Jared Haverson is finally making the grade.

The sophomore sociology major knows exactly what he has to do in order to study for a test. He has his usual spot in Goldstein where he will sit for hours on end. He goes through old class material, reads his pre-highlighted notes and prepares himself for the upcoming exam. Haverson has an entire studying system already worked out, and is doing very well grade-wise because of it. However, it was not always this way.

‘I didn’t do any studying in high school,’ Haverson said. ‘It was a lot easier to breeze through without having to do a lot of work and still maintain a decent grade point average. Here it’s a lot different, and I learned that the hard way.’

Haverson was near failing his freshman year, and has only recently adjusted his agenda to include more time for study. He is just one example of the many students whose GPA took a turn for the worst after making the transition from high school to college.

In this switch, students quickly move from a highly structured and regulated lifestyle to one where class – and learning – is often times unofficially optional. Add that to the increased workload which college provides, and many are set up for failure.

The real problem students seem to encounter is the lack of good time management skills. Studying for exams is left till the last minute, and the time needed to complete the work assigned is often underestimated. Also, gaps of free time which could be used for educational opportunities are often wasted. Students do not know how to effectively use the time they have between classes, said Marlene Blumin, director of the study skills program at Syracuse University.

Blumin teaches CLS 105, or College Learning Strategies, for students like Haverson who feel they need help in this department. The three credit class shows students how to correctly look at college curriculum. It explains how individual students learn; then how to match that style to the curriculum in hopes of getting a better grade. The class improves study habits, reading practices and note taking; it teaches about everything that encumbers studying in general, Haverson said.

‘Students may wait to the last minute to study, hoping to get by on just the notes you would take in class without ever opening the book you paid $150 for, and that doesn’t work,’ said Kathy Glum, office coordinator for the Learning Resource Center at SU.

Many students actually feel their bad studying habits have been carried over from high school, as opposed to forming at college. Different slacker techniques like skimming notes or waiting till the night before an exam to even pick up materials are often used, and some procrastinators are quite content with this system.

‘I study better when I feel I need to; if I’m not under pressure then I won’t look at it fully,’ said Katelyn Gilroy, a junior magazine major. ‘My roommate studies a week in advance, but I can’t do it; I loose concentration. I like having it right in my head. I’m a big cram person.’

Some, like Eric Hansson, an undecided freshman in The College of Arts and Sciences, feel that while the workload may have changed, studying routines don’t need to.

‘My techniques worked for me all through high school, so I didn’t want to fix anything that wasn’t broken,’ Hansson said.

Often times a full study habit reconstruction is not needed for a student to do better in classes; sometimes small changes are enough. Rereading of notes within the first 24 hours of receiving them is extremely helpful to reinforce the information. Also, it is not encouraged to study late at night or early in the morning because the brain is not fully functioning. In addition, students should study more than just one way, like read as well as rewrite notes, in order to strengthen the information in another mode. As a last resort, students should try explaining their work to someone else, because if they can explain it, then they know it, Glum said.

Another helpful tip is picking the right place to study. It should be comfortable and accessible with the least amount of distraction. Yet, it should also be a place where someone could easily take a break and let the new information settle. Really anyplace except a bed is a good place to study, as beds tend to be a grabber for catching a nap, Blumin said.

‘Freshman year I studied in my room, and that didn’t work very well because it’s obviously very distracting,’ said Soren Graae, a junior philosophy major. ‘Then in sophomore year I went to the library and spent less time studying and less time doing work, but I did better work. It’s just a better environment to study in.’

Overall, the change from high school to college is a difficult one, but not impossible. Many students are able to highly succeed with the right attitude and work ethic, and professors are more than willing to work one-on-one, and as a last resort, the Learning Center is open and available for more practice. The newly increased workload may be intimidating, and the freedom appealing, but with some intense effort and buckling down, anyone can succeed at SU. It just takes some work.

‘As long as you stay on top of the work, and ask for help if you need it, then you will be ok,’ Glum said. ‘You’re paying a lot of money to come here, don’t waste your time. Go. Study.’

Published on March 21, 2005 at 12:00 pm