13 Success secrets of best students on campus
-Ojo Oluwasegun
Gaining admission into a tertiary institution is just a step taken into choosing a successful life. The desire to come out with the best result should be the ultimate goal of every student on campus.
Becoming the best student is not all about saying it, it’s about taking the right steps. In this article, I will be showing you ‘The success secrets of best students on campus’, these tips have worked for many and I believed it will work for you too.
1. Take Advantage Of Your first year (100 level)
The first year (100 level) is the best period to build a solid Grade Point (G.P) for yourself as a new student. This is because some less complicated courses (Introduction Courses) are done during your first year. During your first year, lecturers are more dedicated, patient and punctual.
2. Read The Course Outlines
Once you see the course from the perspective of the lecturer/professor, you’ll have a major insight into what (and how) to study for your courses.
3. Participate in all group projects and assignments.
Oftentimes, test and examination questions are picked from assignments given.
4. Surround yourself with success-oriented peers
Surround yourself with success-oriented peers who are committed to their studies. You can gain a lot of motivation just by spending time with successful people. Challenge each other, teach each other, learn from each other. Develop study groups and quiz each other before tests and exams. Talk about your strategies and about your goals. Share your fears and work together to overcome them.
5. Get all the study materials
Ensure you equip yourself with all study materials (textbooks, handout etc). Some lecturers give extra marks if you buy their textbooks.
6. Never miss lectures
Endeavour to attend all lectures; be punctual and attentive. Attendance record may be taken unexpectedly; this fetches additional marks for the lucky few.
7. Listen Actively In Class
Taking notes from a lecture is a thinking activity. Effective listening involves paying attention, developing an interest in listening to the lecture, and avoiding premature judgment of the speaker. Pay particular attention to the beginnings and endings of the lecture to gain a better sense of its outline and main points, then summarize and anticipate the direction of the lecture. Evaluate the ideas you hear, select important information to record, and ask questions about what you hear. Avoid the passive listener approach of trying to “get it all”; instead, listen for main ideas, key details, and transitional phrases which point to the structure and focus of the lecture.
8.Get a reading partner or group in your department.
Your reading group should be different from your casual friends, it should be of mixed gender, members of the reading group should take a turn to teach and make the class as interactive as possible.
9. Create personal studying time
Map out your personal study time and habit to constant stick with it. It is a bad habit to constantly adjust your reading time to suit your personal activities rather your personal activities should be adjusted to suit your study time.
10. Rethink Your Approach to Exams
Sure, exams can be stressful and scary, but they are really meant as an opportunity to provide you feedback about the quality of your learning. Instead of waiting until the last minute to study and then waiting until the grade comes back to see how well you’ve done, set up your study routine to give yourself lots of time to prepare and test yourself prior to the exam. Not only will your learning be enhanced, you’ll also develop a sense of confidence that will carry over to the exam and you’lll have a chance to catch any errors or omissions before you enter the exam room. Suddenly, the exam won’t seem so scary. Take all assignments, quiz and test seriously.
11. Study all past questions but do not rely on them alone, read your textbooks and notes as well.
12. Time management
Managing time is absolutely critical. Know what your goals are. Figure out where your time is going and develop supportive routines. Use a planner, set your own deadlines, and look ahead to see what tasks are due in the near future. Learn to balance your school, work, and personal commitments. Procrastinate less.
13. Believe In Yourself
Success is all about doing the best you can with what you have. Success is perseverance in the face of challenge; it means rising to the occasion; it means pulling through when times are tough. A positive attitude is a key ingredient in succeeding at university. Taking responsibility for making things happen, following through on tasks, and staying oriented towards your goals will all contribute to success.
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