~Plan For Success~

• Foremost in your progress toward success is the contribution you gain from doing the reading. 
  
  
• When you read, anchor key points, either by highlighting them in your text, by making notes, or by doing both.
  
  
• Show up to class prepared.  Examples: Paper and pen for note taking; a calendar on which to note important dates.
  
  
• Attend class during specified class time. Regular tardiness is a sure way to convince yourself that you’re really not all that interested.
  
  
• Plan your use of time, giving a reasonable daily allotment to the course.  Life intrudes, and sometimes adjustments are required for even the best made plans.  But, if you lack a plan for your use of time you will more frequently find yourself out-of-bounds when the inevitable course deadlines for assignments arrive.
  
  
• Keep yourself on schedule or on task for a reasonable amount of study time (e.g.-an hour or so), and then reward your effort with a pleasant break  (e.g.-coffee with a friend, a brief chat on the phone).  Cramming reduces retention (words of experience).
  
  
• Avoid the seductive trap of the I knew it all along phenomenon.  This is especially apt to occur in courses about people, relationships, and life.  Consequently the student gets seduced into the idea they know the material better than they actually do, because in a general way, much of it is familiar.  Push your self to study the specifics.
  
  
• Create, or find a study location that is without serious distraction (not so quiet that it’s unusually scary), and where you are less likely to experience interruptions.  In graduate school I did much of my study in the library because at home I too easily pursued the distractions of a spouse, child, television, music (I love Rock ‘n Roll), and friends.
  
  
• Express yourself. Participate in your classes.  Often we discover what we know, or don’t know, through elaboration and discussion.  So, venture a thought.  Ignorance can be defined as not knowing something, and can be overcome with the pursuit of knowledge and understanding.  Not knowing something and being proud of it, is a pretty good definition of stupid.
  
  
• Hang around with people who are into succeeding.  While temporary solace may be found by laughingly comparing who did the worst on an exam with friends, disappointing course performance seldom finds any beneficial solutions in such interactions.  Ask those who are succeeding to share their secrets with you.
  
  
• Take questions and concerns to your instructor.  More than likely he or she just appears to be an ogre, or an unapproachable grump.  Teachers often get grumpy because nobody is asking the questions they know need to be asked. 
  
  
• Stay positive.  Don’t look for obstacles to success, you’ll find them.  And, when you have not succeeded in entirely fulfilling your expectations or goals, take time to review what has been accomplished, and acknowledge what has been learned.  Then address those areas that you will strengthen with further review. 
  
  
• Make sure your long-term goals have a strategy based in the present. 
  Nearly everyone has heard someone say, “I’m going to graduate from college, get a great job, make a million bucks, and retire by the time I’m thirty-five!”  The Pont du Gard was not built in a day.  It took planning, study, more study, review, and still more planning.  The point is, long-term goals are achieved with the cumulative effect of the daily steps you take toward successful achievement of them.
  
  
• Remember, it's a myth that successful students are born brainy and get good grades without even trying.  Nearly all long-term successful students are people who have learned to study smart.
  
  

I purposively put these suggestions down as they came to mind, from memory.  While I haven’t directly resourced any books for reference to the plan for success I make here, I know that, like you I am an amalgam of the experiences and books I have encountered over the years.


What have you learned that I could add to this list?  Email your suggestions to me.