Martin Montalvo says...
One thing I've learned from this semester is that it's extremely important to keep track of all and any deadlines you have in any of your classes. Unlike high school, in college deadlines are not just given to you; there are very few professors who remind you constantly of a deadline so it's up to you to make reminders for yourself and keep track of the assignments that are due. If you don't keep track of your deadlines you're going to end up having to do everything at the last minute and stressing yourself beyond reason.

Tyler Chanes says...
As an out of state student, I came into UTSA not knowing anything or anyone. Therefore, I will give you all some tips to make some new friends so you can have a much easier time here. Firstly, joining a club is a great way to meet new friends because that way you know everyone there has the same interest as you and so it will be a lot easier to connect with them. Also, by talking a lot in class that's a great way to start meeting some of your classmates which is a good idea considering you'll be seeing them so much anyways. Lastly, you should just sit next to people you don't know whether that be in the JPL, food courts, or the cafe because you'd be surprised how many people will just talk to you out of nowhere (seriously). I hope this helped all my fellow out of state students out there!

Grethel Villarreal says...
Hi all!

This is a quick tip for anybody who can?t afford textbooks or still hasn?t received theirs. Always look in the library search page online for your textbook. Most of the time, your textbook will be on reserve at the library which means you can check it out and do your work! It?s a reseouce not many people think of using or forget about, honestly. There have been a few semesters where it?s either difficult to find the book or too expensive to purchase/rent, so I?ve utilized this resource. If I ever have free time in between my classes, I make use to spend that time at the JPL because I?ll check my textbook out, do some work, and eat my lunch. Many people overestimate how incredibly resourceful this building is, but don?t let that slip from your mind. Use this reseouce, and the whole building, to your advantage.

I hope this helps y?all, as much as it has helped me, succeed in your college career!

Nicole-Angela Dimartino says...
Hi everyone!
As a transfer student who didn't do very well during her first semester of school, I'd like to share some advice about studying! I was one of those students in high school that crammed right before the test, but somehow always managed to get straight As. In fact, I was in the top ten in high school. Let me tell you, it?s totally possible to be successful in school without learning anything or developing any good study habits. If you were like me, you might be tempted (as I was) to continue with your old study routine. Or lack thereof. Do not do that, I'm telling you. The best approach to college courses is to take notes during the lecture and then go home and review those notes. Don't just let your hard work go to waste! You took those notes, so make sure you use them. Although there is some credence to the idea that the very act of taking notes will help you to remember the content, reviewing the notes right away (not right before your test) will help to solidify the information.
It's best to look at college classes in the very opposite way that a lot of us looked at high school classes. Don't try to just learn information for the test, try to really understand the information. This is especially true for any courses related to your major. If you try to cram the information, you?ll be doing yourself a huge disservice when you take any other major classes that expect you to remember the information. On that note, consider investing in textbooks for classes that you know you will build upon in the future. For example, if you?re a chemistry major, consider investing in a physical copy or Chem 1 textbooks so that you can reference them in Chem 2 and beyond. Also, read your textbooks. Just do it and take your time. An hour for a chapter isn?t unreasonable if you?re really paying attention. I?ll leave you with some advice that my AP eco teacher gave me, which I ignored to my detriment: ?If you?re lazy, doesn?t matter how smart you are, you are not going to do well in college. The students who succeed are the ones who have been struggling since freshman year?they?re the ones that have developed the study habits.?

Nicole-Angela Dimartino says...
In my previous post, I talked a little about the importance of reading your textbook. Now I?m going to share a little about how I read my textbooks and why I think that it?s solid advice. To say that I skimmed my textbooks my first semester of college would perhaps be giving me way too much credit. And trust me, it backfired. However, my second semester I got some advice from an upperclassman and ever since then I do the same thing every time I pop open a textbook. First, and perhaps most importantly, take notes. Not only will writing down the information help you remember (I think we?ve all had that ?What did I just read?? moment), but it will also help you synthesize the information and organize your thoughts. Don?t just write down every vocab word. Read paragraphs or sections, then write down what you?ve learned and whatever vocab words seem important. Stopping to write something down every sentence will a) take longer and b) make it harder to grasp the concept that the textbook is trying to convey. Secondly, don?t just ignore all the supplemental material included in your textbook. Answer those practice questions, go online to any suggested videos, use the glossary. Trust me, it will help! Lastly, don?t be afraid to ask questions about concepts in your textbooks, even if the material wasn?t covered in class. Just because your professor didn?t talk about something, doesn?t mean that you won?t be expected to understand the material.