By: Michael Saraceno, MA, LPC, NCC
In high school, you may have had frequent reminders about upcoming assignments, guided notes, review sheets, and teachers who regularly checked whether you understood the material. In college, you may be expected to read chapters independently, keep track of several deadlines, prepare for exams with less guidance, and figure out what you do not understand before asking for help.
That is a significant shift. It is not necessarily that college students need to work harder. Often, they need to learn how to manage their work differently.
This is where executive functioning comes in. These are the mental skills that help us plan, prioritize, manage time, organize information, monitor progress, and adjust our approach when something is not working.
Think of executive functioning as the management system behind your learning. You can be intelligent, motivated, and genuinely interested in a subject while still struggling to organize your time or decide where to begin. These skills develop with practice, and they can be strengthened.
Another important shift is moving from memorizing information to actually understanding it.
Recognizing a definition in your notes is not the same as explaining it in your own words. Repeating a concept is not the same as applying it to a new situation. And highlighting an entire chapter can feel productive without necessarily helping you remember what you read.
Research on learning supports two especially useful strategies: spaced practice and retrieval practice. In other words, revisit material over time, and practice pulling information from memory instead of only re-reading it.
Try these strategies to study more effectively:
• Plan backward from deadlines. Break a large assignment into smaller tasks, then schedule when you will complete each one.
• Study in shorter sessions across several days. Reviewing material regularly is generally more effective for long term learning than relying on one marathon study session.
• Close your notes and test yourself. Explain a concept aloud, answer practice questions, or write down everything you remember before checking your notes.
• Ask, “How would I use this?” Connect concepts to real world situations, compare examples, and explain why an idea matters. Understanding grows when you can apply what you have learned.
• Use support before you are overwhelmed. Tutoring, professor office hours, academic coaching, study groups, mentors, and writing centers are resources designed to help students learn. You do not have to wait until you are failing to use them.
• Reflect and adjust. If a study method is not helping, that is useful information. Try a different approach rather than assuming you are not capable.
College success is not about knowing everything before you begin. It is about developing the habits that help you learn, adapt, and keep going.
Here is your challenge for this week: Choose one topic you need to learn. Instead of simply re-reading your notes, explain it in your own words and come up with one example of how it applies outside the classroom.
You may be surprised by how much more you discover about what you know, and what you still need to practice.
Learning how to learn is a skill that will serve you long after graduation.
References
Carpenter, Pan, and Butler (2022), The Science of Effective Learning with Spacing and Retrieval Practice. A review of research on two evidence based learning strategies.
Dunlosky et al. (2013), Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques. A review comparing common study techniques and their effectiveness.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Learning Center. Practical resources for time management, active learning, and studying.