Skills of a Successful College Student
College years are deemed to be the best years of life. However , they often turn out to be more stressful and overwhelming than enjoyable. Students search high and low for “hacks” to get through college. Some may swear by highly-caffeinated drinks and ninety-nine cent meals, but those who have graduated at the top of the class have revealed a different key to success. These “pro-level” students have mastered time management, study management, and stress management; the skills necessary to make any college year a successful one.
As a college student it is easy to quickly fall behind in assignments; time management is a key factor in staying on top of the game in any course. Although students would prefer
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Right off the bat homework, notes, tests ,and quizzes pile up. Students may find themselves drowning in a sea of homework and unable to find a way out, with failing grades anchoring them to the bottom. However, many students have found a lifeline. Study management, or, in other words, beginning with the end in mind, is an excellent tool used to succeed in college. “Knowing how to read a textbook, take notes in class, and use the library [...] are all areas that will help [you] be more successful in the classroom” (Clarke University par.4). Students who take study habits seriously, such as taking notes and finishing assignments promptly, lay the foundation for success. Beginning with the end in mind means “ Deciding what [your] values are and setting goals; thinking beyond today and deciding what direction [you] want to take with [your] life so that each step [you] take is in the right direction” ( Covey p. 74). Students who value success will take the step to study or complete an assignment because graduating college is more important than any other outcome. When found at the crossroads of a difficult assignment or an alternate plan, students should visualize the goal set and consider the necessary steps to get there and the outcome of the actions taking place. Study management is essential for collegiate …show more content…
Successful college students adapt into a proactive way of thinking to overcome the obstacles from courses. Success is found in stress management . “ Finding ways to increase coping resources will help students decrease the stressors that life will throw your way” ( Clarke University par. 3). Students should take time to receive adequate rest, good nutrition, exercise, and even prayer or meditation to reduce stress according to Clarke University. This proactive mindset allows students to overcome obstacles in a positive manner, “ we can control how we respond to what happens to us” (Covey p. 54). Students may not be able to control how much homework a professor may give, but are able to replace “victimitis” attitudes with a “can-do-attitude”, and relieve loads of stress. College is not an easy undertaking, but by managing stress, it becomes a much more feasible
According to Lupien, McEwan, Gunnar, and Heim (2009), going off to college involves significant adjustments to their daily routines; sleeping and eating habits, time-management skills, and stress levels will be altered in one way or another. First-year students have to adjust to the new school environment, different social settings, and new schedules, all without the help and guidance from their parents, who have been there for them for eighteen years. Over 30% of college freshman report that they feel overwhelmed (Klainberg, Ewing, & Ryan, 2010), where some students even opt to work as they juggle their class and work schedules. Some students work at a job or study harder than others, but they are all trying to get degrees so maybe one day they will have meaningful and significant lives. It is a constant struggle for everyone who is trying desperately to make him or herself into a success. And every college student wants to be involved in society in a positive manner, allowing contribution of their ideals and values to others.
The initial shock of the significant workload and expectations can take their toll, but good time management skills can prevent multiple late nights in a row to get assignments done on time. Kelci Lynn Lucier has worked in higher education for ten years, and has experienced students struggle to try and find the balance between extracurricular activities, personal activities, and education priorities. Luckily, Lucier has four tips to help best use the time provided in a day. Lucier’s first step focuses on managing ones academic time and how it needs to be the top priority above all other curricular activities, stating: “It's important to remind yourself why you're in college in the first place: to graduate” (Lucier). Lucier’s second step is be able to manage personal time, she talks about how unrealistic it is to always be working, studying, or learning, she wants students to try and find time to do something fun with friends or a club. Lucier’s third step is to wkeep the students health in mind, it does no good to stay up until two in the morning studying over a history mid-term, only to be half asleep for the test anyway; sleep is important and without can only increase the stress. Lucier’s fourth and final step is to not be afraid to seek help with your time management, she states: “The most important thing to have for time
Many people think college is a carefree place, full of fun and games for students. In reality ,the majority of students are bogged down in school work rushing to meet their deadlines for homework assignments projects,and even cramming study time for exams and quizzes. On top of that , college can be pretty costly. Therefore, this is normally a highly stressful period for most people in their lives. In the essay “College Pressures”, the author William Zinsser mentions how students go through so much stress and pressure from different aspects of college. He discusses the pressures that college students faced in the late 1970’s that are still happening now in today's society . Zinsser focuses on four main pressures that students face as they enter the college realm, which includes economic, parental, peer, and self-induced pressures. It's not only the pressure but In the essay “College Is a Waste of Time and Money” by Caroline Bird , the author attempts to persuade her readers that colleges are overflowing with students who don't belong there and that college education is a useless endeavor that is often forced on students. Between the money it costs, the time it takes,and all the pressures from the different aspects of college it can be pretty overwhelming to think about. The question is how could we reduces the struggle and tension that college brings upon students.
Although the stress of college students is largely present, it is just another part of college. The real epidemic here besides added pressure on female students is how students as a whole can reduce the amount of stress that is put on them by personal practices. The hardships that students are going through now will be prevalent in the future when they become very successful from all the aspects they were challenged
The transition from high school to college is a notoriously daunting experience for students entering, arguably, the most important years in their lives. Everything that a student has come to know about academics, for the most part, are to be radically challenged. Many different factors go into the change, and any particular one can be enough to overwhelm any given student into becoming an emotional wreck. Whether it be living on one's own for the first time, drastic schedule changes, or becoming socially involved, these responsibilities are just three examples, among the seeming hundreds. However, a perfect balance between these responsibilities is a major key in not allowing the stressors to take one captive.
For many students, college is time to learn how to live on their own and party to their heart’s content. However, for others it is a stressful, but fulfilling experience in which they can expand their knowledge and experience in a number of fields and subjects. Many students learn a number of life skills during this startling and eventful time of their lives. Not surprisingly, a number of students attempt to balance a full time job, family, a social life, and getting a sufficient amount of sleep, all while maintaining a decent grade point average. Herein lies the problem. When a student splits their time between their job, education, family, sleep, and other important obligations, they end up not putting in one hundred percent of their
While college students run low on food and money, they also run low on time. How can students balance their time when there never seems to be enough of it available? That is when the first solution comes into play, prioritizing. Managing your academic work should come first when it comes to prioritizing your time. “Even though students may have a million other things going on, it is important for them to remind themselves of why they are in college in the first place, to graduate” (“Learn”). Students have three categories of priorities: essential, important, and optional. Your grades, health, and laundry fit into essentials. If you know you are going to have a busy week, you may want to get everything out of the way early. Freeze meals in a fridge, therefore you will not have to leave your dorm and waste time getting take-out. Wash your laundry on a Saturday, and while you wait for the spin cycle to start, you can study. Major assignments can be broken
Although a successful college education is associated with higher skills and greater abilities, unexpected, the struggle for success, in reality, is overwhelming. Therefore, a standard practice taught in school and real world practice is entirely different. Today’s society is overwhelmed by the amount of information and research that is added every year, and some school curriculum updates slow; consequently, by the end of the educational process, information learned in school becomes outdated or inapplicable. Additionally, college students are asked to take part in some courses that probably will never apply to the real world. Therefore, college graduation is not a guaranty for a perfect future, because not every
Doing well as a college student is essential for me to have a successful career. In the past, I have often put off assignments to the last minute, which could have a negative effect on my grades. Using my strengths to compensate for this issue is crucial to my success. In order to do this, I will need the support of others. By using my strengths and having the encouragement of others, I should have no problem succeeding as a college student.
I have various specific talents and abilities that will help make me a successful college student, but here are a few of the most essential qualities. Growing up with multiple siblings I have learned to complete work while having distractions around me. This will help in college because you never know what sort of distractions will come your way when you will need to crack down and focus. Throughout high school teachers have slowly changed the way homework is dealt with and how class time is spent from a high school level to a college level. My educators have familiarized me with how a college course might work as far as class time and homework would go. Testing in high school has become more intense as I've moved from freshman to senior year.
With an increased demand for skilled labors, many students nowadays find themselves needing to complete some form of higher education at college to ensure their success in the workplace and their future career goals. Although freshmen students often enter college with high expectations and ambitions, many eventually drop out of college. Why does that happen? In an ever-changing and more competitive environment, the demanding expectations on college students now soar at unprecedented heights, creating stressful and unpleasant experiences for many of them as they try to keep up with all the burdens inflicted upon them. In their writings, Dr. Christine B. Whelan, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alan Schwartz, and Nisha Ramachandran explore and illustrate some of the stress-creating challenges that freshmen struggle with today. Even though many factors contribute to the huge list of problems for first-year students, many of the problems that create stress for college freshmen fall under the categories of academic factors, (what adverb to add) teachers, and personal-life conflicts.
In today’s modern society, the life of a college student is one filled with various amounts of challenges and situations. Three of the most common and biggest challenges are those of stress, finances and alcohol. Students are suffering negatively from these challenges everyday and do not know how to handle it properly. As a college student, I have a few solutions to these issues.
American College Testing has implemented PLAN, a procedure that determines students’ readiness in specific advanced courses (Ewing). These exams assist students in choosing classes they are ready for, and lower the student stress caused by unpreparedness. Having a “balanced life should be the goal for all families” (Neighmond). A healthy lifestyle comes from a reduction of toil. Students reduce their stress by finding a balance between relaxation and working. If students are experiencing frustration because of certain classes, they are free to drop the challenging classes and stick to the ones that they are most interested in (Kohli). Students need to find stability in their lives between academics and other leisure activities, so they can possess a feasible amount of work to complete.
This paper is an attempt to assist other students on how to become successful in college. There is a lot of pressure in college and course topics may seem difficult to understand or retain but there is always assistance in your college. The first topic I would like to cover is stress. Here is something to keep in mind if stress occurs. Did you know that stress could make you lose your short term and a long-term memory? Well it can. Therefore, in order to think clearly, to learn while in class, and retain the information learned in courses you will have to lesson your stress.
Former United States President, Calvin Coolidge, once said, “If you see ten troubles coming down the road be sure that nine will run into the ditch before they reach you” (U.S President Calvin Coolidge). Throughout this semester the book Getting On Course showed many ways in order to have a great College life, by following simple techniques such as how to accept personal responsibility to developing emotional intelligence. All of these components play a huge role in a student’s life in College. In this paper, I will dive deep in discussing the eight major components that each College student needs in order to succeed in College and live an easy