What It Tkes to Be an Successful College Student
What Does It Take To Be A Successful College Student? By: Vera Ioveino-Swett Some might say good grades and attending class is what it takes; however success is roe than just good grades and attendance. Success within life, education, or within anything we do comes through hard work and dedication. In our lifetimes we all have learned from our experiences as well as our education; success is one’s desire to become a better them, in addition to committing themselves to the path/journey which take them to their success of dreams and goals, something I like to call our finish line.
We hold the key to succeed in our hands, as well as whether we succeed or fail lies and depends on us. Becoming a successful college student can be challenging at times and very frustrating. Many students attend college not fully knowing what it takes to be successful within their education, as well as that journey. Students who might have been an ‘A’ student in high school come to then find themselves just sot stressed and struggling with the challenges academically in college. Here are some strategies that will help you to achieve becoming the most successful student you can be.
These are tips in which I follow, as well as only work for you as long as you dedicate yourself to them, and achieve what it is out of your education and life journey you seek. (If you can see it, you can achieve it). Strategies for College Success Strategy #1 – never be afraid to seek out help if and when you really need it. Strategy #2 – Create/develop a strategy plan that works within your learning style and preferences; in addition that will keep you focused and motivated. What might work for one, might not for another. Everyone is different. Strategy #3 – Make and set S. M. A. R.
T Goals for yourself to ensure you reach what you would like to gain and achieve out of your term, semester, calluses, etc. They can consist of long-term, short-term or both. However, don’t make too many because it can become overwhelming, and distract you from achieving any or beginning them. You should also write your goals out on paper as well or on a sticky note so it is not just in your mind. This way seeing your goals in front of you on paper daily, will help you in becoming successful in accomplishing what it is you want to achieve. This can also help you not forget that you made a goal list.
You can even reward yourself after each goal you accomplished/achieved to keep you motivated on knocking out the next one. It also helps develop goal-setting habits that will contribute to success within your life. Strategy #4 – Manage your time. Having good time- management, is key for success in college, but also adds a plus within your personal life as well as career. You can make a To Do List each day either for the week, month or both to help assist you remain, and stay on track. You also may want to after creating this list to find and delete/reduce your biggest time-wasters.
Example – Instead of having a quick study session: create a 1 hour bock time to study that gives you 5-10 min breaks. Another would be – examine how much time you need for each class. So for let’s say an 3 credit hour class, you would want to give yourself around 6 hours of outside time each week; instead of trying to do it all at the last minute You will also gain a plus in this as well by remembering material effectively and longer. Another thing is to make sure to say NO to those who keep you away from your studies as well as activities like Facebook, or X-box, etc.
Strategy #5 – Make sure to attend class as scheduled. Attending Seminar’s/class as scheduled will ensure you succeed in your classes because your professor can go over questions you may have as well as will go over material that just learning from your textbook doesn’t cut it or ensure remembering material or clarifying it. Being a part of an active class can also have you gain access to classmate’s questions or concerns which may be on a homework assignment or quiz in which your professor will go over and even may provide the answer to, or steps to how the answer is reached which is always a plus.
Strategy #6 – Take notes. One way you may want to take notes is within a way that is systematic and becomes beneficial for exams, projects quizzes, etc. make sure to always date, and place the name of the class, Unit, Chapter, as well as titles and subtitles in your notes that are being discussed, and shown. Write down terms, definition’s, key points, examples, graphs, and diagrams; this will come in handy for review on/for tests, quizzes, projects, and studying later on. Do not write word from word as I do.
Summarize discussions your professor is explaining in your own words except for terms and items mentioned above. Strategy #7 – READ! READ! READ! Make sure to preview the chapter rubrics, projects, assignments, etc. beforehand. It’s the same as when you preview a movie or a video game before purchasing it. This way you can get an idea of what the chapter, etc. will focus on. Then read the Introduction, and learning objectives in the chapter. This will give you a purpose to what you will achieve. One thing I found easier is to read a section first then go back to highlight the material.
This will not just help with looing your spot, but also help to consume the material from your STM to your LTM since you will be reciting the material again as you highlight. You can then read out loud, important points, ideas, etc. , to ensure you understand the material and even have a family member or friend test you. Strategy #8 – Preparing for your Midterms/Finals. You are being prepared for your big tests from the very start of the first day of class. So everything from there on is to prepare you for what’s to come.
First day I would open and copy the rubrics to Midterm, Final, exams then view each of them. One to two weeks before exams, consolidate all your notes (textbooks, seminar, discussions etc. ), review, and even place your rough draft threw the Writing Center for suggestions, and advice on grammar, formatting, citations, and sentence structure. The Writing Center pap0er review is a great way to ensure success for your finals, midterms, projects, as well as all written papers. When it comes to your tests/finals/midterms, make sure to always be prepared.
Read all instructions and follow each one according to your professor’s rubrics. Don’t spend a lot of time on one question, you can always come back to it later on, and remember to always stay calm, though some anxiety is completely normal. Have Fun! Being organized, focused, and determined as you find your strategy plan, will bring you 100% success within and along your educational journey. Here’s a quote I live by and that helped me to get here today: In order to succeed you must fail, so that you know what not to do next time. – Anthony J. D’Angelo-
