Claudia Edwards

Switching majors mid-semester is basically signing up for chaos, and with a job, you're screwed on time. Accept that your GPA might dip a bit no matter what. Focus on the core prereqs first, beg professors for extensions, and cut back on sleep if you have to.

Stop chasing symbols. Capture structure. I keep a narrow left column for the why tag and write the goal, then the named moves the professor says, like substitution, induction step, or by Cauchy. In the main area I sketch the chain with arrows and leave triangles where the algebra is dense, then fill those within a day. I use a second color only for results and definitions so scanning is fast. Stars mark confusion and get resolved during office hours or from the book that same night.

Explaining out loud is solid but the big gains come from retrieval with spacing. After each section, close the book and write a 3–5 line summary from memory, then make 3 quick Q&A flashcards from the key points; review them later that day, the next day, 3 days later and and a week later. That tiny schedule takes minutes and is far more reliable than rereading when it comes to exam recall.

Plan forward from exam dates, not vibes. Three study blocks a day is fantasy for most, so hit one short morning recall and one solid evening grind, then stop. Until exam one, 60 percent to that subject with a practice test at T minus 3 and a light taper the day before. After it, flip to 80 percent on the remaining subject and repeat the same cadence. If you are mixing topics, a five minute reset walk between subjects saves you from turning Louis XIV into a limit problem.

Hi Cali. Make distractions expensive and focus easy. Before you start, set your phone to Do Not Disturb and put it in another room or a closed drawer. If you use an iPhone, go to Settings > Focus > add a Study focus, allow only Clock and Calculator, and set a schedule for your study block. On Windows 11, open the Clock app and start a Focus session for 25 minutes, which also mutes notifications. Clear your desk to only the book, one pen, and a pad of paper so the next action is obvious. During the session, use a capture sheet: every stray thought gets written down with a quick keyword, then straight back to the page. Work in short sprints of 25 minutes on and 5 off, and during the 5 use your snack reward or a quick stretch. Study actively so your brain has less room to wander, for example read one page then cover it and write two key points or answer a self-made question. If starting feels hard, tell yourself two minutes only and begin reading the first paragraph or one problem. momentum usually carries you. If a distraction wins, do a hard reset by standing up, taking one slow breath, and restarting the timer rather than negotiating with it.

Groups help for accountability and explaining concepts out loud. I do most of the heavy reading and problem sets solo, then squeeze a tight 60–90 minute group between shifts to teach each other and compare methods, and patch gaps. Keep groups small, set an agenda, and leave with a list to review alone.

Do not pay for any study platform. Build spaced repetition with index cards or a simple spreadsheet and a kitchen timer, and add questions you miss from homework and past exams. Read a chunk, make five cards, test until you can pull them cold, then move them to a three and seven day box. Figure an hour to read and make cards, then 10 to 15 minutes per scheduled review.