How To Excel & Be Successful In College

Hey readers, this is a follow-up to my last post. Honestly, it's vital that you remove clutter and organize all aspects of your life, but sometimes school can occupy all your time and energy, something I've commonly experienced. So... I will take a little time focus on the things I have learned and applied in order to be a successful student.

First let's talk about classes and being successful in them. Research which classes you should be taking, and in which order you should be taking them. Make sure to read class descriptions, and talk to other students about the class. Take a look at the textbooks of various subjects to decide which one is right for you (that is of course, if you actually have a choice of classes you may pursue in your Major/Career Field). This could be one of the most important decisions you will make in your life! Research the best textbooks; don't just rely on a required textbook, ask for book suggestions from students, teachers, and search the Internet. Use books that complement each other, and make sure to do difficult problems. Also, many students would be wise to consider getting a tutor.

One of the main problems I faced at one point was organizing my time after school. There were many career related extra-curricular activities I was involved with, but I found myself always barely fitting in my studies and HW, still managing somehow to get a good-night's rest. I had to cut back a bit on those important, and career relevant, activities, in order to have additional time for self-study above and beyond my class work.

I talked previously before about organization, but let me be more school specific for a moment. First off, papers and notes for every subject go in separate sections in a binder, with completed homework properly archived. Use database and flowchart applications to record your progress. Label each paper as Classwork, Homework, or Notes. Make sure to go through your backpack, organize loose papers, and throw out junk.

You must have a nice study place; meaning... that it's clean, bright, quiet, and not stuffy. All your materials should be in reach, especially your computer. If this isn't possible, try the library. A nice study area, of course, isn't useful if you don't promise yourself to do well on your tests and do all your HW; you need to make a promise to yourself, and find ways to motivate yourself. Once you get motivated and have a good study space, then, before class, make sure to read ahead I little bit. But first, do extra review questions and always try to find something you would want to ask your teacher about. Make sure to take good notes, and to review old material regularly, so that you are basically always studying for your next test (and then don't have to pull all-nighters!). Make sure to approach big projects the same way, so you never scramble at the end. A big trick to success here, is to set an amount of time you know you are capable of working, and stick to it, then treat yourself and take a short break before continuing again for another period of time.

Make sure to be healthy, pro-active, resourceful, and creative as a student... form a study group with friends, don't skip important classes, join a career related club, make sure to work before play so that playing becomes more rewarding, be on time to things, exercise, make study and review timetables, take short naps to keep going, wear nice clothes for important school events like tests, only get a job that is close to home and flexible, always pay attention, don't ever be unrealistic to the point that reality becomes depressing, and never lose hope. Good luck readers, I think we all could use some. Make sure to check back for new posts.