No student heads to college with a plan to fail or worse face potential dismissal after probation yet without clear strategies to focus on performance failure at college remains likely. The downward trajectory in a student’s performance is often attributed to many factors including study habits, preparedness and time management skills.

There are students who are unprepared for the difficulties that come along with college work while others are beleaguered by hard course units. Peer pressure at the university may also cause some students to lose focus.

Although socializing is good, other students end up drinking. When the course is not interesting, students also become less motivated and may find all reasons to stay away from colleague. It is quite unfortunate that few of these have to thrive through harsh circumstances such as illness, personal problems and family difficulties that affect their performance. The good news is that retakes during college can be avoided by putting a few elements in order.

The steps

Go to class and avoid excuses: Even when you don’t feel like it- just go. It keeps you in the flow of academics and prepares you for anything that might come along. Needless to say, many classes have in-class assignments, pop quizzes, and case studies that only could be taken while present. Those who miss end up losing points that affect the final grades. Besides that, paying attention in class keeps your memory alert. It is never the same as revising on your own. Some things are best comprehended with physical presence!

You need to stay organized! College is all about multitasking. Planners can really help you to balance homework, due dates and tests. You should equally try to get your work done early to avoid stress. Some students take procrastination to a whole new level: they work better when professors are breathing down their necks. Try to make progress every day on what is assigned. For example, if you have a report due in 6 weeks, do not wait until 2 days before it’s due to begin working on it. Instead, work on it every day for 30 to 60 minutes.

Furthermore, learn to use technology to your advantage and not otherwise. Avoid bringing your laptop to class. If you have to, make sure you only use it for the task at hand. Let’s face it, most of the time you are on social networks instead of concentrating. Students who do multiple things on laptops during lecture are usually headed for failure.

Even more important is that you should mean business when it comes to education. Go to class or to the library and study seriously. Act like a professional by treating your college education like it is on job training.

Studying should be done the right way every person studies differently and one should find his or her own way of studying best. Some can study with a lot of noise and others want silence. Some like the library and some like to study with friends, or even outside. Studying with others is best but only if you actually work. If you find your own ideal study method, your understanding and recall will improve, hence better grades.

If there is one thing college students grapple with, it is balancing work, school and social life. Many students start to mess up in college because they want to hang out with their friends every minute. There will always be time for partying in college. Know when to pull yourself away from partying so as to take care of business.

Be sure to take care of your health. Join a sports team or exercise, don’t overdo the junk food, and try to get as much sleep as possible. Not only will you feel better, you’ll be able to think and learn better too.

Maintain 100 per cent effort through semester. Some students start better than they finish. They do that in order to give themselves room to slack near the end of the semester, which can be a costly mistake. Push yourself to do your best on every assignment given out and make sure to check your syllabus to see which assignments are due. Stay on top of your game and don’t lose focus.

Learn to live with it

The first step in retaking a college class is to accept that you have to do it. For whatever reason you are taking a course again, you should not feel embarrassed or insulted. You are repeating the class to not only pass (if you previously did not), but to learn more and to better prepare yourself for future courses.

It may also help to review assignments and tests from your previous class. Studying the types of questions you missed will help you concentrate on what you did not understand. Consider, joining a study group with conscientious classmates. They may offer you different insights on the material or may be able to further explain difficult concepts.

Also, try to complete more homework than is assigned, especially if you are taking mathematics or a foreign language course. These subjects require lots of regular practice to master the fundamentals.

You should remember the ultimate goal for repeating courses in college is to learn all information you need to continue with your education. In a few years, you probably will not remember retaking a class, but you will remember your accomplishments after receiving you degree.

The writer is a lecturer at The Adventist University of Central Africa