Being “successful” in college can mean something different for everyone based on their individual priorities, goals, and career aspirations. What’s successful for you can be quite different from your peers.
Whatever your goals are, here are some tips to help you achieve them and enjoy your college experience.
1. Know Your Goals
Goals are an important part of visualizing your success. Think about what it is you want to achieve with your education and what “success” means for you. This can help you realize what you value and how that contributes to your success.
For example, earning a bachelor’s degree to pursue your dream career may indicate that you value career achievements and independence. Perhaps you’re a small business owner and a first-generation college student who wants the sense of accomplishment of earning a degree – even if it’s not required for your career path.
How you interpret your success and your values can help you stay focused on your goals.
2. Make a Plan
With a solid idea of what success looks like for you, you can turn that vision into a plan of action. This involves dividing large goals into smaller accomplishments that contribute to the whole. This can help you keep your goals more manageable and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
SMART goals are a crucial part of the process. This means Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. So, if your long-term goal is to earn a degree, your SMART goals could be things like maintaining a 3.5 GPA at minimum, committing an extra two hours a week to study time, or completing one gen ed requirement in addition to your university courseload each term.
3. Show Up for Classes
This may seem obvious, but you have to show up for class to get the most out of your college experience, and that means attending online lectures and classes too. Your course lectures are where most of the learning takes place. Your professor may introduce new topics and add context that you can’t find in the textbook. Attending your classes, no matter what format they are presented in, is the best way to absorb all this information – and show the professor that you care about your academic performance.
4. Book Office Hours
As much as you may want to breeze through your degree program, you may struggle with a course here or there. It’s important to recognize when you’re struggling and ask for help. Your professors are there to help you succeed, so don’t be afraid to book office hours and get the one-on-one assistance you may need.
Office hours don’t need to be limited to course struggles, however. You can book office hours to discuss concepts in depth and gain more understanding, talk about assignment feedback, or get advice on your career path. Your professors have a wealth of knowledge – use it!
5. Understand Your Learning Style
Everyone learns and processes information differently. Part of the college experience is understanding how you learn best and how to improve your study habits, ensuring you can gain value from your coursework.
Generally, learning styles are:
- Visual: Learning through images, graphs, and diagrams
- Auditory: Learning by listening to explanations
- Reading: Learning through reading and writing
- Kinesthetic: Learning through hands-on activities
Most people are a combination of these learning styles, but understanding how you learn best can help you develop study skills that complement your learning style.
Think about assignments you’ve done well. How did you prepare for them? Did you study alone or in a group? Did you use tools like flashcards or notes? Did practice exercises help you grasp concepts better? All of these can be clues into what helps you learn.
6. Try New Subject Areas
Earning a degree or a minimum GPA isn’t the only measure of success in college. Expanding your thought processes, challenging yourself, or learning new skills is a potential benefit of completing a bachelor’s program.
Look for opportunities to challenge yourself and take classes that seem fun. When you have an opportunity to choose your own topic for an assignment, consider picking something you don’t know anything about.
You can find courses that will broaden your horizons and satisfy electives at your school, but you can also supplement your learning with online courses from platforms like Sophia. With a broad range of courses spanning business, science, information technology, and more, you can explore subject areas that are unfamiliar and get to know new sides of yourself.
7. Get a Jump Start with Gen Eds
General education courses, or gen eds, cover a wide range of subjects like math, social sciences, natural sciences, communication, and humanities. While the specific courses can vary, virtually every degree program requires a number of gen eds in several subject areas to expand your knowledge and teach you vital skills.
Depending on the program, gen eds can take a lot of time and coursework, but you don’t have to take them at the same school. You can accelerate your degree – and possibly save some money in the process – by taking your gen eds with Sophia. All self-paced with a subscription format, these courses are fully online and are designed to transfer for credit. Just make sure you talk to your preferred school's advisor about the credit transfer policy in advance!
8. Manage Your Time Carefully
Time management takes work and practice. How you manage your time and prioritize your work is a vital part of achieving your goals and your own vision of success. Sometimes, your priorities won’t align easily. You may even procrastinate.
It’s best to be proactive with your time management. Build time into your schedule to prepare for the unexpected. For example, if your assignments for each module are due at the end of the week, schedule time to complete them early. Then, if things come up, you won’t be pressed for time.
9. Build Your Network
Networking is a key part of success in your career and in college. Networking can build your interpersonal and professional skills as you maintain relationships and give you valuable connections for the future.
You never know what connection will prove valuable. Talk to your professors or advisors about the industry to gain career insights. Engage in conversation with your classmates and talk about your career aspirations. You never know what doors may open for you – and what you can do for others.
10. Don’t Neglect Your Health
It’s easy to put yourself on the back burner when school, work, family, or other responsibilities take up more of your time. You can’t achieve success without taking care of yourself. No matter what your goals are, you need to maintain your physical and mental health.
Make sure you make yourself a priority. While it can be difficult to find balance between school and life, staying organized and managing your time can ensure you have self-care built into your to-do list. If you find yourself really struggling, don’t hesitate to reach out to your advisor and seek professional help.
What Does Success Mean for You?
Being successful in college can mean earning a degree, achieving a certain GPA, challenging yourself with hard courses, and more. Whatever success looks like for you, there’s no better time to start than now. Start your free trial at Sophia to complete gen eds and jump start your education!
