There are tons of academic tips online. The list could go on forever. Which isn’t really helpful. At a certain point, the list just becomes a garbled code of words. So to get you started, I’m just going to give two easy tips.
Start early.
Like, now!
Review your syllabus to get an idea of how your semester will look. Got a book to finish in a few weeks? Spend your first weekend getting through as much of it as you can; you’ll only get busier. Got a group project coming up? Think about who you want to ask to join you; maybe even brainstorm topics if you’re ready to, or at least pay attention to potential project topics that might be glossed over in lecture. Bounce ideas off your professor early on, and they can steer you in the right direction.
Ask for help.
Make friends!
Asking good questions and asking for help are underrated skills. You don’t have to get through the semester by yourself. It can be intimidating to get buddy-buddy with a professor, so start by getting to know your peers and using them as a resource as well. I personally learn so much from my peers! I think it’s easier to make new friends at the beginning of the semester than waiting until later when you might need their help to make friends. At the beginning of the semester, there are so many easy ways to get to know your classmates. For example, if you find a helpful online resource, you can ask the classmates sitting around you if they’d find it helpful and want you to send it to them.
For more tips, check out last semester’s post about setting yourself up for the semester!