Grow Your Skills

09/02/2020

Grow Your Skills – Make an Impact

Deciding to go to college is an important decision in your life. Getting admitted to college is a significant accomplishment. Succeeding in college is an even more significant accomplishment.

The transition from high school to college is often full of surprises for the unprepared. High school students may have a pretty good understanding of what they need to do to get into college, and of the importance of attending college for career and financial success, but they have an undeveloped and even unrealistic understanding of what it takes for successful transition, persist and graduating from college.

There is a persistent and pervasive gap between what students are expected to be able to do in college and what students actually come prepared to do. Although there’s a set of skills that’s required in both contexts, college requires that you master more challenging study skills, including understanding and analysing complex academic material, time management, and stress management. Even those students who have entered college based on their performance in the entrance exams seem to lack crucial academic knowledge and skills and appear ill-prepared for the demands of college-level work.

Students bring with them the habits and attitudes that may have been “good enough” to get by in high school but will not support their success in college where “passing” is not enough to maintain sufficient academic progress toward a degree. Too often students exert the minimal effort that they perceive will be good enough to pass the course. They cannot progress and lose time and money without reaching their goal. They seem more focused on getting through the course rather than learning the content and skills which can make a difference in their work and lives.
To survive in college, students need to master the skills early on to set themselves up for success.

Advanced Study Skills: While there’s still a large amount of hand-holding in high school, once in college you will be expected to exhibit independent and advanced study skills, such as analysing, researching, note taking, listening, and comprehension .It’s advisable to make a mental image of the concepts being learnt and then recall it . Unlike school professors often encourage students who are participative and ask a lot of questions. Log your actual study time and choose effective environment for study. You need to prepare in advance for the class, so start reading ahead and just not focus on the homework. Get into a habit of group studies as in college you will be required to do a lot of assignments in groups and teams. Practice the chaining effect which means reading notes from beginning to end before and after class.

Time Management: During high school you may already have worked on your time management skills, but remember that your workload will only grow bigger the more you advance through the years. Learning to create schedules and sticking to them is crucial to avoid burnouts. Do not procrastinate and learn to Multitask. Set short and long term goals and link them. Prioritise and maybe limit involvement in extracurricular activities. Spread out studying time and don’t cram.

Speed Reading: Your study material will generally grow more difficult and lengthy, being able to read faster than the average student, without sacrificing comprehension, will save you a lot of time and keep stress at bay. Speed reading will spare you the frustration of having to go through tons of literature and compulsory study material in a limited time, and let you stay ahead.
Motivation and Self-discipline: These are two skills and virtues you must cultivate during your high school years. Both high school and college are stressful times with a lot of duties and expectations for students, so being able to find motivation and practice discipline are vital to your success. During your college years, where you will be more independent, being able to objectively assess your studying behaviour will let you stay within schedule and do well in your exams and courses.

Note-taking: Being able to take notes efficiently is the basis for academic success and a very demanding skill. If you learn it during high school, your skill will improve your exam scores and help you to study with less effort during college. Note-taking has to be intelligent, selective, and critical. Re-write the notes from class and not just a re-copy – summarise points in your own words and discuss them. Record the important information and create note cards and leaving spaces to add text.

Learning vs. Studying: Review examples while focusing on concepts. Don’t memorise, but try to understand. Work on listening skills and share ideas. Write short explanation of how a problem is solved. It requires practice and a lot of focuses on your part to learn concepts that will later assist and guide you’re studying.
Responsibility: You must balance your responsibilities and set priorities. You will face moral and ethical decisions you have never faced before. Schedules tend to look lighter than they really are. You are expected to take responsibility for what you do and don’t do, as well as for the consequences of your decisions.

Test Taking and Preparation: Organise and review all test materials. Read the sections and assignments ahead and highlight the Key points. Tests in college are usually infrequent and may be cumulative, covering large amounts of material. The tests will be usually scheduled without regard to the demands of other courses or outside activities. You need to have an ability to apply what you’ve learned to new situations or to solve new kinds of problems.

College is not simply a continuation of high school. It is a new experience that requires you to approach success in new ways right from day one. You will need to take control of your education by making thoughtful decisions and accomplishing your Career Goals.