Many new freshmen entering college don’t grasp the significance of applying good study skills and techniques. But without adequate focus and dedication beyond that of high school, freshmen will struggle with his or her first semester.
During my first year in college, I fell into the trap of a causal study. I barely give adequate attention to my course work, hanging out in the union hallway talking with friends about irrelevant topics. Sometimes I would skip class, especially if I think that boredom would be an issue.
As a result of my lack of responsibility, I failed in my first semester of college. The lesson was sobering: there is no substitute for studying.
No Substitute for Studying
Can I repeat myself: there is no substitute for studying? Â I had to learn the hard way. Â I wasted money on classes. Unfortunately, I had to retake them.
A priority for professors and college administrators is to prepare incoming freemen, as well as those students who struggle to complete the assignment.
Attitude Adjustment
Developing within college students a desire to study hard and do well will go a long way in preventing a first year disaster. The first thing to talk about is an attitude adjustment. Incoming freshmen must adjust their attitude when it comes to studying in college.
It’s just not the same. For example, in highs school, teachers give you an assignment and push you to complete it. Sometimes high school teachers guide students, step by step through an assignment. In addition, students can finish their homework in study hall and escape time spent studying at home.
However, in college, the college professors don’t push you through an assignment. You will have to find the time, among other courses, to study on your own.
Therefore, students must adjustment their attitudes toward study habits. College freshmen must develop a passion for a study that looks forward to giving %100 of themselves to their books and assignments.
Avoid Distracting Peers
Once a freshman has made an attitude adjustment toward college life and studies, he or she must avoid hanging out with people that disapprove of such adjustments. Fellow students who try to tempt them to forsake the focus necessary for effective studying must be released, if only temporarily until the school year is over.
Friendship is important, but if it becomes and an obstacle to your progressiveness, a quality decision must be made in terms of resisting or succumbing to negative influences.
Achieving Excellence in Collaborative Groups
Doing well in college is not a solo experience. Incoming freshmen must know that there is safety in numbers. Encourage freshmen to involve themselves in collaborative groups who are passionate about achieving excellence in college.
After my disastrous freshmen semester in college, I involved myself in study groups who were there to make a sincere difference in each other’s college experience. We reminded each other that the dedication and sacrifice of pleasures and distractions were well worth the reward of graduating with honors and entering a fantastic career.
Successful college students keep the end in mind. When they feel like giving up, they see themselves walking across the stage to receive their degree. They see their family and friends cheering for them and taking pictures as they shake hands at the graduation ceremony.
Constant Connection with Advisors
Highly successful graduates are those who kept in constant contact with their college advisors during the course of their college experience. Because of this connection, the students stayed well informed of what was happening in their industries.
Advisors also can be a source of encourage and inspiration when things appear to threaten our efforts to give the best that we possibly can. College students are no strangers to loneliness and depression. Advisors can refer emotionally struggling college students to the appropriate sources of assistance. Â Therefore, teach them to embrace their advisors.
Conclusion
Freshmen must understand that college life and study isn’t a carefree high school experience. Doing well in college requires focus, commitment, and delay of gratification on a constant basis. The willingness to give up hanging out with friends, weekend partying, and after class, procrastination is what makes highly successful college students reach the maximum achievement.
