Whether you are fresh out of high school, returning to college after experiencing life or just starting college after seeing that not having a degree hinders finding a rewarding career, there are things you need to know about how to be successful. The first of which is that you are responsible for your own education. No one can do it but you, not your family, not your friends, and not your teachers. Regardless the circumstances of life, only you can ensure you learn what you need from each course. There are, though, several fundamental principles one can learn that will be helpful after deciding to choose to learn.
Over the last decade, I have had the opportunity to observe nearly 1400 students, mostly in groups of 20 or less, in the learning process. For most of that decade, I have also helped train teachers to be more effective in the classroom. I have also invested several years researching brain function and the role thinking about one's thinking plays in one's education. My learning, researching and observing continue, but several principles have emerged as part of the successful student's mindset. The principles apply to teachers as well as students and have been discussed elsewhere [See Teach Like Water in Articlesbase.]
The most successful students operate from an internal set of values or beliefs that shape the learning experience. Whether the student is explicitly aware of the values or beliefs is not as important as that the values are present in the student's thinking. It is, ultimately how the student thinks that is more important that what the student thinks. There is ample research by individuals such as Deanna Kuhn and Marlene Schommer-Akins to affirm that the most educated individuals, those who excel academically, are those who are consistently engaged in higher order thinking. Doing so does not mean being able to recall all the facts, but being able to think properly about the facts when presented. The expert may not know all there is to know, but will know where to find the answers.
The principles below are, necessarily, just generalities. To be helpful, each principle will need to be considered as to how well the student is able to apply that principle. It should also be noted that none of the principles comes from direct observation alone. Each principle has been verified through the research of many qualified researchers. A list of the references for the assertions made here can be found at www.teachlikewater.info
Attitude is nearly everything
What you think about education in general, your education specifically, and your abilty to learn makes all the difference. It is well documented that unless the student has the will to learn, there is little any teacher can do. A student may have all the ability in the world, but unless the will is there, no learning will take place. Conversely, a student may have serious flaws in his or her ability to learn, but have high determination and a strong will to succeed. That person will learn more than the one who is capable but chooses not to apply him or herself. When you begin your studies know that where there is a will to learn, the skills will come. Where there is no will to learn, no skill will help.
As to your specifc education, you must determine why you are in school and the reason needs to relevant on a personal level. With education, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, but one needs to go through the tunnel before reaching the light. The tunnel represents the hard work, missed parties and events, and chosing to forego fun at times to be sure the learning takes place. If you do not see the relevance, it will be hard to continue. Remind yourself often why you are seeking a degree.
This relevance is not just about the degree one is seeking, but about each course taken. When one is trying to get a degree in English or Business Management, it may be difficult to see why taking a course in Algebra or in the Humanities is relevant. The truth is that some folk decided what should be a part of any accredited baccalaureate program and taking such courses are part of what produces a well-rounded graduate. The key to success, again, is you. If your teacher is unable to instill the sense of relevance for that course, find a way to do so on your own. Think of ways to apply what is learned in the workplace or home and see what happens.
When considering your ability to learn, you need to follow the suggestion to "know thyself." You would do well to find assessments of learning styles and personality types and then seek to understand what you need to learn in an ideal situation. If you are a morning person who needs quiet to read with understanding, the last thing you want to do is meet study partners at 11pm in a coffeehouse. Learn about your nature and then pattern your studying around that nature.
Also, seek honest and open evaluation from your instructors. While it may not be fun getting a paper back loaded with comments or dripping in red ink, it is better for your development than getting a high grade with the sole comment "good paper." Do not be afraid to ask questions. Having an instructor explain why the paper was good is just as important as seeing what was wrong. If your goal is learning, finding out how to do things better is part of the process.
Lastly, concerning attitude you have to be sure not to give anyone control over your life. Getting a poor instructor is always a possibility. How you react to that poor instructor is up to you. One of the saddest events I have witnessed over the years is a student who will quit school because of a low grade or a poor instructor. Doing so just gives that other person control over your life. Do not give that person this control. Only you are responsible for your education, do NOT give that responsibility to any other being.
Learning = Changing Beliefs
In brief, from early childhood, you have experiences that build memories in your brain. Those memories then form connections that become your beliefs. Your beliefs are nothing more than a web of connections between your memories. These beliefs, then act as filters for new experiences. When new or different information is encountered, the information is either rejected as conflicting too much with current beliefs, accepted and added to the web of memories making the belief, or shelved for consideration. The shelved information may conflict with your current beliefs, but not too much so as to be rejected outrightly.
Have you ever watched some event and expressed your opinion on the event only to have someone who was standing right next to you, who watched the same event, express an opposite opinion? It is not because that person is ignorant, or that you are. It is that the two of you have a lifetime of experience and reinforced beliefs leading you to perceive the event in very different ways. The educated person, the person whose goal is learning, will recognize this and seek to understand the other's beliefs and what lead to the different conclusion.
It needs to be noted that these beliefs are not just about religion or politics. The beliefs I am talking about are those pertaining to mathematics, learning in general and even seemingly mundane things like which cuisine or fashions are best. You, as a person, are the sum of your beliefs even about everyday things. When you are learning, you must remember that your teacher and your classmates have all had lives different from yours and that higher order thinkers will seek to understand more than to judge.
It is NOT About You!
One of the most frequent mistakes students make is taking things too personally. While it would be great if all instructors took the time to treat all students individually and give 100% to each one, that is just not the case. Even with the best instructors, grading and teaching are subjective activities. That subjectivity needs to be kept in mind when looking at the grades you are receiving and when you are in the classroom.
Take any instructor and a stack of papers and the grade any paper will receive is impacted by the mood the instructor is in and the position of the paper in the stack. The grade may be different if the instructor just finished a great day than if he or she just had an argument with a significant other. The same paper may receive a different grade depending on whether it is the first graded, the tenth, or the thirtieth. If you do not agree with your grade, see if the instructor will re-grade the paper or explain it to you. With exams, there is often more than one way to answer a question and you should be able to discuss that with your instructor. If you find the instructor unwilling to work with you or reconsider the work you have done, you should just write that person off as a poor instructor and make the best of it.
In the classroom, keep in mind that the instructor is usually a content expert, which means he or she knows much more about the topic than you do. It is difficult for many experts to remember what it was like not to know all that information. Do not be afraid to ask for clarification or to seek help from classmates in understanding what transpires in the classroom. Also, keep in mind that you are just one of many in the same room. I have seen too many situations where a student will feel personally attacked when the instructor, in reality, had a hard time remembering the student's name. Moreover, there could be times when an instructor will level verbal jabs at a student. In such cases, see if you can determine the intention behind the comments. If they are malicious, that instructor should be reported. If not malicious, which will most often be the case, the student should try to understand the point the instructor was trying to make.
The key is that in any classroom or grading situation you should not take the events personally. There are malicious instructors out there and some folk who should never be allowed in a classroom. They are a minority, however, and most instructors teach because they want to enrich the lives of students. There are, unfortunately, many who do not learn the science and art of teaching and are just doing the best they can do with what they know. Remember that teachers are humans and just as different from each other as individuals in any other group. You are responsible to learn and to get out of the classroom situation the knowledge you are looking for. Do not rely on the instructor. If you get a good one, great! If you get a poor one, do the best you can and move on. Again, you are responsible for gaining the knowledge regardless who claims to be teaching you. Try to make each class about learning, not about you.
Well, Maybe Just a Little
You will, if you take enough courses, find instructors who feel that proper writing is writing as the instructor would write and those who seem to think you should be able to read their minds when you take those multiple-guess tests they create. You may also encounter teachers who will hold a grudge because you remind them a bit too much of a wayward child, an ex spouse, or of someone else who has irritated them. If you have lived enough years, you should know that some personalities just clash.
I have, though, encountered very few instructors who are not sparked by a student who expresses the desire to learn. Aside from not taking the negatives personally, there are ways to be more proactive in the classroom. Specifically, you can get involved at the beginning of any course and seek to understand expectations and the personality of the instructor.
Ask the instructor what pet peeves might exist about writing. Sometimes learning that the person grading your writing dislikes the word "very" can positively impact your grade if you cease using it in papers. Finding out if the person grading your tests looks for facts and figures or for context will impact the way you should study and the grades you will receive. Make the effort to read the syllabus and understand what the instructor or grader is looking for in the assessments of learning and then work to meet those expectations. Different instructors will have different beliefs about assessments and seeking to understand that will positively impact your grades and your learning if you make the efforts to comply with those beliefs.
This is true about personalities as well. Understanding that personality could mean the difference between seeing a comment as a well intentioned joke or as a sarcastic attack against a student. It is not, though, always easy to uncover the personality of the instructor. What you will need to look for are attitudes expressed in the expectations. Then, as the course progresses, make adjustments with new insights. Be aware of a personality clash and if you see one, work to offset the negatives by meeting the expectations the best you can. As in the comments about attiude, learning about yourself is critical and understanding how to study and meet those expectations will mean the difference between success or failure. No matter what your instructor is like, whether you learn or not is still up to you.
Quality over Quantity
I have this principle here more for teachers than for students. However, in my years I have often asked students, "Would you rather get a C in a course from which you learned much or an A in a course from which you learned little?" The response is nearly always the same, the C with learning is better. While some students are obsessed with GPAs there are a few things you should know.
One is that institutions do not put your GPA on the diploma you frame and place on your wall. It shows that you graduated and that is it. The GPA does show on the transcript, but few employers will ask to see that document. In my professional life I read many resumes to look for new teachers and I work with many Human Resources personnel. The second point is that these HR professionals all say they shun folk with perfect 4.0 GPAs. Their reasoning is simple, folk who graduate with a 4.0 are usually unable to take constructive criticism or are considered high-maintenance. Whether these assumptions are true or not remain to be seen. However, if you are looking for a job and like to flaunt a high GPA on your resume, you might want to consider these assumptions. A question I like to ask starting students is "What do you call a PhD who made nothing but B's?" The answer is "Doctor."
Think about your thinking
Have you ever had a conversation in your head in which you asked yourself what you were thinking when you did some action or made some statement? Have you ever paused to think out in your head what steps you will make to accomplish some action? Then you have engaged in metacognitive thinking. Metacognition is just a big word for thinking about one's thinking and there is much research to demonstrate that folk who do it more and better will just do better academically, regardless the subject.
There are actually two kinds of metacognition, thinking about what to do and when to do it, and thinking about how successful the thinker actually is in any activity. In brief, the best way to employ metacognitive thinking is to learn about different strategies, learn when to use them, and learn to evaluate if the strategy worked. What that means is just as simple as the statement, but can be as complicated as one can imagine.
Think about it like this, no matter what the mountain, there is usually more than one way up that mountain. Competent instructors know this fact and will show you different strategies to use for any particular subject or assignment. You cannot always count on having a competent instructor. Below are two examples, but how you apply metacognitive thinking will depend on the course and the assignment.
When writing a paper, think about how you should put the paper together to meet the demands of the assignment. Write the steps down. When you get the paper back, see if the grade matches what you thought you would make. Take that and combine it with considerations about stress levels when writing and how much time it took. Chances are you could stand to learn new tips and tricks on writing. Read on writing strategies and see if you make improvements. Even the best writers can learn new tricks.
When taking a test, take mental notes about how you studied for that particular test. As soon as you are done, write down the grade you believe you have made on something you can keep. When you get the test back, see if your actual grade matched your expected grade. Whether it did or did not, think about if you are happy with the grade, how successful the method of studying was, and if there are things you can do to improve the efficiency in which you prepare for exams.
The best thing you can do to improve your metacognitive maturity is to talk to others about how they study and learn, even your instructors. By learning different strategies, you will be better able to find ones that work for you (and not all strategies will work for all students), and apply them as needed to be successful in learning and in the grades you receive.
Conclusion
The principles stated above are general principles, but they are exemplified in the most successful students I have encountered. They are also proven effective in the research that has taken place over the last few decades. Teaching is considered both an art and a science. If all of this could be boiled down to a single principle, it would be that You are responsible for your own education. The second bumper sticker would be It is more important how you think that what you think. If you keep these two thoughts in mind and work to apply the principles above, I believe you will amaze yourself at the level of academic success you can achieve.
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