20 Tips for Students
Lisa Micele, director of college counseling at the University of Illinois Laboratory High School offers success tips on a recent interview on Here and Now with Jeremy Hobson, NPR, August 25, 2016.
- Be a self-advocate. Have a voice and state what you want and what you need. Ask for things. Ask for help. Reach out to people.
- Get to know your Professors, Resident Advisor and meet with your Academic/Faculty Advisor(s) regularly.
- Step out of your comfort zone, and sign-up for ONE new activity! Try something different.
- There is no shame in being "undeclared." College is a time to explore. Embrace it. Take time to select & confirm your major.
- Consider study abroad. Take advantage of all your college has to offer.
- Manage your time well.
- Practice self-care. (Eat well; exercise; make time for yourself; sleep!)
- Consider taking some general education classes at your community college during summer – to free up your schedule and save money.
- Know the many resources on your new campus. You are paying a student fee for services. These include: wellness/mental health supports; academic resources; career services; peer assistance resources; cultural resources.
- Adopt a Growth Mindset: embrace challenges; persist in the face of setbacks; know that effort leads to mastery; learn from constructive criticism; find lessons/inspiration from others (Carol Dweck, Ph.D.)
- Make academics a priority — always attend class, but plan a balanced life filled with social activities as well.
- Follow your moral compass.
- Seek comfort from family & high school friends while making a real effort to reach out to new friends.
- Be realistic. You will make mistakes. You will be confused and overwhelmed. College is an exciting time of change; meeting new people; self-discovery. Embrace the highs & lows.
- Reduce your social media presence OR when you post, be REAL!
- Don’t spend too much time being “distracted” by technology.
- Explore your new campus! Find places you like to study; restaurants you enjoy; events in the surrounding town.
- Be comfortable saying “No” to bad choices and over-extending yourself.
- Communicate with your family about keeping in touch/planning visits to campus or coming home. Be proactive and discuss expectations.
- Enjoy the journey. Be good to yourself. You can do this!!
This type of encouragement really does make a difference for students. On the days when I do not want to wake up at all, I still make it to all my classes on time because I know I have made commitments for different classes that need to get done. I have learned that getting good grades is not a measure of how "smart" a student is, in fact a grade is only reflective of how much effort we put into the work we turn in. Not all professors make it this obvious that they want us to be successful, and I appreciate this from you. I knew from the first day and from reading through the syllabus that this class would not be easy. Keeping these tips in mind will definitely help me along the way, to put in my best effort for everything in my life.
ReplyDeleteThis is great review for new students. The rule that stood out to me was #6, manage your time well. I believe this has the greatest impact on your academics and personal life. Something as simple as a planner, or even reminders on your phone, will be the key to not feeling overwhelmed, well at least in my experience. If you just wing it and forget a test or to study for said test then there goes another grade. Students hear about time management time and time again from their professors. As I sit in a classroom of my peers I can't help but notice the majority not taking it seriously. If this were my list time management would be at the top of it, right next to knowing your campus and all its resources it has to offer. I've seen too many students stressed and overwhelmed when they do not understand something in class, even after asking the professor. Something as simple as the tutoring center could easily help the student pass the class, opposed to alternatively sitting in class clueless and failing. This same tutoring center that half of the class admittedly knew nothing about. The rest of this list is quite helpful, but it is the simplest ones that have the greatest impact on day to day college life.
ReplyDeleteThe tip that most stood out to me was number one. Asking for help and telling people what I need is a major issue for me, it is kind of like I am scared to do so. This particular fear has impacted my life tremendously in a negative way, to the point where I have failed assignments and in one instance a whole class. Number four also stood out because when I began my college journey I knew what I wanted to become and I had a goal, but as the first semester passed my goals shifted. Til this day I am undeclared and do not know what direction I want to take my education towards. These 20 tips have opened my eyes, especially because I have been doing so many things incorrectly that are negative for my success.
ReplyDeleteI can really identify with tip #14! I’ve worked in a processional setting for several years and it’s taken me many of them to remember that mistakes are simply reminders that there is always something to learn and new ways to grow. Seeing this tip is another great reminder to take the highs with the lows and it reminds me of a leader I work with whom consistently says, “We’re going to fall and scrape our knees but we still have to get up and join the marathon of business.” I believe these are great ideologies for any good business leader.
ReplyDeleteI can really identify with tip #14! I’ve worked in a processional setting for several years and it’s taken me many of them to remember that mistakes are simply reminders that there is always something to learn and new ways to grow. Seeing this tip is another great reminder to take the highs with the lows and it reminds me of a leader I work with whom consistently says, “We’re going to fall and scrape our knees but we still have to get up and join the marathon of business.” I believe these are great ideologies for any good business leader.
ReplyDeleteThis is not the first time that I have seen this list. My freshman year of college, we were given this list. I and many other freshman like myself did not know what to expect. The older I get, the more I am taking the things on the list seriously. There are still things that I need to work on like time management. I have always struggled with time management. It got worse when I had my daughter who is disabled. I am have my life scheduled to the T, but if my daughter has other plans, then all my plans are disrupted. I am still struggling with taking care of my body physically because I am always taking care of my daughter.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy this list. I believe that it offers great practical advice for all college students. I have been in college for two years, and I can definitely testify that these tips are crucial to know in order to do the college life. I attended a private Christian university for my first two years of college, where I accumulated loads of debt. By God’s grace I realized that it would be a wiser decision (specifically for financial reasons) to attend a public university near my home. Therefore, I would add one more tip: “Don’t blow your life savings on a school. Work within your means, for you will more than likely get the same end result regardless of what school you go to.” The reality is that for most fields of study, a degree is a degree, and it doesn’t matter where you received the degree.
ReplyDeleteIn the words of DJ Khaled, "major key alert!" These are some great tips to live by. Time management is very essential to being successful in college. And once you learn to do so, you can become unstoppable on the road to your degree. Also, the sooner, the better. I'm just now figuring out how to balance academics, a social life, and a personal life. To be honest, it makes a big difference. Scheduling "me time" seems a bit overboard, but without a schedule to help me manage my time, there wasn't really a such thing as "me time". School always come first. Those who don't understand, might not have your best interest in mind. But your wallet, your time, and your future will thank you. You might be missing out on an event, but it's better than repaying for a class and spending a whole extra semester on it. Balance is key.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the most important tips is number 15 "Reduce your social media presence OR when you post." I am so guilty of spending more time on social media than studying. Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram are super entertaining, but ruthless time killers as well. I find myself looking at funny pictures on Facebook when I have a major assignment due right in front of me, it's unhealthy to spend so much time staring at a phone screen and not paying attention to my homework. I think this is an issue most people my age can relate to. My friends are always posting statuses about how much they procrastinate and then spend like an hour reposting memes. A healthy balance between social media and our daily activities is vital if we ever want to get anything done.
ReplyDeleteThese are really good tips to give. Ive been given these tips for years and still find it a challenge to live by them I need to make me a vision board and look at these everyday to just get it stuck in my head for when the time comes i can just do it. Number 9 is one i should really spend time on. like using the gym when its free i could probably even use time on talking to a therapist im sure it couldnt hurt and it i think i will benefit from it. Keeping in touch with family is one i have a challenge with because my family is not a close one its like out of sight out of mind but hey they lost... right lol
ReplyDeleteOne of the rules I should literally keep in my pocket as a reminder is the 20th rule,” Enjoy the journey. Be good to yourself.” The reason for this is because I am taking this whole college experience so stern and worrying about things I shouldn’t. Another rule that I will hold dearly is the 18th rule,” Be comfortable in saying no to bad choices and over-extending yourself.” I know myself enough to know it is hard to know when someone has taken advantage of me when its literally hard to get out of the situation. This aren’t traditional rules that teachers usually give, instead they are rules that will help in the long run as well.
ReplyDeleteI would like to thank Dr.Ross-Nazzal for this post. This post is an opportunity for all students to have a good start for their college education and prepare for a successful future. It is also an encouragement for students to work harder and succeed. I personally felt encouraged to do even better in my classes after I read this post. It has strengthened my commitment to my future. There are times where I feel exhausted and stressed with the load of alignment and exams, but I still work hard and do my best to succeed well in all my classes. As for these 20 tips, the tip number 6, which is time management, is a very important advice for me. I believe that when a student manages his/her time very well, he/she will be able to get rid of stress and be able to do the tasks on time. As an engineering student, I learned how to manage my own time and be successful in my first engineering class. As I followed all of these tips, I felt that my self-confidence increased and that I did better in my classes. These simple tips have a very important impact on every student’s life, and the benefits are more than we can imagine.
ReplyDeleteThese tips are all really helpful. Ill definitely try to take them all woth me my next semester of college. I feel like i did lack in doing many things my first semester. I wish i would have taken tip number 3 and signed up for some new activity i could've tried out. So next semester i will for sure take that into consideration. And i also wish I would've taken tip number 6 about time management because i was all over the place this semester. I got caught up in many things and would find myself finishing assignments at the last minute (like right now haha) i hope to use my time wisely for next semester and the rest to come because i was hanging by a thread this fall semester.
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