Rediscovering the Art of Studying for a STEM Degree

Hey there,

It's been a while since I dropped by here. School's got that unforgiving momentum, right? When I did have a breather, I chose to dive into other things, thinking they'd be worth my time.

With my degree overall, I wrapped up with a 3.33/4 GPA. While it might look average or slightly below, I poured my all into achieving that score. But here's the kicker: I realized that my lack of effort back in high school meant I had to reboot my approach to learning and retaining info for college.

It was a grind at first. I was used to cruising through classes without much homework impacting my grades. Turns out, tackling assignments is a solid way to review and professors dig it, grading-wise. A tough lesson, for sure, and it did affect my grades, but it taught me the importance of revisiting material. Eventually, I found my study groove—I discovered that writing things down was my golden ticket. Solving problems on paper before exams? Game-changer. Flipping through pages and pinpointing where I'd scribbled something down? Way more effective than digital notes for me. iPads were nifty for quick notes and pics, but they didn't stick in my brain like paper did, especially in math classes. There, I had to jot down every step, training my brain to think a certain way.

Quizzing (the professors weapon) became my secret weapon. It kept me sharp when diving into new concepts and acted as a reality check when I slacked off.

Once I nailed the constant revision routine, it was time to level up—understanding the material. Sure, getting a degree demands learning and understanding, but taking a breather helped me figure out the 'why' behind what I was learning. Lab days used to leave me bewildered, but I've finally cracked that code. I've got a handle on things now—I know the purpose behind the tasks, how to achieve them, and where to turn if I hit a roadblock during group projects.

Looking back, maybe if I'd seized a bit more control and if COVID hadn't thrown a wrench in my learning process, things might've turned out even better. But hey, lessons learned. And as I gear up for a master's degree, hopefully I'm prepped for whatever curveballs come my way.

Hope you guys are enjoying the Holidays!

Signing off,

Kalyani

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