How to Make the Commitment to Your College Studies

Committing to your college studies is like running a marathon you have been training for for months. You have started the event and you are looking good. You are thinking, "I am finally here!" You are pleased with yourself and you are keeping up the others around you and you have even found your pace to slide into and keep on keeping on. Then, fatigue sets in and that pace, that groove, is just not feeling good any more. Little voices in your head start saying things that cause you to question your goal. You realize you are hitting the wall and your commitment to your college studies is faltering.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. It's not too late to establish a rapport with the teacher or professor.
   This is #1 on the list by design because this is crucial. Even if it seems like the teacher is always busy, make it a point to find out when a good time is to talk to the teacher to confirm your understanding of assignments and areas being covered on upcoming tests.
2. Go to class, no matter what.
   Habitual absences from class leave you with fragments of the total picture at study time. Be in class, on time, to get all the notes and to find out about possible test questions or areas of emphases. Someone else's notes are fine as a supplement- but nothing replaces being there. Avoid the temptation to be out of class!
3. Make contact with someone in each class and make him or her your friend.
   The Buddy System is a prime success tool. Having a buddy alleviates some of the stress because you are sharing the load with someone else. It helps. And, of course, when it comes to sitting down to study for an exam or to write a paper, a buddy is an enormous help. Don't forget you are a buddy to your study friend, too.
4. Set up a schedule for yourself of how you are going to make-up late work, get caught up, and stay current with all your classwork. Be reasonable. How can you meet the requirement of an assignment and then move on to get current. Acknowledge that you are not going to knock the professor's socks off with a late submission.
5. Establish new habits and routines. Assess where you are right now and plan your strategy playing to your strengths and by planning how you are going to overcome your weaknesses.
6. Go over notes and outlines every day. Even the most gun-ho student finds out that trying to consume something absolutely mammoth in size is much more effective in small bites rather than in one sitting.
   Part of sticking with your commitment to succeed in college is avoiding overload and keeping the workload manageable.
7. Draw yourself a web, a diagram, or other graphic organizer that helps you organize the information and to brand that onto your mind. The knowledge that your learning is in your control helps you stay the course of your college commitment.
8. Realize that you are not the first person to question yourself and your goals.
   Keeping a journal, even one with quick, brief entries can help you see and re-commit to your college goals. Consider talking to a trusted friend, a guidance counselor, or teacher who you think you can relate to.
9. Take it one semester at a time.-
   It can be particularly difficult in the first two years of your college studies because you are probably still taking all those survey courses to meet the general education or core requirements for your degree. If you haven't taken many courses in your major, you may be losing your drive. If you are in that final stretch of college, you may have some moments of despair even though you can see that light at the end of the tunnel.
10. Identify what it is that motivates you and use those means to reach your goal. Does going out for a run, a walk, or workout energize you for the academic tasks at hand. If so, find the time and energy to include those activities in your schedule.
11. Does visiting family or having a nature outing restore your spirits and the belief in yourself? Then find a way to do that and then return to the books. Meditation, prayer, reading inspirational works are all ways people reconnect with their goals and re-establish that commitment they need.
12. Sometimes a visual helps.-
    A picture of someone in a cap and gown or a diploma may keep your goal ever-present on your mind. Whatever your goal is, post a picture that represents your field of endeavor and keep it visible for you. Another strategy is to keep a copy of your transcript handy. You know how hard you worked for those courses and grades! Imagine what it will be like to see that transcript filled in and have that statement at the end saying that you were awarded the BA, BS, MA, MS or whatever degree designation.

Tips & Warnings

• Committing to your college studies is like deciding you are going to finish that race no matter what interferes with your steady progress. Keep your eye on the prize, as they say, and you will stay on course to earn your degree.
• Maintain your health by getting enough sleep and be eating a variety of wholesome foods. It is difficult to keep a commitment when you are not feeling well a lot of the time.