Skills One Need to Succeed as a College Student
Mabel and Britton argue, “More than 40 percent of college students who do not earn degrees leave after their second year of school” (p. 2). Many reasons may make a student drop out of college, one of them is the lack of certain necessary skills. There are many different categories of college students. Anyone can be a successful college student, as long as he or she studies and work hard and prioritize the right things. Well-balanced college students are those who take school seriously while still able to have a fun social life outside of the classroom. This paper argues that a well-balanced college student is the one who embodies characteristics such as time management, listening, organization, and goal setting.
Time management is one of the most important characteristics of a well-balanced college student. Many college students struggle with managing their time. Time management involves breaking down “Larger projects into smaller, easy-to-accomplish pieces” (Center for Academic Services 1). Also, one must learn to take breaks within projects to avoid suffering burnout. College students who know how to manage their time do not procrastinate. Also, these students are able to separate between social and academic life, thereby eliminating unnecessary distractions.
Also, good listening skills play a huge role in the life of a college student and any other person. With good listening skills, a college student is able to retain information that is going to help him or her to be successful. Also, attentive listening means that a student is able to ask questions or seek clarification from his or her teacher. Besides, good listening skills show that a student is interested in what the instructor is saying. Failure to be attentive in the class may affect a student negatively. For example, the student may have a hard time grasping the class lessons. Asking questions, seeking clarifications and seeking in the classroom may help a student forge a strong interpersonal relationship with an instructor. Research suggests that “63% of college students had at least one professor who excited them about learning” (Purdue University 1). Having a favorite professor may shape one’s academic and career direction. Also, it may prevent a student from dropping out of college.
Organization skills are very important for college students. Well-balanced college students usually organize their work by taking notes, having a planner, and setting deadlines for various tasks. With a planner, a well-balanced college student schedules his or her academic and social commitments to ensure that each of them is attended to successfully. By setting deadlines for various tasks, a well-balanced college student gets all his or her school work done on time. According to the Center for Academic Services, successful college students are always aware of the due dates, use a planner or any other organization system, keep tests, class papers and notes, and homework in a central location. This level of organization means that crucial documents are within reach at any given time.
Goal-setting is also very important for one to succeed as a college student. According to Dotson, a student should set specific, attainable, measurable, and time-specific goals (45). This means that a student should be self-aware about his or her potential and the resources he or she has at his or her disposal. Having a vision pushes one to work harder to reach his or her full potential. Setting specific goals give a college student more reasons to keep pushing hard no matter what the circumstances are and not to give up because he or she understands that all his or her hard work will pay off one day. Setting a goal is not enough since a student must develop a plan of action (Dotson 45). A college student must have a realistic plan for achieving each of his or her goals. Besides, the goals should be comprehensive. For example, a student can say that he or she wants to score at least a B in all his or her courses, be a member of three clubs, and become friends with 20 schoolmates every semester.
To sum up, well-balanced college students are very successful. They are able to accomplish their goals and get things done on time while having an excellent social life. Their ability to listen attentively and set deadlines for various activities makes them very productive.
Works Cited
Center for Academic Services. “10 tips to succeed in class.” Center for Academic Services, n. d., http://www.acs.tcu.edu/docs/10%20Tips%20to%20Succeed%20in%20Class.pdf. Accessed on April 19, 2020.
Dotson, Ronnie. “Goal Setting to Increase Student Academic Performance.” Journal of School Administration Research and Development, vol. 1, no. 1. 2016, pp. 44-46.
Mabel, Zachary, and Tolani A. Britton. “Leaving late: Understanding the extent and predictors of college late departure.” Social Science Research, vol. 69, 2018, pp. 34-51.
Purdue University. “Student guide to creating a successful college experience.” Purdue University, n. d., https://www.purdue.edu/checklist/BGR/index.html. Accessed on April 19, 2020.