How to Make It in College I. Get good gradesthe secrete: figure out a【T1】_____

How to Make It in College   
    Good morning. Today is your first day on campus. Everything is a hassle, from finding the classrooms to standing in line at the bookstore. You’re confused and tired and probably not too concerned with staying in college. But listen to my advice anyway. It will help you get the inside story on making it in college.
    Now, let’s talk about the secret to getting good grades.
    It all comes down to getting those grades, doesn’t it? After all, you came here for some reason, and you’re going to need passing grades to get the credits or degree you want. In colleges, you’re really on your own when it comes to passing courses. In fact, sometimes you’ll feel as if nobody cares if you make it or not. (1) Therefore, you’ve got to figure out a study system that gets results. Most of the successful students I talked to agreed that the following 5 study tips deliver solid results.
    Firstly, set up a study place. Those students you see "studying" in the cafeteria or game room aren’t learning much. (2) You just can’t learn when you’re distracted by people and noise. Even the library can be a bad place to study if you constantly find yourself watching the clouds outside or the students walking through the stacks. So find a room at home or a spot in the library that’s relatively quiet—and boring. When you sit there, you won’t have much to do except study.
    (3) Secondly, get into a study frame of mind. When you sit down, do it with the attitude that you’re really going to get this studying done. (4) You’re not going to doodle in your notebook or make a list for the supermarket. Decide that you are going to study and learn now, so that you can move on to more interesting things as soon as possible.
    Thirdly, skim the textbook first. In order to prevent absent-mindedness, skim the textbook chapter first. (5) This means; look at the title, the subtitles, the headings, the pictures, the first and last paragraphs. Try to find out what the person who wrote the book had in mind when he or she organized the chapter. After skimming, you should be able to explain to yourself what the main points of the chapter are.
    Fourthly, take notes on what you’re studying. This sounds like a hassle, but it works. (6) Go back over the material after you’ve read it, and jot down key words and phrases in the margins. When you review the chapter for a test, you’ll have handy little things like "definition of rationalization" or "example of assimilation" in the margins. If the material is especially tough, organize a separate sheet of notes. Write down definitions, examples, lists, and main ideas. The idea is to have a single sheet that boils the entire chapter down to a digestible lump.
    Fifthly, review after you’ve read and taken notes. (7) Some people swear that talking to yourself works. Tell yourself about the most important points in the chapter. Once you’ve said them out loud, they seem to stick better in your mind. If you can’t talk to yourself about the material after reading it, that’s a sure sign you don’t really know it.
    (8) Next, I would like to talk about how to manage the tight schedule you may face in college. This is one of the toughest problems students face. Believe it or not, though, it is possible to meet all your responsibilities. And you don’t have to turn into a hermit or give up your loved ones to do it.
    The secret here is to organize your time. Try these three tactics.
    First, prepare a monthly calendar. Get one of those calendars with big blocks around the dates.
    (9) Give yourself an overview of the whole term by marking down the due dates for papers and projects.
    (10) Circle test and exam days. This way those days don’t sneak up on you unexpectedly.
    Second, make up a study schedule. Sit down during the first few days of this semester and make up a sheet listing the days and hours of the week. (11) Fill in your work and class hours first. Then try to block out some study hours. It’s better to study a little every day than to create a huge once-or-twice-a-week marathon session.
    (12) Third, use to-do lists. This is the secret that got me through college. Once a week, write a list of what you have to do. Write down everything from "write English paper" to "buy cold cuts for lunch". The best thing about a to-do list is that it seems to tame all those stray "I have to" thoughts that nag at your mind. After you finish something on the list, cross it off. Get the important things done first. The secondary things you don’t finish can simply be moved to your next to-do list.
    In the last part of my lecture, I’d like to explain why some people make it and some drop out of college. Anyone who spends at least one semester in college notices that some students give up on their classes. (13) What’s the difference between students like this and the ones who succeed in school? My survey may be non-scientific, but everyone I asked said the same thing: attitude. A positive attitude is the key to everything else—good study habits, smart time scheduling, and coping with personal difficulties.
    What does "a positive attitude" mean? Well, for one thing, it means not acting like a zombie. It means not only showing up for your classes, but also doing something while you’re there. (14) Really listen. Take notes. Ask a question if you want to. Don’t just walk into a class, put your mind in neutral, and drift away to never-never land.
    Having a positive attitude goes deeper than this, though. (15) It means being mature about college as an institution. College classes can sometimes be downright dull and boring. If you let a boring class discourage you so much that you want to leave school, you’ll lose in the long run. Look at your priorities. You want a degree, or a certificate, or a career. If you have to, you can make it through a less-than-interesting class in order to achieve what you want. But if you simply can’t stand a certain class, be determined to fulfill its requirements and be done with it once and for all.
    OK, to conclude, if you follow the advice here, you’ll be prepared to face the academic crunch without giving up your family, your job, or Monday Night Football. That’s all for the lecture. Thank you.