Resources to Use in a Good Study Plan

Let’s say you’re in college, and you’re taking a class which is a little bit outside of your comfort zone (or a lot, depending on the class and your comfort zone). You may be a high-performing student in every class but this one, and you’re not sure what you’re doing wrong when it comes time to study. Here’s the frustrating truth: you can spend ten hours studying for an exam and still fail, only to compare scores with the person sitting next to you and discover that they got an A.

Here’s another truth: educational success, like many, many other types of success, comes down to the four A’s:

1. Availability of resources,
2. Accessibility of resources,
3. Awareness of resources, and
4. Ability to use those resources.

Before I jump into any of the resources which will apply to most college students, I want to clarify that sometimes, academic success can be impacted by disabilities you may have or difficult circumstances in your life. If this is the case, or you suspect it may be the case, reach out to your school’s office for counseling and disability resources. You may be able to receive accommodations for your disability, or counseling to help you through situations of grief, abuse, or other forms of mental and emotional stress.

This post covers the five resources most likely to be available and accessible to most college students, as well as a few online resources, and provides a checklist to help you identify which resources you already use and which ones you need to incorporate into your study toolbox as soon as possible.

Resource #1: Your Lecture Notes

This one seems obvious, but so many students I’ve worked with forget the treasure trove that is their lecture notes. If you are having trouble answering a question or doing a homework problem, take a break and read through your notes. Do they spark any ideas? Do they feel incomplete at all now that you’re not sitting in front of the professor?

Sometimes, the questions stop here. If not, move onto Resource #2…

If you missed lecture, reach out to Resource #4, then come back to this step…

Resource #2: Your Textbook

This will vary from class to class. You first need to understand how the textbook relates to the notes:

• Some professors follow the exact skeletal outline of the textbook in their lectures. If this is the case, read your notes side-by-side with the book, adding in any additional examples, explanations, or details that help your notes make more sense. Although you might technically survive without reading your textbook in a class like this, it is actually much less confusing to review by comparing your professor’s outlines to the textbook, because it gives a more complete picture of the concepts you need to know.
• Some professors create their own lectures, then use readings from the book to present supplemental information, or drive home a point. These readings are not optional, as they usually contain information that may not be presented in the lectures themselves, but may be used for exam questions. Never, ever neglect your reading in a class like this.

If you’ve diligently taken in all the information that you can from your notes and the assigned readings, but you’re still confused on the next steps to take, reach out to the person who best understands the material…

Resource #3: Your Professor/TA

Here’s a secret: Your professors and TAs get paid to teach you, and most of them really enjoy it, so give them a chance to do so.

Attend every lecture, unless you have absolutely no choice but to miss. Obviously you and your professor will be the final judges on what constitutes a good reason for an absence, but generally try not to miss unless there is an emergency of some kind. Oftentimes, your professor will present things in a memorable way that your classmates might take a mental note of, but not think to include it in their written notes. If you are not in class, you won’t get to benefit from these mental notes unless your classmate remembers to share them with you. Professors love to answer questions during class, before class, and sometimes immediately after class (if they have no obligations afterward).

• Professors and TAs usually have office hours- designated time built into their schedules specifically set aside for talking to or tutoring students. Be respectful of their time and willing to set up an appointment if they request it. Why should you go to office hours?
• Maybe you missed class and had to get notes from a classmate. Unfortunately, their writing might be difficult to read, or they might use an abbreviation that you don’t understand. Bring these questions to office hours.
• You might have questions about a homework assignment and need to see if you’re on the right track. It never hurts to ask and shows professors/TAs that you are not only investing your time and hard work into the coursework, but also are concerned with understanding the underlying concepts of your assignments.

If you’ve fully utilized your notes, textbooks, and professors/TAs, but you are having trouble making things stick, reach out to resources #4 and #5…

Resource #4: Your Classmates

Aside from your professor (or TA), the people most knowledgeable about your class are the students who regularly attend class and interact with the professor. Ideally, you should be one of these students, but circumstances arise which could prevent you from being in a lecture or lab. It is also possible for even the most diligent students to miss pieces of important information here and there, and confirming deadlines- “Did Dr. Soandso push the deadline for our paper to next week?”- or clarifying assignments- “Did he say to read chapter 6 or chapter 5?” make up a huge part of why classmates can be a valuable resource. As a result, you should always have contact information for a minimum of 2-3 other people in your class who come to class prepared, keep up with assignments, and interact with your professors/TAs.

Why 2-3 people? Why isn’t one person good enough? If you need to miss a class for whatever reason, or need urgent clarification on a homework assignment, you should have multiple people you can reach out to who are likely to have taken good notes and know what’s going on. If you need information immediately, and the only other person you know in your class is busy/sleeping/doesn’t check their email or phone often, you will learn pretty quickly why it’s always a good idea to have options! Also, if you’re constantly leaning on the same person, time after time, they may begin to feel like you’re using them as an unpaid tutor- trust me, I’ve dealt with people that tried to use me as their own personal Google! Everyone, even the most helpful people, deserve a break sometimes. Having multiple people you can reach out to means that you can alternate who you ask!

Your classmates can also be a regular part of your study routine- study groups work really well for a lot of people! This can be a great option to explore if you want more practice with the material. Please note that study groups should not be

1. Completely dominated by one person,
2. Completely reliant on one person, or
3. A substitute for independent study- you should try to always come to your study group’s sessions prepared!

Please be mindful not to be a leech- you should never rely completely on your classmates for YOUR grade. This means that your classmates should not be your first avenue for answering questions related to homework answers- start your homework with enough time to obtain clarification from your notes, your book, Google, or the professor/TA. If you have absolutely no choice but to finish an assignment at the last minute and your classmate is the only resource available to answer your question, OR if you form a study group where you each put in equal effort to the discussion, then reach out to your classmates.

If you would like more individualized attention than a study group affords, or you have difficulty with independent studying, reach out to Resource #5…

Resource #5: Your Campus Tutoring Center

Your campus tutoring center is, guaranteed, one of the best pit stops you could make on your educational journey. Many colleges and universities offer free tutoring- reach out to your tutoring center to see if this is the case!

Tutors working in the tutoring center are mostly high-achieving students at your school, or graduate students. Some of these students have taken the class you’re in right now, and are happy to help! They were successful in the class you’re taking, so they know the ins and outs, and may even know the professor.

Tutors are trained in showing you how to learn, not in spoon feeding you information, so going to tutoring will make you a better, more confident student overall. They know that if they do a good job, you’ll be more likely to book appointments with them in the future, so they have a strong incentive to do their best when tutoring you!

Although most people assume that only students who struggle with understanding the material in their classes can benefit from tutoring, many people find that having a weekly appointment with a tutor helps keep them accountable. Also, if you have trouble building study time into your schedule, setting up an appointment with a tutor can be a great first step toward intentionally blocking out time for your courses. If you tell your tutor that you find time management to be difficult, as many people do, they can even help you draft a plan to make studying work for you.

Online Resources

Online resources can be used at any point in your study process to enhance your understanding of content discussed in lecture notes, textbook, tutoring sessions, and study group meetings.

Many different types of resources are available online, but here are a few of my favorites:

• Youtube.com – It might surprise you to know this, but many experts find it really rewarding to create videos about their specific fields. You can find videos on virtually any subject (statistics, chemistry, economics, nursing, music theory, and so many more), explaining almost every concept. Just type in the name of a concept- “enzyme kinetics,” for example- hit search, and scroll through the results until you find a video that makes sense to you!
• Libretexts.org – This website has free eTextbooks in a variety of fields, many of which include example problems, clear definitions, and a way of explaining concepts that may be just what you needed to fully understand them.
• Mathisfun.com – I recommend this website for anyone in a math class up to calculus. You can find explanations of different concepts, practice problems, practice quizzes, interactive activities, and much more!
• Kahoot.com – This is my favorite website for creating practice tests, but a huge advantage is that you can use Kahoot in a group of people and play it as a game. I’ve used this in my Supplemental Instruction sessions for an introductory statistics class to get students used to using calculator functions quickly and efficiently. I’ve also used it for identifying cell organelles in biology.
• Google – This one seems obvious, but it is seriously underrated. When I’m first going back over my notes, I google every term I don’t immediately recognize. If I don’t understand it from the Google search, I go to the textbook, then down the chain until I understand it. If I’m having trouble visualizing a concept, I do a Google image search. At least half the time, this helps me understand what I’m reading.

Checklist: Using Your Resources Wisely