I endured an engineering education by using many of the suggestions posted here. The first semester was rough because the first round of tests taught me that I hadn't yet learned to study. High school was a joke compared to an engineering university.
Here is what worked for me.
When I got home from class I got to work in a dedicated study area. I worked through all of the assigned problems and never let myself get behind. My work was always done
before partying.
I didn't stay up late and waste time playing computer games or typing messages to people I had never met. I watched multiple promising students **** away their educations due to distractions. Plenty of rest was very important to my success.
Take notes in class and read through them as soon as you get home to make sure you understand them. While the lecture is fresh in your mind is the best time to make additions or clarifications.
Study in groups! A good study group can be the key to succeeding in a difficult subject. Even if you think you are the smartest one in a group, you will find that teaching others forces you to get a better understanding of the material than you would have otherwise had.
Before a test, I would of course review notes, but also worked through the example problems from the chapter(s) as well as problems from previous exams given by the same professor. Yes, I used files. Fraternities are well known for keeping files, but so did the dorms at my university. The reason is simple: they help prepare you for the exam by exposing you to more problems and specifically those of the type that your professor tends to ask. Don't expect the test to look like the files though; only the laziest of professors ever reused old tests (though I have seen it happen).
I remember my final for Calculus II because I studied all day long for three days straight. I even turned down an invitation to do some one-on-one 'studying' back at the apartment of one of the girls in my study group late in the night prior to the final. Life is full of difficult choices, so get used to it!
The last thing you want in your study area is people talking or a television turned on. I agree that music is fine and can even be helpful, but be mindful of your attention. You can stare at a page and reread it until your eyes dry out without learning a thing.
Best of luck! :wave:
