1. How Do We Study?

Speaking with different students around campus, it was interesting to see how differently everyone studies, as well as the various different places people like to study.
Kaela Bialk, a freshman Kinesiology major said, " I really like to study in the library. I feel more focused there and I can get a lot more work done." However, when she was asked how she studies she had a difficult time answering. " I used to be such a crammer in high school. I would study the night before a test and that always got me A's, here in college though I have learned that I cannot cram as much. I need to try and start studying earlier for tests because then I think I will do better in my classes," she added. Most students at UWEC would agree with Bialk that their high school study habits are no good in college.
One student I talked to said that college is so much different than they had expected. Tristian Killey, a freshman at UWEC stated, "I pretty much do the same thing I did in high school when I am preparing for a class. I thought I would have to make a lot of changes in my study habits but cramming still seems to be working for me." So all in all, my findings varied from different people. Some could still do all of the same types of studying they did in high school, while other struggled with the transition.
Others elaborated that they could study anywhere at anytime. Freshman Politics major Drew Peterson said, "I like to study in my room the best. There is a lot of noise because they guys on my floor are always loud, but I would not want to study anywhere else. I do my best when I study in an active environment." He also went on to say that he still follows the cramming method, but that he did not really have to study that much in high school. “I study in my room, most of the time with other people, the night before a test and that usually gets me a B, and I am okay with that,” Peterson said.
On the other hand however, there are individuals that do their best studying when it is completely quiet. "I can not study when people are loud. I always go down to the quiet study lounges in my hall or the library. I have to study for two to three days prior to a test or exam too," Stephanie King a freshman Psychology major stated. Clearly, the cramming method does not work for all students, it shouldn’t anyways. Everyone is different and each individual has their own quirks when it comes to academic achievement.
Some individuals I talked to, Alex Zinc in particular do not have to study at all. "If I go to class and pay attention during lecture, I do not have to study for an exam. My mind seems to retain information pretty easily." I wish that I could say the same thing as Zinc did, but for me studying is the focal point of my college career. I have to study anything and everything that comes my way. I pay attention during lectures and attend classes but I know that if I did not study for anything I would not receive the grades I want. So how do we study? Our generation of students seems to have various methods to answer this question. To me, it seems as though we are getting lazier about our grades and how much outside work we do for our classes.