(10 Ways to Be a Great Student) Youve decided to go back to school. Dare to be the best student you can possibly be. Here are 10 ways to be a great student. 1. Take Hard Classes Youre paying good money for an education, make sure you get one. There will be classes that are required for your major, of course, but you will have a fair number of electives as well. Dont take classes simply to accrue credits. Take the classes that really teach you something. Be passionate about learning. I once had an advisor that said to me when I expressed fear of a difficult class, Do you want to get an education or not? 2. Show Up, Every Time Make your classes your highest priority. If youve got children, I understand that this isnt always possible. Children should always come first. But if you dont show up for your classes, youre not getting that education we discussed in No. 1. Make sure youve got a good plan for seeing that your children are cared for when youre scheduled to be in class, and when you need to study. It really is possible to raise children while youre going to school. People do it every day. 3. Sit in the Front Row If you happen to be shy, sitting in the front row can be very uncomfortable at first, but I promise you, its one of the best ways to pay attention to everything being taught. You can hear better. You can see everything on the board without having to crane your neck around the head in front of you. You can make eye contact with the professor. Dont underestimate the power of this. If your teacher knows youre really listening and that you care about what youre learning, he or she will be extra willing to help you. Besides, itll feel like youve got your own private teacher. 4. Ask Questions Ask questions immediately if you dont understand something. If youre in the front row and have been making eye contact, your instructor probably already knows by the look on your face that you dont understand something. A polite raising of your hand is all you need to do to indicate youve got a question. If it isnt appropriate to interrupt, make a quick note of your question so you dont forget, and ask later. Having said this, dont make a pest of yourself. Nobody wants to hear you ask a question every 10 minutes. If youre completely lost, make an appointment to see your teacher after class. 5. Create a Study Space Carve out a place at home that is your study space. If youve got a family around you, make sure everyone understands that when youre in that space, youre not to be interrupted unless the house is on fire. Create a space that helps you make the most of your study time. Do you need absolute quiet or do you prefer to have loud music playing? Do you like working at the kitchen table in the midst of everything or do you a quiet room with the door shut? Know your own style and create the space you need. Update! Research shows that varying your study space improves memory: 3 Ways to Improve Memory While Studying 6. Do All the Work, Plus More Do your homework. Read the assigned pages, and then some. Plug your topic into the Internet, grab another book at the library, and see what else you can learn about the subject. Turn your work in on time. If extra credit work is offered, do that too. I know this takes time, but itll ensure you really know your stuff. And thats why youre going to school. Right? 7. Make Practice Tests While youre studying, pay attention to the material you know will be on a test and write a quick practice question. Start a new document on your laptop and add questions as you think of them. When youre ready to study for a test, youll have a practice test ready. Brilliant. 8. Form or Join a Study Group A lot of people study better with others. If thats you, form a study group in your class or join one thats already organized. There are lots of benefits to studying in a group. You have to be organized. You cant procrastinate. You have to really understand something to be able to explain it out loud to someone else. Grace Fleming, Abouts Guide to Homework and Study Tips, has a great article on Study Groups. 9. Use One Planner I dont know about you, but if I had a separate calendar for work, school and life, Id be a complete mess. When everything in your life is on one calendar, in one planner, you cant double-book anything. You know, like an important test and a dinner with your boss. The test trumps, by the way. Get a great calendar or planner with enough room for several daily entries. Keep it with you at all times. 10. Meditate One of the best things you can do to improve your entire life, not just school, is meditate. Fifteen minutes a day is all you need to feel calm, centered and confident. If you dont know how, heres an easy way to learn: How to Meditate. Meditate any time, but 15 minutes before you study, 15 minutes before class, 15 minutes before a test, and youll be amazed at how well you can perform as a student.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 05:15:05 +0000
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