I asked 1st and 2nd year University of Waterloo instructors for one nugget of wisdom to share with incoming students.
Here are the responses, in no particular order, although there does seem to be a recurring theme.
- Read ahead.
- Go to class.
- Introduce yourself to someone sitting next to you in class.
- Introduce yourself to your instructor.
- Be both optimistic and realistic.
- Books don’t bite…don’t be afraid…
- Don't just study by reading — write out notes, work out problems by hand and quiz yourself with other students.
- Make time to take care of your mental and physical needs. A body that is starved for food and sleep will not retain information.
- Read ahead and read everything!
- Particularly the handouts your instructors prepare, they are usually the most important information for the course.
- For lab work, read the procedure, then re-read until it all seems obvious.
