We all stroll into the campus with excitement written all over our faces, mentality aligned towards the first-class palava and we all feeling like we just got a grammy award. But the sad news is, the number of students being celebrated for admission will be far more higher compared to that of graduation. Thus threw a punch at me as it is something worthy of thinking. The strategy involved in the University Setting is quite different from the one used during your secondary school days. Back in school, a student might not come for class but at the end of the term still come out as the best. Have seen a school where a student spent the whole of the session in the hospital but came up as the best in that class. How did it happen? I don’t know but to be sincere, if you employ that strategy in University, you “might find it difficult” to succeed as some lecturers are very strict when it comes to taking attendances and some courses are really crazy that you will struggle to understand on your own without attending classes.
So in this write-up, I will be sharing with our “Newly Admitted Students” some tips that would help them succeed while in school. These tips are no-brainer and no guarantee to success though, they are just some helpful hints that might boost your stand as a student on campus.
Be organised: When you first arrive, you will have time on your hands, a time for socializing before life gets too busy. So register for your course, check that your loan has arrived, pay any tuition and hall fees, sign on with a new GP, get your library card and NUS card, and buy any items you may have forgotten to bring from home. Make sure that you have the necessary things before lecture commences. Do not get carried away with the euphoria of being a fresher.
Set an agenda and follow it: This seems like pretty obvious advice, but you would be surprised how many students (and Professors!) don’t have a good system for managing time. University is a lot about managing your time: getting to classes, dealing with e-mails, assignments, planning for exams, Facebook, and squeezing in a social life, or a part-time job. It’s a struggle to manage all these tasks and to help with this, develop a clear and straightforward system of ‘calendar + tasks‘. Under calendar, include your class schedule, important dates and meetings, and most importantly, look at the calendar regularly! I personally prefer using an on-line calendar that syncs with my phone – but some people prefer the old-fashion (yet dependable) hard-copy calendar. For tasks, include short-term tasks (with deadlines – cross-referenced with your calendar) and long-term tasks, so that you are reminded of deadlines. I use a small notebook for my task list, and it is always with me – for me, the act of physically writing down a task list helps me remember what I need to work on. A good system for your agenda and tasks will make your life a lot easier. Furthermore, effective use of an agenda and task list will help you refine your time management skills, and these skills are truly essential to success at University (and for your career, beyond…).
SEE HOW THIS UNSERIOUS BOY IS SPENDING HIS FIRST DAY ON CAMPUS – VERY FUNNY
Attend lectures, You Paid For it and they are there for a reason: Most students come in with the “U=I will be very serious and attend ll classes” mentality but they tend to backslide due to some forces that an african woman might consider spiritual. Unknown to then is that lectures provide you with value-added content. It’s true that some of the content may be available on-line, or with a text-book, but in most cases, lectures will help to draw connections between different contents, and/or provide a valuable context to the material that might be in the textbook or on-line. Professors take a lot of pride in lecturing, and work hard to make the lectures engaging, interesting, and thought-provoking, not all of them though. You will soak up an amazing amount of material by just being in lectures, and paying attention.
Connect With People: The truth is , the university is like a bag filled with random objects. You should be expecting different kinds of fellow from all walks of life. But networking with the right kind of people can go a long way in helping you achieve that goal.
Ask questions: Do not form big boy, you are not! There are no silly questions (except for “Will this be on the exam?”). This is very, very true. If you are confused about something, or failed to get the point of a slide, or discussion, you must ask for clarification. Although it can be intimidating to ask a question in a large lecture hall, it’s important to try. If you are confused, it’s highly likely that other students are also confused. You are helping yourself, and your peers, when you put your hand up.
Have A Study Strategy: In order to keep control of your commitments, write out a personal timetable which includes any employment obligations, scheduled study such as lectures, at least two library sessions per week, private study, planned activities such as clubs and societies, and time for rest and relaxation with your friends. Try to stick to it in principle. Even if you have not had time to do the background reading, make sure that you try to attend all your lectures, seminars and tutorials as this will help you to form an impression of the broader picture. Keep copies of all written work, back up your computer and keep the discs in a safe place.
Build yourself, not your resume. Many students will do extracurricular or gain leadership positions just because they want to impress future employers. However, if they focus more on developing themselves as strong, well-rounded people, they will be far more memorable in interviews and in the working world.
The Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns applies to your GPA, too: Of course, you should maintain a respectable GPA, but know that once you cross 3.5, it matters less and less. The difference between an A and an A- is not worth you endlessly poring over a textbook instead of spending valuable time with friends or working on extracurricular activities. The amount of energy needed to get perfect grades could be put to better use.
Enjoy Yourself, It’s Your Time : You are not expected to carry book and start reading on the first day of resumption, you will still read and beg to stop. Enjoy yourself, make new friends, if you are the type that likes girls, you will get a lot to mix with, participate in the euphoria, let people know you. This is because your fresher days is when you will have most time to enjoy, subsequent years might not be so funny.
In Everthing You Do, Diaris God : No need for story, you know the rest.
