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Study Tips for Social Science Students

  • Writer: Blogbby
    Blogbby
  • Mar 15, 2021
  • 3 min read

Hello and welcome (or welcome back) to Bloggby! As the spring semester is upon us for most college students now, I thought I would spend the next few blog posts covering study tips for my degree areas - STEM and social sciences. This week, we will be looking at social science study tips.


To preface, I am just one student, and what works for me may not work for others. But, in my social science courses, here are the top 5 things I have found the most useful in terms of ways to do well.


  1. Do your homework on time. Often, professors will give you a calendar with dates you should have readings done by - treat those dates like deadlines. If you’re always playing catch-up, class time is less useful for figuring out what you don’t understand, asking questions, and building on material. They may seem optional, but doing your readings and being prepared for class can go a long way.

  2. Even if the course is not test-based, act like it is. Type up your notes each week, or at least read through them, and make flashcards or outlines to help you understand the material being discussed. You may not have to take a final exam at the end of the semester, but writing your final paper is a lot easier when you know the material.

  3. Get to know the people teaching your course. Social science courses are often on the smaller side, at least once you get beyond the introductory level, but also may not have TAs like STEM courses do. In any case, getting to know your professor and TA if you have one can be really useful, not only for getting a better grip on the material, but also for things like recommendations later on. Don’t be afraid to go to office hours, and do so early and often. Sometimes people struggle to do this because it seems hard to fit into their schedule, or the professor seems intimidating, but 9 times out of 10 they’ll be glad you stopped by. They often appreciate it when you ask about assignments sooner than the week before they’re due, and you’ll probably get some good insights on what they’re expecting. Your professors are a resource that you are probably paying a lot of money to have - use them!

  4. Use your resources, in general. Chances are, your school has a tutoring center, or maybe even a specific tutoring session that can help you with material you are struggling with, if you want to get more help than office hours can provide. With social science courses specifically, using the writing center if your school has one can really help with making sure your papers are up to par and that you won’t get points off for silly grammar mistakes. The library is also a great place not just for studying, but for doing research - often there are librarians in your university library whose job is to help you do research for class - use them!

  5. Follow your passions. I’ve found that final papers and other assignments are much more enjoyable if I pick topics that I’m passionate about. Remember that some jobs in the future may ask for writing samples as part of your application - and if you wrote a final paper about something you really care about, then that writing sample will be great! Of course, the guidelines for what you can do are sometimes more narrow, but talk to your professors to find something that you want to focus on and make your courses the best experience they can be!


I hope this brief social science study tips blog is useful to some. Below, I’ve linked some resources that might be useful:


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