Golden Tips for Students to Academic Academic Success

Amidst competitive environment in the job market in India and abroad, study in a reputed University has become more important for the students in India.  Securing admission in any reputed University in India or abroad has been the primary concern for any student who aims to reach higher echelons in his/her career graph, after completing their studies.

 Subject to fulfilment of Visa requirements, global opportunities are upfront to the job seekers, including freshers from the Universities.  At the same time, opportunities are galore to the students who are looking for higher studies in various countries in the world to achieve the goal of securing a reasonably good job anywhere in the world to settle down in one’s life. 

It can be emphasized that every student who joins graduation in any discipline shall not make his inroads to the successful career after his study unless the student is sincere in his efforts to achieve his goal.  The whole gamut of activities of a student depends solely on the individual who has to strive to achieve his/her set goal. 

This article deals with on how the students expect to deal with their psyche to face challenges before them to achieve academic success.

         GOAL SETTING :

The biggest challenge before a student is setting up of GOAL which will be the first step in turning the “Invisible” into the “visible”.  So, the following are to be kept in mind before and after setting a goal.

• It should be an ambitious SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely) goal and it should be in conformity to your current situation in which you are placed, viz., financial, physical and emotional.

• Never set too many goals, which would only distract you from achieving any of them. One goal would enable your brain to work effectively with optimum focus.

• You need to identify yourself, in which subject you have more interest and which course of study will be your target. Do not succumb to pressures from your parents in choosing the subject or course, if you are not interested, which might eventually land you up in failure and you will never reach your goal. It is always advisable to convince your parents while selecting the subject/course of study in which you are interested, after all they are responsible to bear all your expenditure for your study.

• Change is inevitable during the process of pursuing your goal, due to various psychological, physical and extraneous forces that might work against your efforts. So, one should be mentally prepared to overcome such setbacks or challenges ahead.  Never consider your mistakes as failures.  Seek timely advice unhesitatingly from your parents and teachers/professors if you feel it necessary. Get up if you fall and alter your goal when you find that the same is not attainable for any reasons beyond your control. This will enable you to continue to work towards your main goal, with minor changes.

• Never push your goals until “Someday”, which will eventually never turn up in your favour.

• Never forget to anticipate any pitfalls ahead of you while setting up your goal. First you need to address them, clear them, and then decide your goal for a realistic achievement.

  Set a timeline or Plan of action:

• A goal, without a “Timeline” or “Plan”, turns into a dream and never becomes realistic in your life.
• Draw a time table and adhere to the same as far as possible.
• Your time table should have a suitable provision for at least 8 hours of sleep, an hour for outdoor games/Yoga/Meditation/Gym/Physical exercises like walking jogging etc. This will keep you fit and and maintain good health always.

• You need to alter your time table before examinations to make provision for more study hours and revision of syllabus/portion of study.
• Make a part of your timelines – a list of “Things to do” and accomplish the tasks listed out each day.
• Make sure that you review your action plans/timelines every week, so that you can make suitable changes in your timelines to keep pace with the progress of your studies to ensure timely completion of the syllabus.
• You need to devote appropriate time to update yourself on the current events/topics, General Knowledge and communicating skills.
• Never miss any class/classes (on line/physical).
• Remember the famous saying “Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have the same number of hours per day that were given to our great Leaders and Scientists who achieved success in their lives and career.

  Avoid interruptions from your main studies:

• With the advent of technology, there are many electronic gadgets (blue screen) easily available, usage of which will unfortunately disrupt your main goal. You need to ensure that you use them for your studies and not for any other purpose which would only while away your time, without any productive achievement.    
• Friends are another area of causing disruption to your studies. Make sure that you spend time with your friends for academic studies or for clearing doubts etc.  Never waste your time roaming with friends.

  Learn Time Management Skills:

• List down the tasks, which could be daily, weekly, or monthly.
• Break them into small tasks.
• Prioritize these tasks and prepare a schedule for accomplishment.
• Ensure that you accomplish these tasks as per timelines.
• Revise your tasks at the end of each day, week and month and any pending tasks to complete in the next available slot.
• Allot adequate time for revision of your course before examinations.
• Learn the habit of “early to bed and early rise” which will enable you to devote sufficient time to carry out your daily chores and accomplishing the tasks.

          Learn Self-Motivating skills:

• Self-motivation is an important tool to take initiative and to “think out of the box” to get novel ideas enabling you to explore in divergent ways to find a solution to any problem or challenge before you.
• You should know your strengths and weaknesses. Tap your strengths and try to eliminate your weaknesses. 
• Never compare yourself with your friends or co-students. Remember that you are unique, and others do not have similar personality traits you possess.
• Once you start accomplishing your daily/weekly/monthly tasks, you would automatically get motivated to move ahead with renewed zeal and enthusiasm.
• Remember the proverb “Failures are stepping stones for success”. Never get dejected when you fail to achieve your timelines or action plan. Carry out a critical review, identify where you failed.  Take corrective action immediately and implement forthwith your new plan of action or new timelines.
• You are being watched by your friends, co-students, and your relations. Simply ignore adverse comments by them, if any which will only distract your attention.
• Seek timely help or guidance from your parents and Faculties so that you will not have any vacuum in your emotional attachment to your goal.
• Whenever you find time, read success stories of great personalities to get motivated.
• Never exhibit over-confidence, as this might de-motivate you later. Always remember that you need to work hard, even though you possess several skills and talents.  It is necessary to understand the difference between “Mental Strength” and “Over-confidence”.

  Conclusion:

• An unknown writer said “Wake up with determination and go to bed with Satisfaction”. This quote is apt to students “to get up with determination to focus on their attention towards their action plan/timeline and accomplish them and go to bed with satisfaction for having achieved.

• If the students choose to enjoy their study life by neglecting their studies and going berserk, they might not get high ranks and consequently fail to get admission in reputed Universities for higher studies and fail to get suitable placements post-study and struggle for settlement for the rest of their lives. On the contrary, if students devote their best time honestly and sincerely during their studies, they will achieve their scholastic success and get opportunities for higher studies in their chosen universities and settle in life and enjoy rest of their lives.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL STUDENTS