Whether you're a freshman or a senior, developing the following 10 skills will help you achieve success in school, in your chosen career, and in life.You know the deal: There are just 24 hours in each day. What you do with that time makes all the difference. While high-school students average 35 hours per week of class time, college students log an average of 15 to 18 hours per week.
Getting your "free" time under control now will help prepare you for managing that extra 20 hours a week come freshman year of college — when you'll need to study and want to socialize more than ever.
If you don't already, start using a daily planner. This could be a datebook you keep in your bag, an online version you maintain at home, or both. It's easy to over-schedule or "double-book" if we aren't careful. Manage your time wisely and you'll get the maximum out of each day.
If you've got them, great. If not — well, there's still time to develop them. Good study habits include these basics:
It's important to set goals, as long as they're attainable. Setting goals that are unreasonably high is a set-up — you'll be doomed to frustration and disappointment.
Listen to your teacher and stay focused. Be sure that you understand the lesson. If you don't understand something, ask questions! You've heard it before, but "the only dumb question is the one you don't ask" is absolutely true. If you've been paying attention, it definitely won't be a dumb question.
You can't possibly write down everything the teacher says since we talk at a rate of about 225 words per minute. But, you do need to write down the important material.
Be sure to validate yourself after a test by going back over your notes to see if your notes contained the answers to questions asked on the test. If not, you need to ask to see a classmate's notes or check with the teacher for help on improving your note-taking.
Studying with a partner is also a good idea, provided that you study and don't turn it into a talk-fest (there's time for that later). Note-taking should be in a form that's most helpful to you. If you're more of a visual person, try writing notes on different colored index cards. Music can also be a good memory aid as long as you don't find it distracting. Re-writing your notes daily is another strategy. If you really have a problem with note-taking, you might ask your teacher if you can tape-record daily lessons. Do whatever it takes!
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