Women's Life Link Be Well, Be Happy, Be YOU!
It’s kind of strange, when you think about it, that most people who attend university will do so in their late teens or early 20s – a time when people are often notoriously undisciplined, unfocused, and unsure of what they want to do with their lives. All the same, however, the college experience can be deeply positive and transformative for many people. The qualifications earned as a result of a degree program can certainly set you up for a fruitful career that you find meaningful and exciting. The trick is to have some savvy degree program strategies for greater success.
It will pay off to have a plan for what you want to accomplish. Things like knowing all of your options for classes help you to utilize precious time wisely. You might have an option to do some live classes and some online. For Example, knowing the difference between online and on-campus DNP programs would be integral to the success of a nursing student. Whether you’re a young student or a mature student who is attending University after years in the workforce, here are a few tips for obtaining success and getting the most out of your degree program.
Degree Program Strategies For Greater Success #1: Minimize Distractions and Cultivate Focus
Author and Professor, Cal Newport, has written plenty of books about how to be as productive as possible, including at least one book specifically for students. Perhaps his most well-known book, however, is the one titled “Deep Work,” in which he argues that the skill that most correlates with success in all domains of life is the ability to get laser-focused on a single task at a time and eliminate all distraction.
In his book, Newport cites research that shows that even minor distractions, such as checking your phone for a minute can absolutely ruin your productivity for a long period of time after the fact. So, to get the most out of your degree program, get really good at minimizing distractions, and develop the skill of “deep work.”
Degree Program Strategies For Greater Success #2: Write Things Down
Most people consider typing out their lecture notes on laptops and tablets the most efficient way to store information. Some just record the entire lecture with the intention of listening to it later, or maybe getting it transcribed. However, if you want to trigger a greater chance of remembering that information, consider writing things out by hand, rewrite them, and repeat.
Research has found that writing things out by hand helps people to summarise and conceptualize ideas more effectively, retain them in their memory, and connect with the subject matter more effectively. This is probably largely because you have to paraphrase when handwriting notes and the mechanical act of writing adds another facet of mindfulness to the task.
Degree Program Strategies For Greater Success #3: Get Quality Sleep, Eat Well, and Exercise
If you want to do your best at university, it’s probably not a good idea to get deeply invested in the overall party culture. The reason is pretty simple – your body and mind work much better when you get plenty of rest, regular exercise, and eat well. No matter how driven you may be, being chronically sleep deprived, sedentary, and living on fast food diminishes performance and general health.
I recommend setting a schedule that allows for rest periods, self-care, and exercise. If you treat these things like important appointments, they will more likely be attended to.
