Newly graduated high school students entering into college often hold a misguided preconceived notion that it’s their ticket to new-found freedom. In a way, this is true, considering that there is far less control exerted over students, and there is nobody who is forcing students to attend class. Away from the prying eyes of controlling parents and bossy teachers, students often spend more time planning their social engagements than they do planning for studies. Having a good time at college is an attractive idea, but it has also been the cause of many students downfall. Here are some of the most basic skills you must have to finish college with good grades:
Motivation
Partying too hard has been cited as one of the main contributing reasons for the lack of motivation that many college students run into. Along with unmotivated students who aren’t interested in their coursework, and the notorious college parties that are a major temptation, students can easily fail. Learning to stay motivated, however, can turn this all around.
Reading Comprehension
Another skill that you need when going into college is reading comprehension. You must retain and understand what you read, or there is really no point to do it, right? So, if you have issues with comprehending what you are reading, you might want to get help with answers on homework and other assignments.
Good Concentration
While having good comprehension skills and working hard remain requirements for getting through college, there are other basic skills needed such as good concentration. College graduates have mastered the art of concentration, but not everyone goes into a university environment inherently knowing how to do this. Instead, this is a skill that you might have to learn, especially if you sailed through high school without much trouble. College coursework is very different from high school level courses.
Emotional Intelligence
Those who were spoon-fed during high school by over-zealous parents’ do not seem to do as well as those who managed studying alone. Having a high IQ is an important trait for any academic to possess but having a high emotional intelligence (EQ) is now largely considered to be of even greater value by educators. Loosely translated, emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to persevere when others would give up.
Emotional intelligence has little to do with intellectual prowess and a lot to do with the ability to overcome setbacks and failures by pushing through with tenacity. There are many other contributing factors to determining an individual’s emotional intelligence level, though. Having the ability to foresee consequences arising from choices made, for example, is one. The ability to choose a peer group that encourages good lifestyle choices instead of a group that wants to party like there is no tomorrow, is another. Bouncing back relatively fast from life’s inevitable disappointments would be yet another very valuable trait.
Communication Skills
Finally, you can’t dismiss good communication skills. You might not, at first, see the connection between communication and good grades or studying, but it’s certainly there. When you, for instance, are looking for help on answers on homework, how are you going to get it? You must ask, either in person or online, and that, obviously, leads to knowing how to properly communicate.
If you want to achieve your dream of obtaining a college education, you must master these skills, and more. College students must demonstrate the ability to manage all aspects of their emotional, intellectual, social and financial lives as independent adults. All of this gives them the best opportunity to gain their college degree- with good grades too!