5 Easy Strategies to Guarantee Success in College

College is much different than high school. Your parents & teachers are not around to guide you, there are several social events to occupy the time you should be studying, and since you just completed 12 straight years of school, more school seems redundant. Unless you are in community college or trade school, turning in a bad semester could mean the end of your college career. I myself did terrible in high school, mostly due to lack of motivation. However in college I made straight As and was a recurrent member of the Dean's list & President's list. Here are some of the tips I have for someone who wants to succeed in college.

Be organized

It is a lot easier to pass all 5 of your classes if you can keep the information from each of them separate. I started off by buying 5 1 subject notebooks & 5 pocket folders. I made folders on my computer to separate all my subjects, and I only carried the folders & books I needed for the day. After I passed all my classes, I would file the notebooks & folders in the top of my closet. I had a few occasions when I needed to pull some of my notes, and I also found it hard to just throw away things that I worked so hard on. College was also the first time in 10 years that I carried a backpack. A well made one will last you at least 2 years, and I was able to keep the same Zebra pen for my entire tenure in the Drafting department.

Take notes and study

College is definitely not the time to be lazy. I always took notes everyday, even during lectures & experiments. It is important to start this off right, because most classes build off the basic material that is taught in the first 3 weeks. Your future performance depends on the notes you take today, especially in math. I would take notes quickly during class, and spend the end of class re-writing my notes. This proved to be enough to get me top scores in most classes. Other classes like statistics I spent a few hours extra prepping the night before tests. Don't put it off to the last minute, and you will outperform your expectations. Seeing the questions will remind you of the answers, so you will be prepared before you feel prepared. Repetition is the key to retention, and using my next strategy will give you a checklist of sorts to make your repetition seem less tedious.

SQ3R Learning method

I know the brain-computer metaphor is used a lot, but your brain is much more like a computer than you might think. The facts you need to save to your memory will pretty much find open space in the general area it thinks it best fits, much like a computer hard drive. Also like a computer hard drive, retrieving that information is harder since it doesn't file itself in the most logical order. No one has ever told your brain to file English facts in the English department, and math facts in the math department. Just like you can de frag your hard drive to collate the information, you can essentially de frag your brain. The difference is you have to do it as you learn, and it's called the SQ3R learning method. The simple concept is that before you memorize a fact, you think of the department you are going to file it in. A mnemonic device such as a color can help with filing, and that is one reason autistic persons can specialize in music or math. So before you crack open your English book, call to mind your English file folder. Ask yourself general questions about the subject material, and answer them as you survey an outline of the chapter. The more you practice this method, the more benefit you will receive in quick recall & memorization as a whole. It works best when you start young, but you are never too old to see benefits from thinking this way. Along with rigorous note taking, this strategy will ensure your success during testing.

Surround yourself with like minded people

If you are hanging out with thugs & binge drinkers, you are going to be more averse to finishing your homework & studying. It made it that much easier for me when I made it into my specialized classes that the other students were as focused as me. Your friends should motivate you instead of distracting you. If you realize that the people around you are bad influences, remember you are the one that shoulders that blame for not changing your surroundings. College is full of students that want to succeed, and being in that group often means hanging out with that group. It may mean you are going to miss out on a few keggers, but you aren't paying $20,000 a year to drink beer & flunk out.

Balance your schedule

You need to take at least 15 hours a week worth of classes. A true full time student will take 18, and some people may be able to adequately handle 21. I would not recommend any more than that for anyone, even someone very intelligent without a job. First of all, it is hard to schedule more than 21 hours without creating a conflict. You will also have to deal with travel time between classes, as well as time for studying/homework. Believe me when I say that 18 hours will feel more like 40 after you get out of basics and into true college curriculum. I once took an on line class for a friend that was condensed into 4 weeks, and I had to spend 10 hours every day 5 days a week to manage a B. I started out charging him $100, but by the end he had paid me several hundred, taken me on a vacation and supplied my food, gas & cigarettes for the entire time. On line classes often require much more work than classes on campus, so don't think you are going to get off easier that way.

The only way to succeed in any accredited program is by dedication, and doing college for the right reasons. Everyone wants more earning potential, but you have to earn that. College is ultimately the place when you learn to succeed in a professional workforce. Very few kids are ready for the discipline it takes, and working a few years would no doubt do you good. However you only have a small window where scholarship money is available, and many of the more prestigious institutions will see a gap in enrollment as a sign of indecision. Follow these simple strategies and tips to make your transition to college easier, and what your results from college a lot more rewarding.