Habits of Successful Students to Follow

6 Basic Habits of Successful Students to Follow for Good Academics

Posted by

Jeff Black On Sep 4 , 2019

Great! You got into college. Frankly, that is an achievement in itself. However, you should know your high SAT scores and the number of colleges that offered you admission does not automatically guarantee success on campus.

Successfully getting into college is not the same thing as successfully going through college. You thought high school was hell, right? College could be a lot worse. However, the learning experience in college can be a great and successful journey for you if you inculcate a few basic habits that could help. It is not like you could pay someone to do your homework for you (or could you?).

Here are 6 basic habits that you must imbibe if you want to be a highly successful student:

Establish your priorities by creating a system

If you are a college freshman, you may still be accustomed to the structured routine of high school. This might make you find it a bit difficult to balance your newly found independence to juggle classes, study-time, and extracurricular activities. Having to do all these in a different environment could be quite stressful. The best way around this is to know your priorities and stick to a schedule. This would help you manage your workload and also help reduce stress.

Use on-campus resources

Most universities offer a lot of resources that would help students to do well academically. As a student, you should be familiar with the library and the academic support center. Finding out what type of support is available and actually using them can go a long way in turning a so-so college experience into a really successful one.

Get involved in class

I understand the fact that you might be intimidated by the large lecture halls, but you are sure to get a strong grasp on the material being taught in class if you are actively involved. Try sitting in front or close to the tutor. Instead of just going through the motions, take part in discussions as much as you can. Doing this could even increase your GPA.

However, do not speak out when you have nothing tangible to say in the hopes of getting a high grade. Remember that you would feel more engaged in class when you are actually engaged in the class.

Create good relationships with the faculty members

Do not entertain the misconception that faculty members are not approachable and do not want to be bothered by students. One thing that may surprise you is that most professors encourage interaction with their students outside the classroom.

In fact, some people believe that a close mentoring relationship between faculty members and the students can be one of the most important parts of a college education. By showing a dedication to your tutors, students can excel in courses they are struggling with.

Practice retrieving information from memory

Writing down what you know about a topic from memory without the help of your books and handouts is one of the most effective ways of studying. A variant of this is to study with a partner and trade questions concerning the topic you are studying. By practicing retrieval studying, you gain the ability to think flexibly and apply what you have learned.

Always take notes

Getting handouts from your tutor could be really convenient for you but taking notes in class is a far more effective way to learn. Remember that you can’t always remember things you do not put down in writing (except you are exceptionally gifted).