The ABCs of Academic Success

In spring 2020, we surveyed students in the College of Arts and Sciences and asked them to offer advice to other students. Some common themes emerged, so we compiled them here for you as direct quotes from your peers. Read on for the ABCs of academic success and think about which ones resonate with you the most. 

A - Avoid perfectionism

• “You don’t need to get perfect grades or constantly be doing work. But if you can ask yourself, at the end of the semester, if you made the class worth it and learned the important things from the class; and you answer yes to that question then you have succeeded.”

• “Honestly college is never going to be easy, but by taking care of yourself and staying positive, it'll make your experience better. No one gets perfect scores on everything and mistakes are normal. Embrace them and use them to learn how to do better next time. Also take time for yourself--school is important but if all you think about is grades and assignments you aren't going to be very happy.”

B - Balance

• “The most important thing is balance. Be mindful of health and not only your studies. It is also important to balance school work with fun activities in order to not get ‘burned out.’”

• “Make sure to find a good balance between your school life and social life, and get involved in activities on campus.”

C - Calendars and planners

• “Keep a planner or a google calendar to keep track of all assignments, due dates and tests. I wrote all of them down from the syllabus for each class at the beginning of the semester, so I was never surprised by an assignment and I knew when things were due.”

• “Keep a to-do list and/or calendar. You will need it.”

D - Don’t procrastinate

• “Don't procrastinate. Even if you're just doing little bits of large projects, assignments or studying here and there, that little bit of effort early on goes a long way in managing stress and staying on top of coursework.”

• “Don't procrastinate! If you space things out, including studying for exams, college is very manageable.”

E - Effort

• “Success is 90% effort and 10% skill.”

• “It’s ok to not always know everything. That is the reason for which we are in school--to learn. Just put in the effort to know whatever it is that you are struggling with. It'll pay off at the end.”

F - Figure out what works for you

• “Figure out what schedule works for you and stick with it, be mindful of where you spend your time, and don't forget the value of taking a break.”

• “Figure out what environment you are most focused in and get all of your work done, every week.”

G - Growth mindset

• “Never give up. If you get a bad test score and you feel like you will never be able to succeed, just let that push you to make you work harder. I got a D on one of my physics tests and cried because I had studied so hard and I thought I would never understand and do well in the class. I changed my mindset and told myself I was going to do whatever it takes to do great on the next test. I got tutoring every week and changed my way of studying, and I ended up not only acing the final exam, but getting an A in the class. Just know you are capable of whatever you set your mind to.”

• “Just don't give up! Striving for academic success is a lot like eating healthy. Every once in a while you might slip up and have a sugary snack (or not do as well as you hoped you would on exam), but that doesn't mean you abandon your goal altogether. Think about how you can prevent that mistake in the future and then go after your goal again.”

H - Help

• “Get help if you need it--CU has so many great resources available to help you succeed.”

• “Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Some concepts are really confusing, and having someone (whether it’s a teacher, a friend, a tutor, or someone else) you can go to for help is huge.”

I - It will be OK

• “Don’t stress too hard over a bad grade. With enough work and help, you can almost always recover.”

• “All you can do is be your own best.”

J - Just do your work

• “Just get your work done. Stop procrastinating and get rid of distractions. Buckle down, focus, finish the assignment, then be done and relax.”

• “Just do the work and put yourself out there, and opportunities will present themselves!”

K - Know yourself

• “Know what you like, what brings happiness and goodness to your life, and what doesn't. Pursue the former things. Discard the latter. You will never be successful doing something that does not make you happy.”

• “Know how you learn best and use that to your advantage. Also, know when to take a break.”

L - Lectures

• “Go to every class! Even if they have a lecture capture!! When you’re in class, you’re not as distracted. I never missed a single class, and it turned out well.”

• “Go to class, you will get something out of it, even if you don't think it is worth it to go.”

M - Manage your time

• “Manage your time properly! Do your homework earlier rather than later! Get busywork homework done weeks ahead so that you can focus on bigger projects and studying for tests.”

• “Use an organizer, manage your time so you can study and still have time to do fun things besides school, and take care of yourself when you need to.”

N - Never give up

• “Perseverance is the only skill you need. It’s trite, but never give up. Life is a series of obstacles and it’s up to you to not let them take you down. If you know what you want, go out and get it.”

• “When something gets hard, don't ever give up. YOU can always learn anything if you put the dedication and time into it. There is nothing that YOU aren't capable of doing for yourself.”

O - Office hours

• “My #1 piece of advice is, just go to office hours. I went to every office hour my physics professor had, because I didn’t understand that class at all. It was only me and one other person there most of the time, and the professor was happy to help with anything we needed because we were putting in the effort to be there.”

• “Don’t be afraid to ask your professors/TAs for help, most are excited to be visited during office hours.”

P - Prioritize

• “Prioritize academics because if you just do everything ahead of time or on a consistent schedule, you'll still have ample time to party and have fun. If you have a super stressful week, just accept that you have to dedicate your energy to your schoolwork and you can have fun next week when you're stress free (going out with the stress of upcoming work isn't all that fun anyway).”

• “Attend class, take advantage of what your professors have to offer, and prioritize your long-term goals.”

Q - Quiz yourself

• “Set up your time in sections. When you get to the end of a time slot, quiz yourself on the topic. After the quiz, take a break with a set time and do something fun that isn’t school related. Then jump back to step one! I’ve found that this method helps me to absorb a lot of information while staying less stressed.”

• “Do work between classes, quiz yourself, talk through complex problems, come back to something later if it is frustrating (and leave enough time for this to be an option).”

R - Read your textbooks

• “Read the textbook (and really read it, don't just skim). Reading the textbook is the most important part of learning for me. Also, don't read it like a novel because it isn't; it can take a couple reading sessions to just get past a couple pages if the textbook is dense.”

• “Read your textbooks. They can be surprisingly helpful.”

S - Stay on top of things

• “Stay on top of your work and do not fall behind; if anything, get ahead.”

• “It's very important to stay on track with assignments, and to not let yourself get overwhelmed by the amount of work due. Just take each assignment as it comes, and get it done sooner rather than later. It's huge for mental health and lowering stress.”

T - Take care of yourself

• “The only way you will do well in classes is to make sure that you are doing ok physically and mentally.”

• “Take care of your health, both mental and physical. You can't study or perform if you're ill.”

U - Understand the concepts

• “The best thing to do to learn a subject is to ensure you truly understand the fundamental concepts and make the process of getting the answer more important than the answer itself.”

• “You need to dedicate lots of time to understanding and comprehending the material. Study sessions should be focused, or else you will waste time.”

V - Vision

• “One of the biggest things I have learned coming into college is that you have to surround yourself with people that motivate you and encourage you to work for your goals.”

• “Keep a positive attitude and remember your long term goals.”

W - Work hard

• “Work as hard as you can and don't get lazy or discouraged. Keep going. Be smart.”

• “Work hard, prioritize, and don't quit.”

X - X factors

• “The biggest thing you need to get through the semester is motivation. Find something that motivates you to keep studying, especially when you don’t feel like it.”

• “Understand that your grades aren't the ultimate metric of success when it comes to school. Make sure that you get involved with the community, find ways to give back to others, take care of yourself, and foster relationships with friends/family. Academic success comes much easier when these things exist in your life.”

Y - You are in control

• “My advice is to not let anyone else influence how you learn, study, or spend your time. Make sure to set time for fun and friends because breaks are important but also advocate for your education and make it your first priority.”

• “No matter how much support you have, you still have to contribute effort and desire for the acquisition of knowledge.”

Z - Zero in

• “Focus on the task you're doing, put a distraction blocker on and silence your phone while doing work.”

• “Focus on your studies. Use your time effectively, read, develop skills, and help others.”

 

*Some quotes edited for grammar, spelling and clarity.