How do you actually study effectively in university?
I'm starting BBA Co-op at Laurier this September. I wanted to get ahead on figuring out how to study properly before classes even start.
A bit about how I learn: in high school I did well by drilling practice questions and past tests over and over, but I noticed my marks would drop hard whenever a question was worded differently or asked me to apply a concept in a new way instead of just repeating what I'd memorized. Basically I'm good at pattern recognition but not great at deeper understanding, if that makes sense. I also get bored pretty easily if I'm not seeing results right away, and I have a habit of procrastinating on stuff I don't immediately get (which obviously backfires).
For those who've done BBA or another business program:
- How different is the studying style from high school? Is it still doable to just memorize/practice, or does it actually punish that approach?
- Any tips for actually understanding material instead of just pattern-matching answers?
- How do you stay consistent with studying/work when there's no one forcing you to do it week to week?
- Anything you wish you knew before first year that would've saved you a bad midterm?
Would appreciate any advice, especially from current/former Laurier business students. Trying to not get blindsided in September.