Top 10 Tips for College Students

I have been a college student for about five years now and I have seen a lot.  At the beginning of my college career, I got off onto the wrong foot.  I didn’t have anyone to give me any advice and I ended up underachieving.  When I shifted to being an online student, I became more observant and decided to change my luck.  Thus, my top 10 tips for college students (both face-to-face and online):

10.  Use periodical search engines.  You might think that periodicals (magazines, journals, etc.) are a joke but a lot of great information can be found through a periodical search engine.  Many colleges and universities have subscriptions to periodical search engines, such as LexisNexis, but they don’t publicize that they are available for use.  If you want to find out if your school has a subscription, swing by the library or book store and inquire.  It will help a lot with research.

9.  Google really is a treasure trove.  Everyone seems to always underestimate the power of Google.  The Google search is honed to give useful information to the searcher so it’s no surprise that (most of the time) it’s dead on.  Need help studying for your final?  Use Google to get studying tips and even answers to the questions on your review.  The possibilities are limitless.

8.  Pace your learning.  No seriously.  Learning is tough on the brain, especially after an exciting and energetic summer break.  Don’t get too anxious over school and try to get more done than what is expected at any given time.  You’ll burn out.  Fast.  Take it easy and make sure you have more effort put towards the quality of your work rather than the quantity of your work.

7.  Don’t fall behind.  You don’t want to sleep through class.  Skipping class or taking vacation during school can really hurt your academic progress and flow.  I’m not telling you to stay home on on the best weekend of the spring but make sure that you’re going to be able to get back into the swing of things when the sand is out of your hair.

6.  Make it portable.  Mobile devices and MP3 players are all the rage these days, so why not use those hip tools to get your schoolwork done?  There are tons of programs out there that will take a document and translate it into audio.  If you have a newer Mac, this feature is built right in to OS X.  Also, you can download programs that will take PDF files and DOC/DOCX files and convert them so they can be read from an iTouch or iPhone.

5.  Google Books can save you money.  It’s the first day of class and you haven’t bought your books yet.  Don’t – check online first for free digital copies.  I made this mistake last semester and found out that I could have saved a bunch of money on my car insurance books.  If you don’t need the book for class, this can be a lifesaver.

4.  Get to know your teacher.  Sure, no one wants to be perceived as the class brown-noser but it might be a good idea to at least introduce yourself to the teacher.  This can prove helpful at the end of the semester when your grade is resting at an 88 or 89 percent.  Should you get an A?  Your chances are better if you were personable and diligent throughout the semester.

3.  Network like it’s your job.  Networking with other students can help you make friends, land sweet jobs, meet significant others, and hold you accountable.  Yes, that’s right.  If you network with the other people in your class, chances are you’re going to talk about school work.  There is always that one day when you don’t feel like doing the assigned questions.  Your friends could sway you do them and it might pay off on the final exam.

2.  Scheduling is your best friend.  This point is especially true in an online environment.  Schedule the time you will set aside for your school work and stick to it.  Once you break your schedule, it’s all down hill from there.  You may not be a scheduling type of person but at least give it a try.

1.  Make learning fun.  This, of course, is the most important tip.  You can make learning whatever you want it to be.  It can be boring, engaging, stressful, or a timeless journey.  Figure out ways to make learning your own.  Get together with classmates at the local coffee shop for Flash Card Blitz every Thursday night.  Learning is what you make of it.  Don’t let it waste you away.

What are your tips for the college student?  Have any great college success stories?  Share them in the comments below!