Prepare yourself to succeed in your studies.

Try to develop and appreciate the following habits:

 

• Take responsibility for yourself
  Recognize that in order to succeed you need to make decisions about your priorities, your time, and your resources

 

• Center yourself around your values and principles

 

• Don't let friends and acquaintances dictate what you consider important

 

• Put first things first

 

• Follow up on the priorities you have set for yourself, and don't let others, or other interests, distract you from your goals

 

• Discover your key productivity periods and places
       Morning, afternoon, or evening?
       Find spaces where you can be the most focused and productive.
       Prioritize these for your most difficult study challenges

 

• Consider yourself in a win-win situation
      When you contribute your best to a class, you, your fellow students,
           and even your teacher will benefit.
      Your grade can then be one additional check on your performance

 

• First understand others, then attempt to be understood
      When you have an issue with a teacher (a questionable grade, an assignment deadline, etc.) put               yourself in the instructor's place.
     Now ask yourself how you can best make your argument given his/her situation

 

• Look for better solutions to problems
     For example, if you don't understand the course material, don't just re-read it.
     Try something else! Consult with the teacher, a tutor, a classmate, a study group.

 

• Continually challenge yourself!

 

Partially adapted from the audio cassette by Steven Covey,
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

 

Lissette Lombana, MSW, MAS, SAC

Substance Awareness Coordinator K-8