Who is the Prosperous Student?

A prosperous student, my son JM

Being successful in college requires a completely different set of habits than those of a high school student. Where high school involves students being fed information and completing some homework outside of class, college requires students to gain most of their information independently through reading, research, and other projects. The habits you use during your first semester can be a great indicator of your level of success throughout the rest of your degree program. So who is the prosperous student? Let’s take a look at some of the defining characteristics of the most successful college students?

The prosperous student does not declare a major until he is sure.

Many people enter college without having chosen a major. If you are not sure, do not choose a major until you are. You can spend the first semester, or even the first year, taking core classes that are required of all graduates. If you pressure yourself to choose a major right away and change your mind later, you will waste valuable time and money on unnecessary classes. In addition, you may find that the wasted time causes you to spend more than four years to get a degree. 

The prosperous student is highly organized.

Organization is one of the top keys to college success. It is vital that you develop a system of scheduling and organization from the start. Make a point to keep everything in a weekly planner and refer to the planner often. You must also immediately writepapers, write down all assignments, reading requirements, and test dates for easy reference. Since things change so often in college, write in pencil so changes can be made easily.

The prosperous student does not procrastinate.

Most class syllabi will give you a breakdown of the points or percentage value of each assignment. If you find that you must put something off, make it the least valuable assignment. Ideally, however, you should start working on projects and assignments well ahead of the due date. Even if you know you can complete an assignment in one day, waiting until the last day leaves too much to chance. If you put it off, you may have an emergency that prevents you from completing the work on time.

The prosperous student reads the textbooks.

Begin each course by thoroughly reading all assignments. As time goes on, you may realize that this is more important in some courses than in others. When this happens, it is easy to adjust your reading efforts to match the course requirements. When you read, read each section three times. Read once and take the time to summarize what you read. Read the second time to underline important points and to make notes. Finally, read the final time to refresh your understanding and to skim for any missed information.

The prosperous student takes care of himself.

Although a great deal of study is important in college, it is equally important that you take care of yourself. Get help when you need it and make sure you schedule at least an hour or so a day to simply relax and have fun. After all, the college experience is about more than education…it is also about developing into a productive, successful adult.

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