How to Be a Good Student

How to Be a Good Student

College is a competitive environment; in order to success in it a student needs certain skills. Those skills can only be learned. A college professor mentioned that there five basic rules that need to be followed in order to become a good student: study, do all the homework and the assigned reading, attend class, and, most importantly, develop self-discipline and time management 1. In the following lines, a detailed analyze of those different steps will be done. So, let's get started. First, we mentioned study. A good student has to do study everyday. Study involves reading the textbooks, understand them, be able to explain it to others and sometimes memorize the most important concepts. As a creature of habit, it is important to have a special place and a special time to study. A good student will try to find a peaceful place and also try to study during those times that he/she works best. While studying, a good student can also use this time to do the homework and assigned reading. They are, most of the time, the application of what is covered in class. Personally, I study every day between the courses hours at the school library. This helps me to go over the last course I had, the next one that I would take and also do my homework.
Then, we also mentioned the necessity to attend class regularly. There are two important reasons for that: it will help in learning the material and also in getting familiar with the instructor. Knowing the instructor is really important especially in preparation for the exam. It will help the student know what to prioritize when studying. The textbooks are usually large. The lecture giving by the teacher usually is a summary of the textbook. When revising for the exam, it will be a lot easier for the student to cover the material.
Finally, we also mentioned the importance of time management and self-discipline. A student will manage very well his/her time by identifying best time for studying, using distributed learning and practice means study in shorter time blocks with shorts breaks between, reducing distractions which can waste time, making room for entertainment and relaxation, making sure there is time to sleep and eat properly and try to combine activities. For example, if a student is spending time in the Laundromat, he/she can bring his psychology book to read. Managing time takes self discipline. The same professor cited before said that "people who seem to have less difficulty with self-discipline probably have simply had more practice at it". So, practice is what it takes to have self-discipline.
In conclusion, it is clear that being a good college student is not an easy task. It required good study habit, class attendance, time management and self-discipline. It is not easy but it worth the hard work. Because, as Jerome R. Breitenbach wrote, "the education you receive in college, and the attitude you develop, will guide you for the rest of your life. Your grades will be especially important in landing your first job, or when applying to graduate school." So, being a good student and having good grade in college is one of the things that will help someone to have a better future. Why not try to do it?