucc.edu

Not being a freshman is great, especially since everything in DC is now familiar to me. However, this familiarity also causes some major issues for my wallet.

Freshman year, I was so hesitant to even leave campus or spend money. I wasn’t just trying to be money conscious; I was literally scared to leave campus – and a tad lazy. I charged everything to my EagleBucks (student account) and lived on meal swipes from the dining room.

Times were much different back then. The summer before freshman year, I worked a 9 to 5 fast food job and saved almost every penny. I came to college rollin’ in the dough!

This summer, I worked a 9-5 office job that gained me amazing experience and credibility but unfortunately didn’t earn me a dime.

You’d think I’d be a little more hesitant to spend money, seeing as I have none. However, it seems I have a bit of an illness when it comes to self-control. You literally can’t take me anywhere without buying something.

So, once again, I have some advice for all of you reading this. Keep in mind: I most likely will not be practicing what I preach. But, as the saying goes, do as I say, not as I do.

Get a Job

Find some way to increase your cash flow. Most of us are very fortunate and have parents that help out with food and necessity shopping. But, trust me, you’re gonna want some extra cash for those trips to Urban Outfitters with the girls.

I recently got a babysitting job. I work two days a week after school and have a generous hourly wage. Every week, I put half away for saving and spend the other half almost immediately (no judging).

Most campuses have surrounding neighborhoods filled with working parents in need of some extra help. Try to find something just one or two days a week, so you can at least reimburse yourself from your previous CVS run.

Question Your Spending

Like Mrs. Tuohy said in The Blindside, “Ask yourself: Is this me?” But seriously, do it. And don’t just ask if something is right for you, question how bad you need it. How many pairs of the same style of shoe do you already have? Do you really need leopard print duck tape (in my case, the answer was yes. And I couldn’t leave without hot pink and electric blue either)?

Trust me, you can get by without most things you’re tempted to purchase. If you truly need it, you already have it. If not, mom and dad will probably be willing to chip in on a major necessity.

Clubs: Either be 21 or get there early

Clubbing doesn’t exactly apply to every college kid, but in D.C. clubbing is just another part of our social lives. Most places are 18 to enter, 21 to drink. Cover charges are expensive! So if it’s not “Ladies Night,” “College Night” or “Everyone Gets in Free Night,” you don’t need to go. Generally these themes will have a stipulation for the 18+ kids. Either you get in free or receive a discount on the cover charge before 11 p.m. or midnight. 21+ usually receives free cover on themed nights. So, like it says above: Either turn 21 or get there early, folks!

Keep in mind, going clubbing means you’ll probably have to buy a new outfit, kill your feet in heels and go at least halvesies on a cab. Clubbing is an investment people! Believe me, I’ve got some sad looking feet right now.

Eat on Campus

I know you probably think going to Whole Foods and spending $100 to stock up on groceries is smarter than paying for your cafeteria-to-go meal on campus, but it’s not. Most schools are the same: you get a meal plan included in tuition and it comes with a certain number of EagleBucks-type credit. For the first few weeks, use your EagleBucks! They’ve already been paid for, so why choose to spend real money over imaginary money that can get you real food, drinks and – often – essentials from CVS and is included in your tuition that’s already been paid (or will be eventually).

So hit up that cafeteria and figure out how to make a mean salad just like your favorite restaurant back home. You’ll be proud of yourself for improvising and pleased that your back account is dwindling at least a little slower.

Now, one of these things is not like the other; however, it just goes to show that sometimes things don’t start off as smoothly as we anticipate. No one said starting college would be easy. But sometimes I feel bad for all the freshmen that are terrified enough as it is just walking to class. Now they have to deal with the fear of an impending plague or something.

The best precaution we take can take in times such as this is to simply over-prepare. It hasn’t stopped raining once this entire week and, of course, I left my umbrella at my babysitting job on Tuesday. So, what should I have done? Bought a new umbrella right away. What did I do? Waited until every single store sold out of umbrellas (due to the aforementioned monsoon) to decide to actually go pick one up.

In high school – especially in Louisville – we either had cars or always had someone to drive us places. College is different. You’re constantly walking outside. So maybe you could handle being in the rain for two seconds without a hood back home. But now there’s no way you’re walking to class in the rain with no hood – unless you want to get a cold and have your mom scream at you over the phone for being irresponsible (Trust me. Prior experience).

So get a pair of rain boots. Hunter boots are popular on pretty much every campus.

Zappos.com

They run around $125, so if you’re looking for something a bit cheaper, always head to target. I think these whale print boots are adorable and so Vineyard Vines.

Target.com

Get a raincoat. I love Northface and they come in so many awesome colors. My favorite is this one in Veridian Green ($99).

Nordstrom.com

ASOS.com

And, of course, get yourself an umbrella, crazy! I only stick with one brand when it comes to my rain shield: Totes. They come in endless prints and colors, most of them open and close automatically and come with a sleeve. How convenient!

Totes.com

So try to stay dry, stay away from any locusts and always be prepared and stylish.

This week has been an interesting start to my sophomore year. I’ve reunited with tons of friends and met new acquaintances. I’ve met girls from my sorority who were abroad. I’ve joined 200 and 300 level classes. I’ve even cleaned my room and made my bed several times!

But one thing I’m still adjusting to is the change in my study habits. High school was different. I went to school from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., went to my after-school activities, ate dinner, and did homework the rest of the night.

College is a much different story. My classes are held at all different hours of the day – one even at 5:30 p.m. – and I often have tons of free time. Not to mention, my class schedule, eating schedule, workout schedule and studying schedule change with each semester.

The most important thing I have to remind myself is that, when I finally do decide it’s time to get work done, it must be in a quiet place, free of distraction. I don’t care how much you think you can handle outside stimulation while staying focused on work, no one – I repeat, NO ONE – gets work done in the “Marketplace,” the area in our student center where people meet, socialize, eat and pretend to do schoolwork.

The Marketplace: Where good study habits go to die.

I’ve learned to love the library. Ours has three floors, one being completely silent. When I need to get mountains of reading done for a class, I head to that silent floor and get ‘er done.

If you are the type of person who needs to drown out all sound when studying, look-up a good “study” playlist and play it softly in your ears while you read.

If you, like me, can’t help but click on Facebook, Twitter or Perez Hilton after each sentence, download “Self Control,” an application that will forbid you to visit any number of sites you deem dangerous to your study habits. During finals, Self Control saved my life.

One of the best pieces of advice I can offer about studying in college is to use your friends. At first, it’s no fun to head the library all by your lonesome. But, if you bring friends as support, you’ll be much more motivated. However, if you go as a group, do work on the silent floor. You won’t allow yourselves to distract each other if you’re forced to sit down and zip it.