I'm currently in the middle of my last required Master's class before I graduate. I completed most of my Master's before I got a teaching job, then got my teaching career going, and now, here in year four of teaching, I'm about to finish up the Master's. Since I took a few years off, getting back into the mindset and routines of a college student took some getting used to, but thankfully all the years of school I've had before taught me a great deal about what I need to do to succeed. I talk to my high school students all the time about what it takes to succeed, such as creating and maintaining good habits, reaching out for support, etc., but in college you're a little more on your own. Here are some of the ideas and strategies that have helped me.
1. It's all about attitude
The first and most important thing a college student needs to succeed is the right attitude. This isn't always easy, but you have to get yourself in the proper mindset before you can succeed. Yes, college is a lot of work and sometimes stressful (even more so if your high school experience was too easy or didn't fully prepare you), but letting those things bring you down mentally is the worst thing you can do. You have to regularly remind yourself why you chose to go to college, what your goals are, how the degree will help you obtain the life you want, and so on. When you have a positive attitude about earning the degree, going to class, doing the work, studying, and in general being a student who is bettering him/herself, then everything else will be easier. Try to not see each obligation as another task that you have to complete, but as another step towards your goal. Finally, remember that no one can fix or change your attitude but you. Take control of it.
2. Motivation
Inner or self-motivation is another thing that no one can fix or change but you. Some people are more motivated in school than others, but to succeed you'll need to find ways to get and keep yourself motivated. One of the most basic principles in economics is that people respond to incentives. So, ask yourself, "What motivates me? What do I want to accomplish?" Keep these incentives in mind when you don't feel like doing homework or studying, when you just want to sleep in or are thinking about not going to your last class of the day. There is no simple answer or cure-all to help with your motivation. It's all up to you.
3. Discipline
To succeed in any venture you need discipline. You have to control impulses, manage time well, make sacrifices, and work hard. Kind of like working out, the hardest part is usually getting started. So, when you have an assignment that you're dreading, check in with yourself about your attitude and motivation, then get started. Even if you just work on it for a few minutes, you will have broken the barrier and will hopefully be able to see that you will be able to finish it successfully. Another key aspect of managing your discipline is how you use your free time. A problem that I've had is what I would call striving for free time, meaning I just wanted to get done with things so I could have my free time. I've learned however that this mindset of focusing on free time only causes you to think of the free time you're losing (which, of course, will happen) and thus interferes with the positive attitude you're trying to maintain. When you focus on finishing tasks quickly to have free time, the quality of your work suffers. You will have to make lots of sacrifices during college, but with some planning and discipline, you'll start to find your balance.
4. Balance
As I was just mentioning, in college you need to find a balance between school responsibilities, family, friends, work (if you have a job), and your free time. In college you'll meet lots of new people from all over the world, you'll get invited to go out and to parties, your family will want to see you, you might have a job, and you'll need time to relax. However, this is all in addition to classes, homework, and studying. The best strategy here, in my opinion, is to prioritize. Make school your priority and then focus on the other things. If you do this and have the right attitude, motivation, and stay disciplined, then you'll be able to fit everything in. I remember having an excess of free time during college, but I never let other activities or diversions take away from my grades. Even still I had plenty of fun during those years and made life-long friends and memories.
5. Learn to like learning (if you don't already)
One of the biggest struggles I face as a high school teacher is the fact that many students don't seem to care about learning. Learning is "nerdy" or "lame" or "white," some of them say. As you might imagine, these are the students with low grades and unimpressive high school transcripts (and who might have some rude awakenings during adult life). If you think back to when you were a kid, what were some things that simply fascinated you? I remember being really into animals, the planets and space, maps, cars, and Batman, just to name a few. Kids have a natural curiosity, yet it seems to fade away as the hormones and pressures of social life take over during middle and high school. Well, I would say try to get that natural curiosity back. Learning about some historical event or how plant cells function might not directly help you in your future job, but that really doesn't matter. What matters is that you're a person who can learn and improve, and that's what you'll need to do in any job. Learning to like learning again will also greatly help with your attitude while in school. You have four years (or more) of college, so you might as well realize that you're there to learn and try to like it, if not love it. Learning is an end in and of itself. There doesn't need to be any other incentive or reward besides gaining knowledge and understanding the world better. As an example, one of the JROTC (retired military) instructors at my high school continues to take college history classes just because he loves them. Awesome.
6. Save your work online
One of the best things you can do for yourself as a student and in the working world is to use some kind of online service that saves your work for you. Two of most well-known are Dropbox and Google Drive (which you gain access to if you have a Gmail). These services save your work online and allow you access your documents (also photos, videos, presentations, spreadsheets, etc.) on any computer. By using one of these services you no longer have to rely solely on your computer to save your work (or flash drives). You never know what can happen with electronics, so it's best to have all of your documents backed up.
7. Read more
This one is something that might be at the bottom of your list of priorities and something you don't think you have time for, but it's something that will make school easier in every way: reading. Even if it's just fifteen minutes a day, reading for pleasure will keep your mind sharp, improve your vocabulary and memory, make you a better writer, improve your fluency, and reduce your stress. Just read some each day (even right before bed) and you'll start to see the benefits.
8. Listen to music while you work
Most people probably do this already, but see if you can find music that helps you concentrate while doing homework or studying. Some genres that have been shown to help include classical, instrumental, and music in a language you don't understand (so you don't focus on the lyrics). Really any type of music you enjoy will probably help you concentrate. This is something that can help your mind associate something that's not always fun (like homework) with something pleasurable (listening to music).
9. Take care of yourself
Get and stay on a good sleep schedule, eat as healthily as you can, drink plenty of water all day long, get regular exercise, and try to avoid stimulants like energy drinks, tobacco, etc.
Before and during college I had several jobs, all of which paid somewhere between $8 and $10 an hour. Now, thanks to my college education, I'm a professional with a career (not merely an hourly job) and I'm making nearly three times that amount an hour. I'm working on raising that even higher. Education is the key.
1. It's all about attitude
The first and most important thing a college student needs to succeed is the right attitude. This isn't always easy, but you have to get yourself in the proper mindset before you can succeed. Yes, college is a lot of work and sometimes stressful (even more so if your high school experience was too easy or didn't fully prepare you), but letting those things bring you down mentally is the worst thing you can do. You have to regularly remind yourself why you chose to go to college, what your goals are, how the degree will help you obtain the life you want, and so on. When you have a positive attitude about earning the degree, going to class, doing the work, studying, and in general being a student who is bettering him/herself, then everything else will be easier. Try to not see each obligation as another task that you have to complete, but as another step towards your goal. Finally, remember that no one can fix or change your attitude but you. Take control of it.
2. Motivation
Inner or self-motivation is another thing that no one can fix or change but you. Some people are more motivated in school than others, but to succeed you'll need to find ways to get and keep yourself motivated. One of the most basic principles in economics is that people respond to incentives. So, ask yourself, "What motivates me? What do I want to accomplish?" Keep these incentives in mind when you don't feel like doing homework or studying, when you just want to sleep in or are thinking about not going to your last class of the day. There is no simple answer or cure-all to help with your motivation. It's all up to you.
3. Discipline
To succeed in any venture you need discipline. You have to control impulses, manage time well, make sacrifices, and work hard. Kind of like working out, the hardest part is usually getting started. So, when you have an assignment that you're dreading, check in with yourself about your attitude and motivation, then get started. Even if you just work on it for a few minutes, you will have broken the barrier and will hopefully be able to see that you will be able to finish it successfully. Another key aspect of managing your discipline is how you use your free time. A problem that I've had is what I would call striving for free time, meaning I just wanted to get done with things so I could have my free time. I've learned however that this mindset of focusing on free time only causes you to think of the free time you're losing (which, of course, will happen) and thus interferes with the positive attitude you're trying to maintain. When you focus on finishing tasks quickly to have free time, the quality of your work suffers. You will have to make lots of sacrifices during college, but with some planning and discipline, you'll start to find your balance.
4. Balance
As I was just mentioning, in college you need to find a balance between school responsibilities, family, friends, work (if you have a job), and your free time. In college you'll meet lots of new people from all over the world, you'll get invited to go out and to parties, your family will want to see you, you might have a job, and you'll need time to relax. However, this is all in addition to classes, homework, and studying. The best strategy here, in my opinion, is to prioritize. Make school your priority and then focus on the other things. If you do this and have the right attitude, motivation, and stay disciplined, then you'll be able to fit everything in. I remember having an excess of free time during college, but I never let other activities or diversions take away from my grades. Even still I had plenty of fun during those years and made life-long friends and memories.
5. Learn to like learning (if you don't already)
One of the biggest struggles I face as a high school teacher is the fact that many students don't seem to care about learning. Learning is "nerdy" or "lame" or "white," some of them say. As you might imagine, these are the students with low grades and unimpressive high school transcripts (and who might have some rude awakenings during adult life). If you think back to when you were a kid, what were some things that simply fascinated you? I remember being really into animals, the planets and space, maps, cars, and Batman, just to name a few. Kids have a natural curiosity, yet it seems to fade away as the hormones and pressures of social life take over during middle and high school. Well, I would say try to get that natural curiosity back. Learning about some historical event or how plant cells function might not directly help you in your future job, but that really doesn't matter. What matters is that you're a person who can learn and improve, and that's what you'll need to do in any job. Learning to like learning again will also greatly help with your attitude while in school. You have four years (or more) of college, so you might as well realize that you're there to learn and try to like it, if not love it. Learning is an end in and of itself. There doesn't need to be any other incentive or reward besides gaining knowledge and understanding the world better. As an example, one of the JROTC (retired military) instructors at my high school continues to take college history classes just because he loves them. Awesome.
6. Save your work online
One of the best things you can do for yourself as a student and in the working world is to use some kind of online service that saves your work for you. Two of most well-known are Dropbox and Google Drive (which you gain access to if you have a Gmail). These services save your work online and allow you access your documents (also photos, videos, presentations, spreadsheets, etc.) on any computer. By using one of these services you no longer have to rely solely on your computer to save your work (or flash drives). You never know what can happen with electronics, so it's best to have all of your documents backed up.
7. Read more
This one is something that might be at the bottom of your list of priorities and something you don't think you have time for, but it's something that will make school easier in every way: reading. Even if it's just fifteen minutes a day, reading for pleasure will keep your mind sharp, improve your vocabulary and memory, make you a better writer, improve your fluency, and reduce your stress. Just read some each day (even right before bed) and you'll start to see the benefits.
8. Listen to music while you work
Most people probably do this already, but see if you can find music that helps you concentrate while doing homework or studying. Some genres that have been shown to help include classical, instrumental, and music in a language you don't understand (so you don't focus on the lyrics). Really any type of music you enjoy will probably help you concentrate. This is something that can help your mind associate something that's not always fun (like homework) with something pleasurable (listening to music).
9. Take care of yourself
Get and stay on a good sleep schedule, eat as healthily as you can, drink plenty of water all day long, get regular exercise, and try to avoid stimulants like energy drinks, tobacco, etc.
Before and during college I had several jobs, all of which paid somewhere between $8 and $10 an hour. Now, thanks to my college education, I'm a professional with a career (not merely an hourly job) and I'm making nearly three times that amount an hour. I'm working on raising that even higher. Education is the key.
