Achieving College Success

Achieving success in college is something every college student is worried about. Success is a choice and in order for someone to get what they want they need to know what they want. As J. Krishanamurti once said, "In oneself lies the whole world, and if you know how to look and learn, then the door is there and the key is in your hand. Nobody on earth can give you either that key or the door to open, except yourself." Now, believe it or not, it often takes someone the same amount of energy to get what is wanted out of school than to get what is not wanted. One way for someone to become a better student is just to grit their teeth and try harder but most students do not want to do that. Since most students would rather party then study, those
students need to know how to schedule their time, take effective notes, and practice memorization techniques in order to be successful.
Even if a student is on the right track they can get run over if they just sit there. Every student can achieve success in college if they just put their mind to it.

In any event, time is a nonrenewable source and the words time management can call forth images of restriction and control. Those words do not have to call forth those images if someone knows how to schedule their time properly. Now, most students think that they do not have enough time for everything they want to do but they do have the time; all it takes is learning a few good ways to manage time. One very effective way for scheduling time is to write it down. When doing so, schedule fixed blocks of time first; for instance, schedule work and school first because these time periods are usually determined in advance. Also, schedule essential daily activities, such as eating, sleeping and showering next but be realistic about how much time is needed for these activities. Additionally, do not
forget to schedule time for errands such as going grocery shopping, paying bills, and doing laundry. These are all little tasks that can easily be overlooked when scheduling time and can easily destroy a tight schedule by making someone feel rushed to get them done. Furthermore, in higher education, it is standard to allow at least two hours of study time for every one hour spent in class; this does not mean to schedule marathon study sessions. When possible, schedule shorter sessions because three three-hour sessions are far more productive then, let's say, one nine-hour study session. In other words, in a nine-hour study session the actual time spent studying may be only about five to six hours, whereas three three-hour sessions will yield much more productive time, spending almost all of the time studying. Finally, a student should schedule time for fun because having fun is important. Take the time to walk aimlessly through the mall, ride a bike, or do other things that are enjoyable. For that reason, sometimes it is good to "waste" time.

Moreover, exhibiting effective note taking is essential in order to be a success in school and to understand the material being taught.
Effective note taking consists of three parts: observing, recording and reviewing. First, observe the event - a statement made by the instructor or what is read in a book; then record the observations - that is the taking notes portion; finally, review what was recorded. Each part of the process is essential and each part depends on the others. Observations determine what is recorded and what is recorded determines what is reviewed. Now, there are several different note taking styles, such as the Cornell system of note taking. With this system a student draws a vertical line, top to bottom, approximately one and a half inches from the left side of the page on each page of notes. The student then writes the notes to the right side of the line and the left side is reserved for key word clues or sample questions. Students usually fill in the left side of the page when they are reviewing. Another note taking style is the outline form; this form illustrates major points and supporting ideas. Also with this form, the student is not only recording the ideas but they are organizing them as well. This form can be an advantage when the material is presented in a disorganized way. Students can make their notes more powerful by experimenting with new ways to observe, read, and
review.

Finally, the art of true memory is the art of attention and one key to someone using their memory more effectively is to have them realize that their mind never loses anything. Once a thought or perception has been stored into someone's memory, it stays there for the rest of their life. "Forgetting" is either the inability to recall information or the failure to store information in the first place. One effective way to store information is to create pictures, draw diagrams, or make cartoons related to the information. According to an old saying, people remember 90% of what they do, 75% of what they see, and 20% of what they hear. Also, associations within and among abstract concepts can be "seen" and recalled much more easily when they are visualized. For example, the periodic symbol for lead is Pb. Now, imagine a pencil box filled with pencils made of lead. The words pencil box start with Pb and it is filled with lead pencils. As a result, whenever someone sees the periodic symbol Pb they with remember the pencil box filled with lead pencils and know that Pb symbolizes lead. Another effective way to memorize given information is to create sentences. For instance, if someone is trying to remember all of the bones of the wrist they could make the sentence "Please Take Less Salt" for the proximal bones of the wrist and the sentence "He Could Tell Terry" for the distal bones of the wrist. The first letter of each word in the sentence stands for the first letter of each bone: Pisiform, Triquetrum, Lunate, and Schapoid bones of the proximal wrist and Hemate, Capitate, Trapezoid, and Trapezium bones of the distal wrist. Without memorization a student would have hard time achieving success in college because they would not remember anything that is being taught.

In summary, everyone has their own ideas about how to achieve success in college. As long as someone can maintain a regular schedule, take effective notes, and memorize the information given then they should have no problem achieving success. The world is packed with opportunities for successful students and if they excel in adventure, exploration, discovery, and creativity they will never lack for possibilities. Paths are open to lead students to worlds beyond their wildest dreams; all they have to do is take advantage of those paths. Every student can achieve success as long as they put their mind to it. As Gandhi has said, "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."