By Jennifer Broflowski
Conscious effort and sacrifices pave the road to success in any field. For many students in academics, this journey can be very difficult. These students continually struggle to do their best but they are forced to settle for results not befitting to their inputted efforts.
While on the other hand, there are students who seem to thrive effortlessly. Needless to say, they’re not necessarily smarter but they have the right habits for success. Yes, habits for success is a thing and it’s obtainable for those who desire it. Nothing is more encouraging than the fact that a person can improve their situation greatly through a conscious effort to change.
This write-up lists the habits to get the desired change needed to become a successful student.
Have a Goal
Students setting goals is something that is generally overlooked in this generation. Yet, it has a very important role to play in everything. In academics, it means having clear cut knowledge of what you want and when you want it.
The student should be write down the goal on paper and place it such that he/she can be reminded often about it. This helps you to keep in mind your target and what must be done to achieve it. The goal should be challenging but also realistic, and it is advised to set goals with time references. This gives rise to daily, weekly and semester goals to be able to track the progress that is being made. Whenever a goal is achieved, celebrate yourself by doing something special. This builds a reward-work relationship in your mind which serves as an incentive in the future.
Use Technology
Although some scholars claim that technology has been somewhat of a negative influence on students, this bold statement is due to the distractions that technology provides students, but this is not always the case. Technology, when put to good use, has been known to have a positive impact on the success rate of students. Hence, the decision is solely on the student whether to make good use of technology in their pursuit of academic excellence.
For the student whose answer is yes, there is the ever-evolving world of technology to your aid. You can make use of digital simulations and models to better understand and visualize your work. Technology also makes communication between students and teachers seamless, which encourages collaboration.
Furthermore, with the provision of the internet, there are unlimited resources available for advanced extensive research. Students visit paperial.com reviews among many other sites, which provides students with services in written skills. In the past, students had to make use of data presented to them only in physical forms. This was a constraint, but the student of today has at his fingertips the world of information — journals, research papers, articles, tutorial videos, podcasts, and books — all waiting to be tapped.
Be Focused
Students that have a record of success have a keen sense of focus. Stay focused irrespective of your situation at hand. When you set out to read or do homework, involve your whole mind in completing the task at hand. Train yourself to remain disciplined, preventing your mind from wandering.
Focus helps the student to enter the optimum work state needed to go the extra mile in research. In this state, the comprehension and assimilation of a student are at maximum. It is also known that distractions such as sleep, fatigue, hunger, etc., are very minimal. Reduced attention to distractions then allows the student to sustain long hours of productivity. It is recorded that top students are familiar with how to enter this state of mind with ease.
Be Organized
Being organized is easier said than done. Nonetheless, the organization is the whole difference between the degrees of success that a student can achieve. Without organization, an outline as to how to achieve anything is impossible. The dream of becoming a successful student is nothing but a mirage without organization!
Also, it means being self-aware and putting that into consideration too. Successful students are known to better understand themselves. This awareness of self helps to plan your schedule to accommodate possible interference from other sectors of your life. If there’s the need, make use of calendars, sticky notes, file organizers, notepads, etc., to keep track of events and activities.
Time Management
This is an essential skill for academic success. Mastery of this skill would spell out success for you since you can do a lot more for less input. It is the ability to manage your time concerning events and activities. It involves allocating your time for a task, based on your speculation on how long it should last for productivity and effectiveness.
In the case that it passes the time limit, you have two options. You either cut the task short by bringing it to an end or you rearrange your schedule to accommodate the inconvenience.
Be Active in Class
The cone of learning is a study showing that two weeks after learning students only remember 90% of what they say and do. Whereas, their counterparts who only listened and saw remember only 50%. This goes to say that participation in a classroom setting is very important. Perhaps, due to differences in personality, some naturally find this easier than others. For introverts, this is less appealing, but engaging yourself is one of the positive pointers toward success in academics.
Successful students are known to never wait for their teachers to take part in in-class activities. This trait shortens their learning curve since the teacher can immediately correct errors. This means a little extra personal revision will cement their understanding of the topic. Hence, participation in class saves a lot of time and energy that would have been spent studying.
Have a Workspace
Finding a workspace that is free of distractions is another key to success. A student’s environment, if not checked, has a significant effect on his or her performance. It is very important then to find a place that helps to increase focus and reduce distractions.
What we define as workspace varies individually from quiet library settings to busy halls. Workspace should be very specific to personal interests, so the selection of one’s workspace shouldn’t be rushed. Generally, it is advised that the following conditions for your chosen place should be met:
- The lighting should be natural to an extent.
- Ventilation should be sufficient to accommodate a whole study group of friends.
- Serenity. It should not have loud reoccurring sounds to avoid loss of focus.
- The presence of trees or plants.
- Invest in a good study table and chair to avoid postural deformation and aches.
Strong Work Ethics
Students should expect a lot of assignments and reading to be done in their respective academic programs. The top students already have this in mind and prepare for it. They build themselves to have work ethics or quality at work. This is seen through their dedication to thorough work and resilience even when the course work becomes overwhelming.
It is noticed that what others see as a problem the successful students see as a challenge. They see the opportunity to learn and grow in every work. This makes them long term thinkers and they act accordingly. Hence, they have a pressing need to follow through and see the completion of tasks given to them.
Health
As the saying goes “health is wealth” which means a healthy man is a wealthy man. The same applies to the world of academics. Students that have good health generally perform better in a better position to understand long sessions of work-study. The following are brief outlines to better health:
- Sleep at least seven hours a day.
- Feeding should be low on processed food and high on vegetables and fruits.
- Exercise for at least one hour a day, three times a week.
Clarify your Doubts
This is all about self-advocacy to bring about the best in you. Successful students are not only self-motivated, but they are also optimistic. This means that they mostly don’t need that external push to validate their efforts. These students have come to understand and trust their ability to be reliable to their beliefs and values. They are their own cheerleading mascot, holding on to a set goal in mind. The prize for this is the result and the satisfaction of accomplishment, both of which are significant rewards.
The ability to clarify your doubt is based on your perception of yourself. If you see yourself as a non-reliable person, then the outcome cannot rely on either. Instead, learn to view yourself as a dependable person who finishes his/her goals on time. This will build the trust needed in the time of doubt and help you to muster the strength to succeed as a student.
Knowledge, when applied, is powerful. With practice, the tips listed above will prove to be invaluable in your pursuit of academic success.
About Jennifer Broflowski
Jennifer is an editor and a freelance writer for a reputable online academic writing service in Canada. She hails from Gold Coast, Australia. Jennifer has a knack for writing as well as bird watching. She can be found helping out in animal shelters or helping entrepreneurs with business tips on her blog whenever she isn’t freelancing.
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