Skills Required in College - Essay Example

Skills Required in College Joining the higher level of learning after high school is always a great step ahead in one’s educational life. It is an opportunity to choose the specific career that one wishes to pursue in life, it is also a chance to study a course that one enjoys and has chosen. The college experience is therefore, a defining factor in the direction one’s career life will take. However, college is more than just a stage of life that one can just swim through. For the college experience to be useful in an individual’s life, it is important to master the essential skills needed to go to college. There are important skills that are required by a college student in order to help shape their educational, financial and moral growth that will lead to their success in college and life. Time-Management Skills; It is important that a student can manage their time when they are in college. This will enable them to be able to attend classes at the appropriate time and be in the right place at the right time. Good time management will enable them not to work their way into the time allocated for studying and they will also be able to have a balance between the time they spend studying and the time that is spent engaging in extra-curriculum activities. Good time management will enable a student prepare weekly schedules that will guide them in their day-to-day activities. Their class time and meal times will be allocated time in this schedule so that they can also create reasonable time to spend with friends. Having good time management will also enable a college student be focused as they understand the alignment of activities that await them each day and with dedication, they will be able to maintain focus. This goes to show that good time management benefits the educational life of the student and strikes a balance in their social and extra-curricular activities. Time management is one of the stepping-stones to the student’s success in both college life and once they are out of college (MacCann, Carolyn, Richard, 618). It is a skill breed into the student and it instills self-drive in them. Independent decision-making refers to a state whereby a student has the attribute of making decisions independently, and then they have a chance to succeed in their college life. This is because they can plan their programs and come up with their original ideas. A student will be able to avoid wasting time by following the crowd, as they will have their system to go by. The skill of independent decision-making is an important skill for a student who is going to college due to the different types of people they might find themselves interacting with. Some of the other students may have perverted morals and may be engaging in drug abuse. Others lack self-control and forget the purpose of why they joined college. As a result, they end up spending more time in parties and lazing around. However, when a student has the attribute of independent decision making, they will be able to reason and weigh the benefits of engaging in certain behaviors as well as the disadvantages that may come from them Stringer, Kate , Jennifer 181). This way, they can say no to peer influence as they choose to do what they feel is right for them and their studies. Independent decision-making is, therefore, beneficial to the educational and moral growth of a student in college. Accountability and responsibility (honesty, integrity); the skill of accountability and responsibility enable a college student become honest and maintain their integrity during their college life. In conjunction with independent decision-making, the student can justify the reason behind the choice they make and the action that they execute, as they will have been well thought out. Being able to be accountable for one’s actions is an attribute that goes a long way in the student’s life. It also natures the values of honesty and integrity in the student making their life in college much easier as they will not be dubious when found in the wrong or when called upon to explain a particular matter. A student who is accountable and responsible can also be trusted by the college administration as well as the fellow student to act as a leader which will benefit the student by giving them leadership experience (Kuh, George et al 4). This leadership experience can go a long way even in the future of the students’ life. This skill betters their relationship with fellow peers and the administration of the college. They also learn to take care of themselves and matters that concern them such as maintaining hygiene and doing their laundry. Management of personal finances; the skill of management of personal finances is also crucial to a college student. This is because they are experiencing being independent adults and need to start teaching themselves to determine what is most important and what is east important. They cannot afford to keep buying meaningless things that do not add value to their lives such as drugs as they have to eat, pay rent and buy study material. When a college student is able wise decisions concerning the way they spend their money, then they get to feel in control of their lives and re also able to save up some money. Moral values go into the art of financial stability and a student able to have discipline and self control when it comes to the way they spend their money. It is one of the most important skills that a college student should have, as it requires them to have a reasonable budget that they can follow diligently. It also prevents a student from nagging their parents now and then for financial help and shows them that they are responsible and dependable (Shim, Soyeon et al. 1457). The ability to balance a checkbook as well as the understanding of credit and credit cards prove useful in enabling a student to survive during their time in college. They learn the value of money and the importance of proper personal finance management. Technology skills; in this age and era, it is important for a student to have technology skills that surround the student life in just about every way. There are assignments to be submitted online and research to be done online and libraries to be accessed online as well as the social networks and interactions that have changed the whole idea of connecting with others. This factor then means that a college student needs to be well conversant with technology in order to be up to date and access the latest information. They need to good in their typing skills and have accurate and fast typing that are useful when researching on the internet, writing papers and sending emails. A college student should also be aware of online etiquette skills that are important while communicating online or on social platforms. This includes the social media or online forums as well as the content in emails. It is also important that a student can navigate through the computer programs such as the word processor and spreadsheets, as well as the presentation program (Henderson, Flor, Nelson, William, 270). The knowledge of how to use the computer is important for a student’s success in college as it helps the student make the most use of search engines, databases, and online references. This will benefit their educational life. Study skills; Study skills are among the most important skills that a college student should have. This is because the main agenda of going to college is to further one’s education. It is therefore of most importance that a student approaches their education with the right strategy and planning so that they can gain the most from their time in college. Good study skills involve setting up a reasonable timetable and dedicating time and putting effort to follow it. Knowing how to read the essential material and mastering the art of concentration while studying is useful in ensuring good performance in one’s education. Learning to make use of the available college resources such as the library and computers so as to gain as much as possible is also helpful. This will enable the student to understand further various concepts through studying and research in the process as well as ensuring they take their assignments with seriousness (Freeman, Edward, Eileen, 109). They can be organized in the way they plan the topics to cover and join constructive discussion groups that will challenge their knowledge and enable the student learn more information from fellow students. They will be able to gain as much as possible and progress in their educational life. Respect for rules and privacy; the importance of remaining in peace with other students, as well as the administration, cannot be under estimated. This is because, in one way or another, a student will find themselves requiring the support or assistance of others in their studies or school life. In order for a student to maintain a peaceful relationship with other students, and then they need to be aware of the boundaries they should not cross while associating with other students in college. A student should have the skills of respecting the rules that the administration has put in place to maintain order in the college. A student should also learn to respect other students as individuals by being polite while associating with them and also respecting their privacy. Respecting their privacy also comes in where the students are using the internet. No matter how technologically advanced a student is, they should not try to access other people’s information without their permission or even try to access the administration’s sensitive information. Respect enables there to be trustworthiness from others (Kuh, George, et al. 2). Respect is also a moral virtue that also command respect from others as it symbolizes maturity. Bearing in mind that a college has many different individuals who are from different backgrounds and have different values, having respect for others will ensure that the student remains in harmony with fellow students and the administration. Stress management skills; A healthy mind is essential for good educational performance as well as proper reasoning that will lead to good moral values. College life can sometimes prove hectic with much workload, research to be done, and activities to keep up with. Sometimes, all the things expected of them from their studies and the pressure to perform well and fit in as well which may lead to stress can overwhelm a student. It is, therefore, important that the student has stress management skills to avoid being mentally unhealthy which if extended may lead to physical problems as well. Some of the stress management skills include participating in hobbies and allocating leisure time in one’s program. Avoiding stress will also enable the student pay attention in their studies and lead a happy lifestyle. Taking regular exercise and enough rest as well as proper nutrition will help the student reduce stress (Amla, Noriah, Chinaveh, 311). A student who is mentally healthy is also more productive in their studies, and they will have a clear mind and make wise decisions. In conclusion, college is an incredible step forward in one’s educational life but having the right skills to enable a student go through it with ease is helpful. Having the proper management skills of one’s finances and time as well as having an independent mind enable the student become responsible in the way they organize themselves and the way behave around others. These factors help shape their character for the better and it is, therefore, important for a college student to be willing to learn how to survive in college and gain as much as they can from this institution through computers and interaction with others. Work Cited Chinaveh, Mahbobeh, Noriah Mohd Ishak, and Amla Mohd Salleh. "Improving mental health and academic performance through multiple stress management intervention: implication for diverse learners." Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences 7 (2010): 311-316. Freeman, Edward, and Eileen Lynd-Balta. "Developing information literacy skills early in an undergraduate curriculum." College Teaching 58.3 (2010): 109-115. Henderson, Flor, Nelson Nunez-Rodriguez, and William Casari. "Enhancing research skills and information literacy in community college science students." The American Biology Teacher 73.5 (2011): 270-275. Kuh, George D., et al. Student success in college: Creating conditions that matter. John Wiley & Sons, (2011): 2-4 MacCann, Carolyn, Gerard J. Fogarty, and Richard D. Roberts. "Strategies for success in education: Time management is more important for part-time than full-time community college students." Learning and Individual Differences 22.5 (2012): 618-623. Shim, Soyeon, et al. "Financial socialization of first-year college students: The roles of parents, work, and education." Journal of youth and adolescence 39.12 (2010): 1457-1470. Stringer, Kate J., and Jennifer L. Kerpelman. "Career identity development in college students: Decision making, parental support, and work experience."Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research 10.3 (2010): 181-200. Read More