Unleash The Best Student In You This Semester

We want to help bring out the best student in you this semester. It's a new year, a clean slate and the perfect time to start shaping your academic profile. Be the best student you can be! Here are some tips.

Stop Multi-Tasking

Having your phone out while your professor is lecturing is always a no-no. Staring blankly into space while daydreaming about your next meal is not giving faculty your undivided attention. Do you take notes on your computer?

Actually take notes! Don’t check Facebook, respond to emails, scroll your Twitter feed and certainly don’t watch videos (even silently). Trust us, you aren’t as sneaky as you think you are, and your lack of attention can actually distract others around you.

If you are too tempted to open up other windows, try downloading SelfControl, an application that blocks certain websites that keep you from studying. You can set SelfControl up to keep you off these sites during all of your scheduled courses. You’ll thank us later. If all else fails, take notes on paper!

Get involved

Involvement in clubs, organizations and Chapel are good ways for any Tornado to feel like they belong at CTX. Involve yourself in activities that challenge and inspire you, and we guarantee you will become a better student, too!

Attending lectures, going to sports games, visiting book signings, getting free snacks at Tornado Tuesdays and participating in Coffeehouse are all great ways to up your campus involvement.

Attend Office Hours

If you are getting confused about something in class, even if you just need assurance that you have the concept down, attending the professor’s scheduled office hours is the time to do that.

Office hours are there for a reason and students that take the time to utilize all extra resources are remembered! Extra points for checking the syllabus for the listed office hours instead if emailing the professor!

Never Skip Class

Sleeping in is not worth missing a class, no matter how exhausted you feel when the alarm goes off. If you absolutely have to miss a class or two, be sure to ask a classmate for notes, not your professor.

Make the Extra Effort

Did your professor mention a certain extracurricular lecture or other on-campus event that would be beneficial for you to attend? Show up! Your presence will be noticed and noted.

Find Your Study Sweet Spot

Where you study matters. If you have a private room, it might be easier to close your door and concentrate on what you’re doing than it is to head out to the residence hall lounge.

For those who share a room with a roommate, or even those who live with loud roommates, packing your things up and heading to the library can be the best way to get homework done, or to review your notes. Do you work better outdoors? There are plenty of great benches on campus to hit the books.

Download Some Apps

Apps are a good way to keep you on track. Use scheduling and to-do apps to assist you in setting up reminders and alerts. There are countless apps designed to make you a better student.

For example, GroupMe allows you to easily message large groups of people to set up study groups or social gatherings. Quizlet, a widely used general study tool, boasts millions of flashcard study sets for numerous topics, created by student users.

The app keeps you on track for upcoming tests and quizzes by sending helpful notifications reminding you when it’s time to focus. Evernote, the king of all note-taking apps, includes features for bookmarking, composing, clipping and more. You can also use Evernote for your growing to-do list.

Consider Studying Abroad

CTX offers study abroad programs in more than 30 countries. Students who have earned 24 credit hours and have a 2.75 cumulative GPA are eligible to begin their international adventure.