Is Being Bright Enough to Ensure Your Success in College?

In my journey though higher education, I have watched many students crash and burn; falling under the pressure that the college experience presents. I, myself, always thought of myself as being very bright; always excelling in school and receive above average on IQ tests. But, I found myself struggling though my college courses. Being bright just wasn't enough.

There are other things that contribute to college success. You are operating in a different environment. It didn't help me that I returned to school after having a full-time job and raising kids, but those factors alone didn't contribute to my struggling. It isn't a secret that college is miles away from high school, and I am not just referring to the literal distance. Especially if you decided to go away to college, everything is new and exciting, but at the same time it can also be scary and intimidating.

Along with new temptations, keeping on top of your schoolwork and succeeding is enough stress to cause serious nightmares. The truth is having the innate ability to absorb new material isn't enough to guarantee instant success in school. It is only of many factors; three in which I will touch on in this article. Along with learning, motivation and psychological state can also cause success or failure in college.

The fact is learning isn't just associated with your ability to learn, but you ability to learn according to the instructors teaching style, the material being presented, how it is presented, and other surrounding factors. The way the material is presented contributes heavily to the extent into which you absorb what is being taught. For instance, an extremely cold or hot classroom can disturb the flow between teaching and learning. Or, an instructor with a monotone or uncontrollable stutter can also affect this process. Distractions are just that and may be a reason why you aren't catching on as quickly or thoroughly as you may want to.

Motivation is also a strong contributor to your success in college. How bad do you want to learn the material, pass the course, or get the degree? Your goals can be terrific motivators when collecting new material and excelling in a difficult class. With the desire there, you will be pushed harder to independently learn the material even with distractions in the classroom.

Distractions such as college night life, social events, and partying are okay to indulge in every now and then. You need your motivators to remind you why you are really here and that will push you to study and not go to that party on a Thursday night before a big test.

Every since elementary, you've been told the benefits of getting a good night's sleep before a big test. This is still true, but not to the full extent. Psychological factors such as fatigue and stress can hinder the college experience. Your mind's state at the time of learning could hinder the process of learning new material. Some students stay up all night studying for a test the next day when sleep would have put their minds in a better and more equipped state to face the exam.

Depression among college students is rapid these days. The stress of the coursework plus the pressure of fitting in and having a social life may be too much for some students. College is a transition phase from childhood to adulthood, and some of us need extra help. Build a support team. Talk with friends, counselors, academic advisors, and instructors if you feel as if you are drowning in it all. Don't try to deal with it yourself.

Some other tips to help you be successful in college is to know your limits (don't overdo it), take care of your mental and physical health (get plenty of rest and efficient nutrition), and refresh your brain periodically (when it all starts getting overwhelming and the words on the page of the textbook starts blurring, step back and grab a movie with friends. You will learn that hitting the books after a refresh makes everything clearer).