The most important thing that you need to keep in mind when going to college is the fact
that YOU ARE NOT IN HIGH SCHOOL ANYMORE. Hours needed for studying
will be longer, assignments will be more difficult and time consuming, and professors
will expect a greater level of professionalism in reports and presentations.
That shouldn’t be surprising to you, but what is surprising is how many students I have
seen that haven’t realized college and high school are truly different until their sophomore
year. This may be due to the fact that some students are able to be successful in some
of the “101” level courses with the same study habits as in high school: stay up late the
night before the test and cram, wake up early, skip breakfast, cram some more, take the
test, get an A, forget everything. In college, this strategy will only work for so long. If your
goal of success is not only to get the grade but actually learn the material, those same habits
aren’t going to fly.
So, what can you do to help you get out of those high school habits? Well, I’ve come up
with a mnemonic device to help remember four habits that lead to academic success
using the word ROAD which stands for:
Read the Material Ahead of Time;
Organize Your Time and Thoughts;
Apply What You Learn Whenever Possible;
Develop and Discuss Your Ideas with Your Colleagues.
Read the Material Ahead of Time
Instead of cramming at the last minute, keep up with readings as listed on the syllabus,
which is usually given at the beginning of the semester. If there’s no syllabus, the
professor will tell you at the end of class what material to have read before the next
class. By reading ahead of time you have something intelligent to say if the material
is discussed in class. Also, the material in the discussion or lecture won’t sound like
news to you, but instead will reinforce your understanding of the material you read.
Or, if there was a part of the reading you don’t understand, you’ll have the opportunity
to ask a question to specifically address your problem. On that note, joining in
discussion in or out of class does not make you a nerd, brown-nose, suck-up, etc.,
but I’ll touch on that later. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll remember when
you sit down for a test just by having read the material before class discussions
or professor lectures.
Organize Your Time and Thoughts
You probably hear a lot of people telling you to manage your time wisely, but what
exactly does that mean? Well, first let me say this, I am not really an organized person,
by any definition of the word. Keeping my time and thoughts organized takes some work
for me and it may for you as well. For me, keeping my time and thoughts organized
means writing down and keeping track of assignments in a calendar as I get them. I also
try to keep a nice balance of things I enjoy doing and things I have to do; in other words,
balancing work and play. That doesn’t just mean separate times for work and play but
also separate places. Separate places allow for different mindsets and better focus on
your work. You should also remember to do things besides school work to keep your
mind from “frying” and to experience new ideas and activities that will also make a part
of who you are. In the words of Mark Twain, “Never let your schooling interfere with
your education.”
This is very important, though; don’t do your homework, read class materials, or write
papers in the same place where you sleep, play video games, watch movies, etc.
Colleges have computer labs and libraries for a reason. You may be comfortable in your
dorm room but being in the same atmosphere where you are used to having your fun
could distract you from getting the most out of the time you spend doing school work.
Just as you wouldn’t go to the library to play XBOX, don’t sit in your room to study for
an exam. For the most part your thoughts will get distracted and you will waste the time
you’ve set aside for school work.
Apply What You Learn Whenever Possible
I remember the second semester of my junior year when I was taking a class on consumer
behavior. There were countless times that I would be out doing my normal shopping and
couldn’t help but notice other shoppers and stop and observe the way they behaved with
certain advertisements or the ways in which they chose the products they buy. There were
even times I would tell friends the reason they chose a particular product over another was
due to their nostalgic attachment to the brand name. Then as they stared at me with a
who-are-you-and-what-did-you-do-with-my-friend? look on their face, I’d stop, think
about it, and say to myself, “Whoa, that was scary. I’m really learning this stuff.” Applying
what you learn in class to everyday life helps to reinforce the concepts and put it into terms
which are easier to understand and recognize.
Develop and Discuss Your Ideas with Your Colleagues
I said I would touch on class discussion again and here it is: do it whenever you can! Just
remember this, for most people high school was free; in college it’s the opposite. Getting
your money’s worth out of class and being good at the primary reason to come to college,
to learn, does not make you a brown-nose, suck up, etc.
During my freshman and sophomore years, I was the type of person who understood the
readings but never wanted to speak up in class because, as Hollywood tells us, smart does
not usually equal cool. THAT I regret because I simply did not learn the material as well as
I could which meant I had to relearn material at the start of each semester.
If you read the material and come into class prepared to thoroughly discuss the content, you
not only better learn the topic but also leave a lasting impression on the professor, which in
some cases could make the difference between a C+ and a B- or B+ and an A-. Oh, and
remember that unspoken rule in high school about class discussions? Come to class, contribute
one comment to the discussion and then zone out for the rest of class. That doesn’t work in college.
And discussion with your colleagues doesn’t just mean in-class discussion nor does it mean
discussion with only students. You will likely find, especially in your junior and senior years,
that you will develop a relationship with professors, sometimes on a first-name basis. I am lucky
being at a school like Stetson with such small class sizes that I am able to get to know my professors
and frequently interact with them. However, even at big schools, where classes can sometimes
have 500 or more students, you can still be able talk to someone more knowledgeable on the
topic than you, whether it is the professor or their assistant, just by setting up an appointment.
As long as you act professionally, professors usually will treat you as a colleague.
Take the fullest advantage of this relationship. If you don’t have anywhere to go right after
class and you have questions, stick around after class and talk to the professor about it.
Again, not only will it give you a better understanding of the material but will also make a
positive impression on the professor and help to create a good reputation that will be carried
over into other classes.
Final Thoughts
Now, maybe this seems like a lot of information, or maybe it just seems like common sense.
Either way, we all tend to forget it from time to time, so, just remember ROAD.
These four topics certainly aren’t all you need to be the best that you can during
your college experience, but if you’re just starting off, they are a good way to get you
started on the road to success.
Finally, what typically what keeps me motivated is having something else that I love to
do to distract myself at times. For me that thing is making music. Probably the most
effective thing for me when I'm having a really rough and busy week is setting a fun
and important event at the end of the week. I guess it’s like creating my own light at
the end of the dark tunnel of work.
Also, I try to reflect on the good things I have already and how I can only make that
better and try to downplay in my mind the importance of the grade. Then of course
there is the always helpful to do list which just feels so good when you check thing
off as finished.
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