Tips for SMFA First-Years
To be honest, my first year at SMFA at Tufts was a bumpy road. I laughed a lot, cried a lot, but most importantly, I learned countless important life…
Oh No! This is Hard!
One of the hardest aspects of my transition to Tufts was the academic transition. Going from a hybrid senior year to a mostly virtual first-year engineering schedule was not the easiest challenge I have ever had to face. Luckily for me, Tufts has plenty of resources and advice for students who are struggling with their classes. Luckily for you, I am here to pass on some of the most helpful information I’ve gotten about understanding course material, keeping up with course content, and studying for exams from my first semester here at Tufts.
Make a Schedule
Putting homework due dates, project and essay deadlines, and exam dates on a calendar may seem obvious, but creating a schedule for learning course content, reviewing difficult concepts, and studying for exams can be a really helpful tool when transitioning to the academic rigor of Tufts. I’ve done this twice during this semester with different calendars and they have both been essential to helping me manage my time. Whether the schedule is fully planned out with every activity that you need to complete that day or just a bullet list of all of your goals, a schedule can be a powerful method for tackling that academic transition.
Choose Where to Study
Not all study places are created equal, and you really have to take that into account when choosing where to review class material and study for exams. Studying in the silent library wasn’t the best option for me and more often than not studying in my room led to naps on my very comfortable plush rug and even more comfortable pillow chair. Finding the right space for you may take some trial and error, but once you find a place where you can be productive, doing work and studying is a much easier task. My favorite places to be productive are the 3rd floor of the brand new Joyce Cummings Center, the classrooms of Olin, and the conference rooms in the Science and Engineering Complex.
Go to Professor’s and TA’s Office Hours
It may be super intimidating to go see a professor or TA when you need help, but they all have office hours where the explicit goal is to help students with whatever they are struggling with so GO SEE THEM! Getting over my fear of asking for help and approaching my professors was one of the best decisions I made since coming here.
Use the STAAR Center
I saved this tip for last because it is one of the most helpful resources for dealing with the academic transition. The STAAR Center offers many different workshops, academic coaching, and subject specific tutoring to help students succeed. A lot of the advice I’ve gotten on how to study and plan have come from the workshops I’ve attended. The center allows you to book one on one tutoring sessions, attend drop-in tutoring sessions, meet with an accountability partner, or join study groups for classes. Personally, I use the STAAR Center’s resources about 2-3 times a week and they are always super helpful!
