SECRETS TO STAYING IN COLLEGES OF EDUCATION SUCCESSFULLY
There are several factors students consider when deciding whether to attend a college of education or a university.
From the school fees, programme offerings to graduate outcomes. But, one major factor that cannot be ignored if you plan to attend a college of education is the nature of the school’s environs, how warmly and peaceful it is. After all you want to be able to feel at home and have a sound mind and body to study, a sound mind is in a healthy body after all.
College students often have very stressful social and academic lives, so it is a little surprising why they mostly loose focus and avoid paying attention to their health, this happens most importantly to the first years (level 100s).
It’s not easy succeeding out there in colleges but it is possible when you strive to be physically, psychologically, socially and spiritually fit and stable.
Most college students therefore ask ” what are some ways or tips that can help me stay in a college of education?”
Worry less, here are just the best tips or secrets to help your entire stay in any college of education successful.
Secrets To Staying In Colleges of Education
STAY HEALTHY, BE PHYSICALLY FIT.
Mostly, college students find it challenging to commit to following healthy tips especially when dealing with limited time schedules. Consider the following guides to help you stay healthy in college.
Be mindful of your diet and always stay hydrated. Avoid the “all- ready-made” meals with zero nutritional content. Some develop the habit of eating indomie and spaghetti in the evening with accompaniments like cold soft drinks. These foods take much time to digest and contain too much fat and cholesterol which are dangerous to our health talk less of eating them in the night. Being cautious of what we eat in college helps avoid increasing on pounds which mostly happens, with a student not realizing it is happening. Also, keep your body hydrated by drinking enough water, at least six to ten glasses a day won’t be bad.
Get enough good sleep and rest. This is very important. Getting at least eight hours of sleep each night and resting anytime you are fatigued is very essential. During my time in level 100 in college, I never paid attention to this and it cost me a lot. I was keen on making my grades that I totally forgot the word “rest” and I paid heavily for it, you can never cheat nature, as the saying goes. Try to adjust your tight schedules and allow time for rest. When you’re tired, the brain is also tired hence, you won’t be able to focus on your academics. The brain needs to be fit to be able to absorb whatever you learn and the best medicine for the brain is rest. Do not overwork yourself, one day at a time, relax.
Exercise regularly.
This might be difficult for most students as their time would not be able to favour such. Academics and other activities would not allow time for a regular exercise but, make it a routine, just you cannot live without food, make your exercise as such. Even if you cannot exercise daily, allocate a suitable time for it. Make sure to keep your body active through exercise on either campus or through college activities such as aerobics, sports etc.
Avoid or reduce the intake of caffeine. especially in the afternoon or into the evening. Most students take in caffeine to keep wake and study into the night or throughout the night especially when exams or quizzes are due. It is very bad for your health especially if you’re addicted to taking such .
Our health should be our top most priority in college. Campus is a different environment as compared to our homes and our body changes in response to environmental circumstances. This is why most students fall sick often when on campus. Paying attention to your health is very critical. It should not be that because you’re in school you’d only visit the hospital when you’re sick. Once in a while, do visit the hospital for a check -up, check your vitals to know your health status. After all, you can be able to learn and be in school only if you’re healthy and that is the reason for which you’re in school right, to learn and excel, therefore take very good care of your health so that you can be able to achieve your aims. Remember, a sound mind lives in a sound body.
Psychological Secrets To Staying in Colleges of Education
BE PSYCHOLOGICALLY FIT
The gradual transition to college can naturally generate stress and eventually lead to mental health changes.
Consider some tips to guide you to be mentally stable in college.
Get enough sleep to help relax the brain muscles and regular flow of blood to the brain.
Allow time for personal care.
The stress from academic works and other activities might make it easy for you to forget to take good care of yourself. But, no matter how busy you may be, take some time off your busy schedules to care for your mental health by doing something that helps you to relax. It could be engaging in a hobby, playing games, sports or meditating. Listening to music, writing and drawing works better for me. Doing any of them helps me relax and gives me an inner peace of mind. Remember stress kills.
Avoid the use and abuse of harmful substances.
Some college students use and abuse harmful substances such as marijuana, tobacco, hemp and alcohol so as to relieve themselves off stress and pressure related to academics and other stuff. Sadly, these substances rather increase stress, depression and anxiety which are very bad to your health.
As a new or fresh student, you may be lured into such act but you should be aware of the risks involved and desist from that. Some students claim substances like tobacco, marijuana etc help retain memory and boosts cognitive ability. This is never true. These dangerous drugs only damage your internal organs and put your health at higher risks. It is therefore important for students to know and understand the many health risks associated with the use of these substances and desist from using them.
If you’re already addicted to these substances, try getting help from a trusted person, be it a friend, tutor, parents or any elderly person. Remember, a problem shared is half solved. You can also try hanging out with friends that do not indulge in the use of these substances, you may also engage in positive activities to take your mind off those harmful substances.
Value sexual health and safety.
College students are seen to be adults, some are even married men and women therefore there’s flexibility in the rules regarding sex. Nevertheless, students should be encouraged to practice safe sex(thus abstinence if you are not legally married to any spouse). They can also be educated on the various protective measures and the actions to be taken when one has been sexually assaulted, and the right reporting mechanisms on campus. Also, there should be mental health counseling on campus for those with traumatized sexual experiences.
Sometimes it is difficult to detect mental health conditions early, even as some signs and symptoms show, we may be forced to disregard them for something else. Therefore students should be educated on mental health conditions, signs and symptoms and be quick to recognize them early and seek immediate medical treatment. Let us be one another’s keeper and help our colleagues and friends should we notice anything odd in their mental health or behavior. Our mental health should be our concern.
Social Secret to Staying In College of Education
BE SOCIALLY FIT
Fitting into a new environment is very difficult especially for introverts and newly admitted students. Some may ask ” what if I don’t fit in?”, ” I’m too shy to make friends” etc. It is normal to feel that way but as time goes on and you socialize with your course mates, you’ll be able to fit just in. I felt same when I was a newbie in college.
In fact, I was afraid of making the wrong friends but gradually I was able to make lots of friends than I ever made, friends with positive aura, the ones that stick close to me during my trying times and who always encourage me. I realized that coming to college was one of the best thing that could ever happen to someone, it’s a turning point in our lives, making new friends, I have been able to do away with shyness and enochlophobia (the fear of crowd). Socializing with good friends in college is a guarantee to succeeding in school.
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Make new friends and as they have positive impact on you, you also have positive impact on them.
Always be friendly and approachable, do not feel shy or scared to speak up in class, be interactive. Let me share one secret with you, being active and speaking up in class makes it easy for tutors to know you faster and better, it also helps create a cordial relationship with your tutors, you become close to them, this increases your chances of succeeding in college because as you are closer to them, they will be able to give you few tips in getting better grades as well as giving you the necessary guidance.
Explore, you can join educational clubs and societies such as the debate club, the red cross society, the media club and many more. These clubs help groom you. They are also educative. For instance, in the red cross society, we are taught the types of wounds and their treatment, fractures and their treatment, how to bandage an injured person and many more which are also being taught in Physical education (PE) and in Integrated science. Therefore learning these in the red cross society beforehand is a plus and also to our own advantage.
Spiritual Secrets To Staying in Colleges of Education
BE SPIRITUALLY FIRM
Mostly, when students go to college and are faced with academic stress and pressure, they tend to forget about their spiritual needs. Most students also become relaxed, some become spiritually downcast and some no longer take their spiritual lives serious probably because their parents are no longer there to monitor their spiritual lives.
One of the easiest ways to succeed in college and in life is by being spiritually healthy. God is the source of life hence our relationship with God must be a very close one.
By commiting everything we do into His hands, we are sure to succeed.
Pray always.
In college you’re all alone without your parents or relatives, there are external forces as well hence we need to pray constantly. Persevere in prayer, do it unceasingly. It should be a normal routine for you because that is your weapon against the devil’s schemes.
The way you always remember to eat when you’re hungry, same way always remember to read the Bible and meditate on it.
When you buy any electrical appliance such as Television or fridge, there is always a manual attached to it to guide you in using the product likewise, the Bible serves as our life’s manual, it provides guidance on our daily activities, remember to read it always to guide your steps wherever you go.
Avoid bad companies and always strive to be of good behavior.
Be organized always.
Create a personal timetable for your studies, plan your routines well and always stick to a schedule
Be time conscious, always manage your time wisely and judiciously. This helps to prevent procrastination and later life regrets.
Always be punctual to lectures.
Try studying ahead of your lecturers. This helps alot. It gives you ample time to attend to and satisfy other things.It keeps you updated and it helps you to be ready and poised for exams, by doing this, there is no exams that you wouldn’t excel.
As a student in a college, you need to take personal hygiene seriously. Practice it always.
During lectures make sure you take and make notes on lessons taught. This helps you prepare adequately for exams.
Set and prioritize your educational and other goals. Work hard in achieving these goals. By so doing you would be able to have a sense of self fulfilment.
Set enough time to study and rest.
Plan your academic life well. Have your short and long range plans in check and work very hard in fulfilling them.
Join effective study groups. Avoid being in study groups where you only chat ,press phones and talk about unnecessary stuff.
Build good study habits
Always study in a convenient environment.
Going to college is considered as one of the greatest times in ones life and is indeed a pivotal time for most students.
As such, it is very important for college students to understand how smart decisions they make today will lead to healthful and worthy life decisions that will remain throughout their lifetime. As said early on, going to college is one of the best experiences ever. You get to learn lots of things and probably eat new foods as well. You are able to unravel your true self and reveal and improve upon your talent and gifts.
Staying in a college becomes very easy and successful if one follows the guides and live a morally just life. However, it is up to each student to learn! but remember, life has own troubles and anxieties so one day at a time!
DISCLAIMER: The above article is an original work of Dedzo Precious, a team member of emiinspirations
Visit https://admission.coeportal.edu.gh/ to register into any college of education
God bless you
Amen
Sure. Thank you
Thanks for educating we your young ones on the tips of becoming a successful students ????
You welcome
Nice one
Thank you
A very beautiful piece of work. Keep it up Buddy
@DedzoPrecious
#WeKnowAPlace ????
Thank you dear????
Avery very Beautiful piece of work and also very very inspirational buddy keep it up Buddy @PreciousDedzo????