1. Set Personal Goals
Setting goals helps in maintaining a balance college life. Do not set goals that are too high or goals that are too low. If you set goals that are too high, you will end up being frustrated and disappointed for not being able to achieve your goals. If you set goals that are too low, they won’t be much of a challenge and you will feel empty and unsatisfied when you achieve them. The goals you set should be slightly challenging, but not so much that you can’t achieve them. These goals aren’t too high or too low, they are more realistic and attainable.
You must be specific with your goals. You can’t just set a goal of wanting to get ‘A’s, instead, you have to set a specific goal - “getting ‘A’s in all Science subjects”. Besides, your goals need to have a deadline for you to achieve them. If you do not have a time frame for your goals, chances are you will delay them over and over again. Having a time frame is to prevent procrastination in achieving your goals.
You can learn to set short term goals and also long term goals. Short term goals are goals that can be achieved in a shorter period of time (a week or maybe a month), while long term goals are goals that can only be achieved after years or decades of endurance and perseverance. Let’s say your ultimate goal is to become a successful doctor. You can set getting straight ‘A’s in your first year of medical studies as your short term goal and becoming a MD (doctor of medicine) graduate with honors as your long term goal.
Consider setting goals for yourself, not only for academics, but for other aspects of college life as well. Remember, you have to know the purpose behind your goals, stick to your goals and never let others influence them.
2. Learn to Prioritize
You are now in college and you are no longer a kid. You don’t need other people to tell you what you need to do and what you needn’t. You are a grown-up, an adult. Start learning how to set your priorities. Setting priorities brings balance to your college life.
Get to know what your priorities are. As college students, study must always be in your top priority list. Spend more time doing revision and less time playing computer games. Always study first and play later. Don’t go for a movie with your friends when you haven’t completed an assignment that is due on Friday. Your studies might be affected if you hang out with your friends too often, so go out with them once in a while and don’t ever forget to check your priorities.
3. Eliminate Distractions
There are many things that can distract us and prevent us from achieving our goals. You have to focus on your goals and try not to get distracted too easily. You need to know what are the things that will distract you and you must eliminate them.
The biggest goal of most college students is to get excellent grades in order to enter a decent university. Too much distraction will affect your academic performances and prevent you from achieving your goals. You have to eliminate distractions to keep yourself focused. Simple things like logging off from Facebook, signing out from MSN, turning off the television and checking your email once or twice a day (instead of every half an hour!) can help you study well and get your work done.
If the dorm is too noisy and you couldn’t do your revision properly, find somewhere else where you can study quietly. In addition, get away from ‘friends’ (friends that are too playful, friends who always skip classes etc) who will distract you from achieving your goals. Having eliminated/minimized distractions, you are able to focus on your goals and excel in college.
4. Manage Your Use of Time
You can always spend time going out with your friends, take part in extra-curricular activities or get a part-time job to earn some extra income. But, you should never neglect your studies. Start learning how to manage your time wisely. Good time management helps you to maintain a balance college life.
You must plan well and make yourself a study schedule. Try to study for at least an hour every weekday and 2-3 hours during the weekends. This is definitely a promising way for you to achieve good grades in college. Besides a study schedule, you can also make yourself a to-do list everyday (or every week). Try your best to complete everything that is listed down by the end of the day (or end of the week).
Avoid procrastination. If you’re one of those who actually prefer procrastinating instead of turning in their assignments in time during high school, believe me, you really should stop this terrible habit from now on. If you continue to procrastinate in college and fail to turn in your assignments before the deadline, it’s possible you will end up getting a failing grade and you are forced to retake the entire semester. Procrastination can ruin your college life. My advice is, learn to allocate your time wisely and never ever procrastinate.
5. Study Effectively
Everyone has their own unique way of studying. You have to find your way to study effectively. Learn to study smarter, not harder. Students who are hardworking might not be able to get good grades if they do not study using an effective way. Study smart is the key to good academic performance in college. Not only does it help in getting satisfying grades, but it saves you plenty of time as well.
Pay attention when you’re in the classroom or lecture hall. Take down notes during lectures as you will be needing them during revision. One effective way to take down notes is by using the Cornell note-taking method/system (a widely used note-taking method devised by Professor Walter Pauk of the Cornell University in the 1950s). This method can help you revise your notes easily. If you’re worried you couldn’t take down the important points the lecturer said in time, use a mp3 recorder to record lectures.
Try to do revision after classes, even a mere 5 to 10 minutes will do. Doing revision helps you to refresh your memory and prepare yourself for the upcoming tests. Remember, you’re no longer in high school. If you choose to study at the last minute, there’s a high possibility you’re going to fail your test.
Study using the right/effective way is a must in college. You have to choose the right spot to study (never study on your bed!). A place without disturbance is the ideal place to study. Other than that, try to study when you’re the sharpest. For me, I don’t study when I just woke up in the morning or after a heavy lunch. I choose to study in the evening (before dinner) as that is when I can stay sharp. Studying when you’re sharpest maximizes absorption. Lastly, try to take a small break every 1 or 2 hour of study. Your mind need some rest to stay in its sharpest form.
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