There are several formulas for success in college
...them in all of my classes. Some classes I do have to study a lot, otherwise I would not pass. While both of these qualities are important, the three that hold most importance to me are the following: maintaining a balanced college life, keeping a healthy lifestyle and being a strong self-advocate. When I was a freshman, I had a difficult time with the first quality that I named – maintaining a balanced college life. Because I was experiencing true freedom for the first time, I had difficulty managing my time and focusing on my academics. The first step to time management is to decide how much time you will take to 1) go to school, 2) job time, 3) family or social time, 4) time for rest or sleep. After deciding how much time is spent on each of these, you should have a better idea if you use more than 24 hours in a day. If you exceed 24 hours, you must cut back on something. Secondly, you must set priorities. What is more important to you, school or social life? I used to think that social life is more important than anything in the world. That is why I am still in college working on my AA degree. Setting priorities is a key to success. Thirdly, do not put things off that must be done. Do not put things off until the last minute. This is called managing your activities by continual crisis, which will put you under continual high stress. Planning ahead is another key to success. A little stress is really a good thing. Some stress can be a stimulus for higher achievement. If you were not under some stress, you probably would not do your best. Look at athletes, for example. Stress gets the adrenaline working. The problem comes when we put ourselves under too much stress. Do not eliminate stress, but learn to manage it. Anxiety tends to increase stress, so do not worry about things excessively. Think positive. A person who expects the worst will be under a great deal more stress than one who has high realistic expectations that are positive. A person who thinks or acts negatively will reap negative results. Do not set unrealistic high goals or expectations for yourself because not being able to attain these goals will result in a high stress. Continue to reevaluate your goals and do not be reluctant to reduce those goals so that the success is more assured. You have to learn to relax. Relaxation will reduce stress. Meditation, physical activity, social entertainment, all are important stress reducers. I like to socialize when I am under stress. It seems to make my worries go away. Note taking is an important part of most college classes. It is a rare individual who can sit in a class and collect all the information passed about and then be able to nearly full recall of that information at some future date. Most of us have to write it down. It took me some time to learn to take good notes. I used to come home after school and not be able to read my notes because they were so messy or I just could make out the words. When taking notes, write down only necessary words and do not worry about correct spelling or punctuation. The only criteria for a good set of notes is their ability to convey information to the reader in the future. If you cannot read the notes, they are not useful to anyone. You have to learn how ...