What makes a student successful? Commitment to their classes, focusing on their studies and rational decision making are some to name a few. Habits are regularly repeated behaviours – which we don’t always pay attention to or recognise and become automatic. In this article we explore the positive habits and behaviour of successful students and how you can also stay ahead of the game.
Organisation: Creating a plan, dividing up your time, prioritising your schedule and understanding how your time can benefit you ensures your productivity is in place and workload is balanced. This means also keeping your study space organised in a tidy and comfortable environment, increasing your concentration and performance.
Set specific goals: Without goals in mind, you lack focus and clarity on what it is you want to achieve. Set an aim for your overall academic goals and short-term study goals. Think SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-based. By breaking goals down into specific tasks, you will have a direction and specific targets to reach those goals, setting yourself up for success.
Take notes: Making notes in class and when you want helps you concentrate and boosts your memory skills to retain more information.
Review, review, review: Revise after each class on the topics you learned to stay caught up and preserve certain information. This will also help you remember information more correctly.
Believe in yourself: Be realistic and surround yourself with positivity. Visualise yourself as who you want to be and acknowledge your accomplishments. At the end of the day if you don’t believe in yourself, who will?
How do you go upon securing your place when you have received multiple university offers? Perhaps you are interested in multiple universities or maybe they all appeal to you. If you can’t decide between universities, there are various factors you should take into consideration before making your big move. Think about the factors below and then list the pros and cons of each university:
Think about why you applied to these universities in the first place. Was it the course material or modules? The overall university ranking? Go over your offers and read the course descriptions carefully to reflect on how you made your choices.
Consider student satisfaction and job prospects. Universities often record statistics on their courses. How many students were satisfied with the content of the course? What does employability look like upon completion? What have students gone on to work?
What is the social culture like? Try researching social life and activities that take place on and off-campus. You can also visit the student union’s website where you’ll have a better insight into the university’s events, activities, societies and clubs.
Visit the universities. You can arrange to visit the university in person or book for a virtual tour on their website. Whatever your preference, you will be able to explore the campus grounds, study facilities, accommodation halls as well as additional amenities.
How well respected is the course/university? Reputations and league tables are also something you may want to consider as it may increase things like career prospects, opportunities and employability.
Is accommodation one of your priorities? Accommodation varies at each university so have a look at whether they provide on-campus accommodation and if you’re looking for university-owned halls or private halls. Consider additional factors like cost, location, services and facilities.
Talk to other students. It’s no better to ask what a course is like other than from the student who studied it themself! Ask them how their experience has been and what the course is like. You can also draw up a list of questions and you’ll be able to hear from their own honest perspective.
You’ve done it! Your senior years of preparing for exams, surviving all-nighters and the emotional and physical time you have invested into your studies have now finally paid off! But with so many university courses to choose from, how do you decide to go for the right degree?
Choosing the right course is based on many factors. It’s important to consider what you enjoy studying, which subjects you have strengths in and what you would see yourself doing after university. There are a variety of courses to access and a number of subjects have increased in popularity. According to the Complete University Guide, some of the most sought after degrees in 2019 were Nursing, Psychology, Law and Computer Science. Understanding what you can do with your degree subject is also important, so make sure to check out the Prospects page for career routes and options of your subject after graduation. You’ll find that many subjects are available at most universities, so it is worthwhile to look at the university’s and course’s reputation. The UK is home to some of the world’s top universities so researching university and subject rankings, such as through the QS World University Rankings website is also beneficial.
Take other key factors into consideration: like the correlation between the subject and employability, future prospects and if you can see yourself in the field years from now. Taking the time to think about the universities, locations and lifestyle will help narrow you narrow down your list. Are you passionate about the subject? Do you know what career you want? Is this something you see yourself in for the long run? Your motives as well as questions like these are things you should also be taking into account. If you’re struggling to decide what to do, think of the subjects you are good at and enjoy learning – not a subject you don’t enjoy in the hopes that you get a high paying job. You can ask students who have sought the degree you’re interested in to see their own insights and perspectives. Booking a place on an open day can also help shape your judgement as you will be able to have a tour of the institution and chat with lecturers and students. Other options include speaking with admissions or contacting course leaders if you have any enquiries or require more information.
