 
# Developing Effective Study Habits

## Study less study smart

By

### Phillip Jr

# Dedication

This is dedicated to all students struggling to improve their academic performance.

And I am gladly looking forward to seeing you succeed!

# Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

Part I – MINDSET

My Own Story

Mindset

Developing Academic Success Mindset

Part II – STRATEGY

Become a Goal Motivated Student

Set Your Academic Goals

Take Consistent Actions

Manage Your Time

The Dilemma of Students

Self-discipline

Part III – TACTICS

Before You Study

Prepare To Study

When You Study

During Study

Study Activity

When You Finish Study

The Rest of It

Before Examinations

Develop the Right Attitude

The End

# INTRODUCTION

Most students want to see their grades go up. But instead of putting in the consistent efforts necessary to get them there, they simply attribute getting higher grades to having a higher IQ or just working harder than everyone else.

They will also complain that they are simply incapable of doing both, but even though there is a shred of truth in what they are saying. Nevertheless, the reverse is also true. There is a group of academic specialist called the Elevate Education Group that have perform extensive research and analysis as to how and why the top student get the top result.

What they discovered was remarkable, they discovered that most top student don't get the best result because they have a higher IQ or worked harder than everyone else. But instead these top students have develop some unique skills sets (that enable them to get the best results) that the rest of the students do not posses. These skills are common across different countries and can be both taught to and learned by other students to improve their results.

The author of this book is a student who personally struggle with average results, until he immersed himself into learning these skills that made the top student excel. And he watched earnestly as his results miraculously improved to reflect his new attitude and performance.

He has now mastered these skills and is willing to share his knowledge and experience with fellow students, whom he wishes to inspire to live up to the standard of grades they wish to achieve.

It is my most fundamental belief that any student can gradually develop himself from an average to an excellent student, if he/she is determined and patient enough to practice the principles written in this book.

Let's take a quick view of these fundamental principles. Becoming self-motivated student means you take the time to clarify the reasons why you want to study and diligently search for your carrier opportunities; this will motivate you to stay focused. Moreover, you need to set and strive to achieve your academics goals each and every semester. Then you need to manage your time until you have enough time to study. And lastly, you need to use the right study methods and procedures that have proven to work overtime.

The following pages will explain to you in great details how you can develop yourself from average to an excellent student. All you need is an open mind and willingness to implement what you learn into your life.

# Part I MINDSET

This part of the book will give you insights into the thought processes that compel top students to go for high grades and actually achieve them. It will then guide you as to how you can develop these thought processes yourself, so as to actually do the same.

# My Own Story

It was February 2nd, 2017 and I was sitting down next to my dad at the Head of Department's (H.O.D) office of Electrical Engr. It was around 12:00pm in the afternoon when the H.O.D entered. We had been there for just about 15 minutes. It was a large office the size of a normal house parlor. There was a three corner sitting chairs forming a half square sitting arrangement. Then inside the office towards the end of the office, there is a place where the H.O.D's personal desk is located (this is probably the place where he attends to office issues).

We have prior in the day collected my admission letter into 200l to the department of Electrical Engineering from the Registrar's office. We were sitting on the square chairs, me and my dad facing each other then the H.O.D came in and sat down in the centre chair. He congratulated me for the offer I got but told me that there was a big problem. Which was that the semester had begun since last year's November, and they were close to writing exams, which was scheduled to take place in the coming month. He even concluded to us that I was the last student to be admitted in the department, and that the academic portal will be closing off the next day to start preparing for the coming end of semester exams.

Where the H.O.D really got my attention was when he suggested to my father that I should differ the semester (which means that I have to spill over). To even prove his point, he called a lecturer who happened to be taking 200l students 2 major courses and ask the lecturer as to how far they have went. The lecturer responded that they have already set time for a test in the coming week for one of the courses, and the other course they are also close to rounding off. That was when my joy was suddenly overcome with fear but I still manage to keep a straight face.

My dad was speechless for a moment and I watched his face portray a sign of sadness. I was the one who summon the courage to ask the H.O.D whether I still have a chance to write all my courses with my course mates, if I can try to do my best of the remaining days I had left. He paused for a moment and then responded in a casual manner by saying well 'yes, but it is not probable that you will pass all your courses'. Still a long silence followed until my father intervenes by saying 'so Muhsin, what is your own suggestions'. And I gladly replayed that I am willing to give it a try. I could see a sign of surprise in the H.O.D's face because I knew deep inside of him he is thinking this boy must be crazy. But that is all it takes sometimes to achieve success – you have to be willing to take calculated risk and a leap of faith with little or no probability of success.

Deep down I was also having an honest conversation with myself, and I was like 'I know definitely I cannot pass all the courses, but at least is better to stand for something than to fall for nothing, so let me be sure I have done my best then live the rest to God, and let's see what the future will bring. I definitely know that it will be difficult for me to pass all my courses, so I made a determination to concentrate my effort in passing the ones I could. That was how we ended the conversation and call it a day with the H.O.D where he head on to his personal desk and we left immediately.

The next day I resumed college fully and immediately completed my registration, the next day I got my matriculation number which means I can go ahead doing my lectures and documentation simultaneously. But it wasn't easy at all; I guess that was the first moment in my life when I felt completely overwhelmed. The lectures were intense because most of the lecturers were rounding off and tests were along the corner.

As I it was dead clear to me that I cannot study all my courses in this short period of time unless I found an effective way of studying. I devoted most of my time to browsing the internet, and asking my course mates and seniors about, the best way to study effectively. I come across some useful answers but in a mist of vague general non-specific terms that was difficult for me to decipher, none the less I was able to grasps some fundamentals like the value of having study mates and doing practice exams and having enough rest before and after studies. I continued to search here and there, but what I was more surprise about was the boundless energy with which I approach my studies. I wanted to uncover the secret of how I was able for the first time to study for longer period of time without being stress as most students were.

That was how I continued to merge my studies with searching for the little secrets that I taught will help me pass my exams well. Until the time for exams was so close that I have to abandon the search and make do with what I had. But I put all I had learn to work the various strategies and tactics that I learnt from several sources and to my surprise I happen to be doing pretty well in my tests even though the results were not yet out for me to confirm my assumptions. That was how we ended off the semester and I went home to cool off from the terribly tense period I had in college.

We resumed second semester and I was back to normally doing what other students are doing until our first semester result came out about three weeks after resumption, and I went to the examination office to check my result, that I was taken aback with what I saw. I have somehow managed to pass the entire course I offered during the first semester. Even though including two courses that I god a pass grade. But that totally revolutionize the way I approach my studies, as I realize that really some of the things I learnt about effective study were important, and it was as a result of them that I was able to get such a remarkable result.

That was when I knew for the first time that I have hit upon a gold mine because most of the things I did during that first semester were awkward that I thought I wouldn't want to repeat them again. But somehow these things seemed to be working so I was now faced with the challenge of sorting out facts from fiction. This is true because even at the time, I knew that my capacity wasn't sufficient for the result I got. It has to be something else – it has to be some of the methods I used – that supported me. From that moment on, I come to genuinely believe that there is more to passing exams than just hard working. And therefore, it was necessary for me to find out what those things are, that is I wanted to know what to do and what not to do in order to pass my exams with remarkable results all the time.

During the first semester exams I got a GP of 3.75 out of a 5 point GP scale. So during the second semester, I immediately began to dig deeper and deeper to really find out what works and what doesn't. The second semester was even more phenomenal because, at the end I got a GP of 4.25 which means I was really learning what was working and I will bet you I didn't study harder than those student that a wavering around 3.0 CGPA.

300l was definitely tougher than 200l as we were now studying only departmental courses and mathematics. Therefore I gave it my best shot and got a GP of4.02 first semester and 4.09 for second semester. And even though most of you might not believe, but the reason my G.P did not over index the way you expected me to say was that, I became really smart, because I found out some things that the rest of my fellow students do not know. First, along my research I stumble a fact that is unknown to 98% of students, which was that our grade don't really matter to what we will achieve in life, because that requires more than just passing exams with excellent result. Second I wanted to be an entrepreneur, so instead of putting all my energy to passing my exams. I divided my time between studying my engineering courses and entrepreneurship.

Even though to some student this might seem to be a good justification as to why I couldn't scale up my G.P to 5 point, it is in fact still the truth. I was more interested in the freedom that learning to study effectively gave me than scaling my GP to 5 point in order to prove to somebody that I know how to study effectively. Even though my 400l first semester I got a G.P of 4.35, but it just didn't matter to me anymore because I have learnt and master how to study effectively and any time I am faced with a study challenge I know how to handle it.

That is why I wrote this book, not to teach you how to become a 5 pointer (even though you can definitely achieve that using these methods) but to guide students on how to achieve academic excellence, while worrying less about their time and effort, and not how to rapidly go from a low grades to peak grades. All I offer is a sure method to studying effectively which will cut down the time and energy you spent, while amplifying your ability to pass your exams with excellent result.

I forgot to mention one crucial fact, which I think might be of benefit. This was that when I resumed first semester 400l after about just 2 weeks, I was rushed back home where I was taking to hospital because I was terribly ill. I happened to spent up to one month in the hospital and another two weeks at home recuperation. Even my parents were afraid that this time around I might not be able to make it through with my exams, because the semester was really bulky and it was not until close to mid- semester break that I had fully recovered. But knowing what I know about effective study methods. I didn't even freak out and I just know that all I need is a short time to get it together.

Even though there was a time when I found myself once again doubting myself but I still did my best and only my result was enough to speak for me. It was after I passed my 400l exams with such astonishing result in the face of such crucial adversity, that I come to realize that I have finally master the art of effective studying and I began to think that it will be very beneficial, if I can communicate my knowledge to the world.

Thus my experience have proved to me that there was a real formula to academic success and that any student that is willing to do what it takes can achieve success with little difficulty. All that is required is a willingness to learn and tenacity in action until it worked for him.

# Setting the Ground

I will like to categories student in a 5 Grade Points (G.P) scale as;

Below 2.0 as poor students

Between 2.0 to 3.0 as average students

Between 3.0 to 4.0 as good students

And between 4.0 to 5.0 as excellent students

Now there might be those students that have 4 points, 10 points or other point G.P scale depending on your institution but the classification is still the same. You just need to do the conversion yourself, to see what grade you are currently in and what grade do you intent to graduate with. This is all that is required, and fortunately even if you have not gotten your first result or you have not yet made up your mind. The skills that you are about to learn will still be as beneficial.

There are two aspect of getting excellent result that worked hand in hand. These two are mindset and methods. The mindset is simply the frame of mind with which you approach your studies. These include the expectations, hopes, fears and doubts with which you approach your studies. This involves how you feel about your studies.

The method on the other hand, is the strategies and tactics that you put forth in trying to obtain the result you wish to get. Most good students have their mindset right and so for them, the part of this book that is based on strategy and tactics will prove to be of greater assistance to them, but because the book is written in a sequential manner. It will be in their best interest to also pay attention to this first part, because it is the foundation for achieving excellent result.

As for poor and average students, do not despair! You need only pay greater attention to the mindset part because that might be where you are having the most problems with, but once you have learnt and incorporate the lessons you will be as competent as any other good student to achieve the result you wish to get.

# What Is Mindset

The best way to explain mindset as regard to academic performance is that, everyone has at the back of his mind what he deemed possible and for him to achieve. And he has form a way of thinking to justify these assumptions. The truth is that we are all capable of achieving far greater than what we think we can possibly achieve in almost any giving situation. But somehow these limits we set upon ourselves help us to define who we are and we use it to justify our actions (or inactions) in most cases.

We always have a level of expectancy in our mind that is consistent with whom we think we are. These expectations often determine our actions, which in turn determine the result we get. This is how the mechanism works in all cases, we choose who we are. Whereas, who we are determined what we do, and what we do determine to a great extent what we get out of life. But our problem begins when we wish to get certain results and our behavior and actions do not map to those ends, so all the time we end up getting what we worked for instead of what we wish to for. This is a truth that is often understood by one out of a hundred in our current society.

If we clearly understand this notion, it is easier for us to understand that we cannot determined our results directly, but we can choose our mindset which will determine our actions, which in turn will give us the result we want. This make sense, since it gives us the power to choose who we want to be and act consistent with our thought in order to get the result we wish to get.

So we want to always expect ourselves to perform excellently, and the best way to do that is to think in terms of the result we wish to get. Then focus our mind on how we can achieve that result, instead of dwelling in the limited reality of what we think is possible for us based on what we acquainted with getting.

Unfortunately, this also implies that, no matter how high your expectations are, if you do not match them with the right work ethics you will always fail. But where expectation matters are, if we come to expect the best out of ourselves, we will then be in a position to put in our best efforts to succeed.

What everyone wants is the best result they are capable of achieving, but it is a process that require us to grow, so as to be able to achieve it. If we take a closer look, we will understand that before we can get that result we want to get, we must do more. We are all certainly sure that we can only do to the extent that we mentally become the person capable of achieving such result.

Therefore, if we believe we are below average students we can never put in the work necessary to achieve high grades, we will always find a subconscious way to sabotage ourselves. But if on the other hand, we believe ourselves to be capable of achieving excellent results. Then, we will always find the ways and means to achieve this aim. It is always good to have the best expectations about ourselves because that enables us to become who we want to be.

To put it in another way 'we become what we think about'. And 'we are not what we think' but 'what we think, we are'. If we believe we are poor students we will always find reasons to justify our short comings which are fundamentally flawed. This will make us to put less vigor and effort toward our studies, which will in turn make us to get poor results. While if we come to think of ourselves as above average students, we will put in more effort and vigor to our studies, which will put us in the best position to succeed. Simply put 'whether you think you can or you think you cannot' you are both right. And your result will be in a direct proportion to what you come to believe about yourself.

# What Determines Our Mindset

All of us acquired our DNA at birth. We come to this world with almost the same number of brain cells irrespective of our gender, background or ethnicity. But our DNA predisposes some people to be better at doing some things than others, but it always compensates the other and never hinders them from the ability to also develop such skills. Therefore, apart from our temperaments that differ because of our DNA sequencing, we are all capable of doing the same thing as others with little variations.

Our lives are shaped prematurely by the kind of parenting we received, also the physical, social, political and economic environment we grew in also play a vital role to what we come to believe about ourselves. These experiences we had as little children shaped us to being the person we come to believe ourselves to be. Then comes the age when we were enrolled in school, where a combination of our education and experience took over. We become the sum total of our inherent character, education and experience. These factors determine to a great extent what we come to believe about ourselves and the environment we live in.

But after sometimes (especially during our teenage or immediately during our early adulthood) we acquire the ability to reason independently and from then on our lives began to be shaped greatly by the choices we made on daily basis. But these choices are made from our vast store house of knowledge and past experience. And therefore for us to be able to alter our current state of reality we must be willing to acquire new knowledge and experience that will shape us to become the person we wish to be. Therefore what we choose to think and do today will determine to a great extent what we will become in the future. As our present was hugely determined by the way we think and act in the past.

This means that even if we are below average students today we are not doomed to remain so. If we can choose to empower ourselves in the right way and do the right things, then we can also be able to get the best result we deserve. So our future is entirely up to us, we might either choose to do what we always do and therefore get the results we usually get, or we can choose to think and act differently and in a better manner, in order to get the results that we wish to get. So our future is entirely what we make of it today and tomorrow, and is not a mechanical output of our past, even though the two are related because our past shape to a great extent our present. But we have the ability to choose today what we want to be in the future.

Understand, if you want to get a different result from what you are getting now, you have to do things differently and in a better fashion. We have come to the realization that we are what we think and repeatedly do. So, all we need do in order to get a better result is to improve the way we think and the actions we take. There is a rule of thumb to remember that summarizes this notion. This is that 'if we think the way we thought, we will get the exact equivalence of what we got'. We need to change the way we think in order to get better result.

## Considerations

In shaping our thought to match the frequency of the result we wish to get, we have to consider two things. First, we don't get the result we wish to have but we get the result that we feel capable of achieving, which is A.K.A what we believe ourselves capable of achieving. The result we get is just a reflection of our though processes be it good or bad. These thought processes are nothing but our mindset. If we had a different mindset, then our results would have been different, for better or for worse.

Our belief about ourselves plays an important role in the results we obtain from life, for example; if we believe ourselves to be above average student. We will find ourselves constantly seeking ways and means to excel academically and putting extraordinary effort to achieve the result we want to get. But if we believe ourselves to be poor students, we will always sabotage our efforts, and justify our poor performance by doing the things that have proved to be unprofitable when it comes to academic excellence, then end up blaming other people and circumstances for our ill-luck.

Almost everyone grew up to find himself going to school, and we never learn for the most part how to study effectively or why we even need to study in the first place. We took test and exams in different subject and when our result came out; we come to believe certain things about ourselves. This is how we set the ground for what we deem possible for us to achieve academically. This is how we come to believe our result as a measure of our competency. This is how most of us continued until we enter high school without knowing whether that is our highest performance or the least, in my own case it was the least.

What we want to do now is to shake up those beliefs, even if we have had it now for a very long time and it is now a part of us. In order to do this we have to understand one crucial fact which is our result is only a reflection of our past effort and has little to do with who we are or what we are capable of achieving as individuals.

Our result does not define our capacity as to say if for example, I get below average that I cannot improve again. But rather our results are reflection of our mental poise, as to when and how we wrote the exams, so that if subsequently we upgrade our thinking definitely our result will have to improve to match our new reality. Our result is simply the statement of the effort we put forth. If we happen to improve our effort either by chance or by design, then and only then do we stand a chance for our result to improve.

As complete human beings, we are competent enough to get the result we want, and nothing can hinder us except our self-impose limiting beliefs. The self-limiting believes is nothing but the lie we tell ourselves as to the reason why we cannot get the result we want. But if we clear away that myth by the realization that we are as competent as any other living individual, then our potential for growth will be unlimited.

Secondly, since we have come to the realization that we can do more the next thing is to actually begin to aspire to do more. We want to increase our aspirations/expectations of ourselves. This is because 'a human being can never rise above his highest aspirations'. So, unless we aspire to have excellent results, we are apt to remain the way we and continue to do things the way we always do. Therefore we want to have a vision of having greater results, and letting that vision inspire us to put in the best effort required to achieve those result.

The best way to do that is by setting realistic goals and actually taking actions every single day that will move us toward the realization of such goals. An example is of being realistic is, if you are an average student it will be better for you to set the goal of being a good student than jumping right onto excellent student, as the possibility of you achieving those grades are better. This is because if your mind those not believe in your goals, no matter how you wish to get them you will not. And the key to making your goals realistic is to keep them clear and within the range of your current understanding of your limits. If you set realistic goals, they will give you the motivation to work extraordinarily hard to achieve them.

This confident expectation of getting better result also help you to shatter the myth that you cannot get better result, because by the time you start expecting yourself to get better result, you mind will at once begin to think of ways and means to make your vision a reality. This has now been proven by science to be the case, and the quote by Napoleon Hills (the author of Think and Grow Rich) sum it up that 'whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve'. So, if you set higher standards for yourself your mind will begin to think from those new standards and not the old way of your thinking. So take a moment and reflect deeply about what I have said so far, then promise yourself that you are going to get better results than you used to get since you have realize that you have the ability to do so, and then begin at once to start thinking of the ways and means to make this your vision a reality.

Please don't forget to rate and review this book for the benefits of other students like **you** and if you find this book helpful please feel free to share it with others. Thanks!

# Developing Academic Success Mindset

In the previous chapter we have mentioned that our beliefs and expectations shapes to a great extent the result we obtain. Subsequently, we want to give thought to how we can change these beliefs and expectations to get the result we want.

## Have a Big Reason Why You Want To Succeed Academically

To propel our results in the direction of achieving higher results, it is necessary that we develop an intense desire to have more and to do more, so as to get the exceptional result that we wish to have. We need to transcend mere wanting, and begin to actually demand ourselves to do whatever is necessary in our power to achieve this result.

One of the best ways to do that is to develop or figure out a big reason or reasons why you want to achieve academic excellence in the first place. In this regard, you want to ask yourself the question 'why do I want to have an excellent result?' and then think hard to really answer this question properly.

This is because if we are clear as to the reason why we want to do something and that reason happens to be true for us, then it will give us the necessary courage to really take actions that will move us toward realizing these goals. You don't want to answer these questions with some vague general non-specific terms like 'I want to excel in other to be happy' or 'I want to excel in order to get a better job' because the fact is, everybody wants to be happy and therefore that reason is too vague to effect any change on your part.

Moreover, in answering this question, never lie to yourself like saying 'I want to pass my exams in order to be the best in my class' except if that is true for you, because you cannot fool yourself. So, if the answer is not true for you just forget it. What you want to do is to answer this question in a specific and meaningful way. Something that when you remember it will give you the motivation to do things that you will normally not do.

What I did was that I will go to a coffee shop and buy some coffee then sit down alone, where I know I could concentrate then pull out a piece of paper and a pen. I will then write a headline 'why I need to study to pass my exams with excellent result'. Or I will add 'why I want to study hard to get better result than simply just remaining the way I am'. Then I will begin to think of all the reasons I can find and write the best ones that resonate with me.

If you begin to do this exercise for the first time, you will come to understand that you never have any clear reason why you study in the first place. That they are couple of reasons, the measure ones being social and parental pressure and lack of a better choice but don't let that discourage you. You didn't sit down to write those nonsense and therefore focus on the reasons why you need to study for you. So, never give up or despair if you happen to not find good reasons for the first time you try this exercise. Most students doing this for the first time might take more than just one sitting to write something meaningful.

Even for me, the first time I sat down for two hours I was able to come up with just two good reasons. First, I wanted to study hard to pass my exams because I want to be an Air Force Officer and the minimum requirement is second class upper (2-1) which is equivalent to 3.5 CGPA. So I definitely need to study hard to exceed that limit. And any additional grade will mean a higher chance of getting the job.

Secondly, I wanted to get the highest G.P I could get because I wanted to prove to my junior ones at home that they can also achieve exceptional result if they are willing to put in the effort. So you can imagine if these are my reasons what could possibly be yours, it might be anything so far it is true to you and you feel capable of holding on to it.

These reasons I had remained uppermost in my mind, even though as times goes on I get to find more reason for going for excellent grades. The latest of them being that I want to teach other student how to also study effectively, and as you might guess I am now doing a good job at that. These reasons amongst others remained uppermost in my mind and they really motivated me to give in my best especially when I was in doubt.

Some of the other reasons I didn't write at that time – because I found them to be unethical – that also propel me to study at great length, which I will like to take the shame of telling you now, because you might feel the same way as I did was that, I secretly wanted to do better than my peers, so that I will get to feel special amongst them. As ridiculous as these might sounds, it was one of the reasons that push me to study harder especially when I took the lead. The last thing I will want to see is any of my friends doing better than me. So any time I don't feel like studying, if I remember that my future job depends on it or that my friends will end up being better than me, I immediately jump to my feet and rush to the nearby class or library.

The reason why this method is so effective is because; it serves as a reservoir of motivation and inspiration especially during the moment you are feeling down, which is a definite requirement for achieving greatness. As a wise man once said 'a man can endure any how if he has but a big why' and I found that to be definitely true. This is a good point to remember and it is also applicable to every area of our lives that need improvement. Simply put, find enough reasons for you to do anything and you are far along the way to success than you might realize, because you are definitely going to meet challenges along the way, that if you do not have good reasons to persist you will end up feeling incapable.

It is good to find out what life style you want to live then connect it to achieving the high grades that you desire. You do this by realizing no matter what it is you want to do in life, it requires a lot of discipline, determination and hard work and there is no better place to develop these qualities than in an academic environment.

We have understood that we always act consistent with the thoughts and images we form in our mind. Therefore you want to find time to envision the kind of result you wish to achieve. This will also compel you to take the necessary effort to get there. And make sure that any reason you find which suggests that you can't do so is simply an intruder, and is trying to rob you of the freedom that you deserve. Thinking of the kind of result that you wish to get works hand in hand with thinking of the way to achieve them, so if you constantly think of achieving excellent result then you are putting yourself in the best position to succeed.

You want to also fall in love with the kind of result you want to get; doing so means you will be willing to go the extra mile for it. This will enable you to make the right choices all the time. Most people just have a bizarre idea of what they want to achieve but never gave it much thought, that is why it never influence the choice they made. But if you are unlike most people and develop the habit of thinking constantly of what you want to achieve, then that clarity of thought and sincerity of purpose will enable you achieve the result you want.

# Develop Passion for What You Study

Passion is working hard at something you want to do. The opposite of that is stress, which is working hard at something you do not want to do. Most athletes are able to do those extremely strenuous activities because they simply love what they are doing. That is why they are able to put in all their energy to achieve excellence. And it's no surprise why people never cease to be amazed by the kind of energy these athletes portray. This is just one example but even in school this is exactly the case.

Top students always love their game, while middle and average students do only under do rest, because they do not find interest in what they are doing. For top student it is always one of the two, either they love to study or they love to get top grades; which is impossible to score unless they put in the work. For me, I do it because I love to study. In both cases they develop passion for what they are doing which makes it easier for them to study hard.

While on the other hand middle, average students struggle to study because they do not have passion for what they are studying. Unfortunately, there is no work that is more boring and tiresome, if you don't like it than studying. This is because it involves spending countless hours sitting down in one place, staring at a piece of paper or computer screen.

What you want to do is to actually develop more passion for whatever it is you are studying. Because that is the only way you can be able to spend more time studying it, and actually having fun. For those that love what they are studying it is actually easy for them to agree with me. For me, I didn't face much of these challenges of lack of passion, because I wanted to be an Electrical Engineering since from the beginning.

But there was a time when things where tough and I began to question my choice. Therefore for sometimes I struggle paying attention in class. Until I realize the fact that, having no interest in what I am studying might be the possible reason why I am finding it difficult to pay attention. I started to really rejuvenate my passion and that is when I began to come on track. I also later found out that the more I was passionate about my studies the more I was willing to pay much attention to what I am learning.

There are many ways you can follow to increase your passion in what you study. You can begin to do your own research and there will not be any short of articles to guide you. But here I will like to point out directly to work works for me, to avoid diving into matters that I have no accurate knowledge of.

What I found to be most helpful for me was that I performed an in-depth research and analysis about the carrier opportunities related to my field of study. This heightened my interest because I was overwhelmed by what I found out that I couldn't literarily wait to finish my studies.

If you are to follow my path, what you want to do is to perform a deep carrier analysis for whatever you happen to be studying at the time. These include browsing the internet and going about asking people that have already graduated from your department from various backgrounds. You don't have to even limit the research to people that have graduated you can also find a lot of interesting students that know more than you. Never stop searching until you feel satisfy that you have found your answer. I will advise you to stick to the search until you find something that really resonate with you no matter how long that may take. It might take months or even up to a couple of years depending on your sagacity and intensity of purpose.

One thing I notice is that not all the students that I know are studying the course that they previously intend to study which makes it difficult for them to give it much interest. But that is the problem, whether you like the course or not is not debatable, since you happen to be studying it now. You should just try to pay attention. I know this may sound weird but even though I wanted to study Engineering I still have deep interest in philosophy but since from high school I learnt that the two are mutually exclusive. Except if I will have to study them one after the other. But still I never gave up hope and I use my leisure time to study it, and I have done a good job at that even though I don't expect anybody to hand me over a certificate.

I am still O.K with that and I still learnt a lot more than my peers. But because now I am studying engineering I happen to give all my attention to it exclusively. Along the way after my 200l I have also develop interest in entrepreneurship and I give it a lot of thought especially during end of semester breaks when I have the time to focus on it exclusively. But I keep all these interest a side when it comes to my academic time because I realize the value of achieving what I want.

Even though it might sound counteractive when I say that I give enormous amount of time to studying entrepreneurship and philosophy more than you might like to imaging, because it intoxicate me with passion that I will later use to attack my engineering studies. So, you can find something that interest you and be doing it during your stay in college. The passion that you develop will make you active during your studies, these might sound so theoretical but it worked for me, and so it can definitely work for you if you are willing to give it a try.

So the carrier opportunity analysis is never meant to be a barrier between the life you want to live and what you study, but rather it should serve as a motivating factor for what it is you want to study.

# Understand That Study Is Easy Unless We Make It Otherwise

There is a general belief in my family that mathematics is a difficult subject. This is by no means accidental. Because from early age when we fail math in school, our mother always told us that she was very poor in math, so instead of doing something about it, we come to accept it as reality.

Because our mother wasn't interested in math we come to detest it altogether, but that comes with a consequences. We all come to perform poorly in mathematics. I, in particular never pass a math subject with more than a D grade throughout my time in high school, and I happen to passed all my high school courses except math until I re-write it again that I was lucky to get a C grade. I wanted to study engineering and there is no way I can do that without mathematics.

Things even got more complex when I was admitted in Electrical Engineering and I was faced with the reality that, in order to successfully graduate, I have to offer five math courses across my study years. There and then I realize that if I will ever graduate from college I have to figure out a way to understand math. The first thing I did was to shatter my false belief that math was difficult, I realize that math was difficult for me because I never learnt how to study it in an effective manner, and that all I have been doing was giving false reasons why I think I am not good in math.

I decided to change my point of view by first, realizing that math is different from other courses, it is a test of logic. It does not employ you to read it as other courses but you have to practice it diligently until you become good at solving problems. So I made friends with people that are good in math and that affect the way I view and study math in general. I also began to spend a lot of time practicing it. I gave it an upper echelon in my study time-table. It was very difficult at first but I still persisted simply because I had no other choice, I would have definitely avoided it if it were possible at all.

Still it wasn't until after two consecutive semesters that I began to really perform above average in math. I come to realize that I have been failing math not because it was difficult but because I think I was difficult. And so it is with you whether you are willing to accept this fact or not, the reality is that our perception really affect the way we approach situations in our lives. Even though it is still true that we might be more talented at some things than others, but we all have the ability to do what others are doing to an above average level if we are willing to put in the effort. All we need is to approach it with a firm resolution and the belief that we can succeed at it.

The last time I offered mathematics was in my 400l first semester and I got a distinction in both the two courses I offered then, and I just couldn't believe that I have pulled it together so easily. Even more surprising was my mom's perception of it, she still fail to agree that It was my change of mindset that got me there, so she just blindly attributed it to luck.

Even though I knew the journey from a constant D student to an A student is by no means easy but the reality is that it is really possible. Because it is my belief that a lot of thing happened from my 200l – 400l that change my score level but that my change of perception was the cause of it, I have no doubt. Remember though the success was not overnight, I really worked long and hard but the by product was fascinating.

Remember, whatever course you are currently facing challenge in or the ones that you are likely to meet in the future. Just understand, there is no such thing as a difficult course but only our perception makes it so, and even if it is difficult there is no reason why we cannot master it.

Take away the notion that lack of difficulty means it will be easy. Math wasn't easy for me up to today; lack of difficulty simply means there is no reason why you cannot be good at it. And by the way, difficulty is just a word that I use – I hope you will strive to understand what I me and not just interpret what I say. Any time I perceive a course to be difficult I tell myself that, if others are good at it so can me. Again, tied up to our previous argument that 'whether you think you can or you cannot, you are right' here we say 'whether you think it is difficult or easy, you are right'.

This means that it all boils down to what your perception is. But what I fail to mention is that perception is greatly tied to one's attitude. If you are a kind of person that sees problem everywhere then you are likely going to meet resistance everywhere. But I guess since you are reading this book, then you are a kind of person that want to believe there are solutions even in the face of persisting problems. So the way we think really matters because the world around us is merely a reflection of who we are. This means that if we believe that a subject is difficult then it is going to be difficult and if you believe it is easy, it will be for you.

Some of my friends that we started the journey of practicing math have given up all hope that they can ever be excellent in math, this is simply because they do not believe in themselves. As for me, I find it difficult to believe that others are capable of doing something that I am not. This is the exact same mentality that you need to develop. For me, I am sure that comes natural to me but maybe you have to work on yourself to achieve that. The point is that it is possible. There are countless literatures written on that aspect that you can find for free so I need not bother you here.

# Take Your Studies as a Challenge

We will all fairly believe that the harder we study the better our chances of to passing our exams, even though there is more to passing exams than mere hard work, but it is still a prerequisite. There is a universal principle call the law of service, or call it the law of attraction or whatsoever name you feel is right. It states that 'our reward in life equals our service'. So, if we are not satisfied with our reward in life, we need not complain or blame others, all we need do is to increase our service. In this case (academic excellence), if we are not satisfy with our result all we need do is to increase our effort. But unfortunately, many students are forever trying to circumvent this rule; and when they fail as they surely will, they end up blaming circumstances and other people for their own shortcomings.

While circumstances and other people do inevitably play a role in our results, the greater part is up to us and that is the only part anyone is capable of improving. So, instead of focusing on what we cannot change we should turn out attention to what we can actually do something about. You see 'we do become what we think about'. If we are focus on all the things that are wrong with other people and neglect our own shortcomings we avoid responsibility, which feels good except in the long run, it becomes counter-productive.

What you want to do is take responsibility for your actions and the situation you find yourself in. Try to look at all the situations in your life as challenges that you need to overcome, and not as problems caused by other people. If you do that you immediately position yourself for success, because now that you do not expect others to do for you what you need do yourself. You will feel the need to rise to the occasion and do your best; with no excuses whatsoever since you know you are fully for your actions or inactions.

Never approach your studies as something difficult that you must do because that will wear away your strength and weaken your nerves, it will make it difficult for you to succeed. What you want to do instead is to take your studies as a challenge, which will serve as a test of your character. Therefore when things face difficulties, say to yourself 'this is exactly what I need to prove myself' and therefore summon all your strength to seeing that you succeed.

Surely as a student there will be times when you will lose some marks in tests or exams. Never let that bring you down to your knees, instead use it as a foundation to build your mental fortitude and resilience.

# Part II - STRATEGY

This part of the book will show you the best strategies that top students use to get the top result. It will enlighten you about the ways and means to develop yourself in order to become an excellent student. It is meant to inculcate the habits of pro-activity and self-discipline which are essential for you to transform yourself into an excellent student.

# Become A Goal Motivated Student

It is infallibly true that all top students are goal motivated. They are motivated by the result they wish to achieve, because they keep it constantly in their mind to guide their every decision. Even when some of them will fail to agree with us that they are goal driven, it is simply because for some the process is subconscious; meaning it happens beneath their conscious awareness.

These top students continue to study until they feel satisfied that they can achieve the result they wish to get. And always something inside of them tells them when they have reached this limit. While most students will study mildly to pass their exams, top students on the other hand will continue to study beyond their expected limits, until they are sure that they have understood enough to get high grades in the course.

They don't calculate their studies by the time they spent but by the amount of knowledge they acquire, which is by the way a better way to measure progress. They also discipline their selves to study more of the courses that they don't understand. They also study until they reach a break through point where they are sure they can get the excellent result they seek.

The principle of being goal motivated works all the time because 'we become what we think about'. So if we are constantly thinking of the result we want to achieve, then we will come to believe ourselves capable of achieving such results and start to look for ways to bring that result into reality.

Nevertheless, most students always think of the result they want to achieve through the lens of past experience. Which makes them to give up all hope of progress, and to simply settle down for what they think they can achieve, but the problem is the higher we go academically the tougher it gets. So instead of their result to remain consistent, it ends up getting worse.

So what you want to do is to start to think of a better result and begin to formulate ideas and plans to achieve it, instead of settling for what you are capable of achieving at the time. We can always improve on our result, by improving our effort. But we cannot do that until we feel compel to do so, and that is why we need to think of a better result which will motivate us to change for the better.

Moreover it is quite easy to do. All you need do is to access where you are right now then determine what exactly you want to graduate with. Then determine how you are going to do that. Make sure your plan is competent and is your own choice.

Then immediately begin to think of ways and means to achieve your goal. Pay no attention to what you have gotten used to scoring in the past and focus solely on how you wish to achieve the new result you want to achieve. This takes away your attention from the past and places it in the future.

So you should begin to think of your academic goals with the confident expectation that you will achieve them. Because you have a far better chance of getting your desired result or something close. More than if you focus on the past and just wish for your results to get better, I will sum up with a quote from Napoleon Hills - the author of Think and Grow Rich, the book that have single-handedly out-sold all other books written on personal development, and have made far more people millionaires than any other book in the recorded history of humanity. He says 'whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve'. Being goal motivated also rest on the grand philosophy that 'man can never rise above his highest aspiration'.

So, if you don't aspire to get a better result, you will end up getting what you are used to getting or God forbid, worse! You can only get to achieve excellent result, if you made a full time commitment to getting better.

You begin to think of what you can achieve and not thinking of what you were capable of achieving. This takes away your attention from the past and places it in the future where it belongs. So, you should begin to think of your result with the confident expectation that you will get it. You are more likely to achieve it or something really close. So what you want to do is determine the exact result you wish to achieve, which you believe in your own minds you are capable of achieving and then go all in for it.

## Set Your Academic Goals

At the beginning of every semester after your first introductory classes, sit down with yourself and determine the overall result you wish to achieve. You want to do this in a rational, progressive and specific manner. Whereby you want to start to build from where you are to where you want to be.

For example, if your last G.P is 2.2, you want to set your goal to something like 2.7 – 3.0. Just try to find something that you are sure that if you go for it, you can really achieve it. What you don't want to do is to set a ridiculous goal like from 2.2 to 4.0, which you know it will be very difficult for you to achieve. Because as we have aforementioned, if your mind does not believe it then there is no way you can achieve it.

And if you have not yet gotten your first G.P then it is up to you to decide what you feel competent of achieving. It is also good to have an overall grade that you intend to finish with. This is to avoid overworking or under working yourself. But if you don't have it at the time, it is still O.K. but make sure you remain true to yourself. Don't set goals to impress anybody but yourself.

Let us make another example, this time around let's say your G.P is 3.0 then don't make the mistake of setting a goal as 3.2 – 3.4. Why because that goal is not big enough to motivate you to take difficult actions. So make sure you goal is neither too high nor too low. And you will be good to go.

You want to have an honest review of all your courses, then figure out what it is you want to score in each of the courses that will add up to your desired G.P. If you allocate the grades you wish to achieve in every course and it exceed you desired G.P, please by all means keep it. But if on the other hand, you allocated result does not reach your desired G.P but something close then keep it but if not then you need to improve it.

When making the result allocation always be optimistic about what you can achieve. Because the reality is, there are courses that you can easily score an A and there are those that you can only score a C with difficulty, depending on your talent and ability. If you are unsure about what to put in a course you can start by putting an A. Notwithstanding, if you have difficulty with a course, never make the mistake of putting a D in that course. This is because if you aim for a D in a course, you are less likely to give it much attention and with it difficulty attached, then the probability of you failing the course are high, and that is exactly what we want to avoid. Now, the question you are asking yourself is that how can I sit down and arbitrary set some scores that I have no clue how to get them.

The goal is to have something you are aiming for, so that you put yourself in the best position to succeed. You might not always achieve your desired result, but you are better off getting something close. Because if you have a goal that you are aiming for - which you are clear in your mind you can achieve it, then you are likely to put in the extra work you need to achieve it, than if you are just merely wishing for it.

In my own experience, for my first semester 200l result I set a goal to score 4.0 (so as you can see, if you can recall my story I was really being optimistic) and I ended up getting 3.75 which I know is utterly impossible, if it were not for this goal achieving strategy that I am going to share with you right now.

Moreover, the following semester I set a goal to achieve 4.5 and I got 4.25. I also set a goal to achieve 4.5 and I got 4.09. But in all these scores I was as happy as never before because if I hadn't set that goal, I wouldn't have achieve these results. Then subsequently, I got good at it and the last time I set a goal to achieve 4.5 I got 4.35. This implies that, you will get better and better with time but you must be willing to start small.

## Considerations for Setting Your Goals

If you set your goal right, in few cases you will score it and in most cases you will score something close to it. But, above all, be flexible and make sure you are being true to yourself.

Another question you are likely to ask is, why can't I just score my desired G.P?

I have this possible explanation for you – that is because I don't want you to go with the notion that you can't always get your desired result, because this will definitely sabotage your effort.

First, is that I might not have put I n the required effort to achieve that result, which is true so that, had it been I have put in the more effort then, I will have gotten the result. Second, is that my study methods weren't good enough. So, even if I have putting in the required effort, I will still not be able to achieve the result.

This are the explanations that I found most favorable, because I believe 100% that I am capable of achieving my result any time I set a goal and that is what you must do, the minute you think you are not going to get the result you set your mind to achieve, never dwell on that though.

These two reasons are the only thing standing between you and your desired goal. Put the required effort and the right method and nothing will stand between you and your goal. As for the effort it comes from your motivation which we have already discussed in the previous part of this book, and as for the methods, the next part of this book is dedicated to it. So, you are covered. And therefore you have no reason to fear. By all means set your goal and go for it as if your life depends on it.

## Write Your Goals Down

The only time you should review your goals is after mid-semester. By then you can be pretty sure how well you can perform in most courses. Then the next thing you want to do is, write your complete goal in a small card or piece of paper and keep it where you can see it every day.

This is because the moment you write your goals down, you transferred them from fantasy to reality. You give them material existence, which is very powerful and necessary. This is because, not writing your goals down simply means you do not believe in them, and therefore your possibility of achieving them is close to zero. A lot of goal achievement experts argued that writing your goals down is the most important thing to do when it comes to achieving your goals.

This is because as we have said, this enables you to remember what you are aiming for. So that when the time comes for you to study you have a clear reason why you need to go ahead and do so, even in spite of all the physical and psychological resistance you face.

The next thing you want to do is to keep your goals where you can see them all the time. My favorite place is my wallet, my phone profile picture and the cover page of my note books. Some of my friends saw it and laughed at me, but who cares, it helps me a lot to stay focus and therefore I didn't care what they think. But they latter come to be amazed by the closeness between what I set to accomplish and what I accomplished.

But in case if you are the type of person that cares, then you can find places that are private like inside your wardrobe or in a hidden place inside your bag but your wallet is still the optimal place as far as I am concern. You can also find creative ways to write your goals down where it is only you that can understand what you mean.

For example you can just write the Grade you wish to score boldly in the front page of each of your books. In that regard, nobody will surely know what you mean unless if you told them. Whatever the case maybe, just make sure you put it where you can see it regularly to remind you about what you stand for.

Remember though that, almost all top students \- no matter who they are - carry their goals around only that in their case it is not in written form like the way you do, but at the back of their mind. It guides all their actions and decisions. So you want to also carry your goals wherever you go, except in your own case you want to write them down.

You might ask why write my goals down when I can also put them at the back of my mind? The truth is that if you are just starting out, you might easily get caught up in different activities that make it likely for you to forget about your goals, but if you have them in written form then you have a better chance of remembering them.

Therefore the sole aim is not to write your goals down, but for them to serve as a reminder to you as often as possible. Any other method that will enhance you to remember your goals is also welcomed. Just seeing it often is also not enough, you have to always remind yourself that this is what I want to achieve and nothing will stand between me and it except my attitude toward studies.

You want to also envision your success any time you feel doubtful or stressed. Try to see yourself as if you have already scored your desired result, and what it feels like to actually achieve them. This will motivate you to stay true to your ideal. The theory of neuroscience (the science of the brain) has confirmed that our mind cannot differentiate between event that happen in reality and events that we imaging synthetically (vividly) in our minds. This means that by developing that vision you are feeding your mind with the hope that you will one day achieve these goals. Therefore your mind will begin at once to immediately think of ways and means to bring this your dream into a reality.

## Have a Plan

After setting your goals and writing them down. What you want to do is, try and see the different possibilities of how you can achieve these goals. These possibilities include adjusting your study time, increasing your focus and study methods, or having a study friend and doing a lot of practice exams. These can also include, cutting down the time you spent watching films and hanging out with friends.

These possibilities can be anything that you know - to your best knowledge - will help you in achieving your goals. Then choose those actions that are most suitable (remember though not most desirable but most suitable, don't confuse the two), out of the different possibilities and stick to them. It is still O.K if you don't see all the steps that you need to take in order for you to achieve your goals. You can still learn as you move on.

But no matter how clearly your goals are, you have to develop a competent plan to achieve it, without which your goal is a mere fantasy. You have to find a way to achieve those goals and the best way to have a plan, I don't mean you have to be 100% sure of success. Because that is not possible, and that is often what stop people from setting goals, so your plan should serve as a guiding principle.

A plan that you can stick to until the very end, and if at the end you did not make it. It is your plan you should bring into question and either refine it or change it altogether but never give up the goal no matter what. So far as somebody else has ever done it, then you have the potential to do it too. You just have to be willing to do what it takes.

## Take Consistent Actions

What will often determine whether you succeed or fail to achieve your goals is not necessarily writing them down, but whether or not you are willing to take action. You might have a definite goal and a great plan but if you fail to take consistent actions that will get your only your great plan will get you nowhere. This brings us to the stage of putting your plan to work.

What you want to do to your goals - no matter how big or small it is, is to actually break them into monthly and weekly goals. This mean that instead of focusing on the long tell, you want to concentrate on your weekly goals and make sure you achieve them. These goals should be in form of the hours you wish to study, the subjects and parts that you wish to cover. Ensuring to achieve them means you will achieve your actual aim and failing to achieve them consistently means you are falling back.

Please don't forget to rate and review this book for the benefits of other students like **you** and if you find this book helpful please feel free to share it with others. Thanks!

# Manage Your Time Until You Have Enough Time to Study

I am a guy that loves taking good care of myself and hanging out with my friends. I also take great pleasure in learning new things every day. My time is always allocated to one hobby or the other, and I usually get to study only when I have a test or exams.

Sometimes I don't even have plans for my time because I am always on the go. I usually make study time table during the first week of resumption but throw it out during the subsequent weeks. This was me during my high school years and IJMB program, until when I got admission into university that I decided to change for the better, because of my desire to graduate with good grades. But most student carry the same mentality they used in high school into their college years, and still wonder why they are struggling academically.

This is because there are different rules between studying in high school and in colleges. College demands us to pay attention to details, studying broadly and ahead of time. Therefore, if we wish to succeed in college then we have to adjust to a new method of study. This new method ought to create balance between having fun and studying.

## The Dilemma of Students

Before I elucidate my point, let's take some time to elaborate how at the beginning of my college years I approach my studies, and this is to a great extent how most students still manage their times. I will literally go for all my lectures and when I come back, I will plan on going to study but never get to do that, I always feel justified that I have understand the concepts in class and therefore I don't bother going over my notes.

Even when I tried to force myself to study, I only study deliberately for some time before I switch to other interesting things. Until when the time for test approaches, then I will start rushing to cram and understand all that I have been taught, but unfortunately no matter how many hours I put into my studies, it will not be enough for me to cover up and so I have to cut corners.

When the tests are jam-packed, things are even worse, most of the concept and theories need a lot of time and effort for somebody to master them, but I happen to have no such time. So I will try to overstretch myself to see that I cover as much as I can in that brief period of time. Being overwhelmed about what to do and possibly deprived of sleep (which hinders learning).

My capacity to learn and understand diminishes to the point that I want to do anything on this planet but not study. By the end of the tests just immediately before exams started I will be tired, dispassionate, and exhausted that I will just go ahead and write my examination with a lot of stress and boredom.

Then I will always blame the school management for setting exams so close to test, and not giving us enough time to study. If I don't blame the management then I will go about blaming the lecturers for setting tough questions in the exams. I know from my experience that I am not alone in this dynamic, because most students that are struggling with their academic performance have the same scenario and whoever is reading this text will testify to that.

But one thing kept on baffling me at the time, which was that top student doesn't seem to be undergoing such type of stress and boredom. They usually become more alert during test and exams times and I kept on wondering what their secret was. Then after much research and analysis, I found the secret and it was no surprised, because it becomes evident to me why it's only about 11% of the student that get the top results.

## Self-discipline

This is because the secret is intuitive and no secret at all, but it requires one factor that we as humans hate dealing with, which is Discipline.

The top students discipline their selves to study when everybody else is playing and relaxing thinking they had all the time in the world. So that they get to relax when others are struggling to study, this is very simple to know but difficult to practice. The fundamental reason why we fall prey to not studying early is because we human by nature react more to the present than to the future, and therefore we fail to anticipate the possible consequences of our actions or inactions.

So at the beginning and the middle of the semester we do not see any pressing need to study, because we simply have more exciting things to do, we put off studies. And it remains always the thing that we wish to do, but never really doing it. Until close to test and exams, that is when we realize we should really study and by that time it is already too late to cover up.

What the top students do on the other hand is very different. They see their semester as a whole. They realize that what they do at the beginning and middle of the semester matters more than what they do at the end of the semester. They start to take their studies serious from day one, which is why they end up getting ahead of all the rest of the students. This gives them ample amount of time to study and be ready for their tests and exams way ahead of time.

Another issue that compounds the problem of average students is that they tend to view going for lecture as the most important thing to do when it comes to having excellent academic performance, but the reality is that going for lectures is very important but academic success depend more on the time that you spent studying after class. It is the time that you spent studying that really matters when it comes to academic performance.

So what you want to do is to take the approach of the top students and discipline yourself to study while others are playing and relaxing, I wish there is another way but unfortunately there is not, meanwhile we have some very few top students that study for a short period of time and pass their exams well. These students are so few and their talents so diverse that any one that tries to emulate them is bound to be ruined in the process.

But the overwhelming majority which is close to 98% of top students falls into the category of self-discipline, which is - by far - better to emulate and learn from than the former. Generally, what it means in a lighter roll is, to do all the exciting things that you want to do at the beginning of the semester, then regulate immediately before mid-semester in order to concentrate on your studies whole heartedly; from the beginning of the mid- semester to the end.

## Manage Your Time Wisely

What you want to do at the beginning of each semester is to make a study timetable, but instead of filling the entire time table with study time, you want to put all your hobbies first. Then allocate the remaining time for your studies. In this way, you will feel justified that you are having a quality time doing what you love.

For example; you will want to put time for going to the gym, public lectures, karate training, hanging out with friends and all the other interesting activities that happen on campus. Then at the end of it all you can allocate the remaining time for studies. The time table will serve as a source of pleasure to you, because it is filled with all the activities that you love doing. And you could care less about the two hours you allocate for study which is reserved for doing assignments.

I will keep things that way until mid-semester or just some few weeks before mid-semester. I will then sit down and adjust my study time table this time around I will eliminate such things that I know wouldn't contribute directly to my health or academic studies. I will boil the first two to three days wrapping my head around how I am going to change the course of my studies from part time to full time student.

For the most part it is difficult for me to change my behavior especially when I have started gotten used to them. But what drives me to carry out such behavioral change is first, my ambition to succeed which is only possible if I put I n the work. Secondly, I know that I have enjoyed the semester for the first part and now it is time to do some work.

Another thing that helped me out was my realization that all the things that I may feel at the moment I am missing be it sport, social, going to the gym, and all the other exciting things, none of it is going away, if there is anything it will only proliferate. While the time I have to study is limited and I don't do it now I am never going to have the chance to study.

I don't want to go to technical details about how you should go about adjusting your time because that is entirely dependent on how you choose to do it. But one thing you should keep in mind is that you should never try to change all at once especially if you are doing it for a start, it usually takes me about two to three weeks to adjust and almost a month altogether to be fully compatible with the new arrangement. So for a start you should focus on changing your habits gradually.

What I do now is adjust my study time from 2 to 4 hours every day. 4 hours on the minimum and is way too long before our test or exams begins. This gives me enough time to really concentrate on the bulky courses and these are difficult to understand or need a lot of time to practice like mathematics. What you want to achieve by this time management scheme is to adjust from thinking constantly in the future about achieving your goals and instead dwell in the present to do things that really moved you toward the realization of your goals.

## Develop Daily Standards

Until you have daily standards to live by now that will ensure you will achieve your result and actually go ahead living by them. You might as well not have set the goal in the first place. So make a resolution here and now that once the mid-semester approach I will commit to studying 4 hours or more a day in order to achieve excellent result.

By the way the aim is not just to have above average result it is something more worthy than that, it is to develop the quality of self-esteem, to be able to live up to high standards of expectations anytime and anywhere. Excellent is not something you do now and then it is a lifestyle to live by. So make the commitment once and for all that you are going to achieve the grades you want by doing the things you know you are suppose to be doing even if you don't feel like doing them.

Mind you, just at it will take you couple of weeks to adjust to your to your new behavior must student that are new to it will find it difficult to 'study for 4 hours straight so you want to also start from where it is you are comfortable and then stretch all the way to studying 4 hours a day or more. Even myself, at the beginning I find it difficult to sit down and study for 4 hours straight.

So I break it down into 2 hours a day until I achieved 4 hours. You can do it anyway beginning from 3-5 AM, 5-7 AM, 4-6 PM, 8-10 PM, 10-12 PM. By the way now I can sit down and study for up to 5 hours with intermitted breaks and a long break at the middle. So don't get the dumb idea of 4 hours study means to sit tight and study for 4 hours like a robot, but we are coming to that in a short while.

This is because until you develop the daily standards to live by, then your life will remain a reflection of your mood. So in time management never make the mistake of allocating you time as to things you should and shouldn't do. Because when the actual time comes to make the decision you will be disappointed by yourself. But instead you need to classify your time according to things you must and mustn't do so that you are dead clear about how you will go about living your life and you have eliminate the need for making decisions which might steer you in a different direction.

So it will benefit you to make a resolution to adjust your time until you have 4 hours to study everyday irrespective of whether there is or isn't any need to do so. This will give you the quality of self esteem; this is the ability to live up to the standards you set for yourself. Excellence is not something you get as a result of doing extraordinary things it is a quality that is develop through continues effort.

So you need to make the commitment to study for long hours so as to be able to achieve the extraordinary result you seek. It is not going to come as a result of effort you apply for a particular period of time but as a result of sustain effort over a long period of time. Even though studying for long hours (if you consider 4 hours to be long) is not the only condition necessary to achieve good results as most students think, but it is a prerequisite meaning that it laid the foundation for the rest of the work. This is because it is only when you put in the require time to study that you will be able to cover the large volume of study materials that you need to go through.

## Cut Down Distractions

You need to cut down distraction: things that are not relevant to your academic success until you have enough time to study way before exams is approaching. In this sense 4 hours or more each and every single day that is all what time management is all about. It is not trying to do more in less time. It is about prioritizing your time to do only the things those are relevant and important to your studies.

So what I do immediately before mid-semester is to adjust my study time from 2 hours a day to 4 hours. This is often difficult at first. But what helps me to successfully carry out this transition is my keen desire to excel academically, without that I don't think it will be possible for me to change.

This transition gives me the time and freedom to really concentrate on the bulky courses and the ones that I find difficult to understand or sometimes those courses that require a lot of practice like mathematics. So that by the time exams comes and my classmate are complaining about lack of time and are praying diligently f or struggling to do all the ir studies within the stipulated time then on the other hand, I will have a luxury of time to do the importance things like practice exams (which we will discuss in details later) and having adequate rest which are all essential to academic success that the rest of students cannot dire to think of at the time.

This is because I have developed the right perspective that I need to manage my time well if I want myself to remain calm in times of chaos. This is because I spent most of my time thinking about how I am going to achieve my academic goals which puts me in the best position to succeed. Because I am always seeing to it that I am doing what will benefit my future self.

There is no compromise as to the principle of studying for at least 4 hours a day especially after resumption from mid-semester. Mind you, it will take you a long to adjust you study habits to this new kind of study method. You might say well I usually study for more than four hours during exams and test time. But here is the thing, during exams and test times something external compels you to study but without that thin you will definitely find it difficult to study for such hours. Because we human being by nature desire to do the things that are of immediate impact to our lives.

It is only when you have you goals right in front of your mind eye that you will feel the need for you to go out and study when everybody else is doing other interesting things. That is why if you don't get the concept of being goal motivated then it will be very difficult for you to adjust your time. So don't forget to first have a writing goal of what you want to study and keep it where it will constantly remain you of what you stand for.

Therefore try to adjust gradually, don't make the mistake of thinking that you can just wake up tomorrow and start studying for 4 hours straight, because it is not going to work. even myself, I still struggle to adjust my time of study, so if you are doing this for the first time just have it at the back of your mind that you might not get it all at first, it going to take you some time.

It is by no means easy to develop a habit of studying of people have made a resolution to study more but give up before they got any far for them there was just not enough motivation or will power to continue but that is why you have your goals clearly defined and you carry them wherever you go. To serve as a remainder for what you believe in and what you stand for.

This 4 hours study principle will enable you to be able to cover up all your courses your 4 hours study will enable you to have enough time to sleep so that what you learn is consolidated and transferred to your permanent memory. Having this sleep will ensure you are able to remember what you studied.

This habit will prove beneficial most and especially when exams is about to commence this is when (as I have said before) majority of student will be doing days without enough sleep not knowing that they are making it difficult for their brain to assimilate now information while those that have the habits the habits of 4 hours study will still maintain a greater equilibrium between when you study and when you sleep. Therefore make sure about anything else you develop the habit of studying 4 hours every day long before your test or exams is at the corner.

I need to say this again even at the cost of repetition, that is you need to be honest with yourself and sit down to ask yourself this question 'do I really need to improve my result or I am comfortable with what I am getting now'. If your answer is yes, then you need to make the commitment to cut down distractions and activities that do not directly improve your result until you have enough time to study. Because that is the only way you can be able to study for a long time in order to achieve the result you want.

It is by no means easy to develop the habit of studying at least 4 hours a day, I know it because I feel the difference. Most of my friends that saw the result I am getting asked me how I did it and they made the same resolution to study for 4 hours just to give up within a couple of weeks, these because they haven't connected the dots themselves. So if you start directly by applying this principle and don't give attention to the previous ones then I will be glad to let you know that it wouldn't work.

Having comes this far, some student will be perplexed to think 'well I study for more than 4 hours long before exams start or most at times I happen to know somebody who does that and I or they are still struggling with low grades'. This is because you or they are applying the wrong method of studying. In the coming chapters I am going to teach you how you can study effectively in order to assimilate what you are studying and so as to be able to pass your examination all the times.

Please don't forget to rate and review this book for the benefits of other students like you and if **you** find this book helpful please feel free to share it with others. Thanks!

# Part III -TACTICS

As you have noticed by now, I always talk about studying hard, but the problem is must student just aim to work hard thinking that that's all that is required. But as working hard is a prerequisite to academic success, there is more to it.

You have to also work smartly and in an effective manner (where you are learning actively). This third part of the book is dedicated to teaching you how you can develop the attitude of studying smartly and effectively.

Thus, we have come a long way so far, let's take some moment to celebrate!

We learnt how to develop the mindset of achieving academic excellence and we have also learnt the two most important strategies that top students' use, which are being goal motivated and effective time management. If you have really grabbed these concepts then the next part is not going to be that difficult.

Here, I am going to outline to you the most effective method of studying, it is true that most of us have one or two methods that already works great for us, so keep let us endeavor to keep and upgrade them. Also, the ones that I am about to share with you right now, test them; anyone that works for you then keep it, and anyone that doesn't then discard it. But keep on trying until you find the right combination for you.

Everybody is different and so should be our study methods. So don't try to copy exactly what works for somebody and think it must work for you. It may or may not. But one thing is that you should keep in mind is that all great study methods are similar, and if they have worked for somebody then so it is likely they are going to work for you. And by the way, try to make sure you are doing the right things before you go on to say whether they are working or not.

As a wise man once said 'as for principles they are few, as for methods they are many. He that has the right principles might choose his own methods but he that follows methods is bound to commit errors'

We have already discussed the principles as for the methods stick to what will works for you!

#  Before You Study

### A) Go for Lectures

Most students don't have problem with going for lectures but there are some points worth mentioning. First of all, it is good to realize that going for lectures alone will not guarantee your success. You need to study effectively what your lecturers taught you in class - for you to be able to know and understand it enough to pass your examination.

Some student use going for lectures as an excuse not to study hard (thinking that going for lectures is going to place them in a good position to pass). And that might be the reason why most students fail.

From my personal experience there were times when I resume college after mid-semester break and I still got outstanding results. First, it was during my first semester 200l and second it was during my first semester 400l. And in both cases I still manage to pass with good grades, this is because I realize the fact that it is the amount of time you spent studying that count most when it comes to passing your exams than the number of lectures you attend. But still the most important lectures are those after mid-semester because that is when everything is gearing up toward conclusion and by the way I never missed those lectures.

Even when I resume college during those two semesters I still didn't joke with attending my lectures. I attended each and everyone because it is in class that you will be able to grasp the basic concept of what you are learning. Again, the most important aspect of going for lectures is that you can be able to understand what is likely going to come out in the exams. There are different ways to do this.

First, the points your lecturer most likely spend time on explaining is going to be part of your assessment, because that is where his interest is and that is likely where he will feel justified to set his questions from.

Second, the point that the lecturer most often repeats or ask a lot of questions about, then it is likely to come out in the exams. Because the truth is lecturers (except for a few) like to feel justify in their manner of asking questions in tests and exams. They want to make sure that they point out the concept that they are going to bring out even if they don't necessarily explain those concepts to the core.

Thirdly, some lecturers (especially senior lecturers) are lazy when it comes to setting new questions for exams while others are sympathetic to students. No matter the reason, they tend to take old questions, change some little things and repeat them. So, make sure you study your past questions and answer them before your exams. It is also good to do all assignment either alone or in groups. Some lecturers will bring back your assignment or test questions during exams. Try and pay attention to your lecturer's pattern.

Most reliably, ask those that have passed the level you are in other to know how they best handle the courses that you are currently undertaking (of course only if they are excellent students and it is the same lecturer). If you are in a class that the lecturer takes attendance serious then it is another good reason why you should go for lectures.

The entire purpose of lectures is to guide you through the fundamental concepts of the courses; the rest is up to you.

###  B) Take Effective Notes

I strongly recommend taking concise and effective notes in class. Because it will assist you to remember what the lecturer taught you in class - when it comes to your personal studies. Especially, for those lecturer that do not give much study material (this is anything that the lecturer gives you as study aids; be it recommended text books, hand outs, slides, web documents or his personal notes et cetera).

You don't have to jot down all the things that come out of your lecturer's mouth. In taking effective notes, make sure you capture the basic idea or concept the lecturer is trying to explain. There is no point writing down what you already know or facts and figure that you can easily look up in your study materials.

It is worth mentioning that after taking effective notes, you should endeavor to acquire all the study materials that your lecturer gives in class. Then use what you jot to form your study note during your study sessions. This study note is what you are going to be using for your subsequent studies, so make sure it encompasses all the important ideas in your study material and lecture jotter. Then use your study note to revise often until you are sure you have grasped the concepts properly.

This is also a good reason why you should have a study friend; so that you can outline to him what you understand and if there is any mistake he/she can help you rectify it.

### C) Like Your Lecturers or At Least Like Their Course

I see a lot of student making the mistake of hating their lecturers simply because of some personal feelings of theirs. Now, I have no problem with that except that your hatred toward your lecturer will have no effect on him but it will definitely affect the way you concentrate in class, which will determine you score.

Because the fact is, if you don't like somebody chances are that you will not be interested in whatever it is they are trying to teach. There was a time during my 200l first semester that for the first time a professor was taking us a course and it was very boring. Most of us don't like the course because of the professor's teaching methodology.

It was a very difficult time for us. Most of my classmates - because they don't like the man - they don't even attend his lectures. So when he set test for us, most of us failed woefully, except for a few and almost everybody has given up hope.

So I realized that it was our attitude toward the lecturer that was influencing our bad decision when it comes to this course. So I immediately alter the way I approach the course and make it the number one priority in my most wanted list (just joking), but I really made it a priority to study the course each and every day as of that time. This served me very well because I later passed the course when most of my classmates carried it over.

#  Prepare To Study

It is now believed that you understand the reasons why it is important to go for lectures and take effective notes. The next thing is to prepare to for your study sessions. I see a lot of student making the mistake of going for prep when they had a stressful day or after jam-packing their stomach with heavy food amongst other reasons, and surprisingly they still continue to wonder why they fail to assimilate what they are trying to learn. We need to prepare both physically and mentally when it comes to how we study

There are some certain things that are counterproductive when it comes to study that we should try to avoid and there are some others that are productive that we should endeavor to do. The following tips will be helpful when it comes to study;

### A) Avoid Stressful Activities during the Day

If you intend to study in the evening or at night then try to avoid all activities that are strenuous during the day. Activities like long trekking, extreme standing, monotonous exercise, because all these activities cause intense muscle pain and exhaust bodily energy. Any stressful activity you do during the day will wear away your strength and focus which will affect your studies negatively.

But off course this - like all other activities - depends on your own natural strength and capacity. Some people are used to hard and enduring labor and others are not. Chances are you know your own limitations, so don't overstretch yourself or else don't expect anything good to come out of your studies. The less strenuous activities you do during the day the more active you will be at night for your studies.

###  B) Eat Moderately

Never make the mistake of thinking that what you eat daily have no impact on your studies, because scientific facts have proven otherwise (I do not wish to go into details here, but if you are interested there are countless literatures out there that address this issue).

So always endeavor to eat healthy diets and eat moderately. This is because overeating will cause your digestive system to overwork which stimulate feeling of dizziness and drowsiness, this then leads to laziness. High sugar content or carbohydrate concentrated food also cause the same problem.

I am no food expert but I will certainly encourage you to develop the habit of eating healthy and balanced diet. You should seek guidance from expert and you will certainly find it beneficial far beyond academic borders.

Never make the mistake of skipping your diet because you are obsessed with studies because eating food on time increases the rate of blood flow to the brain cells for mental alertness. It is important that you eat all your food consistently and on time. It is also important to eat some fast food after long hours of study.

###  C) Take a Nap or Siesta

Unless in the morning it is good to take a nap before you start studying (again except if you are the type of person that finds it difficult to wake up). This is very important because it helps your brain to relax which serves as a memory booster. Besides, it eliminates the negative effect of pain caused by any bodily stress.

One research by specialized sleep therapist finds out that taking a 40mins nap will improve performance by 34% and ability to retain, think creatively and recall by 80%. Taking a nap also helps to control bad feelings and emotions which can serve as mental blockage.

Remember though, taking a nap is beneficial but not compulsory as some people find it difficult to wake up. As for me, I once had the problem of not waking up then I gradually adjust gradually. I started by resting my head on the desk in class until I felt comfortable that if I lie down I will be able to wake up.

###  D) Take a Shower

This is often necessary and any one can do it. Because when you take a bath, it lowers your bodily temperature and open up the air space in your skin. It is good to always take your bath in the morning after waking up or in the evening before going for prep especially when you are feeling tired.

Taking bath also increases your mental alertness toward lengthy hours of study without feeling drowsy. Taking your bath also helps to stimulate and energize the body chemistry.

#  When You Study

###  A) Take Problems Out of Your Mind

Most students come to study with an obsessed mind (or rather a distracted mind). A mind which is wrapped in events or problems that happened or are about to happen. Thus being disturbed, they will sit down to study and end up achieving nothing, because their minds are simply somewhere else. It is always one of the two, either thoughts of excitement or depression as a result of something. Both the two are bad when it comes to focus.

This does not mean you should be apathetic when it comes to problem (at least we know you cannot do that) but at least do something about it and then let go. Or at least take some time off until you get it together.

It is also very difficult for you to detect how bad moods are affecting your studies, this is because it is a form of mental disturbances which are very difficult to detect than physical disturbances, but it is more disturbing than even the physical distractions. As for excitement you can put them off your mind more easily by focusing 101% on your studies.

There is no point in forcing yourself to study with an obsessed mind. Take some time off, get it together or do something about it. You have to be careful regarding mental disturbances as I have said; they are subtle and usually go unnoticed. So pay attention to your feeling and act accordingly.

### B) Have a Study Friend

Study groups are good especially when it comes to brainstorm exercises but having a study friend is great. This is because with a study friend you will develop the habit of consistency. By going to study together he/she will force you to go for prep and classes even if sometimes you don't feel like going.

Again since you don't know it all, there will simply come a time when you will need somebody to put you through and a study mate could be of great assistance, and since one of the great ways of learning is to teach what you learn to others, you can always have a dialogue where everyone states what he/she understands, so that you two can get to know where you are correct and where you are faulty.

In selecting a study friend, make sure you select somebody that is encouraging and (in an ideal situation) somebody better than you. You can also have different study mates for different purposes or different study mates at different timings. For example, when I was in 200l and I was terrible in math, I made friends with people that I knew were extremely good in math and that transform me into an excellent students in math. This was partly because I have them as friends and partly because I was willing to learn.

But don't misunderstand me, this does not mean in any way faking friendship. I am still doing good with such friends except that now I am making friends with student that are better than me in engineering aspect because we are done with math. And so I still admire and respect my friends but we are no longer as close as before.

With regard to this also, the quality and types of friends you keep as a student really matter. If you make friends with students that are unserious then you are likely to be dragged by them. The great thing about friendship is that it is easy to form and difficult to separate. So make sure you are in the right company of friends and if not change quickly before it is too late.

After I learnt the value of association, I never made friends with people that I know will not have a positive impact in my life even outside academic borders. It is also good to form a good relationship with people that are the best in your class. So that they can always put you through, when you find it difficult to understand something and you can get to know what they do that makes them successful, so you can begin to do it yourself.

Often a time, I will leave a place where I am comfortable studying to go to a place where I am less comfortable in order to sit close to one of the best student in my class, so that whenever I find something difficult to understand I will go directly to him for clarifications. This saves me a lot of time and energy. But if you study at home you can always wait till the next day in class. In my experience it is always better to find somebody to teach you something than struggling to figure it out yourself.

###  C) Find a Study Place

It is good to always study where you are comfortable studying and where you cannot easily get distracted. But it has to be a place ideal for study, so don't make the mistake of interpreting comfort as relaxation. Most students like to study in their rooms especially bedroom simply because it is quite, but they also find it difficult to concentrate for long, this is because bedrooms are not ideally made for study and our subconscious part of the brain always associate bedrooms with sleep, so that the moment you are in a bedroom it will not take you ling before you start to feel drowsy, of course except if you are on a social network or with friends.

Another place that most students like to study is their living room, but the problem with living room is distraction from family or friends depending on where you are. So to study at home we need to find a personal study area where we are both away from our living room and bedroom or at least in a bedroom our faces should not be facing the bed (or else you will likely not study for long). But if you are saying on campus then this will not be a problem because you always have your study libraries or class rooms open 24/7.

Again, I don't need to emphasize that our study place should be well ventilated or well illuminated, all these should come to mind when thinking about an ideal study environment, but since it is my task to articulate it, so I have!

#  During Study

###  A) Divide Your Study Time into Chunks

I see a lot of students making the mistake of sitting down and stirring at their study material for a long period of time without breaks, then still wonder why they find it difficult to assimilate anything. Not knowing that their minds have gone blank a long time ago.

This is because most of them have never been oriented about how to study effectively. There is a certain limit that our brains can take to reach it peak limit and from that moment on our focus will start to deteriorate.

It is advisable for students to separate their study time into short periods with little time interval for rest. This is very important because; psychologies have argued that the average person can concentrate for only about 25-30 minutes before his mind get bored, but the good thing is that we don't need another 30mins to recharge our brains but just 5 minutes is O.K and we are good to go.

If you continue to study after your mind have reached its peak limit then you also risk forgetting what you have studied previously. This is because our minds need some time to assimilate what we are learning. So always pay attention to when you feel your attention has started to wane, this is a good indicator that you need to take a short break.

This does not mean you should leave what you are studying and engage yourself in other different activity as some might suggest. You just need to sit tight for a couple of minutes then continue you studies. Never make the mistake of logging on social media during this brief period of time or carrying out any mind stimulating activity because in this case you risk losing what you have previously studied. And you will often find that it is difficult to concentrate if you engage in other activities. You can always leave those interesting things until you go for you're a long break or do them at the end of your studies.

It is also advisable to take a long break at the middle of your study time and do something outside of your studies. This is usually after like 2-3 hours of studies depending on how long you are capable of studying at the time. That is also a good time to maintain your PH level by drinking some water and eating some fast food.

It is also good to walk around a little bit after some time. What I usually do after studying for 2 to 3 hours that comprises all these is that, I will go to the nearest canteen and buy some soft drinks and biscuit which I will consume and logging to social media or chatting with my friends.

### B) Study the Course You Don't Understand Most

I see some students (subconsciously) trying to avoid some courses simply because they find it difficult to learn and understand them. They go about studying all the courses they find interesting and it is not until exams or tests that they start to regret not paying much attention to those courses. This is because we humans by nature want to do only what is easy for us and find it difficult to adjust to things that do not interest us.

The problem with this phenomenon is that it happen to these students subconsciously, meaning that they themselves are not aware of the process and so they blame other factors for their ill success, in order to avoid this trap. What I will advise you to do is to make an early analysis of the courses you offer each semester and find out those that you don't actually like or you find difficult to understand. These are the courses that you are likely to neglect, then reverse engineer and instead intentionally focus on studying them and put them at the top of your priority.

Then make a conscious decision to study them at the beginning of your study sessions and always find students that are better than you in those courses to put you through.

### C) Pay Attention to Where Your Lecturers' Focus on During Their Class

There are many benefits of going for lectures but the two most important that stand out are; first, lecturers get to introduce you to the fundamental facts and concepts that the course entails - which you might not get straight from individual studies.

Second, which is less obvious but directly a consequence of the first, which is to give you a clear guideline about what to study and what not to study in the course. What to study is obviously where your lecturer focuses on - even if it is not the most important aspect of the course; because chances are the lecturer is more prone to ask questions about what he is interested in than what is important. And what he is interested in is definitely where he concentrates his attention in class.

Again some lecturers might even feel lazy or find it difficult to explain some things in class but will ask you to look them up your selves. This is a clear reason that those things are important.

Most lecturers want to feel justified when setting their exams and tests questions, so they come to class especially during the end of semester with the intention to spit out all the things that are relevant (not necessarily the most important) to them in the course. And those same things are the exact things that they are going to be asking in their tests and exams.

So in consequence, never try to read your study materials equally from beginning to the end like a news paper, but instead, try to concentrate you attention to where your lecturer gives more details to in class. This is because those are the concepts and ideas that have the likelihood of coming out in your assessment.

But never carry this concept to the extreme that you only pay attention to or study where the lecturer focuses on in class, because some lecturers are sure to disappoint you. So the best scenario is to try to do a personal assessment of the lecturer yourself or ask your seniors ones how the lecturer set his/her questions or try getting some past questions if there are any.

### D) Form your study Notes

When you study your material make sure you have a book that you jot down the concepts and ideas that you're learning. So that the next time you are coming over it you don't have to go through your study material again, but you can rely on your study note. This is also where you will combine what you jot in class and what you learn from your study materials to form a precise comprehensive study note

There is a trap that some students fall into which is if they open their study material or note then they will see that they are familiar with all the concepts inside the book. This is because they recognize everything inside the study note; meanwhile this does not necessarily means they know it. The best way to find out is to actually try to recall without using any physical clue as I have mentioned before.

Another great way to consolidate your learning process is to teach someone what you have learnt. This is another good reason why you need a study buddy. So you can collaborate and share ideas, in that way you can be sure you have really understand what it is you are learning. But if you study alone don't despair as sit alone and try to recapitulate what you have studied by saying it to yourself in a low voice. Talking to yourself as long as you know you are doing it is not abnormal.

When studying your materials make sure you ask yourself all the questions that you think the lecturer might ask, if you don't know the answer then you can go and ask somebody who does.

#  Study Actively

Most of us never learn during our junior school how to study effectively. So we do what everybody else is doing at the time which is thought to be the most effective means of study at the time. This is simply reading over and over again until we understand or memorize something. This is termed as route memorization.

We all learn this method of studying from our elementary school so we are not to be blamed. It works for some few people and most of us never cared to find out whether they are better ways of studying.

The best way to study is through forming your own note and making meaning of what you are studying in your own way, then studying it over and over until you become familiar with it.

To do this effectively we need to understand the difference between learning facts and concepts. This is because they are two entirely different ways of approaching their study, but they are often merged together.

A fact is a discrete little piece of information example is Adam Smith is the father of modern economic theory or the name of a device or mechanisms in physics or engineering. It can also stand for a principle, characteristics, divisions and other classifications. All these are facts but understanding what modern economic theory is or understanding the function of the device or mechanism is a concept.

Most a times we are either studying a fact or concept. But in learning some concepts we merge them with a lot of facts. This marginalizes the different between learning facts and concepts as sometimes they are often mixed with one another.

Most at times what lecturers are after is that we grab the concepts because; concepts when grasped will stay with you a life time and they are use in creating solution to problems and are often the basics of what our work depends upon. But facts on the other hand we can easily forget but thanks to our textbooks and Google we can easily look them up.

If you are learning a concept the best way to approach it is to use a study note whereby you jot down the important points you come across during your studies. Try to put this in your own sentences which are meaningful to you. But make sure that they tally with the exact meaning of the text.

This is because as you are doing this, you are actually forcing your brain to think actively about what it is you are learning and therefore the brain retains more of that information. This study note is again where you merge the ideas you get from your lecture note and those that you get from your study materials.

This is very important to do and it is one of the things that only few students do, the rest are contented with reading from study materials directly which makes it difficult for them to put what they learn later into their own words even if they understood them. Because they cannot recall vividly what is in the text and neither can they put them in to their own words in a manner that match the exact concepts in the study material.

This principle is also very important because scientist have proven that we recall 10x faster what we write down with our own hands than what we read; this is because the writing involves not only our eyes but also our hands, it also involves a physical activity which is absent in reading.

There are also other fascinating reasons why this happens that I do not wish to go into in this text. It is also important to have a particular note for each course or at least write each course in a different place inside your note so as to be organized. And this note is also what you will be using for your subsequent studies to make sure to keep it tidy.

Then you need to not keep this your study note but to continue to revise it often whenever you sit to study, you want to always start studying from the beginning, until you feel competent that you know it and the best way to do that is to close your note or any physical clue and try to recall what you have learnt. If you can do that successfully at your own will then you have really grab the concept and you can keep it aside until you come for revision.

The reason why you need to revise is that we tend to understand what we regularly do, more often than what we do at one time immensely. The best way to understand this is if we take an example. Let's say for example you see a person - let us call him Mr. Red once and have a chat with him for an hour and depart. Then let's say there is a second person - let us call him Mr. Blue, you meet him for five minutes each day for the next 10 days in a row.

Who do you think you will easily recall faster when you meet after six months? The answer is obvious, definitely Mr. Blue! This is because you have become familiarize with him and that is exactly what you want to do with your study notes after you make them, become familiar with it.

So that whenever and wherever you are asked about it you can easily give the right answers and not necessarily in the exams hall but including an interview hall or when you encounter a problem that you will need those concepts to solve.

This again is another reason why most top student become successful in their carriers later, this is because they learn to understand and not just to pass their exams and that is why they are willing to put in more effort than the average guy who just what to pass his exams by all means.

On the other hands, if you are learning facts straight then you can always use mnemonics to increase your efficiency and speed. Mnemonics is simply any system that facilitates recall, writing is one good example. Others include; acronyms, coined sayings and interacting images.

An acronym is taking the first latter of each word in a sentence or at the beginning of a sentence and forming a different word with them - which you can easily recall. I will give you just one example since most of us are already familiar with the concept. Let's say you want to memorize the two words afferent and efferent.

No matter how good you study you are likely to mix the two up especially under exams tension. But if you form an acronym from these words and their meaning then you are guaranteed to recall them.

In summary, the word afferent stands for sensory nerves and efferent stands for memory cells. So you want to form the word SAME which stands for Sensory Afferent and Memory Efferent, in this regard there is no way you will ever confuse the two, there are amazing ways that you can form acronyms and you can easily get familiar with them.

Coined sayings are usually what we use in the elementary school to cram the months of the year and in high school to cram the first 20 elements (for those that did science), so we will live that to the underlings.

Lastly we have the interacting images; this is also another powerful way we can use to facilitate recall. But most students have never heard of it, but I have used it often and have found it to be very beneficial. This is because it is odd in the first place. But it still remains true that the weirder your interacting image is, the easier you can recall it.

Let's say you simply want tom memorize the calories content of different classes of food. For carbohydrate is 4 and for protein it is 9, then for carbohydrate the first syllabi is car and if we remember that car has four wheels then it is easy for us to recall that carbohydrate has 4.

For protein we just need to remember that the most common protein is beans and looking at beans it has the same shape as 9. So it is easy for us to recall that protein has 9.

### Studying Mathematics

For student that are in engineering, sciences or environmental design departments and other departments relevant to mathematics or that have to do with calculations of some sort. Especially a mathematics course then it is worth mentioning that math's alone does not fit into either category of facts or concept. This is because mathematics is a test of logic and sound reasoning.

The best way to concur calculation is through constant practice and starting from simple and gradually expanding to the complex. So what I do when I come in contact with calculations is that I will take a piece of paper and try to solve it on my own until I get it right. Then I will go on to practice more complex questions and anytime I got hooked up then I will seek the assistance of the students that I know are better than me for the most part.

Then I will keep on practicing and practicing until I can easily recall all the steps in my head. One trick about calculation is that it is always difficult to grasp at first, may be that is why most students fail - because they couldn't persevere. But with diligence and continuous practice it becomes easy. So constant practice is the best strategy to learning math's, all other methods are secondary.

#  When You Finish Study

### A) Have Adequate Sleep

Most students undo good study by not sleeping adequately. Some of the recent researches on sleep rhythm discovered that there are moments of rapid eye movement during deep sleep, where information is transferred from long term memory to permanent memory in our brain. This activity is termed as consolidation. It happens for adults after about every one and a half hour during sleep. So if you are not getting typically about 6-8 hours sleep, then you are not getting enough rhythm.

Therefore you are prone to losing some of the things you study. That is why most students are confused as to how they will fail to recall something that they have crammed recently or even fail to remember what they have previously learnt and understand. This is simply because the information was not transferred effectively to their permanent memory.

Still you might want to raise an argument that even the top students stayed overnight during test and exams period, why do they then still manage to perform well. Well, this is because they use that time to revise what they have already learnt, and therefore they are not actively engage in uploading new information to their brains, while the rest of the student are busy struggling to understand or cram new information at the time.

This is another good reason why you should embrace the 4 hours study principle, because it will give you the freedom to have enough sleep time especially when you need it most, i.e. during exams since you might have covered all your courses before exams

There are many remarkable studies that proved that by simply improving the sleep time of some students from 6 to 8 hours sleep. Their results improved by the average of 20%. But the reason you don't hear about this is that no industry will make profit by telling people to get better sleep.

So, do yourself the good of having adequate sleep, not only for the sake of study but because it is also a healthy way of living.

### B) Have Regular Exercise

According to the U.S Military Investigations and other recent studies, exercise in one tool that can be used to increase the brain power for concentration. By definition, exercise is any physical activity that you do regularly in order to stay healthy both physically and mentally. But most students never take it seriously for the fact that it is not part of our academics.

Neurological studies have shown that our brain will stay younger and longer if we exercise regularly. Moreover, the researchers indicate that people who engage in regular exercise think more creatively, flexibly and clearly. They recall faster and retain more information than people who do not. This is all well established scientific phenomena and you can do your own research to find the reality of this information.

There are three major types of exercise, which are; the static, flexibility and aerobic. Aerobic exercise is any physical exercise of low to high intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process. "Aerobic" means "relating to free oxygen". examples of cardiovascular or aerobic exercise are medium to long distance running or jogging, swimming, cycling, and walking. When practiced in this way, it improves mental functioning by allowing the passage of atmospheric oxygen to the brain, thereby enabling our brain to work at its peak level.

While Static exercises, or isometric actions, occur without joint movement. The activated muscle groups maintain a fixed length because the tension generated is equal to the resistance encountered. Static stretching is also a great way to release stress and tension in your muscles, which can help you feel more relaxed.

Flexibility exercise involves Stretching your body to become more supple and flexible, it offers many physical benefits. Such training allows for easier and deeper movements while building strength and stability. This helps in improving mental focus and concentration.

Regular exercise is the best way to recharge your mental faculty for recalling, retaining and understanding with ease. What I usually do is every morning I will start my day by doing a 15 – 30 minutes Yoga exercise which is a form of static exercise. Then during the weekends especially on Saturdays, I will go for jogging which is a form of aerobic exercise. And during some evenings especially on Mondays and Wednesdays I go for my KARATE training which is a form of flexibility exercise.

Combining the following exercises in that manner makes me to stay focused, calm and alerted all the time. You should take time to figure out the exercise that best fit your routine and make sure you stick to it in order to ensure that you enjoy the immense benefits attributed to it.

#  The Rest of It

###  A) Before Examinations

There is a group of specialist called the elevate education Group that focused on finding out what the top student did differently to get the top result all the time. They spent the last 17 years carrying out their research and what they found was remarkable. What they found to be consistent across the Europe and the U.S was that all (not almost all but all) top students prior to writing their exams where busy doing practice exams while the rest of the students were either reading their notes or doing some other form of revising.

They found that they can almost successfully rank a class from the first to the last by the amount of practice exams that everyone is doing. This is because exams do not really test us about what we know but rather our ability to successfully remember what we know and how we can use what we know to answer questions.

Again these students that are doing practice exams are the student that started their studies early and are done with reading and revising, so that these also proves the value of embracing the 4 hours study principle. Practice exams also help you to understand the pattern of the question that you are expected to be answering.

The greatest fear of most students - which makes them to continue revising their notes, is what if they forgot something. So they spent all their time trying to revise what they have studied and often end up revising what they have already mastered and still leaving what they don't know or at least they think they know.

Forgetting to do practice exams, which will reveal to them what is it they have already understood and what it is they need to revisit. But top students on the other hand realize that they need to actively assess their selves to find out where they need to improve and not waste their time revisiting what they already know.

When most students can only at best remember what they have learnt, those student that do practice exams developed the capacity to analyze, evaluate and develop argument about what they have learnt.

The first time I come across these principle I intuitively know that it is going to change the way I fundamentally approach my studies. Because it proves to me that first I need to study long before exams so as to cover what is going to come out in the exams. And that if I can assess my understanding before the exams by doing practice exams, then I will be far better off knowing where I need to improve and not waste my time on where I already know.

From that moment on I usually begin my exams studies by first pondering on the previous exams questions especially if it is the same lecturer that is taking the course. This helps me to develop good perspective and judgment about what I should and shouldn't study. It was this particular principle that I know which enable me to have the courage to resume my 400l first semester after mid-semester break with the hope that I can still pass my exams, because I know it is not how long you study but how effectively you can remember and apply what you have studied that mattered.

Finishing your studies before exams and practice exams is the one skill that differentiates the top students from the rest of the class. And so even if you don't fully understand this concept you should be willing to give it a try. Even when I told my friends about the immense value of practice exams they still couldn't do it simply because they haven't finished studying at the time of exams.

So with time I come to realize that unless somebody started studying early and possibly apply the rest of the principles in this book, then only practice exam cannot solve his problem. So don't understudy and expect that practice exams is going to do you any good. Practice exams as good as it may sound is for those that have apply and master the effective study habits and that is way I put it at the end, so that you may understand that it is only beneficial to the extent that you learn and apply the other principles laid in this book.

###  B) Pick Yourself Up If You Fail

The reality is no matter how good you are as a student, you are going to lose marks somewhere or somehow across the semester. But if you are going to excel academically then you have to be resilient to such failure. This is because failure is the building block of success. Most geniuses never discovered their talents until they attempt to surmount great difficulties. Character is not built on ease but on difficult grounds.

Failing does not even mean you don't understand what you are doing, sometimes it might be because of a mistake you do unknowingly. So try to pick yourself up whenever you fail and try again with much vigor. And whenever you fail in a test, then you can cover it up in exams if you are serious enough.

When I was in 400l first semester, there was a mathematics course Math441 which I knew well. I even teach some of my classmate before the test. But when the day of the test comes I felt in my mind that I wasn't still ready, so when the examiner share the tests questions I took one glance at it and I guessed I can answer three questions out of four which is a fair deal. I tried to answer the three as best as I could and after the test I was certain that I will do well.

But unfortunately, when the test result came out I was shocked to see myself got 7/40. It was my worst test result ever - the last time I could remember getting a low grade was during my 200l when I scored 11/40 in one course. I couldn't even believe what my eyes saw until I visited the lecturer and he handed me over my script, which was when I understand what happened.

The first question I attempted I got 7, this was because I omitted some simple steps thinking they were not necessary. The second question I got it right but he refused to mark it for me simply because I did a lot of rough work and my methods weren't clear so he assumed I copied from somebody else. Therefore he said he couldn't accept that and the third question I made a simple mistake of writing a 2 instead of a 4 when I was copying the question in my answer booklet which means even though my calculation was correct I still got a wrong answer. And there wasn't enough time during the test for me to attempt the forth question. There I stood feeling devastated and hopeless, it wasn't that I don't know the course enough but silly mistakes here and there have made me to get such poor result.

The best option available for me was to go and drop the course and carry it over in my 500l but that doesn't suit me. So I said that I rather give it my best shot and if I fail that is not the end of the world, I will honorably carrying it over. I took that course more serious than ever and I practice whenever I had the chance.

I placed it at the top of my study time so that whenever I go to study I will start with it. And that is how I continued to diligently practice the course till the day of the exams. And thank God when I finished the exams I was certain in my mind that I was going to get at least 40/60 which will give me an overall score of 47/100 which is a pass mark.

But when the result came out this time the reversed happened, I was so amazed that I couldn't believe it the first time I saw it, I got a C grade in the course. This means that I have scored at least 45 – 53 out of 60 which I just couldn't believe myself even though I knew deep inside me that I have answered all the questions well. And guess what? I didn't bother to go and meet the lecturer to find out whether it was my result (I guess you definitely know why)

So no matter how poor your performance in a test, never give up hope that you can still do well that course. All you need do is to put more effort in the course and if it is a carryover make sure that the next time you are doing the course you did things differently than the way you do them so as to pass this time around.

Please don't forget to rate and review this book for the benefits of other students like you and if you find this book helpful please feel free to share it with others. Thanks!

#  Putting What You Learn To Work

You see, all the great ideas in this book are practical and come as a result of my real experience. And these are the same ideas that have worked for countless number of individuals that have practice them.

I have already eliminated the need of separating facts from fiction for you. But still if you wrongly apply these principles then they will not work for you. But it is needless to say that these ideas are true and will work for everyone that put his/her effort to understanding and practicing them.

At this point, one thing I will want to draw your attention to is that, if you don't develop the mindset then you cannot use the strategies and if you cannot use the strategies then forget about the tactics. So that in applying these principles it will be good for you to do it in a sequential manner.

Although it is still true that, not all the methods outlined in this book will work well for you, so try to find the ones that work for you and stick to them. Then try to make sure that you understand and apply the principle correctly before you start making judgments. I employ you to please take the time to digest these principles and methods gradually, it will also take you a couple of semesters before you wrap your head around these stuffs practically.

And again as you can see, this book alone does not contain all the answers, so if you still feel the need to search for more ways to improve your study habits then by all means do so, and if you find anything beneficial that you think I need to include for the benefit of others students then please do endeavor to contact me directly through the contact email that I will provide below.

## Develop the Right Attitude

Again, make sure you continue striving to develop the right attitude because the reality is, learning as a rule requires a lot of patience and sacrifice. So you will need to have the right attitude to move through successfully.

But fortunately, learning about the right attitude is a topic on its own which I will like to consider another time, therefore I will try my best to highlight to you the major characters that you need to develop that will assist you in gaining academic proficiency.

First, you have to take full responsibility for your actions and results. If you simply believe that other people (e.g your lecturer) or the situations you find yourself in life (e.g academic environment) are responsible for your results, then you put yourself at the mercy of circumstances.

Therefore you will feel helpless and miserable in times of difficulties and hardship. And you will just have to blame others for what happen to you, but if you take the responsibility for your actions, then you know that whatever happen is a s a result of your action or inaction. So you will feel the confidence to give in your best in times of difficulty and uncertainty and for whatever reason if you fail, you will know that it is because of your actions. This will make you more prepared to seize further opportunities. So you will be self-centered and try to improve yourself all the time which will put you in a better position to succeed.

The ideas in this book are worthless to someone who feels that something or somebody is responsible for his own performance. But if you take the attitude that you are the one in control of your life and therefore in charge of your results, then this book is going to motivate you to take the definite actions that will enable you to realize a better result.

Second you have to develop the attitude of positive expectation, which means the attitude of expecting more good things to happen than bad things in your life. In this way, you can be able to try different things until you discover what works for you. But, if you always think that even if you try something new it is not going to work, then you are going to sit down and do nothing. Thinking that you will just waste your effort, this is partly because if you don't trust yourself then you are not going to give in your best and without giving in your best then you don't stand a chance.

Lastly, try to develop self-discipline. That is the ability to do the things you know will affect your life in a positive manner even if you don't feel like doing them. So as to reap the reward of a better life, because the fact is that it is very difficult for somebody to change his routines and therefore it needs a lot of motivation and discipline. So, if you try and fail for the first time, don't give up hope, try again and again until you succeed.

I didn't get these concepts all at once it was through a continuous determined effort that I was able to develop these skills. Some of the ideas I know from the beginning but it took me years to make practical sense and application of them. Patience means to take it easy and not try to do everything all at once.

# The End

At the end let's try and take a quick recap of the most fundamental ideas in this book. Becoming self motivated means you take the time to clarify the reasons why you want to study and diligently search for your carrier opportunities; this will motivate you to stay focused. Moreover, you need to set and strive to achieve your academics goals each and every semester. Then you need to manage your time until you have enough time to study. And lastly, you need to use the right study methods and procedures that have proven to work overtime.

Don't forget, it is not possible for you digest all these principles at once; you want to carry this book with you and take one principle at a time then diligently apply it to your life until you are able to master them all. That was how I did it; I didn't learn all these principle all at once time. I learn, apply and iterate one idea at a time until I found what works best for me and so should you.

Contact me directly for your personal sentiment about how **you** think I can upgrade this work...

Number; +2347062529653 - text message only

Email; muhusin4life@gmail.com

Please don't forget to rate and review this book for the benefits of other students like **you**!

You deserve the best in life and I pray and hope you get it.

For your diligence and determination have brought you here and they will surely lift you to the heights of heaven!

A Big Hug to **You!**

Thanks.

