Tips for Being a Successful College Student

During my time working in the Center for Academic Success and Transition, I have worked with students helping them through their difficulties in hopes of improving their academic success. Now that I will be leaving MSU soon, I wanted to share some of my greatest tips for being successful in college.

Time Means Everything

The first tip I always give students is to build good time managing skills. As a college student, it is not uncommon to balance a lot of things at once. For some people this can be very daunting. Knowing this, I think managing time has a lot of benefits. Students don’t only manage coursework; they also sustain relationships, work jobs, and find time to maintain their own mental health. Time management allows someone to realize that there is always time to keep up with all of these things by cutting out time for each. This way, you won’t have to feel like you have to pick and choose the things that you are able to do during your college experience.

Make Your Missouri Statement

A lot of us came to college knowing that focusing on education is imperative. However, I think some students overlook the other opportunities that arise during college. Even though we are all students, I think it is important to branch out and be a part of Missouri State. Each and every one of us plays a role in making this university a great place, so don’t be afraid to try out new things. It could be intramural sports, student government association, tutoring in the BearClaw, or even just showing up to events held on campus. Regardless of what it is, there are so many things to get into during your time at MSU.

Don’t Take the Journey Alone

This may be one of the things I stress the most. College may be the most difficult time of your life. It can be stressful, tiring, and a lot to handle at some times. Because of this, doing your best to build a network of peers is a great idea. Believe me when I say that you are not alone in the journey. In every part of the campus, there is someone in the same boat as you. Making friends and acquaintances allows you to feel like there is someone you can always go to for help. They can be a study buddy, someone who you hang out with during your free time, or even someone to talk to when things get tough. We are all going to face tough times as we go along, so its best that we stick together and help each other make it though.

There is No Such Thing as a Dumb Question

The last tip I will leave you with is one that hits close to home with me. As a student, we have to remember that we are not going to know everything all the time. Being a student is a learning process where we are trying to find the answers to things that will help us in the future. Sometimes, however, you may need a little extra guidance when trying to learn. Because of this, I have learned that it is never a bad idea to ask questions. Especially here at MSU. All of the faculty and staff are here to help us be the best students we can. Especially with our professors, they all want us to learn, and there is nobody better to ask than someone who is eager to help you find the answer.

I hope that each of these tips gives you a little insight into becoming a great student here at MSU. If you ever need more help, remember it is okay to reach out and ask for it, because all of us are here to help. Thank you for reading!

(BIO: My name Is Michael Rexroad, a transfer student from Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City. I am a senior currently studying cell and molecular biology with a minor in chemistry and biomedical science.)

The semester is really starting to fly by the more I think about it because it is already close to April.  

During this semester I have challenged myself to try new things and to destress away from campus to save myself from burnout. I have learned throughout my time at Missouri State that taking time for yourself is important for your mental health, peace of mind, and overall happiness. I had to learn that there must be a separation between school and work, especially if you are someone who values spending time by yourself or with friends. I have recently visited a few places in Springfield that I have never been to, so I wanted to tell you all about my experiences.   

I have a close friend that I met at Missouri State in my sophomore year art class, and we have been friends since then. I have visited some unfamiliar places in Springfield with my friend and we have been able to share the experience of going to various places with each other.   

Springfield Experiences  

Coffee Shops 

Coffee shops are a great place to go to relax and Springfield has lots of great coffee places, including several within walking distance or near Bear Line access. My new favorite coffee shop near campus is where a lot of students or Springfield residents can come in and relax. This isn’t just any ordinary coffee shop because they also sell tea, malts, and sweet treats like brownies. There is a warm and welcoming ambiance when you first walk in because it takes place inside of a house-like structure and the people that work there are nice. I highly recommend getting a chocolate brownie and an iced white mocha coffee, which has become my personal favorite. This particular coffee shop has three levels, so I can sit on any level to hang out with friends or just relax. I can spend time together with my friend for hours in a coffee shop and will be trying some new coffee spots whenever I get the chance, especially with finals approaching.   

Chinese Restaurants 

I think finding a good, affordable restaurant that you enjoy and can visit when you need a break from on-campus dining is an important self-care step. Personally, I crave Chinese food on occasion but after being in Springfield for so long, I have found it hard to find good Chinese food and not just some sushi rolls. I went on the hunt a few weekends back to try to find a Chinese food place that was affordable and had some good options. My friend had given me some recommendations since she had tried a few places, so after hearing about her experience, I went to a buffet-style restaurant close to campus. This restaurant was less than ten minutes away from campus and had food options for just about anything from chicken to sushi rolls; they even had a dessert section. I enjoyed the open floor plan so that I could see not only the buffet but also the other people coming in to eat as well. I was really happy with the food choices and the fact that they serviced your drink when you needed a refill. I paid less than twenty dollars and was given a complimentary fortune cookie when I paid my bill. Overall, I was happy with my experience at this affordable restaurant and will visit again whenever my craving hits.   

Takeaways for this week  

After being a student for so long, it can get tiring to the point that you start to question your career path or the major that you chose, so I am always finding outlets to keep myself going. It is important to remember that your life is not just about your education but what you make it. Get out, try some new things, and discover what Springfield has to offer whenever you get the chance. Hopefully, hearing about my experiences and the places that I visited has encouraged you to explore and find your own favorite coffee shops, restaurants, or other spots to relax or enjoy a break from campus.   

 

~Alexandria 

(Bio: I’m the middle child of seven kids in my immediate family. I’m currently a senior business major at Missouri State University.)

Midterms Are Coming

Around this point in the semester, I can feel the stress coming on. The thought of our midterm exams is something easy to stress about, but can be manageable if prepared for correctly! Today, I want to share some easy strategies to help you get ready for your midterms this spring semester!

Better to be Early than Late

Everyone knows that it is better to be early than late in many situations. Luckily, studying for midterms is no different. Even though some classes may not have midterms for a couple weeks, it is a good idea to start studying early. This is due to a lot of reasons such as:

• Allowing more time to cover content thoroughly
• Better metacognition or being aware of what you do and don’t know
• Reduced anxiety about not having enough time to study
• Better chance at doing well on the exam

Even though it’s difficult to get going early, give it a try and see if it works for you!

Find a Study Buddy

Believe it or not, you aren’t the only one stressed about midterms. Your classmates are too! Because of this, it is a great idea to find others to study with. Being able to work with you classmates can allow you to:

• Keep each other motivated to study
• Learn about how other people understand content, which can also help you
• Divide up work to make it less daunting on everyone
• Teach each other content, which is one of the best ways to learn

Working alone can be scary and stressful, so try and reach out to a couple peers to see if you can study together for you upcoming midterms

Stay Organized

With everything going on around this time, it is good to stay organized. It’s common to have more than one midterm a week, and maybe even some on the same day. Because of this, it is good to keep things organized. Some ways to do this are:

• Keeping a schedule of all the exams you will take
• Listing out the content that needs to be covered for each exam
• Scheduling time dedicated to studying
• Making space for taking breaks during preparation for exams

Being able to stay organized won’t only make you do better, but it can also help reduce the stress that you will feel approaching test day!

As always, thank you so much for reading my post and I hope this gives you some helpful ways to prepare for midterms this spring. Have a great day!

Previous Posts for Midterm and Exam Preparation

Spring 2021 Finals Week – Alexandria

Spring 2021 Week 14 – Michael

Fall 2020 Week 10 – Michael

Fall 2020 Midterm – Rhiannon

 

(BIO: My name Is Michael Rexroad, a transfer student from Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City. I am a senior currently studying cell and molecular biology with a minor in chemistry and biomedical science.)

Can you believe it? Spring break is literally two weeks away already! I will be making sure to have fun when I can and finish strongly in all my courses during the remainder of the semester.  

Networking with Peers and Instructors 

Switching back to being an in-person student after being an online student for so long has turned out to be quite a challenge. The transition has been helping me to grow and figure out just how much I have changed after being a student for so long. One thing that I have always struggled with was meeting new people and maintaining those potential relationships or connections that I could make. Being on campus at Missouri State quickly made me realize I’m in charge of interacting and communicating with other people, not someone else. In this post, I wanted to share some of my tips for networking with your peers and instructors that can help you out if you get stuck.  

Instructors  

Attend office hours 

Your instructors or professors have office hours so students can discuss the course material, ask questions, and even genuinely just learn more about each other. Office hours give you the opportunity to have one-on-one time with your professor that you would not have in the classroom so you can learn even more about your professor.  

Email them  

Email your professors if you have questions about a specific area of expertise that they are knowledgeable about or even to let them know how the course lectures or material are working out for you.  

Ask for advice/help 

Instructors and professors come from all walks of life and have their degrees in addition to their careers to show for it. Have a conversation with your instructors about your own career path or ask about the real-life experiences that you will encounter outside the classroom. 

Peers 

Start conversations

Even if it is just in passing sometimes it works out to speak with people or even just be polite to someone and hold a door for them. The Missouri State campus is so huge and there are lots of people that you can get to know by just starting a random conversation. You never know what will happen until you try.  

Make groups 

Try creating a group with your classmates or connecting with each other on social media platforms. You can connect with people that have similar interests and potentially make some long-lasting relationships with people. This also helps if you have questions regarding a class that you are in with people. You could even create a study group with them.  

Find common interests  

It might be hard to just talk to random people, especially if you are shy or have some social anxiety like me so try to find someone that you could talk to about something that you like or enjoy as well. You can find a student organization that matches your interests and connects with other people through the Office of Student Engagement.  

Takeaways  

I really wanted to give these tips because when I was a freshman at Missouri State University, I was struggling to just talk to people. I learned that I was not helping myself by being afraid and limiting who I was communicating with on campus. Meeting new people and networking with them has become such a fun thing to do and some great people have become a part of my life because of these tips. Networking helps you on so many levels whether that is socially or professionally so try not to be as afraid as I was to start. 

These tips keep me on my toes and upgrade my social skills over time so I hope that they can yield some positive results for you all.  

Happy Week Seven!!! 

~Alexandria 

(Bio: I’m the middle child of seven kids in my immediate family. I’m currently a Senior Business major at Missouri State University.)