A special Thank You

to all those who contributed to

this guide and made it possible.

Best of luck to all of our incoming students.

 A Guide To Academic Success

Time Management

Learning how to productively spend your time will be the most important skill to have in order
to succeed at RPI. Many first-year students enter their first semester without much experience
in time management. Having good time management leads to more free time, less stress, and a
more balanced academic and social life. I’ll discuss this more in-depth later!

Understanding Your Schedule

Becoming familiar with each day’s normal schedule ensures you use time efficiently. After
quarantine ends, try dedicating a few hours of your time to explore campus and familiarize
yourself with the buildings your classes may be held in. If you can, try to find the specific rooms
your classes will be held in.

Understanding your schedule means following and familiarizing yourself with your daily
routine, it is integral to your transition towards becoming an independent adult. Maintaining a
routine will help you adapt to your new environment: planning your day, keeping your room
clean and clear of distractions, washing your clothes, hygiene, eating healthy and appropriately
portioned meals, getting enough sleep, and dedicating time for social life and/or
extracurriculars. Make sure to follow a consistent schedule each week.

Textbooks

Always try to find a free version online before considering buying a textbook. If this fails, wait
until after the first day of class to buy a textbook, some classes have textbooks as additional
reading material and your professors will tell you on the first day of class if a textbook is
necessary. Try to get used books from upperclassmen or rent one when possible to save some
money.

Many classes have online homework services which you must pay for: Webassign, Mastering,
Sapling, etc. These are unavoidable, but you can buy the access straight from the website which
is always cheaper than the bookstore. Wait until the first day of class for your professor to give
you a class access code to be signed into the class where you can buy the subscription straight
through the website then.

Link to free textbooks and more at the bottom of the document!

 Read The Syllabi

Often, professors will spend the first lecture going over the syllabus, but not always; make sure
you know where to find the syllabus and briefly look over it before your first lecture. It includes
the most important information about the class including but not limited to: Homework due
dates, Exam dates, Required Materials, Grading Policies, Office Hours, and Contact information.

Since most classes have homework and assignments due on the same day each week, professors
will often only mention the due dates during the first few days of class and it is up to YOU to
know when these are. Some professors will not remind you of upcoming dates and expect you to
be familiar with the syllabus. Others will simply tell you to go check the syllabus if you ask about
this kind of stuff.

Back Exams

Hands down the best way to study for almost any exam. These are exams given in previous
semesters, so the material should be very similar. Many professors will provide back exams or
practice exams and the solutions to them before an exam. Aim to do 2-3 back exams in the days
(days not day) leading up to an exam. If you feel comfortable with the material on the back
exams, chances are, you will do well on your actual exam! Some professors do not return exams
and do not provide back exams, so not all classes will have back exams as a resource.

ACTUALLY STUDY FOR YOUR EXAMS!

I didn’t study in high school. You can’t get away with it here, just take my word for it. Review
your notes, redo homework problems, and always do back exams when they're available.

Additional Back Exams can also be found in the APO Office located on the top floor of the Union.
You will need your student ID with you in order to access material, and you will only be allowed
to take pictures of the exams, so bring your phone! A lot of work goes into maintaining the back
exam catalogs, and we would appreciate it if current students also contribute back exams to
increase the amount of material available for future students to use (provided you are permitted
to share the exam by the teacher).

Alpha Phi Omega (APO) is a co-ed service fraternity with the Epsilon Zeta chapter at RPI. As an
organization that prides itself in community service, leadership, and social connections,
maintaining the back exam catalog is just one of many things APO does to benefit the RPI
community. If you are interested in becoming a brother/sister,

find out more about APO and what we do at the bottom of the document!
 Other Study Methods

Studying for your exams is a crucial part to doing well in your classes, and it may seem daunting
at first if you’re not used to it. There are many different ways to prepare for your exams. Some of
my favorite ways to study are making flashcards, equation sheets, and repetitive recall methods.
Flashcards and crib sheets are usually something I do gradually throughout the semester, as it
lessens the load for when it comes time to fully study for an exam.

Flashcards are especially good for memorization-heavy classes like Chem and Bio. I like to make
them right after the lecture so that I can do a little at a time. Before each lecture, I’ll spend 5-10
minutes going through my flashcards as an easy way to study throughout the semester. This will
also help you get ready for the lecture because you’ll be reviewing the previous lecture’s
material.

Crib sheets/cheat sheets are essential for equation-based classes such as Calc or Phys. Make an
effort to write a crib sheet even if a class does not allow the use of one on the exam (a lot do
though)! A good crib sheet condenses all of your notes into a single page. The key to this is
keeping up with it! Sometimes it's hard, but it’s best not to make your review sheets the day(s)
before the exam, as you won’t remember it as well. Instead, work on it throughout the semester
and use it as the main tool to do your homework. Try spending 5-15 minutes after each lecture to
review your note/lecture slides and transfer the most important information onto your crib
sheet.

Finally, the last thing I do before an exam is try to teach the material to someone else! If you can
do this, you’ve truly mastered the material. Sometimes this means teaching to a willing friend or
helping them with back exam problems. Other times, I put all of my notes away and write down
everything I remember about a given topic, and comparing it to my notes afterward to see if I’ve
missed anything.
 Helpful Homework Habits & Time Management

1. Do not ignore your assignments and make sure to start them early. To prevent burnout, try to
spread out the amount of time you spend on a single assignment (Ex. two 2 hour sessions
instead of one 4 hours straight session), especially for larger assignments. This will make
assignments feel more manageable and I find doing homework across multiple sessions/days
helps retain information better. Remember to take breaks between work sessions! Go grab
something to eat in the Union, go bug a friend, or go for a walk!

2. Plan to finish your longer homework assignments at least a day before the due date!! Planning
to finish early will give you a day to catch up just in case you have a problem or the assignment
proves more time-consuming than you expected. Most importantly, it saves you the stress of
having to finish up an assignment the same day it’s due. I promise it’s worth it.

3. Have a consistent homework schedule!! Like most things in life, consistency is key. Plan on
doing a certain homework at the same time each week (Ex. Calc hw on Monday mornings, CS1
hw on the weekend, Physics hw on Tuesday nights). This will ensure you don’t lose track of any
assignments you need to do. It is a good way to prevent procrastination, which almost everyone
is guilty of, even me.

4. Form study groups or study with friends, they don’t even need to be in the same class as you!
Study groups make studying and doing homework more fun! They’re also a great resource for
help if you share classes. Some classes do allow for a greater degree of collaboration than others.
Getting help from your friends is ok, but you should always make an effort to do your own
homework even if you have to struggle through it. Although some assignments seem
unnecessarily long, they are key to doing well on your exams. Don’t break academic integrity
and for something as small as a homework assignment, it’s not worth the trouble you may get
into.

5. Balance your free time on the weekends. I definitely don’t recommend spending an entire day
on the weekend working on assignments or studying. I also don’t recommend the opposite,
which would be doing absolutely no work on the weekend. Instead of these two scenarios, I like
to leave longer/harder assignments for the weekend, working in blocks of time with fun
activities in between those time blocks. Go out with friends, explore Troy, and get outside when
you can! The more you get done on the weekend the less stressed your school week will be but
don’t overwork yourself.

All of this sounds a bit scary, but I wanted to emphasize this part more than others because
homework is often the most time-consuming aspect of Freshmen courses. Unless you’re taking
20 credits or more, RPI is definitely manageable and you DO NOT have to sacrifice a balanced
school-social life to do well academically. Remember, if you have good time management, you
will get more free time and have less stress.
 Get Help Early

Going to office hours is the first thing I recommend anyone to do when they need help. Whether
you don’t understand a concept covered in lecture, are having trouble with an assignment, or
just have general questions about the class, office hours are the best route to go. Go to office
hours as soon as you have any questions or confusion on course material. Make time to go to
office hours even if you’re not struggling, it’s a very valuable resource. All professors want to see
their students succeed, not fail. If you reach out to them and go to office hours, they will go the
extra mile to help you better understand the material or help you with homework problems that
you're stuck on.

Other useful learning resources on campus include ALAC drop-in tutoring, IPAC office hours,
I-Persist mentor (Calculus I, Physics I, and Chemistry I), and Learning Assistants (LA). In short,
don’t be afraid to ask for help whether it’s asking a professor, TA, tutor or even a friend.

Everything Will Be OK :)
For many of you, RPI might be the first time you’ve ever done poorly on an exam or assignment
in your whole life. It is OK if you didn’t get the grade you wanted on an exam. Don’t stress about
it because chances are, one bad exam won’t destroy your grades at all. It is OK to get a B or even a
C for a hard class. One bad grade a semester WILL NOT ruin your GPA. If you can maintain a GPA
of 3.3+, give yourself a pat on the back and keep your head high. Involvement in clubs, research,
and internships is way more valuable on a resume than a high or perfect GPA.

DO NOT put your GPA before yourself, your health, mental health, hobbies, and college
experience. It is just a number! Work to improve yourself and always be proud of what you
achieved.

Note: Students planning to go to Grad School should aim for a GPA of 3.5+

This is my pineapple, his name is Pedro. He believes in you :)

 Time Management and Organization Tips

Being able to manage your time well includes keeping track of class times, homework due dates,
lab, and exam times. It is vital in ensuring you don’t forget something before it’s too late. It is
natural to feel overwhelmed at the beginning since many classes have multiple types of
meetings (lectures, labs, mentoring, etc) and even more types of homework due (lecture
assignments, online homework, written homework, pre labs, etc) all in the same week!

To-Do-List App

One of the best ways I’ve found to keep track of the things you
need to do throughout the day and week is having a To-Do-List
app on your phone. They allow you to set up recurring tasks that
repeat each week which are great for lecture and homework
reminders. I highly recommend adding small tasks at the start of
each day or the night before such as “do some physics
homework”.

It is a simple yet very powerful way to stay organized and boost

productivity. It’s also very rewarding at the end of the day to see
all the tasks you have achieved that day! Don’t worry if you have
some undone tasks at the end of the day, with good time
management you can spread your weekly tasks out and even shift
a certain task to the next day as long as you avoid doing homework
at the last minute.
Above is an example of what my tick-list would look like (TickTick
app).

Calendar App

Having a dedicated calendar of some sort is very important when it comes to organization. It
allows you to note down important dates such as Exams, assignment due dates, planning exam
studies, etc. Some calendar apps even have a to-do list built into them, though I prefer having
them separated. Most people just use Google calendar, myself included.
iPad

I’m about as biased as it could get on this part but I think

an iPad not only makes notetaking much more fun, the
quality of the notes you can get from it is much better
than pen and paper. If you struggle to keep notes
organized or dread taking traditional handwritten notes,
definitely check it out. It has also saved me from having
to carry heavy notebooks or binders around since
everything I need is on my iPad: notes, calendar, to-do
list, etc.

Here’s an example of a crib sheet I made on my iPad.

Pomodoro App

Pomodoro Apps ensure that you stay focused

on your tasks. It is simply a timer app that
lets you set a time interval you want to work
for and the app will yell at you if you decide
to exit the app during this time interval and
go scroll Instagram instead.

I’ve checked out Forest before and it’s an

excellent app. You get to plant little trees if
you finish a Pomodoro session.
Planner

Another great way to stay on track is through a planner! Physically writing things down can help
you to remember them, and it’s easy to find one that will allow you to record your homework but
also to plan out your day. If you’re like me and you like to be able to have something physically
in front of you, it can be a great way to keep track of your classes and what you plan to
accomplish each day. Usually, on Sundays or at the start of each week, I’ll set up what my week
will look like, and sometimes I like to do this two weeks in advance to help me stay on track.

Here’s an example of what an average

week would look like for me last
semester--this was when I was taking
21 credits and interning--so don’t
freak out! Yours will not be as crazy as
mine, but it's a good example of how
you can plan your classes,
extracurriculars, and homework.
 Before Class Starts

1. Read this guide

2. Be excited
3. Walk around, explore campus, figure out which building you need to go to for which class
4. Make friends!
5. Explore Troy downtown
6. Chill, don’t freak out, RPI is not as bad as you hear it sometimes
7. Check your emails frequently, professors often send emails about the first day of class
and other important information regarding the course a day or two before class starts.
8. Skim through the syllabi of each course and put important dates into your calendar
(namely exams)
9. Set up your To-Do-List app (Recurring class times or homework dates if the syllabi tell
you when homework are due)

Additional Info on the last page. Please check it out!

 Additional Information

Alpha Phi Omega

Alpha Phi Omega (APO) is a co-ed service fraternity that was founded in 1925. The RPI chapter,
Epsilon Zeta, was founded in 1947. As an organization that prides itself in community service,
leadership development, and social connections, maintaining the back exam catalog is just one
of many things APO does to benefit the RPI community. We host on-campus and off-campus
community service events, fellowship(social) events. If you are interested in becoming a
brother/sister, we will be hosting rush events during the first three weeks of classes, including a
trip to Uncle Sam Lanes (Bowling), Sky Zone, and Frear Park trail cleaning! Simply join the APO
server linked in the club servers channel of the ‘25 Discord channel or DM Chang on Discord
(Chan.Glue#0545)!

Textbooks
Here’s a link to some of the books I’ve collected:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HUDp_y8zf001mqyGpwpy6aakx3aXw-bi1QJJ7D1p7kU/edit?usp=
sharing

How to find free pdf copies of books?

1. Check the online RPI bookstore to find the correct name, edition, publisher, and author of the
book(s) you need
2. Use Libgen to search up a book using the name, edition, author, and other related info.
https://libgen.is/
3. Search “Name of the book edition author etc pdf” on google and browse.
4. Search the same thing on google but add Reddit because Reddit has everything. “Name of the book
edition author etc pdf Reddit”

What should I pack for my dorm?

Here’s a list of essentials I recommend packing, it comes in 2 flavors:

A Google Doc:
● https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tEr-m_81suJBonbA44drmCsCUckm-06xZdam13yE
KuA/edit?usp=sharing

A Simplified Google Sheets Ticklist:

● https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-wCM8Fxg74Ez80CqxHgGvp2MrQMMdU1KzGg
Ek9qD3ZY/edit?usp=sharin

Academic Callendar (Subjected To Changes)

https://info.rpi.edu/registrar/academic-calendar/