GETTING AND KEEPING GOOD GRADES IN THE UNIVERSITY

In the university, your grade in each course determines if you are going to graduate with a first class, 2^nd class upper, 2^nd class lower, third class and pass.

Grades can mean the difference between graduating and being left behind, between a well paying job and getting only a minimum wage etc. Test result can reveal areas of strength and weakness of individual and act as motivating incentives for future study.

The following are ways of making good grades in the university:                                                            
Take responsibility of Learning:University students often blame lecturers for failures while crediting themselves with success. This shifting of blame is frequently unjustified; it is often due to laziness, lack of motivation and lack of determination on the part of the student. Good students take responsibility for their learning.

 Have the Right Study Environment: You will benefit from a quiet place when you want to study. If you cannot find a comfortable place at home, try a public library or a friend’s home. If possible use a desk or table with much space on which to spread out your work. And please, turn off your TV or Radio, you cannot serve two masters.

  Follow a Time and Routine: Most students discover that a routine or pattern of doing things is helpful in getting results. They use such MNEMONIC system as SQ3R (survey, questions, read, review, recite) etc in studying. Survey means glancing through the assigned material, noting subheadings, charts etc in order to get an overall view. Questions means making questions based on chapter titles or topic sentences. Read means reading the material with view to making it a part of you and answering the questions formed earlier. Review means scanning headings and testing your mastery of each section. Reciting means telling yourself from memory what you have just read without looking your books or study cards.

  Handling Test and Examinations: When you are told that there will be a on a certain date or when examination time-table comes out, do not become apprehensive. Never be intimidated by anyone (whether a lecturer or a student) into dreading test or examination.

HOW TO STUDY

If there is anything that is indispensable in the life of a true student, it is study; in fact, the very word student is derived from the idea of studying. The sad fact is that many students are not doing well in this area. Some cannot read fluently and hence cannot study meaningfully. Some poor study habits are pointing of words, sub vocalization, reading while lying down on bed or in a poorly lit room.

Below are some hints on how to study properly. They include the following:

   TIME: Ask yourself how many hours you can devote to study per day. Do not decide on a length of time which will make your duties too severe, whatever you do decide, live up to your decision. Do not allow social obligations to stand in your determination to succeed in an examination or program. To be a successful student, you must for the time being, at any rate, be a selfish individual of your time and looking suspiciously at all encroachments on it. Remember you cannot study all the time “All work and no play make jack a dull boy”. Take some day or weekend to rest and get refreshed.

  DIVIDE UP YOUR TIME: Let’s say you have ten hours a week. How do you divide these precious hours? Carefully draw up a plan of how these hours are to be spent.

  CONCENTRATION: As you study, underscore those parts of the lecture which you consider to be important. Make intelligent use of likely examination questions. Read carefully the remarks you deem most salient and mark or underscore them, never let anything else take your time or attention while you are studying.

  REVISION: The best way to guard against memory loss is revise frequently. The greatest secret of being successful in your studies is the habit of constant revision.

  NOTE TAKING: Although you might not be bound to write notes, to assist you in doing this express ideas in your own words and terms. Learn by heart any passages that are specified to be memorized. When copying notes, grasp entire phrase, clause or sentence instead of just one word at a time. By doing this you are sharpening your brain.

  Convinced that you have mastered everything essential, put your knowledge to test by going
through likely examination questions (Whether formed by you or got from other sources).
 
Finally, the last but the most important quality that contribute to you success is determination. Make up your mind to work conscientiously. Do it and you are on your way to resounding success.