Students share tips for being successful in school

Credit to Author: Geneviève Beaupré and Susan Qadeer| Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2022 02:53:56 +0000

University or college comes with its own challenges, especially if you are travelling abroad or away from home during your studies. It could be useful to hear from others who are on the same journey.

We asked former and current excellent students for their advice on being successful in school. Their names are fictitious but the advice is real. Some emphasized being organized, some offered advice on how to study and another suggested asking yourself about your reason for being in school. We hope you will find these tips handy!

Organization is key

Elora has been a successful student both in terms of grades as well as having an abiding interest in her field of study. She says that staying organized and aware of upcoming deadlines is a big part of success in school.

Keep your class and reading notes organized and up to date and figure out what kind of monthly planner works best for you, whether it is paper, on your phone, or on your computer. Sometimes all of your projects and exams will fall in the same week, so it helps to plan in advance. At the beginning of every academic week, look at your goals and deadlines in the coming days so nothing takes you by surprise.

Esme’s good grades seem to come naturally to her but, in fact, she actually works hard. She suggests looking at your notes from class and rewriting them in a clear and organized manner. She says it helps to build a sort of muscle memory, and an opportunity to review them while you rewrite. Plus you can access them easily when you need those notes again. She also suggests finding a study partner, as long as you know you’ll get something done and not get side-tracked.

Get going and stay on task

Suzi’s tip may help the procrastinators. She says that if you are having trouble getting started, committing to a small task will get the ball rolling and then you may end up doing much more than you planned. Even if you only do a little, you’ll still feel good. Her current job also involves producing written work and she finds that her “trick” continues to help her.

Rustum listens to music while he studies but suggests avoiding music with words that will distract you. He suggests  treating your studies as you would a full-time job. Devoting the same number of hours to your studies should be, by and large, sufficient time. Keep a regular schedule and try not to let the rest of your life be compromised. Rustum has many interests, and he finds that using a designated time to focus on academic work ensures that he doesn’t sacrifice his other interests.

Leyanda has many friends and is constantly in the throes of one political activity or another but when it is time to write essays and study, she disappears. She finds somewhere no one can interrupt her. She stays away for as long as she needs to write her papers and study for exams. She turns her phone off until she is finished in the evening and only then answers the most important messages. She says her friends accept this about her.

Why are you at school?

Sunny, a recent graduate from a professional school, suggests that you question why you are at school. He says marks often don’t matter, but how you feel when learning does. If you’re able to feel confident and invigorated by what you’re learning, you’ll succeed, no matter what your marks are. According to him, school is an opportunity to grow, not to impress someone else.

It can be helpful to hear what others do to be successful as it can help you determine what might work for you. Many academic institutions have peer mentoring programs where you can chat with a student who can tell you what works for them. With solid advice, patience and persistence, you will find your way and develop your own strategies for success.

The post Students share tips for being successful in school first appeared on Canadian Immigrant.
http://canadianimmigrant.ca/feed