When school is tough

Every year many capable students fail to attain their academic goals. Some students are unsuccessful in their attempts to enter the next level of their studies. Others fail to achieve sufficient grades to remain in their undergraduate program. ‘To succeed academically, you must attend all classes, summarize your lecture notes soon after the lecture, read ahead in your textbook, and get an early start on all your assignments,’ is a common statement. Many students appreciate the soundness of the aforementioned plan but are unable to follow it for more than a few weeks. As they fall behind their studying schedules they become increasingly frustrated, tired and anxious. Inevitably, their concentration begins to wane and their performance declines. What steps can they take to increase their chances of sticking to the plan? Here are a few ideas that have proved useful and successful so far. Staying fresh is vital. You can’t concentrate well if you are anxious or tired. One way to reduce anxiety and increase stamina is to exercise regularly. If you can’t or won’t exercise, you must eat and sleep well. One way to increase the quality of your sleep is to stop working 45 minutes before you go to bed. Just relax at this time. Adopt the attitude that school is a job. Plan on working eight hours a day. If you adopt this attitude from day one, you won’t start to view classes and study sessions as infringements on your free time. Get to know your classmates. If you can discuss course material with someone who is at your level of sophistication you’ll gain a richer understanding of the field. Exams. Pretend that you are the professor for a particular course and that you have to generate fair questions that cover the important lecture and text information. If you take the time to do this you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to anticipate exam questions. If you follow the above tips positively and regularly, you will have all reason to rejoice and enjoy school life, because it will no longer be tough but memorable. iruikmo@yahoo.com