Tips for Freshman Academic Success
How to Succeed in Your First Year at College or University
Aug 16, 2007
Starting College
If you are about to start your freshman year at college, you may be nervous about how well you will do. That is normal.
The good news is, if you were accepted into a college, you have the ability to succeed. The job of college admissions officers is to only accept students who can do well. If you were accepted you have the ability to do the work.
You must however do the work. The fact that you are smart enough to succeed does not mean that you can succeed without doing the work. College is your job. Do your job, and you will succeed. Most students who fail in college do so because despite having the ability they lack the motivation to do the work.
Below are some tips for academic success in college from an old professor who has seen many college students do great - and many do not so great.
Tips For Academic Success in College
Take responsibility for yourself. You may be on your own for the first time. No one will wake you up in the morning, remind you to go to class, make you start that assignment early enough, or bail you out when you screw up. It is your responsibility to do what you need to do.
Motivate yourself to do well. Without the motivation, you won't do the work, and you will fail. The motivation to do well has to come from you. If you are truly not motivated, consider postponing college and working at whatever job you can get. Then start college when you are motivated to do well.
Get counseling, if you need to resolve personal problems that are keeping you from doing your best, . Most colleges have a counseling center.
Go to every class. If you were up too late last night studying or socializing, you will be tempted to turn off the alarm and skip that early class. Drag your tired body out of bed, get dressed, and get to class. If you attend regularly, professors will be more understanding if you really are sick or really need to miss class.
Do the work. Do all assignments to the best of your ability and turn them in on time. Read the syllabus to find what your professor expects, then meet the expectations. Plan on working at least two hours outside of class for every hour in class. Doing well at anything in life requires hard work.
Do the work efficiently. Find a study technique that works and use it. What worked and allowed you to get by in high school might not work in college.
Solve your own problems. You will have problems; that's part of life. Don't call Mom or Dad to fix everything for you. Get help when you need it, but part of becoming an adult is learning to do things for yourself. (If you are a parent reading this, stop being a helicopter parent. Give your son or daughter the gift of adulthood.)
Find a balance. Work hard, but have fun too. Make friends. Find time to play. Just don't play so much you neglect your work.
Exercise regularly. Your brain is part of your body, so you can not have a good brain in an unhealthy body. Be physically fit. Avoid gaining the freshman fifteen. If you have a regular exercise program, keep it up. If not, start walking, running, or some other aerobic exercise.
Enjoy college. Work hard and you will earn your college degree. With a good college education, you will do well in your life after college.
