In college, everyone is a management major. You might go to college and major in a variety of vocational interests, including medical, education, engineering, or accounting. Yet, to be successful in college, all students must major in management.
There are many academic differences between high school and college. The size of your math class will go from a few dozen students in high school to a few hundred in college. You may be used to having a high school teacher who knows you and your family, but in college, you will be known only by your student ID number, at least at first. Despite all the academic differences between high school and college, the underlying theme is that they all require you to learn how to manage your life in a way that most high school students have not yet had to do.
Life management is essential to remaining motivated and prepared to succeed on your own. Getting up for your 8 am class, planning to study amidst a variety of better social alternatives, and keeping up with a heavier workload are all tasks that will require a high level of discipline.
Here are five self-management steps you can take now, in February of your senior year, to prepare for the academic challenges of life after high school:
- Make sure that no adult is helping you wake up, leave on time, study, or go to bed at a reasonable time (8 hours before waking up).
- Find out when all of your remaining assignments and tests are in your classes and put them on an online or paper calendar.
- Look at your remaining assignment calendar and block off when you will study.
- Go to a new place, like a local library or coffee shop, to study instead of at home or school.
- Interview one teacher or coach at your high school for advice on the academic challenges of college.