Five Top Academic Success Strategies

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I’m often asked what strategies, what tactics are most critical for academic success. If you have been following my blog, there will be no surprises here.

So short and sweet this week, here are my top five:

1. Map out your time:

  • Use the tools that work for you: wall calendar and paper or digital agenda.
  • Plan your week. Map your semester. Get deadlines on your wall calendar.
  • Review your calendar and planner daily.

2. Manage your time:

  • Break big items like writing a paper into smaller tasks, such as choose topic, research, make notes, consult with the instructor, draft an outline . . . 
  • Use checklists.
  • Prioritize how you map out your time, taking into account how long tasks will take and when tasks, exams, and deadlines are due.
  • Chunk out your week so that STEM work gets done daily. Thirty minutes of daily work on math exercises are far more effective than six hours on Saturday.
  • Balance the many areas of your life: school, family, work, friends . . . Flexibility and scheduling can keep things from getting too far off kilter. Or bring them back into line when they do.

3. Tailor your study skills:

  • Know how you think, how you learn, how you retain, how you gain understanding.
  • Take into account both your learning strengths and soft spots. 

4. Physical fitness (Your Grandma tells you this–she’s right!):

  • Maintain the health routines you need for any physical condition particular to you, such as allergies or mobility.
  • Maintain sleep hygiene.
  • Eat well.
  • Stay hydrated.
  • Exercise–choose a form of exercise that you enjoy. Some of us run, some of us dance, some of us do yoga.

5. Mental fitness:

  • Identify the tools that work for you, maybe pick up some new tools. Self-talk, meditation, music, breaks, light, being outdoors–these work for many.
  • Spot your stressors. Apply your tools. Seek out counselling early if you find your tools are not as well up to the job as you would like.
  • Spot your soft areas: Procrastination? Motivation? Exam anxiety? Presentation anxiety? These are pretty average soft areas for many of us–developing the mental fitness tools to reduce their effect on reaching our goals gives a decided advantage.

6. Use the resources–you’ve paid for them!

Any time I make a list, there’s always one more I just can’t leave out. And making sure you use the resources that are available is the big “one more” for this list. 

  • If you have a tough subject, go for tutoring or peer tutoring before you really, really, really wish you had gone earlier.
  • Use the prof’s office hours (judiciously, of course).
  • Line up any accommodations, and use them.
  • Find out what resources are available at your school’s learning centre–exam workshops, essay writing workshops, computer skills.
  • Use the online extras that come with those horrifically expensive textbooks.
  • Use a strategist (that could be me) to plan your term, to learn study techniques, and to stay on track.
  • Use the full time available when writing your exams.
  • Find the resources that can gain you advantages, and don’t leave them unplayed on the table!

That’s it! Even if you’re the new Tesla Plaid 0-60 in 2.0 seconds, 1020 HP in the academic department, you have to keep it charged, lubed, maintained, and insured. That’s what these tips are all about. 

Contact me if you’d like to see how we could work to charge and maintain your academic career. I’d like to see what has worked for you, and what you would like to work on next. [email protected]