If you would’ve asked me in high school if I studied for quizzes, tests, and finals I would’ve awkwardly laughed and asked you, “what are you talking about????” Studying?? Well to be completely honest with you, the first time I studied for anything was last fall semester AKA my first semester here @CCBC. That’s when I realized that in order to fully succeed in college classes, studying was the most important thing. But coming from a background where I did not need to study in order to succeed in school this was a whole different world. The only classes that could remotely be compared to college classes were my AP and GT classes, which honestly made me work for the grade I believed I deserved. The so called “honor” classes I took in high school were the easiest thing ever and did not require much effort at all.
Whether this is your first semester here at CCBC or your sixth semester, studying is always a topic of conversation among college students. It’s honestly a great icebreaker if you want to make some friends in your class. Well, that is what brought me to write this blog. During the spring semester of 2019 I took my first Biology class here @CCBC Essex. To be more specific, it was Biology 110 (who has a very scary reputation among students that take the class). I was prepared for the worst, yet I was still praying for the best. My first exam I did terribly, I got a 67 which means a D…. I was so upset and angry at myself because when I took the exam, I felt okay. That’s when I officially realized that I have horrendous studying skills. And the guy I sat across from in Bio lab got a REALLY high 90!!!! I was sooooooo confused, so we became friends hahahahaha! So, I asked Jacob, “how do you study?” and his overly simplified response was, “I just re-read the chapters, do the practice problems in the back of the chapters, and use Khan Academy.” WELL!!!! I was only doing 2 out of those 3 things. So, I had to check out this so-called Khan Academy thing out!
If you’re anything like me you may be asking yourself, “what is Khan Academy?” Khan Academy is a non-profit online organization who provides free video tutorials, articles, and interactive exercises. Its honestly my favorite educational app and website. Do me a favor and go head and download this on your phone. As I mentioned Khan came in super handy while I was taking Bio110. They had articles, videos, and quizzes. My favorite part was the quizzes they provide because if you get the answer wrong or correct, they always offer you the option to see step-by-step solution which is AMAZING. And if reading from the textbook is just going over your head the articles are simplified to the English language hahahaha. The videos are super handy too, everything is just great on there! I proudly earned a B in Bio110 and it would not have been possible without studying with Khan Academy (and reading the chapters etc.). This semester I have used Khan for a little bit of chemistry and some brain refreshment for conversions in math.
These are all the subject categories they offer!
Honestly, I love you Khan Academy. From the videos to the articles and the fun mini quizzes they offer its just all around great. If I could tell younger Vivian something, it would be to look into Khan Academy. Because I remember faintly hearing about it in high school but never took the time to investigate in it. The more you know; the easier life can be on you. Best wishes to all of you in these few weeks we have left. I hope you consider checking out Khan Academy and tell a friend to tell a friend about such great FREE online educational organization. And if you know about another free online organization that helps students, I am all ears, so leave a comment and I’d be more than glad to check it out!
