10 STEPS TOWARDS ACHIEVING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN UNIVERSITY

1⃣ KNOW HOW MANY COURSES YOU ARE OFFERING FOR THE SEMESTER AND GET READY:

Now this may seem like a silly and obvious way to begin, but this is the most important, because you cannot plan without knowing what you are planning for.

After identifying the number and nature of courses you are offering, you need to plan for it by setting goals. Know the grades you want from each course, how many units you are offering all together, and know which courses to give priority to.

( *Advice* ; give priority to the courses with the highest unit because they carry the most weight and also priority to the difficult courses because you would need extra study time for these).

2⃣. SPEND ONE HOUR DAILY REVISING ON WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT:

Start studying and revising what you have learnt early. This is one of the most important steps towards achieving excellence, Now that you know the grades you want and what you are up against, it is time to put in the work.

You need to practice what you have learnt in order to improve. Revising your school work (Learn, Revise, practice and improve yourself)( *Advice* ; create a convenient time-table around your schedule and try to stick to it, revise daily and stay ahead of scheme if possible).

3⃣ TRY YOUR BEST NOT TO MISS LECTURES, KEEP YOUR NOTES UPDATED AND DO YOUR ASSIGNMENTS:

Try not to miss classes and stay updated. Most times lecturers can be very spontaneous with their tests and assignments, and this usually occurs on the days you decide to miss lectures, so try as much as possible not to miss lectures. Also, keep your notes updated especially if you miss lectures, ensure they are updated at-least one weeks before exam commences.

And lastly, assignments ideally carries between 5-15 marks depending on the nature of courses, so please ensure you do your assignments.( *Advice* ; Treat every mark like Gold because every mark counts!, TRUST ME!).

4⃣ REDUCE YOU TIME WASTERS:

Time wasted can never be recovered so although it is impossible to eliminate your time wasters, it is however important to reduce them. It is okay to have a balance between you social and academic life (50:50), however if your goal is to achieve academic excellence you should prioritise your academic life over your social for the time being with at-least a (75:25) ratio. ( *Advice* ; try to move all your academic work to the weekdays(giving you 5 days to study) and your extra-curricula and social to the weekend (giving you 2 days to relax), that way we have a (75:25) ratio making you right on track.

5⃣ HAVE A STUDY GROUP WITHIN YOUR COURSE:

This part is really important, because the truth is you cannot know it all, its important to have a small to large group of friends who are willing to exchange knowledge, and most especially help you in the areas that you fall short in.

( *Advice* ; create a study group with friends with similar interests and goal, those who would motivate you when you need motivation, and help in the areas needed).

6⃣ ASK QUESTIONS:

Got a question? *ASK* ! No question is irrelevant, and never feel silly for asking questions or for an explanation (don’t forget you paid school fees, so understanding is your right), never leave a class room not understanding what was taught, because it would definitely make it harder for you to comprehend during your personal studies and might turn around and bite you during exam.

( *Advice* : whenever you are “uncertain”, do not skip or move on without being ‘certain’, if you are the shy type, find a friend and ask the questions in your personal time or still ensure you attend *tutorials* and ensure you ask such questions).

7⃣. STUDY YOUR WORK SCHEME HARD AND YOUR A.O.C (areas of concentrations) HARDER:

Usually, your lecturer provides a scheme of work at the begin in of the course, which you are expected to complete within the duration