Starting college can be overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be if you have the right mindset. Follow the following steps if you want to be able to stay calm, focus on your goals, and have a fun time in your first year of higher education!
1.) Prioritizing
Prioritizing is one of the best actions you can take to become a successful student. To prioritize, you must first determine what is important to you. Since you want to be a successful at school, it’s best to ensure your assignments get organized in a way that’s manageable and won’t let you miss any deadlines. Just remember: the opposite of prioritizing is procrastination!
2.) Early Submission = Less Stress
Usually during the school year, there are times where things seem to be piling up and you think, “ My teachers are out to get me!” Though there is no real evidence to prove that your teacher wants you to be miserable, it’s your responsibility to make sure you meet those deadlines. Hence, when you submit an assignment early, it tends to make the school year just a little less stressful.
3.) Ask Lots of Questions
If you’re like me, you get this tremendous fear that seems to take over your body when you want to raise your hand in class. Most of this fear is associated with either stumbling over your words while talking or thinking you maybe asking a “stupid” question. It may seem cliche’ and you may have heard this numerous times throughout your life but there are NO STUPID QUESTIONS! While in class, you are there to learn new things and they won’t always come across easy the first time around. So asking questions can help you understand the material better and not just for yourself, but your classmates as well who may be too shy to broadcast their own voices.
4.) Review new material the same day
I know. Once you get out of class, you just want to go back to your room and relax. The last thing you would want to do is review all the material you just spent a hour or so going over in class. However, with the teacher’s voice and notes freshly imprinted in your mind, it makes it easier to remember the concepts when you review material the same day. Repetition helps with retaining more information.
5.) One hour spent in class = Two hours of studying outside of the classroom
There never seems to be enough time in the day, especially when school is in session. However, there are positive effects when you follow the concept for every hour spent in class, you should spend two hours studying. This does not mean you have to sit in a cold library by yourself and stare at your books for an additional two hours. Studying outside of the classroom can involve speaking with your teacher about information you may not be sure of or getting together with your fellow classmates to form study groups.
6.) There are resources EVERYWHERE!
Thanks to technology, it has becoming easier to learn anything from virtually anywhere! Especially with the invention of a wonderful thing called the Internet! Yes, this wonderful modern world we live in has enabled us to learn basically anything via videos and instructional blogs. Hence, don’t be afraid to use what this world has blessed you with. YouTube is a life-saver!
7.)Stay Positive!
So you got a bad grade on your first test. Yes I know; it sucks! You feel like you put your all into it but it still did not turn out the way you expected. Nevertheless, you can’t let this break your spirits. Instead, you should use it to fuel yourself into putting in more effort and time to achieve a higher grade next time.
About Ariel R.
FrogTutoring Tutor Based in Atlanta, GA
I am a graduate of Georgia State University where I received my Bachelors in Mathematics with a concentration in Statistics. I have recently been accepted into Kennesaw State University where I plan to obtain a Masters in Applied Statistics. My dream job would be to ESPN's next great sports statistician.