Studying at a university is very different from school, and studying abroad is different from everything you are used to. More independent work is required here. The amount of material for study grows many times.
First of all, studying at the university should be perceived as a temporary phenomenon. But the ability to manage your time properly is a useful habit that will stay with you for many years.
Lack of time. How do you deal with it?
Plan to study on your own
At the beginning of study, students are given descriptions of the course programs – sillabuses, where the dates of all the control and examinations are very clearly written out. Also, the main stages of study teachers talk at the first lesson.
From the very beginning of study it will seem that there is enough time for everything, but it is a mistaken feeling. It is better to take and fulfill tasks as early as possible.
Overview of the lectures
It sounds like advice from the captain, but the notes from the lectures really help to structure and restore the material during independent study. It’s also useful to share notes with other students, so you won’t miss anything important. It is useful to reread the abstract within 24 hours after the lecture, as well as before the class.
Understand, not just read.
This is, perhaps, the main point. Reading and scraping on the night before the exam will not have a deep effect, as a large amount of information that you will try to remember in a short period of time, will quickly evaporate from the short memory. In reading books and articles, understanding is important. Take short notes on text, short conclusions after individual sections, write down what you have understood, or paraphrase what you have just read. Translate unfamiliar words in texts only if they are key to understanding.
Use useful resources
When time is short and the reading list does not end, you can use the existing resources where the so-called study guides are collected – abstracts and paraphrases of literary works, main topics and concepts from different disciplines.
Say no to multitasking
It seems to you that you can manage everything, but it is not. Try to concentrate on one task for 20-30 minutes by turning off your phone and all notifications, with short breaks on social networks.
Rest
Do not forget to rest. The brain works in two phases – actively consuming information, and then digests it in the background. That is why it is important to take breaks, to spend the weekend on vacation, not on a toothpick. Walks in nature, sports, communication with friends, long sleep, and delicious food – all this will contribute to the deep learning of the material. But do not forget to go back to work.