9 Tips for College Students from Steve Pavlina
Here are 10 tips to help you create a productive and memorable college
experience… and most of all, to deeply enjoy this time in your life.
1. Answer the question, “Why am I going to college?”
Many college students really don’t have a clear reason for being
there other than the fact that they don’t know what else to do yet.
They inherit goals from family and peers which aren’t truly their own.
That was how I started college. Is this you as well?
2. Imagine your ideal college experience.
Once you know why you’re going to college, imagine your ideal
outcome. Let it flow outward from the reason you’re there. Whether
you’ve already started college or not, stop and simply write down some
attributes of your ideal experience. Describe it in as much detail as
you can.
3. Take at least one extra class each semester.
Students are taught that 12-15 semester units (3-5 classes) is a
“full” schedule. But a schedule that light is hardly full. A person
with a full-time job will put in a good 40+ hours per week, and students
enjoy every possible vacation day plus spring break, winter break, and
summer vacation. If you want to spend four or more years in college,
add more degrees or get a job on the side. Don’t feel you have to go at
a snail’s pace just because everyone else does.
4. Set clear goals for each class.
Decide what you want out of each specific class. Is this a subject
you’re eager to learn? Do you want to target this teacher for a letter
of recommendation? Is this a required class you must take but which
doesn’t otherwise interest you?
5. Triage ruthlessly.
You don’t need to put an equal amount of effort into every class.
Inject extra effort when it’s important to you, but feel free to back
off a little from classes that are a low priority based on your specific
goals. For me this was an important way to conserve energy. I
couldn’t play full out in every class, or I’d burn out, so I invested my
energy where it mattered most.
6. Get an early start to each day.
I’ve written previously about the benefits of becoming an early riser.
I wasn’t getting up at 5am when I was in college, but I’d usually get
up around 6-7am. I found that getting an early start each day helped me
get a lot more done, not just in the morning but throughout the day. I
began each day with a 25-minute run followed by a shower and
breakfast. This simple morning routine got me out the door feeling
alert and energized.
7. Reclaim wasted time during your classes.
Let’s face it. Not every class is going to require your utmost
concentration. Sometimes teachers babble. Sometimes they reiterate
what you already know. What percentage of class time requires your
complete, focused attention? For some classes it’s 90%. For others
it’s 20%. If you aren’t actively learning during class, you’re wasting
time. If a class is really challenging, sit in the front and soak up
every word. But if a class isn’t challenging you, then sit in the back,
do homework for other classes, and pop your head up every once in a
while to see if there’s anything worth jotting down. Always have a book
open, so when your hippie professor goes off on yet another nostalgia
trip about the 60s, you’ll have something productive to do.
8. Learn material the very first time it’s presented.
One of the biggest time wasters in school is having to
relearn something you didn’t learn properly the first time. When
students say they’re studying, most of the time they’re making up for a
previous failure to learn the material.
9. Master advanced memory techniques.
One of the keys to learning material the first time it’s taught is
to train yourself in advanced memory techniques. I used them
often in classes that required rote memorization of certain facts,
including names, dates, and mathematical formulas. If a teacher wrote
something on the board that had to be memorized verbatim for an upcoming
exam, I’d memorize it then and there. Then I wouldn’t have to go back
and study it later.
GooD LUck.......^^
