Skip to main content

Is something missing from your college readiness checklist?

College applications, scholarships, moving plans; you might’ve even practiced saying goodbye to friends and family. 

But if mastering your study skills isn’t part of that plan, you’re not setting yourself up for success.

Read this quick article until the end to learn why sharpening your study skills matters for your transition to college and what you can do to get started right now.

Your Study Skills Affect More Than Just Grades

Transitioning to college means more than just dealing with higher academic expectations. While your studies are your primary focus, you must also deal with living away from home in an unfamiliar social environment and managing your time independently.

How you approach the academic side of that equation will affect how you handle all the other aspects of your college life.

Research by Jansen and Suhre (2010) shows that the study skills you build in high school can affect how you cope with college life. When you’ve mastered your approach to studying, you can look forward to more positive study behaviors, stronger motivation, less stress, and higher achievements when transitioning to college.

With such broad-reaching effects, it’s clear that sharpening your study skills must be a top priority for your college readiness. You can hone those skills independently or with help, like through mentorship and tutoring by Equity Metrics.

 

Study Skills That Make A Difference

Now that you know how essential study skills are when transitioning to college, it’s time to think about which of those skills will help you the most.

Prepare yourself for college by mastering these study skills starting right now:

1. Time Management And Organization

Managing time is one of the most important study skills you can master. 

Doing so will help you allocate time and prioritize tasks correctly to ensure you meet all your deadlines.

2. Reading, Research, and Citations

These also form an essential part of your study skills as they enable you to gather the correct information to learn from and analyze, all while giving proper credit to their sources.

3. Note-Taking

You’ll be flooded with new information when learning in college, whether that’s from the reading you do or the lectures you attend. Learning how to take notes is a crucial skill for you to process that information and review the parts that matter to your learning.

4. Social Learning

Your ability to learn from your peers is a skill that will set you apart from the rest. It’ll certainly enhance your learning more than students who work alone and limit themselves to learning only from books and lectures. 

That’s why shared learning activities like group study are so effective!

Final Thoughts

The best time to start sharpening your study skills is right now. Start by reflecting on what your skills look like currently, then learn more from sources like YouTube videos or articles on the Equity Metrics blog! And if you need support, Equity Metrics Education is here to help with our excellent educators and mentors!

References

Jansen, E. P., & Suhre, C. J. (2010). The effect of secondary school study skills preparation on first‐year university achievement. Educational Studies, 36(5), 569–580. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055691003729070