The third week of the semester is about the time when the glamour of being a college student gives way to the reality of being a college student.
The hard work students heard was coming has finally begun.
Stop and take a deep breath because the next move you make may be the most important step you take in your academic career.
College is difficult, and it takes your full attention to complete. It has to be a priority.
The first thing every student should do is get organized.
Get yourself a weekly planner to help keep everything in order. Grocery stores sell a year-long weekly planner for $5.
If you do not want to spend more money on a planner, you can use a calendar app found on most phones or the calendar on your computer.
Keep track of assignments, due dates and test dates.
When you know what is coming up, you can start to create ways to complete everything.
It is hard to imagine moving a mountain, but if you do it one pebble at a time you can manage anything.
Part of being successful in college is also being prepared.
When a professor tells the class to read the textbook so they better understand the lectures, it is not a waste of time.
Most things we hear and see go into our short-term memory and disappear by test time.
By reading the information and engaging in class discussions, you will find that using the information you read helps you to retain the information.
You should also review your notes after every class. The more you see the information, the more likely you are to remember the information.
Never walk into a classroom without a pencil or pen and paper.
If you are not prepared to take good notes each class period, then do not expect to pass the course.
Knowing the information is not only going to help you pass the course, but it will build your confidence among your peers and professors.
Knowledge is power, so get as much as you can. If you want to succeed, you should work hard enough to do so.
Even the most prepared and organized students may struggle in college, so it is very important to stay positive and believe in yourself.
If you quit because you think the class is too hard or the teacher is a jerk, remember you are not just quitting on them, you are quitting on yourself.
The semester is still young, and there is a lot of work to do. Quitting won’t get you anywhere.
Rise up to the challenge that this college offers, and finish what you started.