Ways To Keep That Back-To-School ‘Fresh Start’ Enthusiasm All Semester
Being on holiday is always the most exciting moment in the life of a student. The next couple of weeks will bring many students back to school. This time is bittersweet for many. There is the foreboding of classes and homework balanced with the enthusiasm of a fresh start. What if you could keep that ‘fresh start’ feeling all semester long?However, here is How technology is shaping the future of education
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Here are the top 10 ways to keep your enthusiasm high after returning from holiday
- Get your books early – One of the most hectic times of each school year is that crazy few days in the school library before the semester starts. Get your books early. If your professors haven’t posted them online, call the bookstore and see if they have a list. If still no luck, give your professor a polite e-mail stating you’d like to get your books early so you can prepare for the class. Ask which books you need to buy. Perhaps, it is also pertinent to go extra miles to get list of courses or topics that will be treated for the semester or term so as to read them before it is actually treated. This process boosts clarity and understanding of the course contents before the teacher comes to class.
- Skim and review before classes start – Review is one of your best weapons against challenging exams. Since you have your books early, spend a few hours skimming and reviewing each one. Familiarize yourself with the table of contents, summaries, bolded text and sidebars. Get the edge beforehand. By doing so, are ready to face your exams with determination and success assured.
- Do not change your diet – Eating more or less can change your concentration, energy level and ability to stay alert. Presuming you are satisfied with your current mental chemistry, avoid changing your diet. Personality Studies show 75% of college freshmen put on 7lbs their first semester – keep lean and mean until you are out of the system. Don’t be obsessed with free foods. In other words, don’t be gluttonous!
- Decide your main goal – Do you want straight A’s, B’s or C’s? Before you can get anywhere you have to know where you are going beforehand. Choose before the semester starts what grades you want and write it down. By putting it in writing, you are making an agreement with yourself – after that, all you need to do is not break that agreement.
- Decide why you want to make A’s in your classes – Why do you want to be a good student? Write up list of reasons and then hang them in a prominent location in your living quarters. When the going gets tough and you don’t feel like studying or going to class, review this list. Add to it if you can. Your reasons are what keep your enthusiasm high.
- Keep your exercise programmes going – Hopefully, since you are reading this book, you have adopted an exercise program. Going to class is no excuse to stop. Stick with it for increased self-esteem, concentration and enthusiasm for learning.
- Sit at the front row – Studies have shown that sitting in the front row is an easiest way to improve your grades. Why? You hear better, you have more interaction with the teacher and there is no possible way to doze if you are in the front row. I know many people choose to sit at the back for reasons best known to them, yet many do not even have a backup or reason, but I encourage you to sit in the front row for better concentration. So choose the front row and win. Ignore the backbenchers.
- Reward yourself after small accomplishments – When you get an assignment or test deadline, right then and there, decide on a reward for completing it successfully. I am not saying you have to get an A. Instead a small reward for simply getting through.
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Some ideas: A new video game, a toy, tee shirt, DVD. Pick something just for you and do not buy it up until you finish your assignment. The fun reward will carry you through to the finish line.
- Make a habit of studying if possible, at the same time every day – Human beings function better at different time zones. When do you study the best? Early morning before any activity? Afternoon while still doing other things or in the evening before bed time? Work on finding that out and then make a pact that you’ll study at that time every day. This works because you’ll be in your zone naturally and you will be developing a habit of high quality study at that time of the day. This actually worked for me because I choose a night class period for myself during my University days. But your own case may be different due to how ugly and unpleasant things are happening on Nigerian campuses today. So, you can make out a study zone in your residence.
- Get enough sleep – Each of us has specific daily sleep requirement. The average sleep requirement for a college student is well over eight hours, and the majority of students should fall within the range of this value plus or minus one hour. If this amount is not obtained, a sleep debt is created. Set a reminder on your cellphone if you need to. Just get some sleep before studying if you look tired. This will certainly master you as you keep to this method on a daily basis.
Furthermore, get hold of past exams to get a feel of what is required and to see how well you can cope with previous question papers. Find sources that ‘speak’ to you. Two books with exactly the same information may be written in differing styles. One may work for you, while the other is misleading. Don’t give up on a subject just because you find a book difficult to read or voluminous at sight. See if another book does speak to you better.
Read the same points in different sources – As I said, the same information can be written down in many places. Cement that knowledge in your head by reading your own notes, several different books on the same subject, companion websites, and so on.
Familiarity with terminologies used in the examination paper is another important issue to consider. Most students failed to understand or misinterpret the terms used by the teacher during the examination. Some of these terms are as follows: Define, List, List and explain, Evaluate, Identify, State, Mention, Explain (in detail), Summarize, Draw and Label, etc. each of these terms means differently. React to each accordingly.
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