Every stage of life counts and has the best to offer for every Ghanaian who has the interest to further his/her education.
However, this does not come easily; From planning to further the academic ladder, working tirelessly to earn enough money with support from parents or guardians, applying for admission and even awaiting admission put students in dilemma.
Finally gaining admission is joyous. But it is just the commencement of another phase of life in which one must learn to adhere to rules, principles, and advice.
The four-year journey is not easy nor is it difficult, it all relies on how you will start. And After your 4-year B.Ed. program, your toil would be measured based on your seriousness in academics.
Some will graduate with distinctions while others will end up putting parents, guardians, and themselves in a dilemma with unsatisfactory results.
Some may not even complete the four-year program but ends up dropping at the initial stage or in between.
It is very keen and advantageous for you to receive enough advice. Being guided leads to academic excellence and a “dream come true.
Below are Some of the things I would like you to note and adhere to have a successful four-year journey;
Set high personal and academic standards for yourself, and live up to them:
Listen to that little voice inside you that says, “I can do this.” Believe in yourself. Realize that school is work; it’s not playtime. Settle for nothing less than your very best.
Willingness to accept anything less than the very best too often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Strive for an “A” in all your courses. If you fall short of an “A”, you might earn a “B”.
If you fall short of a “C”, you might earn a “D” or “F”. You must set a standard to achieve, but remember to focus on the higher priorities.
Strive to understand.
Don’t merely memorize; increase your depth of understanding. You need to attempt to fully comprehend what you need to know and be able to do as a result of your education.
The syllabus of the Colleges does not entertain rote learning as end-of-semester questions are set based on the student’s understanding.
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A student is not just trained to write quizzes and exams to assess students but to understand concepts to impart.
Remember that grades count.
High grades imply intelligence, personal excellence, and dedication to seeing a job well done. High grades can make all the difference in landing the ideal job or getting into graduate school at the institution of your choice.
One of the motives for being enrolled is to achieve academic life. While some pray for C and D, concentrate on doing your best to achieve As and Bs.
Do well with class participation, and regular class attendance and get higher marks for your CA (Continuous Assessment).
The CA is added to the score at the end of the semester to achieve a higher grade set as a priority.
Get to know a wide range of people – faculty, staff, and students.
Networking is important. It is often true that who you know is just as important as what you know. Use your acquaintances to advantage, but don’t take advantage of them.
Meet with your departmental advisor early on and frequently; he or she can provide valuable and timely advice.
Get to know your teachers; just because they might have a PhD Ph.D.no reason to believe that they are not interested in you as a student.
Develop a strong relationship with your tutors and give them the utmost respect as they mentor you to achieve your aims.
Get to know the majors in your field if it’s not a general course, and more importantly, form a study group.
Don’t put it off until tomorrow
What you can do today. Work should come before pleasure. Manage your time effectively; set up a timeline for getting word completed in each of your courses.
Set aside adequate time for homework, study, sleep, relationships, and work. You need not always finish every task all at once. Remember, you can write a 365-page book every year if you only write one page per day.
Some of your friends may be walking around, going to town, and having unnecessary conversations when you can make good use of such time.
Know yourself and know how and when you learn. Your friend’s preferences may not be the same as yours.
Choose Your Friends Carefully
Friends can support you in your efforts to maximize the benefits of a college education.
Friends too set on having a good time at the expense of a good education can be seriously detrimental.
Get to know people who express high social, academic, and personal values. It is very good to have friends to socialize with but know the type of friends you choose. Some friends may add value to your academics.
The choice of some people ends up on drugs, theft and other deviant acts which attract punishment. Such deviant acts attract punishments suspended indefinitely.
In the College of Education, being suspended for a semester gets demotes you as you’ll graduate with your juniors.
Honesty is the best policy
Avoid cheating in all its forms – collusion, plagiarism, copying, etc.
Students who cheat seriously fail to learn what is oftentimes important, and this doesn’t help them in the long run.
Sometimes the only they do learn – after getting caught – is that cheating doesn’t pay.
I know this may sound funny to fresh students but following this simple task may not end you killed.
Some people havelittled this and have regretted.
Being caught in any form of cheating in the quizzes and ending end-of-semesters may lead to an indefinite suspension.
Don’t ignore or deny your personal and academic problems
Problems will often get worse if they are not directly addressed in a timely fashion.
Procrastination in any of its many forms can lead to a small problem getting much worse.
Get help when you need it. Speak to your course instructors, your advisor, or your parents for support.
When you face psychological problems, seek guidance and counseling.
Don’t make important decisions based on second-hand information.
Jumping to rash conclusions based on incorrect information can cause you significant personal and professional problems.
If you are uncertain about something, check it out before you decide.
In the colleges of education, the best mediums of information relayed are by; face to face meetings, and frequent checking of both WhatsApp and telegram groups created by the school.
Face-to-face information is somewhat limited as compared to online social media platforms.
It’s the only medium where time meetings for lectures and other important meetings are communicated to the students.
Seek out special opportunities.
College is a time to expand your mind and your experiences. Select your general education courses wisely.
Consider student research, field trip opportunities, or a new language.
Choose courses that will expand your world; avoid taking courses merely because they are “an easy A” or a “blow-off course.”.
Don’t over-commit yourself.
Mature students always take responsibility for their actions – all of them.
Some students will commit themselves to more work than they are capable of completing.
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Don’t let this happen to you; you owe it to others, to be honest with your word.
Make yourself a well-rounded person.
Consider all four dimensions of life as you strive to educate yourself – physical, spiritual, intellectual, and social. Spend time each day developing each of these four dimensions.
The domains of learning such as the affective, cognitive and psychomotor are the pivotal domains one should develop.
Take responsibility for yourself.
When some students begin college life their sense of personal responsibility seems to disappear.
Parents or guardians are longer “cracking the whip” making certain that everything is getting done correctly or on time.
That work is now the responsibility of the student. Failure to recognize this fact has resulted in even some of the best high school students failing as college students.
Remember, you came to the College individually so you will leave the 4 corners of the school individually.
Do your possible best to have a smiling face on the graduation day of the 4-year Degree program.
Wish you all the best in your stay in the College.