5. Achieving Academic Success
5. Achieving Academic
Success
Academic success is an important part of undergraduate life. Wasting
time by simply floating from class to class isn’t going to help you pass let
alone be successful academically. Many students think gaining admission into
the university is the end of the journey. Actually the journey just started.
Nothing good happens just because you want it to. You have a part to play in
your academic success.
Friends, welcome to Intervention, an outreach of
VISION BUILDERS designed to help Undergraduates contact divine intervention for
academic victories. Intervention brings you inspirational messages and Study
Tips to enable you be your best academically! Through this message, we believe
that God is set to bless you by removing every barrier against your academic
success and fulfillment.
I believe you will find today’s topic, Achieving
Academic Success, quite interesting.
I am sure that your joy and gladness knew no bounds the day you received
the good news of your admission into the university or polytechnic. You looked
forward to registration and starting lectures with great excitement. But the
question today is, have you made any plans for academic success? How equipped
are you to scale the challenges of campus life to ensure you graduate with the
best possible honours degree? It is my belief that every undergraduate who gains
admission to study in any higher institution has one goal – academic success.
You want to make a mark. This determination is a vital prerequisite for
achieving academic success. And so, to further help your determination to
succeed academically, I would like to share a few tips with you. These simple
time-tested tips that will equip you for the journey to academic success.
1 – Pay attention in
class. Most of the questions you will face in your tests and exams will
be covered during lectures or tutorials. Take notes. Listen to what is being
said and discussed in class. Pay attention to both questions and answers. Avoid
daydreaming during lectures. Instead of drifting off, write down any questions
you might have that will help you clarify the bits and pieces that you don’t
understand. What you receive in class will form the basis of whatever personal
study and research you do later, so never belittle class time.
2 – Talk to your
professors or teachers about your assignments and grades. Feedback can
help you improve your grades and become a better student. It’s much easier to
attain academic success if you know your strengths and weaknesses. Go over your
assignments and exams and pay attention to any of the remarks and comments that
have been made. If you’re not sure, ask. The professors and teachers are there
to help you become more knowledgeable and reach academic success so don’t feel
shy about throwing lots of questions their way. Actually it shows them that you
are really interested in understanding the course. This will make the lecturer
consciously or unconsciously give attention to you to ensure you understand the
course.
3 – Go over your notes
after every class. After class the material is still very fresh in your memory and so
can be more easily assimilated. Also, going over your notes immediately after
class provides you one familiarization session with that material before your
proper study time. Sustain this habit, and you will find things easier by the
time your exams roll around. You’ll have more information stored in your head
and won’t have to cram as much the few nights before. The notes you do make
during the semester will also help you study for the exams because you won’t be
searching for vital information first. It’ll all be there neatly stored away in
your notes or folders.
In addition to taking detailed notes in class, always recopy your notes;
that is, copy them completely over again, as soon after class as possible.
It's one of the most important strategies to help you fully comprehend
the information provided in each class lecture, fix the information firmly in
your memory, and discover the concepts you don't fully understand.
4 – Get things done
early. Stop leaving your essays for the last minute where you have to
spend day and night researching, writing and editing. Spread the work out over
a few weeks so that you can get it done at an easy pace and will be less likely
to miss things. This way you also avoid stress to your mental and physical
health. As much as possible, give yourself time to edit and revise what you
have written before you submit assignments or exam scripts. Academic success
won’t be achieved when you’re rushing to get through everything and making
silly mistakes.
5 – Academic success
comes when you are doing something that you enjoy. Think
positively about your studies and all the good things that finishing at the top
will bring you. A positive attitude can have a huge impact on how successful
you are in your undergraduate program. Yes, you still have to study hard and
get your assignments in on time but thinking positively will make the process
so much easier.
6 – Use course handouts
provided by your instructors. Sometimes lecturers
provide handouts or additional materials that are helpful with understanding
the course. I want to advise you to take advantage of such whenever they are
available. Such handouts reveal your lecturers passionate thoughts on the
subject and will give you great advantage in exams.
Course handout materials, including lecture outlines, objectives and
practice exams, are designed to help you organize and learn the material being
presented in class. Make use of them as much as possible.
Endeavour to spend 10 to 15 minutes before class to go through
recommended materials. This will familiarize you with the basic concepts and
terminology for that lecture and prepare you to get the most from the
class.
7 – Stay focused on the
most important things. Certain things are
just so important that you cannot afford to lose focus on them. I believe that
your list of most important things to focus should include:
Your life vision
Your academic goals
Your relationship with people
Your relationship with God.
Let’s talk about your relationship
with God. On what level would you place your relationship with God right now?
Is it good, fair or non-existent? Eccl 12:1 states, “Honor and enjoy your
Creator while you're still young, before the years take their toll and your
vigor wanes”. If you already have a good relationship with God, keep it hot and
alive. If your relationship with God scores just fair, then you need to
recommit yourself to walking with Him. There can’t be any sitting on the fence.
You are either hot or cold. Another reason why you may score your relationship
fair could be because you are not even sure you have a relationship with God.
But today, you can be sure.
If you are not sure you have a relationship with God, or if your
relationship with God is non-existent, why not make it official with Him today?
If you want to, then repeat this simple pray as I lead you.
Heavenly Father I
ask you to please come into my life today. I believe that your son Jesus Christ
died for my sins and rose from the dead. Forgive all my sins today and make me
your child. Fill me with your Holy Spirit right now and bring stability into my
academics and life. Thank you for coming. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer
with me then know that you have begun a relationship with God. He has come into
your life and will begin working in your life and academics. Please send me a message
@ buildyourvisions@gmail.com or an SMS to +234 817 2239 319 to tell me that you just started a
relationship with God. Remember to include your mobile number and email
address. I would like to keep praying for you.
I pray for God’s intervention for you in any area of your academics and
life that you may need it. The bible states in Matt 7:7-9, “Ask, and it will be
given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to
you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to
him who knocks it will be opened.”
Regardless of whatever the problem may be today, all you have to do is
ask. There is a divine guarantee that you will receive because everyone who asks receives. So what do you
want to receive today? It’s time to ask.
Continue to expect the best
from yourself and continue to maintain a great attitude regardless whatever
happens.
I’ll be glad to hear from
you. Kindly send your testimonies, questions and prayer requests as responses
on this blog. If you’d like your friends, class mates and room-mates to be
helped by Intervention messages and
Study Tips, kindly share this message with them.
Thank you for joining me. I
remain your host Tope Banjo and this is Intervention.
God bless you mightily!
You will succeed. You will make it!
Contact:
Tel: +234 817 2239 319, Lagos-Nigeria.
…………….
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