There are nearly 50,000 undergraduate students in the small state of South Dakota alone, and tens of millions more nation wide. Each of these undergraduates will be competing for employment after graduation, so it is definitely a good idea to make the most of your education while you are in college. By working hard to be successful you will make entering graduate school much easier and learn a lot more. Here are five simple was to be more successful academically in college.
First, you will definitely want to be involved in extra-curricular activities. No, they are not a waste of time. Students who participate in activities outside of their normal class regiment often get the highest grades, because being busier forces students to manage their time better and get things done. Students who go without a job in college and don’t join extracurricular so that they can “focus on their education”, usually find them selves with a lot of free time and end up getting themselves in trouble because it seems like there is plenty of time to get things done, and often end up getting distracted. Students who know they need to get things done will be on the ball all the time.
Secondly, make set studying times. College students are absolutely notorious for procrastinating. By setting a specific time for each class you are into study and sticking to it will help you keep your self accountable to study for your classes. Students who study almost always get higher grades than those who don’t. Studying is an absolute requirement in college because students are tested on content in the course’s textbook which often is not specifically mentioned during lecture.
Third, use your resources. Most universities will bend over backwards to help their students be successful. Most universities offer excellent free tutoring services which can help you on subjects that you are having trouble on, as well as courses on being more effective in college which are often free. Most university libraries offer free access to a number of expensive professional databases which are a great source of information. Some universities even offer an online writing lab which will look over your papers and critique them before you submit them. Using these services will help you learn more and be very successful during your stay in college.
Fourth, Don’t party too much. Many adults will tell you just to avoid partying all together, well, let’s be honest, most college students want to party, and it really won’t hurt you that much if you do it in moderation. As long as you only party on non-school nights and can keep a handle on it, you’ll probably be okay, as long as you make sure you keep up on your studying and homework.
Finally, manage your time. Not keeping a handle on what is required for classes is one of the biggest reasons undergraduates get overwhelmed and burn out at the end of the semester. Look over your syllabuses at the beginning of the semester, often they have every assignment listed on them, write them all down and sort them by when they are due. Whenever you get a new assignment add it to the list, Spend a couple hours a day working on the list by the assignments that are due the soonest, and you will be one step ahead on your schoolwork, so if there is a day where you can’t get anything done, you will have some wiggle room to work with.
By following these simple steps, you will hopefully learn a lot more while in school and be more successful academically.
