There are many things to concentrate on as a freshman. You have new friends, a rigorous schedule, and may be far from your home. You can believe that you may have pages to read, a lab session, and a paper to complete all in one evening. It is expected that you will handle this load properly. Here are some assignment tips for new freshmen.
Carry a day planner with you to each of your classes. Make sure the planner is big enough to write all of your work in. When you’re given a homework assignment, tuck the information sheet into the back of the planner or place it on the current date. Do this for all the classes you attend.
When you return to your dorm, home, or apartment, place the due dates on your large desk schedule. Also hand write the dues dates into the planner. Keep the instructional sheets in the planner. Only throw away each instruction sheet once you have completed the assigned homework. If you are prone to losing things, then take a snap shot with your phone of the instruction sheets. Since many teachers have gone paperless, you may have to actually print the instructions from their class web page.
Join or create a peer study homework group. If you are creating one, be very careful whom you pick to join the group. A fun friend might not be the best option. You are looking for bright people who you can collaborate with on a regular basis. These people need to be serious about their studies. Make sure the right people are in the peer study group to get the right results. If you join an existing help group, check and make sure it will fit your needs. Think about if you want a group where all subjects are covered or a specialized group that just focuses on one subject or on one class. There is no rule that says you cannot belong to more than one study group. Join as many as you can actually attend and be a strong part of on a regular basis.
Know your labs-know where the math lab, the writing lab, and the science lab are located on campus. Also know the hours of operation and the rules for each of these labs. You can find free assistance in each of these labs with any or all of your work. Some will be open 24/7 and others will not.
Once you know the schedules, place the schedules in your planner for easy access. Utilize the campus labs for all of your work. If you are super strong in a subject, you may want to volunteer to help man a lab as you get into your junior or senior years. Also graduate students man many of the labs. You want to know these people and use the experience of these people.
The library will probably be open 24/7. Today’s libraries are not like your mother’s libraries, nor are they similar to junior high or high school ones. You can have a study room, do homework, get assistance with research, grab coffee, photocopy, and checkout music and movies. You charge your electronic devices, work at a café table, access papers and books from round the world, and hold a help session there. Your school may have one large library and then smaller libraries, which specialize, in your field of study. Go to both of these libraries to get help with your work when you need it.