Tips for How To Succeed In College
1. Go to Class
One of the most important ways to succeed in college is to attend class. It might seem like a no-brainer, but many students miss class and fall behind. Skipping class can create loads of stress and make it nearly impossible to catch up.
Your professor will give you important lectures you need to succeed in the class. And even if you have the syllabus to get reading assignments and homework, things can change. When you’re in class, you’ll stay on top of all you need to do.
2. Get Notes When You Must Miss Class
Everyone has to miss class every now and then. But it’s definitely not good to make it a habit. For those times when you do need to miss class, make sure and get lecture notes class materials and assignments from another classmate.
This way you’ll know if you’re having a quiz or a test and what materials your professor went over. Talking to a fellow student can keep you in the loop and on top of assignments.
For instance, let’s say you only need to read one chapter instead of two that the syllabus says. If a friend tells you the assignment you can use the extra time more constructively.
3. Schedule Everything
Scheduling every activity you do helps you to be successful in college. You’ll know how much time you have to read, to study and to play. Keeping a schedule enables you to manage your time wisely.
Scheduling everything from classes to study time to lunch, work and play will stop you from procrastination which can lead to anxiety. Time how many pages you read in a minute to plan reading time. If you want to up your reading comprehension, try these tips.
Keeping a schedule keeps you in control and enables you to make the best use of your time so you can enjoy a more holistic experience and succeed in college. Caveat: After you make your schedule, be sure to follow it.
4. Find A Study Buddy
Studying with another student can be fun. Once you read the material on your own, discuss it with a study buddy to learn a new point of view.
Study buddies are especially good to have when exams come around. Your study buddy might give you different perspectives on the subject you didn’t think of. And vice versa.
Having a study buddy also helps you use auditory skills as you talk out the content with your buddy.
Talking with a study buddy provides another means to remember the material that’s important to know when test time comes around. Check out these study tips to get you started.
5. Join A Study Group
Many students join study groups right before exams. Some even before them. Joining a study group helps classmates fill in gaps of knowledge you don’t understand and misconceptions about the material.
Study groups make learning more enjoyable, improve your social life and prepare you for class.
6. Rewrite Your Class Notes
A good way to put class concepts into your long-term memory is to rewrite your notes. It’s easy to copy lecture notes and forget about them. Make an outline after class. It will help you understand the material and remember it.
7. If You Need Help, Find A Tutor
Many people get embarrassed about seeking out a tutor. But tutors help you succeed in college.
If you’re confused about the subject, book appointment with a tutor. You’ll get one-on-one attention and the tutor can help you understand class concepts, so you do better in class.
8. Meet With Your Instructor During Office Hours
Every instructor or professor holds office hours. The school actually requires professors to offer office hours to students to discuss coursework and other issues like needing extra time to take tests for students with learning disabilities.
There’s no one better to explain what’s important for the class than your instructor. It’s another way to have one-on-one attention. Seeing your professor during office hours helps you learn what’s essential to know for the class. It can improve your grade.
9. Get Social
It’s important for students to take a break from academics. Joining social activities can give you an enriching school experience that goes beyond academics.
And schools offer plenty of opportunities to engage with other students outside of the classroom. Getting social also provides a great way to destress from a rigorous academic schedule.
Whether you and your college-bound classmates are heading to a research university across the country or a small liberal arts college just up the road, it’s exciting (and potentially a bit intimidating) to think about a completely new academic environment.
Accordingly, we have compiled some advice to help guide your success in the next phase of your life. We’ve distilled some of our own experiences from working at high schools and colleges, along with some of the feedback we’ve received from college students, to give you the essence of what you need to be successful over the next four years.
Combine these suggestions with your ability and best efforts, and you will succeed brilliantly over the next four years. We wish you the best of luck.
10. Live in the Academic Moment
A college education is a classic process-versus-product paradigm. Plenty of students complain about their work or obsess about their G.P.A., but that’s just wasted energy and time. Don’t get caught up in any academic ennui. Instead, focus on your assignments, papers and projects for their intrinsic learning value; the grades will come naturally.
11. Don’t Study in Your Room
Unless you have a spartan single and concentration powers of steel, your room is the worst place to study because of the comfort and the distractions.
Given the realities of dorm life, it’s far too easy to wander across the hall and talk to your neighbor, or to have Facebook on while you glance back and forth from your book to the screen.
Find a spot that works for you, and call it your “homework home.” A carrel in the upper stacks of the main library usually works perfectly; there are no distractions. Oftentimes, smaller, more lightly used libraries on campus have great study spaces and light traffic. Unoccupied classrooms or common areas with less traffic can have excellent lighting, privacy and plenty of space to spread your materials.
12. Find the Working Side of Academia
Every college has opportunities for undergraduates to do research or to assist in large-scale academic endeavors, so actively seek them out, even if you haven’t been on campus very long. You’ll be rewarded by the people you’ll meet and the insight you’ll gain on the institution as a whole.
If your financial aid package includes work-study opportunities, look for employment in departments and libraries instead of going to dining services or the athletic department. The connections you’ll make outside the classroom could even lead to study opportunities.
13. Choose Professors, Not Classes
It’s a classic picture of undergraduate life: a student leafing through the course guide, picking classes for the next term based on what looks interesting and also fulfills curriculum requirements. Don’t follow that model.
Find the best professors on campus and take their classes, even if they don’t seem interesting at first read. You may find these professors by talking to your adviser, using the school’s faculty review resources and asking older students about their favorite faculty members. Follow their leads.
A good professor will turn neutral subject matter for you into a joy; a poor professor will blunt your interest in a subject area you love. As a corollary, visit several classes the first week or two of a term. Most colleges have some sort of shopping period when the class rosters haven’t been finalized. Visit 8 or 10 or even more classes during that time before you settle on your final schedule.
You are only going to take 35 to 40 courses during your time in college. Why waste one on a poorly designed class or a dry, energy-sapping professor?
14. Take Care of Yourself
Part of college life is learning how to take care of yourself. Regulate your diet by eating healthy foods and resisting the temptations of the unlimited and unsupervised dining options. Exercise to maintain your physical health: sign up for a gym class, join an intramural team and find people who share your athletic interests. Don’t forget to sleep. Keeping your body well cared for will help you stay healthier and be more successful academically.
15. Be Patient
Many students report that their high school experience is both a blessing and a burden as they make the transition to college. Whether you graduated from a comprehensive public high school with 3,000 students or a small private school with 35 seniors, you will find that college life is simply different and that you’ll need resilience to acclimate to the differences.
This next stage for you is about living and learning independently, skills that develop over time. Be patient as you and your classmates settle into college life. Don’t expect to be perfect, but draw strength and inspiration from your previous learning experiences. Good luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment