College Success Dictionary
See your Academic Advisor/Counselor:
This person will help you select the correct courses, review the course requirements in the field you have selected to pursue, and help you with any academic problems you may encounter.
Plan, Plan, Plan:
See a project as small steps. Determine the first step. Remember that a GPS only gives you 1 turn at a time. Don't know where to start. Ask for help. We are here for you.
Use time:
Schedule a time to start and start! If you wait to feel like you want to start a task, you may never get around to starting, or finishing. Think about it. When do you actually ever want to study or do something really hard? So, use the time and start.
Take Aim: Reflect on your day. Make notes on things that you still need to do. Now, you will be able to start where you left off the day before on an assignment, project, and/or task.
Motivation:
What excites you about learning? What intrigues you on a daily basis? When do you feel you gain, grow, and achieve the most? Learn your motivation and you will find the key to your success.
Have fun:
All work and no play are boring and exhausting. It's not smart to binge study. Your brain needs a break to process and retain some of the information. Plan for breaks between task. Example: Study for 30-minutes and take a 10-minute break. It's okay to take breaks. Just get right back on task after your break -- to be productive.
Say 'NO':
Resisting temptation is HARD. Each time we are introduced to something exciting, we want to embrace the entertainment. Create a space where it's easy to make good decisions and say 'no.'
Patterns:
What is the rationale you are using not to start your work or get something done? That is procrastination. Call it out when you hear the justification. Ask someone else to check up on you. Set goals and an action plan to grow a positive pattern.
Start:
Study shows that 10 to 15-minutes is all your brain has to capture new information. So, starting to introduce new information is the hard part. After you got the basic, you can increase your focus to 30-minutes. Before you know it, you will be studying for hours on end.
Find A partner:
Who is successfully working towards the same goal? This person will motivate you. The more you share your goals, the more likely you are to make each goal happen. Surround yourself with positive, realistic, and energetic people who want to see you reach your goal.
Create A Support System:
What and who will encourage you to reach your goals? Find mentors who can hold you accountable for different goals. Encourage them and yourself to ask how your goal is progressing. Together, create an action plan to get you on track if you start to move away from reaching your goals or completing your task.
Compete with yourself:
Reflect on ways to improve on what you have done in the past. Challenge yourself to do better each time. Every time you meet your goal (big or small) you are "winning."
Measure Your progress:
Track the things you have accomplished and still need to work-on. Charts and list help you keep focus and allow you to celebrate the journey to your goals.