Are you spending late nights having trouble with algorithms, programming syntax or wondering how to prepare for computer science exams? Well, you’re not alone.
Students who study computer science may have to spend long hours in the library and at school studying for tests, assignments and exams. However, with all the extensive hours spent on computer science, it is important that you as a student make the most of them.
If you feel like you are not happy with your current habits or if you just want to know what kind of things you should be doing differently to succeed in computer science as a college undergraduate or grad student, check out these 5 study tips!
Table of Contents
- 1. Don’t be afraid to ask for help
- 2. Set yourself daily goals and break them down into smaller ones
- 3. Always write your program from scratch, even if you have to start from scratch again and again.
- 4. Learn how to use the resources available to you in your school
- 5. Keep writing code and practice, practice, practice
- Conclusion
1. Don’t be afraid to ask for help
If you are shy and don’t like talking to students or teachers about topics like programming, don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Many students are shy about asking questions or seeking assistance and this can make it difficult to succeed especially in a field like computer science. However, many are in the same boat as you! If you are shy and not comfortable talking to your teachers or your fellow students, you are doing yourself a huge disservice.
The fact is that there are many people who are willing to help out students who are interested in computer science, but are too shy to ask. Computer science is in fact a very community-driven major, it requires collaboration and collective work.
So if you are stuck on a problem, don’t be afraid to ask. Who knows, you could find a new study pal or someone in the same position to work on the problem with you!
2. Set yourself daily goals and break them down into smaller ones
Computer science is a field that is full of endless possibilities and information and you may be overwhelmed by all of them at once. Projects, assignments, tutorials, you name it.
This is why it is important to set yourself daily goals and break them down into smaller ones. This will help you focus and stay on track without feeling overwhelmed by the enormous amount of work you may be facing at times.
You may want to set yourself a daily goal like, for example, writing one program, taking one online course and finish your tutorial for the upcoming lesson. This goal will help you to stay focused and not be too overwhelmed by the amount of things that you want to accomplish.
3. Always write your program from scratch, even if you have to start from scratch again and again.
Every computer science student will have to start from scratch at some point or another. This does not mean that you should not use any of the previous code that you wrote or that you learned.
What you should do is to write your program from scratch. You should not start with an existing code base and then try to make it work. This is because once you use a code base, it will be difficult to modify it and make it work the way that you want.
This is especially important if you are taking an algorithms course. In certain algorithms courses, you will be required to write your program from scratch every time.
In order to avoid getting frustrated, you should remember that this is the best way to learn how to program and commit it to memory.
4. Learn how to use the resources available to you in your school
Computer science is a very broad field and there are many topics that are covered in it. For this reason, it might be overwhelming for you to study them all at once.
In this case, you should try to find a particular area that you are interested in and focus on it. With time, you will learn more about the entire field and keep your interest alive.
You should also use the resources available to you in your school. Wherever you are, there is more than enough information than you will need to consume to help you improve. Many schools have computers, study rooms, and/or libraries where you can study and take online courses for free. You can also use these resources to do homework assignments, read books, and find help with assignments, quizzes, and projects.
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5. Keep writing code and practice, practice, practice
Practice makes perfect. This could not be more true for any other course. Computer science is different from many other fields because a good amount of practice is involved.
In order to become a good computer science student, you will have to spend a lot of time on your own practising, writing code, debugging etc. This means that you should not be shy about asking your teachers and mentors for help and suggestions on how to practice, or give feedback on what you have done so far.
The best way to do this is to write small programs, try to solve problems that you come across, and use the resources mentioned above. When you are practising, make sure to write code from scratch and try to solve problems from different areas of computer science.
Do not try to practice on topics that you know very little about. You will only be frustrated and be stuck.
Conclusion
Computer science is a broad field that is full of endless possibilities for those who are interested in it. Success as a computer science student does not come easily and it will require a lot of work.
However, with the right study habits and the right mindset, you can succeed. These 5 tips will help you to achieve this! Take these 5 tips and incorporate it into your study routine and I guarantee you it will help you focus and stay on track without feeling overwhelmed by the enormous amount of opportunities that are out there.
It may be tough, but take it in your stride and remember that the benefits of studying computer science are endless. Good luck and Study hard!