My first semester of college was the Spring 2026 semester (I opted to take an extended break before jumping back into school), and although I did okay, I felt like I had to learn a lot of things on my own. When I registered for summer classes, I only signed up for my world history classes at first, but wanted to do one more because I had left over money. I remembered that my advisor recommended I should take FYE 1105 to help me learn how to do college better, so I looked it up and signed up for it. I will detail my experience below.
How has my perspective of learning/college changed since I began this course?
If I'm being honest, I don't feel that it has changed much. I already knew the importance of learning, education, critical thinking, etc by the time I started the course. However, I have become more appreciative of the opportunity that I have to go here and feel more of a sense of comradery with my classmates.
The two strategies I implemented and how they improve my chance of success
SQ3R Reading Method
By far the biggest challenge I've had in college so far is tackling my readings, especially this semester as I have to read ~80 pages of my textbooks a week. That is a lot, especially because I need to take notes along with it. The strategy that has helped me the most is the SQ3R reading method. I have looked up different reading methods in the past, but this one makes the most sense. Overviewing the chapter beforehand really helps with making it not look so intimidating, and the questions help me stay engaged with the text (even though I'd still rather be doing something else). However, I start to fall of with the last two R's, which I will continue to work on. This improves my chances of success because it helps me stay disciplined enough to complete my readings, which are very important for giving additional information and context to the information I will have to take tests on.
Time Management
I have had less success with this one, but I have seen an improvement in my time managment ever since I completed the time management audit assignment. I'm more aware of what I'm doing and how I could spend the time differently. I've also tried reducing my screen time by not using my phone for an hour after I wake up and an hour before bed, and I put my phone completely away in class when I do homework. This increases my changes of success because putting distractions away will help me to complete my assignments on time, which will help my grades and GPA.
One strategy to improve on
One thing I have learned that I need to improve on is test taking. I've always struggled to study for exams, due to lack of motivation and an overconfidence in my abilities (sometimes works out in my favor, sometimes doesn't). After completing the study plan assignment, I know that I have not been allocating enough time and resources to studying, so in my next two exams, I plan to follow the time-table as closely as possible. Another thing I would like to do is start reviewing my material everyday so I don't need to cram as much.
Favorite Part of the Course!
My favorite part of this class was the 16 personalities assessment. I actually used to be really interested in that topic, so it was nice to revisit it again. I gained insight into myself, such as my struggle with routines and that I have a reflective approach to things.
Evidence of my previous 16 personalites obsession (I wrote this 6 years ago)
Additional Comments
Taking this class has taught me that I thrive best in in-person classes. It's easier to complete assignments for in-person classes because I'm not the one structuring the whole thing. In this class, I've noticed that I struggled with completing things on time, and I think it's because I had more freedom to do things whenever, which lets me fall of track way quicker than otherwise. However, I enjoyed the content in this course and it has helped prepare me for future college experiences!