#class tips

not really big on tips with academics, more of staying and feeling alive on 12-hours class days

ive been mentioning in some of my posts that i have 11 to 12 hours class schedules this semester, and those days (wednesday and thursdays) are probably the most difficult days to squeeze in study time after class... especially wednesday since for thursday there's 4 major subjects to study for. and since the semester is ending, i'd like to share the things i've been doing because surprisingly i haven't felt any signs of burn out since this second semester.

note: i have a pretty lax schedule aside from wednesdays and thursdays this sem so most likely i won't be able to abide by these the following semester once our hybrid classes start + different schedule

1. turn off your phone and leave it in your locker/back. sometimes, lectures get really boring, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to pay attention! seeing your phone will make you feel distracted. hiding it will help you concentrate more in general

2. raise your hand. be that kid. there's nothing wrong with it. they're just jealous you actually know the answers ♥️ raising your hand will make your teacher be more lenient with you. it works on the most intimidating teacher too

3. take notes. don't worry if they're messy. you can rewrite them when you get home. I recommend having a messy notebook for in-class notes and a neat one for the notes rewritten if you have time. it's a sort of a learning method too. writing it once is equal to reading it 7 times

4. listen. listen. listen. listen! listen!! listen!!! I can't stress this enough!!!!!

#100studytips LISTEN CAREFULLY FOR HINTS IN CLASS

Have you ever found yourself in a class or lecture so madly and rapidly writing notes that you miss a tonne of what the teacher is saying? And you sometimes have to ask the person next to you so you can ‘get with the program’ …. At this most ordinary juncture, you can forget trying to capture exam hints dropped by the teacher, you are simply in ‘survival mode’!

If you’re trying to hide an open tab while in class, open the Javascript Console on that page and type in the following

document.title = "This is the new page title.";

I’m so glad that you like my blog! As far as tips to help you out, well firstly make sure that you’re sitting in the best place to focus: you probably have already thought of this but make sure that you’re not sitting next to people who distract you and that you’re close enough to the teacher. It’s often easier to focus when there are fewer distractions between you and the teacher.

My only other real tip is try to immerse yourself in the content: in classes where I have trouble focusing I try to go over the chapter/s that will be gone over in the class at home and then I map out a plan of the main topics and create a sort of ‘fill-in-the-blanks’ notes to fill out during the class; sometimes it’s easier to stay focused when you’re listening for something specific to come up! 

Just a few quick tips to incoming college freshmen:

Where to sit in class: I’ve seen several posts about striving to be a aces student that mention sitting in the front row which is a good tip in general; I personally have anxiety in social/classroom situations so the best seat depends entirely on the class for me and it might for you too! For instance I speak up a lot in math classes so I feel more comfortable towards the back so that I know that no one is really staring at me as I speak. In history I sat at the front because my professor encouraged a very calm environment that I felt completely comfortable in. In English/Writing courses I sat in the first or second row because getting to know those teachers felt like a good idea (tip on that below). In art I sat at the front because there was minimal interaction with the professor, she was very good she just didn’t require much more than our attention so it was easier to focus at the front. In philosophy I sat at the back because the classroom was small and I was originally a little intimidated by the professor though I learned throughout the semester that he was a great teacher and a nice person (I mentioned that it was my birthday at the start of the week when an essay was due and he told me that it was fine if I handed it in one class late without my even asking). 

Teachers: If you don’t get to know/speak to any of your other teachers PLEASE make some sort of nice with your English/writing professor! And any other subject where you write a lot of semi-opinion type papers (like philosophy). I tend to use a lot of commas in my writing because that’s how I speak too, also it’s just how I was taught. Once my English (and then also my philosophy) teacher knew how I spoke about things in person and then also a bit of what I was like as a person/student when talking it seemed to help with them being able to read the papers I was turning in as my papers and not just a paper with an unknown voice. It helped me at least.

STAY ON TOP OF YOUR HOMEWORK: Please make sure that you do all of your homework as it gets assigned! Do not leave it until the last minute and PLEASE do not rely on the idea of extra credit EXTRA CREDIT CANNOT FULLY REPLACE REGULAR CREDIT. Also try to do every single piece of homework that you can; my math professor gave us a lot of just practice homework and doing it really helped me to understand the material better. And my philosophy and history teachers both gave out suggested readings and when I had the time to it definitely helped me appreciate the courses more. Just because a paper or project doesn’t count for very much doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. In programming it was possible to miss a few projects if you made nearly perfect on all the others and still come out with a grade but every single person who relied on that idea came out with a lower mark than they really should have because they didn’t do the work. 

Your teachers understand that you have a life: not every single teacher is going to be willing to just hand out extensions or forgiveness but most of them really do understand that while school may be your number 1 priority you have other obligations too. Talk to them, be honest with them, and most of them are willing to help. With the exception of one all of the teachers that I have had are teaching college/uni because they want to teach, because they like it, so they really don’t want to ruin the fun of learning for you; they want to help you.

When new students enter the class they usually have a lot of questions.  It can be a scary experience when joining your first bellydance class and no one understands that more than your instructor.  Remember, we were in your shoes once!  Below are a few tips to help you cope with the new and exciting world of bellydance.

It's perfectly normal to want to hide in the back row!  But challenge yourself to switch it up every other week.  Trust me, everyone else is just as focused on doing the right move as you are!

Make friends with experienced students!  They are usually more than willing to help and meeting new friends is a great way to break the ice.

Listen to your instructors.  As is the case with any other educational class, leave the cell phones on silent and pay attention to get the most out of this experience!

Believe in yourself!

Ask questions!

Bring water!  Water is an essential part of class and is not always readily available.  Bring your own just in case.

Push yourself but know your limits!  If you have physical limitations discuss those with your instructor prior to class.  If you need a break, don't be afraid to sit it out.

Show up on time and ready to learn.  So the "on time" part is pretty straight forward but what does "ready to learn" mean?  Leave your baggage from the day at the door.  Don't bring family drama with you into class or stress from today's office meeting.  The point is to enjoy class and take time out for YOU!

Don't get bogged down if you can't get a move right the first time.  Practice makes perfect!  Remember, everyone learns at their own pace.

Don't make unrealistic goals!  Professional dancers are not grown overnight!  It takes YEARS of practice and dedication but that level is certainly attainable if your heart is in it.