The key to being successful is not so much brainpower, as it is willpower and time management. Your college career is an investment in your future. It is important to protect this investment by managing your time and money. The following are tips to a successful career at Furman University. Remember that everything you do is preparing you for your future career.
1. Put your academics first. Ask any senior health career student and they will tell you that their GPA is one of the most important factors determining their acceptance into health career programs. Always consider your course work and course performance before your social activities.2. Do not put off studying - cramming does not work! You will find that having only 2 to 4 examinations per term means that you will be required to master a great deal of material for each test period. Putting off studying until the night before an exam is a formula for disaster. For each hour of time spent in class, you should spend two hours studying. The more often you work with the course material the better you will learn. As the Russian proverb states "Repetition is the Mother of Learning".
3. Use your daytime study hours wisely. If you have an hour between classes, make a habit of finding a quiet area to study. Scattered studying is often better than long periods of concentrated study. The more often you go over material the better you will remember it.
4. Be prepared for class. If you go to class without having read and reviewed the material, you will not be able to appreciate the lecture. Instead of integrating the lecture material with what you already know, you will simply be taking notes in the hope that you can understand the material later.
5. Do a survey of your textbook reading first. Instead of sitting down and reading a chapter front to back. Look for a review or important points section at the end of the chapter to get a feel for what will be covered in the text. Look at all figures, diagrams, and tables to see what they contain. Then, once you have a good feel for what is in store, read the text.
6. Do not read your textbook with a highlighter in your hand. Upon first reading of a text, you often want to indiscriminately underscore passages in your textbook. In many cases whole chapters end up being highlighted. Instead, wait until you have read the text at least once. Then, once you know what is important, pick out and highlight only the important passages.
7. Listening and concentration are critical. College is 40% listening. Allowing yourself to be distracted in class cuts into your learning time. Practice concentrating and avoiding distractions.
8. Get help at the first sign of trouble. If you are having trouble understanding a subject, go for help immediately. You are here at Furman University to ask questions, to learn, and to understand. The professors expect you to ask questions when you do not understand. If you have a question, or do not understand a concept, guaranteed that half the class also has the same question or problem with a concept. It is the brave person who speaks up and asks for clarification. Remember that the only dumb question is the one that is not asked.
9. Keep your eyes on the prize! So you want to be a health professional. Then center your life on attaining that goal. Do volunteer work in the area of health in which you have an interest. Arrange summer work or internships to help you learn about your chosen career and make contacts with influential professionals. Keep up with current events in your area of interest through the newspaper, magazines, and Internet. All of this will help you when it is time to write applications and go on interviews.