Many students are familiar with college life even before they enter college. They know it because they are the children and grandchildren of college students, or because their older siblings have already given them some advice on the subject.
However, both of them find themselves at some point looking for options to improve their career and achieve a successful student life. There is certainly nothing that will guarantee you success in college, but there are valuable tips that can help you avoid falling by the wayside.
Here are 10 helpful tips for college success:
1. Take Ownership of Your Studies
There are many students who live expecting college to solve all their problems for them. I often get students who don’t know what courses to take, don’t know when their key dates are… in short, they don’t know anything about their career. The more empowered you are, the better for you.
Keep a resume sheet so you know what classes you are missing; explore with the counselling office the best options; set up a plan of what you would like to do next year. Be empowered!
2. Know the details and requirements
One of the common mistakes students make is forgetting the requirements set by their university. There are requirements to participate in some programs, prerequisites for some classes, and details unique to each institution that are important for you to know.
3. Go to extracurricular activities
There is nothing more special in college life than enjoying the many free or special cost activities available to students. Extracurricular activities are part of your academic training. You will be greatly enriched by attending plays, lectures, forums, etc. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity!
4. When you are in trouble, Seek Help!
There are students who are embarrassed to say they need help. Colleges have psychologists, counsellors and behavioural experts ready to meet with you. Whether you’re going through a difficult time in your personal life, or you’re having trouble with your studies, seek out the help that’s available. There is nothing to be ashamed of.
Many of the cases I have dealt with could have been resolved sooner if the student had sought help. Also, you would be happy to know that you could find online assignment help Canada as well to complete your assignments, projects and papers in the time and keep the focus on your studies.
5. Always have a dialogue with your professors – don’t assume anything, ever!
Many students come in saying, “oh, teacher, I just thought that…”. It’s good to use your intuition, but if it has to do with the instructions the teacher gave, never assume anything. Establish a good line of communication with your teachers. Ask questions if necessary. Clarify your doubts. Teachers don’t eat people.
6. Organize and plan
This is the most overlooked piece of advice, and probably the most useful of all. The organization is the most common characteristic of students who finish with honours. An organized student will know how much time to devote to his or her studies, how many hours to devote to each subject, and therefore be prepared to get what he or she needs. Never underestimate the importance of organization.
7. Check your email
Today’s student has never taken traditional email seriously and now relies more on text messaging. The reality is that although each institution’s communication technology varies, in almost all institutions email is the primary means of immediate communication. Always keep your password up to date and check it frequently. You will see the benefits of staying informed immediately.
8. Enjoy yourself… but in moderation
I’m not going to tell you here not to party with your friends (you won’t listen to me anyway 😃). However, in everything you have to be careful with excesses. Don’t overdo it on your weekends, so you don’t arrive in a daze to class on Monday (yes, we teachers notice). Remember that there’s a time for everything, so if you’re going out to enjoy yourself, remember not to overdo it.
9. Be careful with excuses
Use excuses, but save them for key moments. Don’t make them up! First of all, when you make an excuse, it often sounds unbelievable even if it’s true. There are times when it is better to accept the consequences of a mistake and move on. Remember that if you make it up, you lose your credibility for when something important actually happens.
10. If you make a mistake, learn from it
Dream, enjoy, learn from everything, if you are wrong about something, learn from your mistakes too. There’s nothing out of the ordinary about getting it wrong, it’s not a reason to get frustrated. Even if you got an undesirable grade, learn from it. Enjoy college!
So you know, there is no single path to success, but if we are going to succeed, we have to do our part. Go for it!
