Good Morning Green Panda Readers. Today in our Ultimate Success Tips for College Students series we are discussing Productivity Tips for College Students. One of the main troubles that college students have is being productive and staying focused while studying in college. If we are attending college in a city away from our home town it is very easy for us to be distracted by new friends, new experiences, and our new environment. It is so easy to go out with our friends and worry about our school work later, I know that I was guilty of this during my first two years of college. But when I grew older (and wiser) I decided that I would rather plan and prioritize my school work instead of partying one night and trying to finish an entire term paper in less than 24 hours with no sleep. Setting priorities and staying focused on my goals in college helped me get good grades and ultimately helped me graduate.
Staying Focused in College
There is a famous saying, I’m sure you have heard it, that advises people “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” This is good advice for many aspects of our daily lives, but it is especially true for students who are studying in college. At the beginning of each college semester we receive a course syllabus which gives us an idea of what the next three months will bring during our college life. I advise college students to make a rough plan each semester to prepare for term papers, exams, and mid terms. Even though we may have a vague idea of our schedule over the college semester, we never actually know what the next day can bring.
I know from personal experience that Procrastination can kill your college career. If we are trying to balance a work schedule with a college school schedule it is easy to become overwhelmed. The key to college success is to stay focused on our priorities. Our priority should always be our school work, I know that the chance to pick up an extra shift at work or go out with our new college friends can be very tempting; but we have to resist. Four or five hours can be a lot of valuable time spent on school work. We have to always keep in mind that we are where we are for school. We wouldn’t have to work if we weren’t studying in college, and we wouldn’t have made those new friends if we weren’t a college student.
Productivity in College
My definition of Productivity is completing all the tasks on my To Do List. One habit that I picked up in college and that I still use today is making a To Do List. Every morning (or the night before) I always make a list of tasks that need to be done each day. A To Do List helps me organize my time and plan my day to make sure that everything gets done. It also acts a reminder of Things To Do so that I don’t forget anything that has to be done. The key to being productive in college is Time Management. With a little bit of organization and a lot of time management we can succeed at anything. There is nothing greater than the feeling of accomplishment when we look at our To Do List and see all of our tasks crossed off because they have been completed.
Don’t Forget to Check Out the previous posts in our Ultimate Success Tips for College Students series.
Should You Work Full Time or Part Time in College?
(photo credit: dianeoz)
Tahnya is 30 years old and lives in Montreal Quebec. She graduated in 2005 from Concordia University, and she currently works for a major International Financial Institution. She recently launched http://www.mediamadam.ca/. You can follow her on Twitter @TahnyaP.