Hi everyone! I have recently graduated with a Bachelor’s in Applied Mathematics in May 2023 and wanted to share a couple tips that have helped me a lot in my undergraduate journey!
Utilize Office Hours
You guys have probably heard those two words so many times! I remember hearing about this when I was seeking college advice and now, I’m the one advising others to go to office hours. I have now come full circle. HA!
Honestly, I would sometimes be so intimidated to the point that I would rather figure it out on my own than go to office hours. In the midst of all that stubbornness, I somehow mutter the confidence to go to office hours for the first time during my first semester. To say I was nervous is an understatement. On the elevator up, my hands were shaking pretty bad and my heart was racing fiercely. This was probably due to my anxiety and the fact that my professor was quite intimidating. Lovely combo! And yes, I did survive that fiasco so that I can tell you to go to office hours.
Don’t worry, I was much better going to office hours during my senior year due to some of that character development. 😉 Anyways, there was one 400 level math class that had me doing a lot thinking and struggling, of course. I managed to make it through the first test and two quizzes pretty well. Soon enough, disaster struck. I found myself losing confidence as the class went on and knew that this could not continue as this was my last semester before graduation. I ended up going to the professor’s office hours a couple times and had a couple realizations.
- Professors really want to help you and they are happy that you came to their office hours! Showing up means that you are motivated to do well in their class and it can be a great way for you to leave a good impression on the professor, which will come in handy for when you need a letter of recommendation.
- This is a great way for you to ask questions that you were afraid to ask in class! The professor will most likely guide you to the answer, which may be more straightforward than you think.
In short, do not hesitate to go to office hours!
Befriend a Classmate or Two
Ever since I started college, I made it a goal of mine to make a new friend in every class, if humanly possible. In my first semester, I had made two new friends, each in different classes, and I would say that it made the class much more enjoyable! Not only that, I could count on them to help me out if I had missed something.
For example, I had met one of my new friends before our class and she had asked me if I was ready for our quiz and of course, I was like “What quiz?” I am grateful for her as she quickly caught me up on the material and let me read through her notes. I am sure everyone has forgotten a quiz or an assignment, and knows the feeling of panic we all have after that realization.
Also, it would be very beneficial to form a study group with those friends! You guys could bounce ideas off of each other and help fill in each other’s knowledge gaps. These study groups could come in handy for when you are stuck on a problem for what feels like an eternity. They can provide helpful guidance but if not, office hours are always a good choice.
Start Assignments ASAP
I know that it is very easy to procrastinate and assume that you will magically finish on time. Although some people work great under pressure (props to them!), it is always wise to start as early as possible, especially for assignments that are due in X weeks or months. If you wait, you will realize why the professor gave you a generous amount of time.
Trust me! I have procrastinated on assignments before and have completed them on time. However, I have regretted every time and always swear to start early the next time. So, I eventually learned my lesson and started my assignments early, either the day of or the next day of it being assigned. Do I finish the assignments early?
- Yes, I finished with plenty of time to spare (days before the due date) and there is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders – for the time being.
- No. As I progress through the assignment, I say to myself “Thank goodness I started early because this is taking a looong time!” I sometimes end up finishing a day or two before the due date. Having that extra time really does come in handy!
To save you from unnecessary stress, please start your assignments early. I want you to enjoy your weekends!
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If you have made it this far, I wanted to say thank you for reading to the end and I hope this has helped you in some way! Please let me know what other questions I should write about.
