Bryce Zygmond - Undergraduate
1. How do you balance studying, classes, clubs, and other activities in college
I believe it all comes down to time management. I live in my google calendar. At the start of each semester, I add in my new schedule, including not only classes but also study blocks, workouts, and meetings. I also add important dates in advance like midterms and trips I’ll go on. If it’s not on the calendar, it doesn't exist to me.
To complement my calendar, I use a sticky notes app on my computer to write down due dates for assignments and other reminders for things I need to do. The important thing is having a system that works for you. If you start completely missing things, your system does not work.
Because I rely heavily on routine, I treat the first two to three weeks of a new semester as a window to wire in those good habits. Once that rhythm is established, balancing a packed schedule becomes second nature.
You also have to become adept at prioritizing. I had to accept that I couldn't do everything at 100% all at the same time. Some weeks require more attention to academics or work, while other weeks might allow more time for social life. The key is knowing what needs your attention most in a given moment.
2. What on-campus resources have you found to be helpful to your academic success in college?
I rely heavily on my peers. I regularly study with friends, whether we are in the exact same classes or completely different disciplines. Frequently we’ll go from a meal at the dining hall to a session at the library. It keeps me accountable and the environment collaborative.
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Having a place where you know you can focus is very important. Sometimes the hardest part of studying is getting over the friction of getting into the right environment. Once I am physically in a focused space, flipping the switch to get work done becomes much easier. I look for whatever environment fits the task, whether that means using the study rooms often built into the dorms, booking a private room at the library for a group project, or using dedicated spaces provided by campus departments and student organizations I belong to
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Office Hours. You don't need to show up to every single session just for face time, but you absolutely shouldn't skip them entirely either. When I hit a roadblock that I can’t solve through independent practice or peer discussion, I take that specific problem to the professor or TA to clear it up before it becomes a bigger issue. It also creates some buy-in for you to be motivated to succeed.
3. What do your study habits look like?
I’d say my habits are pretty straightforward. I’ve never bought into the trendy productivity hacks like the Pomodoro technique, but whatever floats your boat. I do like some music and a cup of tea, decaf in the evening. Seriously, caffeine and losing sleep will hurt more than help.
For the actual work, I use OneNote because it allows me to digitally write and draw out concepts or problems. This will probably depend on your major though. While a lot of people invest in iPads for this, you truly can't go wrong with classic pencil and paper either. The goal is to actively write out the work rather than just staring at a screen.
Also, multitasking does not work. You might think it does, but studies show you are much less efficient.
4. How have your study habits in college compared to your study habits in high school?
They are night and day. In high school, I was able to succeed by paying attention in class, doing the homework, and rereading my notes before an exam. That worked well because the material was more manageable and teachers gave more structure. College quickly taught me that passive review doesn't work here. It requires active study, which means doing countless practice problems without looking at an answer key and understanding concepts rather than recognizing them.
Ultimately, college forces you to take complete responsibility over the broad, messy process of learning the material yourself. Professors may explain the concepts, but it is up to you to practice, review, ask questions, and make sure you can apply the information. I have had to become more intentional about how I study instead of assuming that familiarity with the material means I really understand it.
5. What has been your most challenging class, and how did you overcome the challenges that class posed for you?
So far, my most challenging class has been PHYS 119 (Calc-based Electromagnetism and Quanta). Because it was done in a flipped classroom format, lectures mostly acted as a supplement to work done outside of class. It also went beyond simple formula plug-and-chug and into more conceptual systems.
To overcome it, I had to change my approach. I realized that showing up to class without reviewing the readings and pre-lectures led to being lost during the collaborative work. Falling behind by a class or two was also fatal, as the ideas built and the pace was fast. When doing homework, instead of just aiming for the correct answer, I forced myself to write out the steps and concepts to understand the why. I was also lucky to have friends in the class who I could logic out loud with.