People are individuals. They are mentally, emotionally, and physically unique. Some students have the ability to remember the facts that they read, quite easily. Others must employ various methods to commit facts to memory. Some can go into a two-hour study mode and complete it ready to take a test, without problems. By the time you enter college, you should have a handle on what your style of learning is. This handle on reality is a building tool for college success.
Basic tools that increase your learning skills.
Note: we are going to list a few very basic tools. Do not let the simplicity of the methods fool you. These are tools that begin small, but with practice, grow for years to come. Learn these methods now, and they will serve you well through life.
These tools, when matured, will go with you to your career choice, and beyond. They will enrich your life.
- Learn to be proactive
This is extremely important. Learn to watch for what is on the horizon, (good or bad.) and prepare to face it.
In college, you know when midterms are coming. If you have kept your organized notes, papers, and assignments and studied them, you know what the answers are to the tests. Allowing these materials to stagnate means you will not be caught off guard.
In your career, this means knowing what deadlines are approaching. It is keeping up with the paperwork that ensures an effortless event. It is seeing problems before they are issues that must be dealt with. Time management is crucial here.
- Establish yourself
In college, you will join study groups, help tutor others. Take advantage of everything the college offers to help you excel in the subject. Seek out internships in your field and related fields.
In your career, you must continue to network. Go to seminars. Meet and socialize with other members of the field within your company. Join online communities. You will continue to gain knowledge while setting the stage for the growth and success of your career.
- Broaden your vision
No matter what your study or career of choice is, there is another group that is directly affected. Learn about the reasons behind your choice and who it directly affects. In college, you can easily tell what is coming after your current chapter, and you begin to review it ahead of schedule. In business, it is a bit different.
Here is a very simple example. ABC Incorporated is a small company that processes orders of small appliance motors. Their hours are from 8am to 4pm. You are the designer of their shipping system. Your system processes order until 3:45 pm. The delivery service picks up the orders at 4 pm. You have designed the system to stop operating at 4 pm and go into inventory mode to process returns, warranty, and stock on hand.
You have taken into account the employees who must pull the orders and the suppliers who must provide the product, and the company who must be ready to do business, as usual, the following morning.
Getting started
College prepares us for life in many ways. The habits that you adopt in college can clear the way for a good future. Take the time to learn the right habits. You will be glad that you did.