Students blog

Explore the latest trends, tips, and experiences in college life in this blog written by fellow students.

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  • A collection of academic books on a shelf with a globe on top of the center stack of books.

    How to Survive the Stress of Finals

    Mandy Gonzales

    The end of the semester is creeping closer, and everyone knows what that means – finals are approaching! Whether you're a freshman looking for tips on how to have a strong finish to your first academic year or a senior searching for the motivation to get through your last round of finals, here are a few strategies to help you study, manage stress, and succeed on all your tests!

    1. Make a Study Plan 

    A great way to manage your time is to enter finals with a predetermined study plan! Look at your schedule ahead of time and plan out the best days and times to reserve for studying. Make sure to give yourself ample time to get enough studying in, so that even if you skimp out on certain days, you’ll still have plenty of time to prepare. Most importantly – stick to your study plan! Do whatever to hold yourself accountable – set multiple notifications and alarms to remind you to study, motivate yourself with small daily rewards if you follow your plan, and make sure that you set achievable goals so you don’t overwhelm yourself. You’ll thank yourself if you take a small amount of time every day to study rather than cramming the nights before! 

    2. Limit Your Screen-time 


    Don’t give your phone the opportunity to distract you! Get ahead of the issue by implementing time limits for certain apps, turning off notifications for your apps, and by putting your phone in a separate location when you’re dedicating time to study! Your phone itself is a great tool to remind you to stay off of it! Utilize the features that will encourage you to take time away from it, like setting reminders when to turn off your phone, implementing screen-time limitations, and using ‘Do Not Disturb’ modes. 

    3. Utilize Resources 

    Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Make study plans with classmates to hold you accountable, engage with any tutoring services your campus offers, visit your professors’ office hours to clear up any concepts you’re struggling with, and make use of those study guides! There are a ton of people on campus that want to help set you up for success, so don’t be afraid to reach out to make sure that you will come to your finals prepared! There are also a ton of super helpful study resources offered on Pearson+ that you can check out and incorporate into your plan! 

    4. Practice Self-Care 

    Last but not least, make sure not to compromise your mental well-being for your classes! There are a ton of different techniques to manage stress, so make sure to incorporate the ways that work best for you into your study plan – whether that be doing yoga every morning, adding extra products into your night-time skincare routine, enjoying a hot cup of tea on a study break, or practicing breathing techniques. Your mind is your greatest asset during testing, so make sure 
to take care of it! 

    Overall, make sure that you’re planning ahead going into finals and that you encourage yourself to start preparing early. This will drastically reduce your stress levels and help you earn great grades on all your tests. But, if you do find yourself falling behind on your study plans, reaching out for help through tutors or attending office hours is always a great idea. The most important thing to remember when heading into finals is that one grade on a test doesn’t define you, so just take a deep breath and try your best!

    Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

     

  • A group of six hikers sitting on a hillside in a hilly area with a lake and mountain peak in the distance.

    Reset, Recenter, Refocus

    Andrew Bierbower

    I’ve heard from many of my classmates that the first exam for a class is the most nerve- wracking of them all. Not only will your exam grade set the tone for the rest of the semester, you’ll also see whether you are meeting or failing the expectations that you set for yourself. I’ve personally been through both scenarios; feeling the exhilaration of nailing the first exam, only to feel completely crushed by another exam later that day. Whether you passed or failed, I’m here to give you some tips on how you can reset, recenter, and refocus for the rest of the semester.

    If you did well on the first exam, you’ll probably feel like you’re on top of the world, at least for a couple of days. You’re already thinking about all the extra nap time you’ll have instead of needing to study or cram for that next one. I’m here to tell you: That. Is. A. Trap! Don’t let that good feeling cloud or change how you approach the rest of the semester! Imagine this as a reset of sorts; pretend that first exam didn’t happen. Remember how you got to this point in the first place: solid study habits, asking questions when you’re unsure, and taking mental breaks when needed. I’m not saying to not enjoy the moment; there’s something to be said about resting on your laurels for a while. However, it is important to stay focused and keep that goal of yours from the beginning of the semester in mind. Whether that was to maintain a 4.0 GPA or to just scrape by that hard chemistry class with a C, early success can completely derail a semester of good work if you aren’t focusing on how to continue that success.

    On the other hand, if you did poorly on the first exam, it can feel like your entire semester has crashed and burned before it even began. The stress of knowing that you must work even harder for the rest of the class can destroy whatever motivation you had beforehand. Take some solace in the fact that nearly every student has been in your shoes before! It’s not an uncommon experience and you can absolutely turn it around with some adjustments. Take some time to recenter and take care of your mental state before anything else; this is a tough time, and it really pays off to make sure you’re back in the right mindset. Go exercise, focus on your hobbies, or just hang out with your friends. Do something that will take your mind off the low grade for a little while. For me, I like to go hiking or hit the trails with my friends. Being in nature tends to ground me and helps calm me down after a stressful experience. Once you feel ready, reflect on what happened; did I need to study more? Should I have attended office hours? Find actionable and measurable steps you can take to improve your next result.

    After the first exam, pass or fail, it’s important to refocus on the goals you set for yourself! This was the first major milestone for you! Think about what you expected to happen versus what happened and how that might change your goal. Maybe now you can take more time for yourself or conversely, maybe now you need to stay in the library for that extra hour or two. There are an infinite number of ways to get where you want to go; the most important thing is to choose the path that works the best for you. When in doubt, just remember the three R’s; reset, recenter, and refocus.

    Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

  • A young woman jogging down a neighborhood street. She is wearing a long-sleeved blue t-shirt, black shorts, and light orange running shoes.

    A College Guide to Midterms Week

    Cara Murdock

    Have you ever felt like you were drowning during midterms week because all your classes have an exam or a paper on the same day? Unfortunately, this seems to be a universal college experience, so let's tackle it together. In this hyper stressful week, there are a few essential things to keep in mind: focus, fuel, and sleep. Without these three things, tireless hours spent in the library won't get you very far. So, let's dive into the best way to approach this brutal week.

    The first step is to sharpen your focus. This begins with making a plan for your week. Write out what all your assignments are and when they are due. This will allow you to show up to your study sessions prepared! The next crucial step is finding a place where you feel comfortable studying. This may be the library, a common lounge, a lecture hall, a study room, etc. For some people, a concentrated study spot is a quiet part of the library and for others it may be in a louder place with background noise. The key is to be comfortable enough to focus and not get distracted. For me, this involves powering off my phone completely and putting it away in my backpack. After about 45 minutes, I allow myself to take a break, check my phone, and reset before returning to my studies.

    The next vital step in killing your midterms is to be properly fueled. I normally bring a snack with me when I go to study because when I get hungry, I get distracted. Though food is an important type of fuel, there are other important types of fuel such as exercise. I feel most prepared to study and concentrate on work after going for a run, a walk, or to the gym. Any type of exercise helps me clear my mind which is important for successful studying.

    Finally, a productive day of studying doesn’t go far without sleep to allow the information to process in your brain. A proper amount of sleep will help you more than one more hour of studying. Getting a full night’s rest before an exam is often the key difference between an aced exam and silly mistakes made. In taking this approach, you’ll be sure to ace your midterms this year!

    Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

     

  • A college student’s laptop open to a calendar screen for January 2024.

    Bouncing Back After a Rough Semester

    Kayleigh Parish

    As you make your way through your college career, you are bound to run into some rough times. Whether it’s due to extenuating circumstances outside of the classroom or difficult course content, you might find yourself in a situation where the semester didn’t quite turn out like you originally planned. So, what do you do if this does happen? Here are four tips to help you through this stressful time to help get you back on track to do well in the semester ahead.

    1. Take a deep breath.

    It’s going to be all right. The courses you are taking are designed to be challenging. It’s okay if you struggled this past semester. This is the time to assess the situation you’re in and make any necessary changes. Double-check on important matters, like financial aid, and make a game plan to ensure that you’re not too affected. Look at next semester's course schedule and adjust your classes accordingly. Breathe. You’re going to make it through this.

    2. Keep your notes and course work.

    While they might not be the most helpful to you now, if you end up re-taking the course, they can be a great roadmap to build off of the second time around. Look at your notes and see where they can be improved. Keep any practice problems and work on them in between now and when you take the course again. This can help you build a solid foundation for your next attempt. Use what work you did put into the course to your advantage.

    3. Do some research.

    Look around your campus and see what resources they provide to their students. Find the tutoring services and utilize them throughout your courses. See if your university has any grade forgiveness programs in place and learn how to apply for them once you retake the class successfully.

    4. Use the resources you have.

    Ask classmates to join your study group. Utilize TA and professor office hours. Look at your own study patterns and adapt them as is necessary for your own success. Find clarifying videos online and use any course materials provided to practice before your future exams. Build healthy habits that can make your semester run smoother. Get organized and make sure you’re ready to take the semester head on!

    Using these tips can help to prepare you for the current semester and the semesters ahead. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Everyone has rough semesters. If you take the steps to bounce back strong you can help set yourself up for success! Good luck!

    Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

     

  • A laptop with Pearson+ flashcards open on the screen alongside a red mug with the Rutgers University logo.

    Pearson+ Flashcards = Studying Made Easy!

    Madeline Beavis

    Did you know Vector Space Axiom #5 states that for all x included in a vector field V, 1•x = x? Well, I didn’t either prior to using Pearson+ Flashcards. That is just one axiom out of eight that I had to memorize for my Linear Algebra Class. For me, memorization is hard. It takes me a lot of time, energy, and concentration to memorize even just a short list of definitions. I find that making flashcards is a great way to practice and make sure I’m ready for my next exam, and where better to turn to than Pearson+!

    Efficient Active Learning

    With Pearson+ flashcards, I can engage in active recall. Active recall is essential for long-term retention, and flashcards make for efficient, targeted learning for busy college students! There are numerous ways to practice with these digital flashcards including selecting from multiple-choice options, typing in an answer, or the traditional “flip” to view the answer. The options vary each time you practice a set to guarantee you master your vocabulary! You can even have some fun and play a matching game!

    Self-Paced Learning

    Everyone learns at a different pace – no need to fear timers or alarm bells! I love that I can take my time with each flashcard and think about my answer before checking if I’m correct. Since flashcards allow for instant feedback, I can focus on the material I find most challenging and review it until I reach a point of mastery, creating a more personalized learning experience. And don’t worry, you can always add, delete, or edit your flashcards with exact about of information as you see fit!

    Portability

    The best feature of all is that no matter where I go, I can take my flashcards with me! Rather than having to carry around different sets for all my classes, everything is now in one place and just a click away. Whether I’m sitting on the bus on my way to class or looking for a way to pass the time between classes, I can conveniently access my flashcards on my computer, tablet, or phone.

    Check out this helpful video on Pearson+ flashcards and make your studying easier by taking your flashcards to the next level with Pearson+!

    Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

     

  • A landscape image featuring a mountain dusted with snow with a bare tree in the foreground.

    Studying for Success: How to Elevate Your Study Sessions

    Adriana Rizzuto

    The weight of an exam creeping up can be daunting. We spend so much time in our classes, and seeing the effort paying off is a rewarding feeling for any student. Setting ourselves up for success doesn’t need to be a negative experience. Sometimes it may be hard to push ourselves to do the work, but there are some steps that I’ve found to be beneficial when studying.

    The first thing I like to do is to plan what I need to cover each day. Find out what content will be covered in your exam and try to spread it out over the number of days you have to study evenly. For example, you know chapters 1-4 will be on the exam, and your professor has given you a practice exam. You have 5 days to prepare. Study one chapter per day, and on day 5, do a practice exam or get extra practice on a topic you may feel weaker in. This makes it so that you’re not cramming and that you don’t feel overwhelmed at the last minute. It’s nice to have enough time to feel confident in the material you need to know.

    Another way to avoid distraction is to declutter first to promote focus and lessen environmental distractions. Try setting time aside before you complete any studying to ensure you give yourself a clean, neat environment to concentrate in. When a space is clear and well-kept, you’re less likely to feel distracted by things that may be out of place. Deep into your studying session, you’re less likely to procrastinate by cleaning if your space is already clean.

    It can sometimes be hard to motivate yourself to sit down and focus on what you need to do. There are so many other things that feel way more fun compared to studying. It could be playing games, baking, going out to eat, watching shows, or reading a fun book. I like to use those things as motivation. These fun activities can be powerful drivers towards a goal if they’re things you really look forward to. When I finish a certain amount of studying, I might reward myself by watching a couple episodes of a show I like. Doing this has personally helped me feel like I have control and balance with schoolwork and life. Preparing for a test doesn’t have to be all or nothing, and you can still have time to yourself. By using fun things as a reward, there doesn’t need to be guilt over not getting things done. It encourages you to focus for a certain amount of time, then to fully enjoy things you enjoy afterwards.

    Finally, talk to yourself with kindness. Be your best hype man. Maybe you have a lot of material you’re going over. Try to appreciate all that you’re learned and how far you’ve come. It feels a lot better than approaching a difficult situation with dread. If you’re stressed, don’t forget to breathe. Find calm, then continue with what you were doing. Through finding calm when dealing with stress, we can be resilient.

    Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

     

  • An old-fashioned alarm clock sitting atop a stack of school notebooks.

    Studying STEM on a Time Crunch

    Kennedy McGrath

    No matter what your major is, it can be hard to find time to study in college. As students, we work, join clubs and sports teams, and maintain a social life outside of school. Assignments and projects can take up a lot of time and energy, leaving an empty tank when it’s time to study for exams. For those in a STEM field, labs, research groups, and a heavy course workload may present additional obstacles to finding time to study effectively.

    Time management is an important skill you can develop over time, but there are also ways you can adjust your studying habits to perform better despite having a busy schedule. Some things you can do include committing to a study plan leading up to an exam, only targeting trouble areas using high-retention study strategies, and making concentrated study guides soon after receiving material in class.

    1. Make a study plan – Mark your exam dates in your calendar at the beginning of the semester so you always know when they are coming up. Have a rough study plan of what unit or material you are going to review each day that you can refine as you get more material in class and figure out what you need to work on most. Include time to use effective study strategies rather than just re-reading notes or lecture slides.

    2. Use course objectives to make study guides – As you receive material in class, begin to compile a study guide of the most important concepts, usually presented as learning objectives. If you do this little by little after every few lectures, you will have a complete study guide of the most important information to refer to use to study for each exam. When it is time to study for your final exam, all the most important concepts from each unit will already be compiled for you to study.

    3. Use high-retention strategies to target trouble areas – Once you’ve identified the areas of a course where you need to study the most, consider using strategies that will help you remember the most information in a short amount of time. Have a concentrated study session with timed breaks to reduce fatigue. Instead of flashcards, consider making practice questions from your professor’s learning objectives or find some online. If you are a social learner, ask your friends to quiz you on the material you’ve spent time studying.

    If you are still running low on time as an exam is rapidly approaching, condense your learning objectives into five or six major concepts to know. If you can boil those subjects down further, find trouble areas and do your best to resolve any major confusion before the exam. This may mean carving out time to go to one office hour session with your professor for 15 minutes to answer a list of questions you came up with after reviewing the exam material.

    Combining these strategies with ways you know you study best can help you reach your academic goals while still balancing social and professional extracurriculars. Sometimes you may do your best to study hard for an exam and still not get the grade you want, and that’s ok! At the end of the day, your mental and physical health is more important than any grade. You will learn from your experiences and be able to better prepare for future exams, so keep working hard and your academic goals will be easily attained.

    Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

     

  • A screenshot of the Dynamic Study Modules resources showing what it looks like when the student is Sure and Correct in their answer.

    Dynamic Study Modules: A MyLab feature many take for granted

    Saige O’Rourke

    Many students, including myself, only open up MyLab to complete their homework and cross it off the list. Studying is different for everyone, but we may use textbooks, internet, or flashcards to prepare for a test over the content. Pearson’s MyLab has recently released a new feature called Dynamic Study Modules that incorporates textbooks, concepts, and study tactics similar to flashcards; unfortunately, not a lot of students are aware of what this is or how beneficial it can be!

    How To Use DSM

    Dynamic Study Modules (DSMs) are a feature that provides you a set of questions that you can answer with a variation of “I’m sure,” “I don’t know,” or “I think so.” Depending on how you answer, a dark green, light green, or red circle will appear above the question as you continue. To complete the module, you must obtain a dark green circle above each question to show mastery of the topic. Once completed, you can review the information as much as you need or receive your grade if it’s an assignment.

    Efficient Use of Time

    Many students use flashcards to study for a test, but they waste a lot of valuable time creating these cards. Flashcards are mainly used for repetitions and memorization, but DSMs supply both while also being interactive and conceptual. Instead of memorizing the answers for each flashcard or question, the program builds your critical thinking and conceptual skills of the topics within the textbook. This program saves students hours of preparation, and it is also a better alternative for studying & creating new habits.

    Even though this is a fresh feature added to Pearson, it has already been beneficial to many students like me. Students may not be aware of this opportunity unless they do the searching themselves throughout the platform, so it is often overlooked. It might be good practice as a professor to ensure that students are aware of everything they are offered with the program. This is your sign to take the 5 minutes, explore your resources, and take advantage of the study tools provided to you! Dynamic Study Modules are changing the study game right in front of our eyes, and it is included with the purchase of the platform!

    Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

     

  • A lined notebook opened to a blank page, set on a desk in front of a laptop.

    Hard Work Pays Off

    Maria Morabito

    For most college students the transition from high school studies to college studies can be very difficult and hard to adjust to. There are many ways to learn how to study and succeed. During my freshman year at the University of Alabama, I felt very prepared to do well in school from my high school experience. As a current sophomore at the university, I have had to learn new ways to study since the difficulty of my classes has increased immensely. 

    I am a nursing major and am delving further into my program now more than ever before. When I took a challenging anatomy course last semester, I sought help on how to navigate this class, because there was so much to learn in such a short amount of time. I found it necessary to devote the most time to this class while still putting in the most effort I could for my other classes. Here are the actions I found to be most helpful in succeeding.

    Show up for every class session

    The best tip and piece of advice I can give to any college student is to attend class no matter what, regardless of how easy the class may seem. I have learned that I am more successful in the future because of it, and it makes studying outside of class much easier. My notes are more organized because I write them in or before class. 

    Take notes before, during, and after class

    A good way to study for a hard class is to take notes before with the required reading and then solidify the information during class. This way you can incorporate extra details the professor might add during class. Even though this is very important, what a student does outside of class makes or breaks how a student does in a class. Being able to have a good work ethic and studying outside of class helps a student remember the information. That way when it is exam day, you are prepared to take the exam and pass it. 

    Solidify your study skills

    A good study habit to do well on a test is to find a good study environment. Go in a quiet room, without any distractions, and study the material. The way to solidify the information is to also take breaks when necessary. It is always best to refer to the detailed notes and the PowerPoints. Looking back at these are necessary to understand the information you have learned, and to best answer the questions on the test. It is also essential to never cram study in college. That will not be beneficial for the future, as it does not allow for you to fully understand the material.

    In most academic situations in college, the work and effort you put into each class will pay off in the future. If you study for your classes, it'll show, even if not right away. You will never regret the amount of effort you put into a class in order to succeed.

    Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started!