Books about how to succeed in college and get good grades

I’ve read all of these books over and over again. I bought and gave my Cal Newport books to my younger brother.They made a HUGE difference to the way I study and the way I approach university. I’ve put my absolute most favourite books here!

How to Win at College: Surprising Secrets for Success from the Country’s Top Students

I just bought a copy of this for myself on Sunday.  I’m going to try to implement my favourite tips and record how they help or not help me here on this blog this upcoming semester. As a writer myself, I want to support writers by buying physical copies of their books. I do not want to post the specific advice that Cal gives in his book to respect the work he put in to write his book. So if you want to do this challenge to become outstanding students together with me, please pick up a copy of his book and work on trying “win at college”. (But I’m Canadian so I’m trying to win at university haha)
How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less

Don’t we all want Straight As? If you can’t tell already, Cal Newport is one of my favourite authors. This one contains detailed tips on how to write a great paper, take notes for math classes which is different from taking notes in humanities classes, how to manage time so you get good grades and still have time to go to the gym and hit up a toga party. #goals

 

Medical School 2.0: An Unconventional Guide to Learn Faster, Ace the USMLE, and Get Into Your Top Choice Residency

If I get into medical school, I follow the advice in this book. I have already used the Paul Farmer study method this year to study for MICB 202 and it helped. I also got introduced to the notion of Paul Farmer through this book. How have I not known who Paul Farmer is all these years? Crazy, considering how much I look up to Paul Farmer now.

How to Be a High School Superstar: A Revolutionary Plan to Get into College by Standing Out (Without Burning Out)

This is a book that guided through the high school and helped me get into university. As an university student, I still find these tips helpful. If you’re a high school student trying to tune up your study habits and get into a competitive post-secondary education, read it!!

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BIOL 260 – Fundamentals of Physiology

Tips for an A+

• The weekly pre reading assignments are really short and easy. Do not stress about them but make sure you do them.

• clicker marks are participation based so don’t worry about getting them wrong. • Important: Keep up with your pre readings.

• Even if you take notes on a computer, bring a pen because there are hand-in at the end of the lecture assignments.

• Come to class early to get a seat near the front.

• There are no old exams available to study from but the professors make a ton of practice questions for you. • Do as many practice questions as you have time for.

• Befriend a classmate through the course online forum. I befriended Erica through the forum! • Share your answers to the practice questions with your classmates.

• I left the midterms and finals wanting to cry. If you feel this, don’t cry and have faith that the TAs may think that your answers sound more coherent than you think they do.

Suggested professors: Dr Schulte and Dr Tortelle

MICB 202 – Medical Microbiology and Immunology

• Do the pre readings

• Be sure to buy the Custom textbook for this course. It will help you a lot because the professors do not have time to cover everything in their lectures.

• The wording of the quizzes can be tricky.

• The exams are really easy (especially the midterm) and are multiple choice only.

• Be prepared for entertaining analogies

• Lecture attendance is not mandatory. There are no clickers.

Suggested professors: Dr. Tracy Kion, Dr. Thompson

CHEM 123 – Introductory physical and Organic Chemistry

Tips for success

Take notes by hand, especially for Organic chemistry.

• don’t do all the questions in the problem sets. They’re not worth your time.

• Of the practice problems that you do, walk yourself through them step by step.

• Do the practice midterms.

• Don’t do the extremely old practice exams because the exam format has changed.

• If your learning style doesn’t click with your professor, stop going to class. I respected Dr Chou for telling us on the first day that he will not punish us for our different learning styles and will not deduct marks if we do not come to class.

• Do not stress too much about getting clicker questions wrong. Clicker questions are worth little in the grand scheme of things.

• Buy the Organic chemistry Workbook. It’s helpful though you likely will not have time to do all the problems.

• Do not buy the Physical Chemistry workbook. I barely used it because lecture notes were enough.

Chem 123 Lab:

• Do your pre lab at least the night before. The stress of doing the pre lab a hour before it is due is not fun

• Take pre lab quizzes seriously.

• Listen carefully to your TA’s suggestions on how to do your lab report

• PRO TIP: ERASABLE PENS ARE YOUR BEST FRIEND. I wish someone told me to use them so I didn’t have to awkwardly cross things out. Chem labs are pen only so if you make mistakes, you’re not allowed to use whiteout. Game over friends.

• On that note, you must use black or blue pen. I love colourful pens but pink or orange or purple pens do not belong here.
I personnally used Pilot 0.5 mm but any erasable pens will do

 

Suggested professors: for Physical Chemistry, Dr Keng Chou, Dr Glen Sammis. For Organic

Chemistry Dr Jason Hein.

MATH 103 – Integral Calculus

How to get an A+ in this class:

• utilize the help of your peers on the Piazza website and give help in return

• Make friends that also take MATH 103 and meet to work on OSH together

• Review your old assignments and quizzes to see what you did wrong.

• Get your homework done at reasonable time before it’s due but not too early when you haven’t learned the concepts yet. Do not do next week’s assignment as soon as it comes out.

• The paper version of the textbook is a waste of money.

• Even though this is math class, take notes.

• Always come to class on quiz days. If you can’t come to class on an OSH day, make sure you have a trusted friend hand in your assignments for you.

• Keep copying notes down even if you get totally lost during a lecture.

• Compile a list of formula that you refer often to so you don’t have to flip through your note every time to find what you need.

• Be psychologically prepared to feel pressed for time during math exams.

• Pick up your old exams and review them to see what you did wrong

Suggested professor: Dr Edwin Perkins. Dr Perkins is super friendly and generous about helping his students to work through what they don’t understand.

ENG 110 – English Literature

How to get a good grade:

• Actually do the assigned reading before class

• Take notes while you read.

• Buy a physical copy of the books you’re assigned. They typically cost less than $10

• Bring the book or print out the reading to bring to class so you can refer to it during discussion. You can bring a digital version.

• Do the extra reading on the genre, the author, what society was like and what world events were occurring when the piece was written.

• Speak in your discussion section 1) you get participation marks. 2) you force yourself to organize and vocalize your thoughts. 3) your TA will learn that you’re alive.

• Your professor will often not write or present any notes but you should take notes on what is being discussed.

• Take notes on good points that your classmates bring up.

• Start working on your final paper early

• Spend time working on a good thesis

• Choose a final paper topic that looks least boring to you. I know you think all the topics are awful but it gets better once you start refining your idea.

• Talk to your professor at office hours if you have questions.

 

Suggested professor: Dr Gisele Baxter, especially if you’re into Gothic!

CHEM 121 – Introductory Chemistry & Lab

How to get an A+

• Take notes in a notebook. I started the class taking notes on my CHIRP but realized that a notebook was easier to flip through.

• Buy the newest CHIRP (the custom textbook sold by the Undergraduate Chemistry society).

• Pro tip: buy an undergraduate chemistry society membership to get a discount on your lab goggles and lab coat.

• don’t do all the questions in the CHIRP. They’re not worth your time.

• Do the practice midterms.

• Don’t do the extremely old practice exams because the exam format has changed.

• If your learning style doesn’t click with your professor, sit in on another professor’s lectures whose teaching style suits you better.

• Do not stress too much about getting clicker questions wrong. Clicker questions are worth little in the grand scheme of things.

• If you’re having trouble understanding from CHIRP, use online resources.

 

Lab:

• Do your pre lab at least the night before. The stress of doing the pre lab a hour before it is due is not fun

• Take pre lab quizzes seriously.

• Listen carefully to your TA’s suggestions on how to do your lab report.
• ERASABLE PENS ARE YOUR BEST FRIEND. I wish someone told me to use them so I didn’t have to awkwardly cross things out. Chem labs are pen only so if you make mistakes, you’re not allowed to use whiteout. Game over friends.

• On that note, you must use black or blue pen. I love colourful pens but pink or orange or purple pens do not belong here.
I personnally used Pilot 0.5 mm but any erasable pens will do

 

Suggested professor: Dr Zachary Hudson

BIOL 112 – Biology of the Cell

Lots of

• Launchpad

• Go to class! I learned more in class than on my own for this course.

• Analogies

Tips for success

• You have to buy Launchpad to do the weekly pre reading assignments

• The weekly pre reading assignments are really short and easy. Do not stress about them

• Exams are first done individually and then done as a group.

• If you’re in Dr Smith’s class, clicker marks are participation based so don’t worry about getting them wrong.

• Important: Keep up with your pre readings.

• Even if you take notes on a computer, bring a pen because there are hand-in at the end of the lecture assignments.

• It’s hard to get a good seat. Come to class on time.

• There are unfortunately no old exams available to study from. Dr Smith does give you a mock exam though.

Suggested professor: Dr Karen Smith

PHYS 117 – Physics

Tips for success:

• You must bring an electronic device to class to answer in-class problems

• Perusall is due every Sunday night. You have to put online comments about the assigned

textbook reading and reply to classmates’ comments for marks. PRO TIP: if you have trouble coming up with questions, answer your classmates’ questions instead. Pro TIP: the diagrams are good places to ask questions.

• Mastering Physics are online problem sets that are due every week. Carve out time to work on these. Sometimes they can be challenging.

Continue reading “PHYS 117 – Physics”

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