Everybody wants to be successful in whichever area one ventures into. Nobody wants to be rated as a failure, as failures are not celebrated. Studying abroad is not an easy task for many international students especially if such a person is from a nonspeaking English country and then wants to study in an English speaking country; such a person has to possess a lot of skills that will guarantee his success throughout his or her period of stay there. It is not about being smart as a student, living with outstanding skills is necessary too. For students who want to be successful in their academic pursuits, below are the ten necessary skills to succeed in any examination abroad.
1. TIME MANAGEMENT
Time management is one of the most important things every student ought to be conscious of, time is a friend to everyone who wishes to work with it, and it can also be an enemy of progress for many who procrastinate about it. Time is the most valuable asset in the world, one needs not to waste it as once it is gone, it is gone for eternity. Time management will help you to excel with good grades. You have to know when you have to sleep, eat, play read and catch fun. You have to be in possession of your time. Don’t procrastinate and wait for the rush hour as you may always fall a victim of had I known. Schedule your plans for every day or perhaps for the week on time, so that you won’t be taken unawares and also create enough time for your research. Being in control of time is an advantage of you being able to control yourself and know your excesses.
2. BE CURIOUS
Curiosity is also said to be the mother of inventions, Aristotle an ancient philosopher says that all men by nature desire to know. Curiosity is an attribute of mankind, being curious about a lot of things will lead one into discovering the why and foundation of such a thing. Being intellectually curious should be the primary characteristic of a student who wishes to be successful in life. You need to be curious about the different field and areas of studies in school, and outside the school academic curriculum.
It is a truth of fact that some lectures and courses are always very interesting that the others, as a student, you need to be curious and willing to go extra miles to find out those things that interest you on time so as to satisfy your curiosity. Going extra miles on researches outside the topic discussed in class is of great advantage as you will not confine your intellect to what was taught in class but you will have a wider knowledge about many other things. Also, ask questions about things that seem confusing, things you don’t understand and things that look mysterious and the answers will astonish you.
3. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
Believing in oneself is of great advantage for students who are successful in life and those who wish to become successful. Believing in oneself is a motivation that drives one to the path of success. The university education is not just like the primary and secondary education, going abroad to study will need a lot of things, money, time, and personal determination. Spending a lot of money to achieve nothing, in the end, makes one a fool of himself or herself
While in school, you need to believe in the power of your mindset, be positive always, for if you think you can’t make it, certainly, you may not make it, but when you believe in yourself and know your ability and capability, you will always be at the top. Don’t allow people around to make you feel inferior, as no one could really make you feel inferior without your consent. Strive always to see yourself from the positive point of view that you can do so and so thing. Even if you don’t make it at the first attempt, don’t give up, don’t see yourself as a failure, but rather see such failure as a stepping stone to success.
4. ACCEPT CHALLENGES
Challenges are part of the things every student faces. Even outside the academic settings, people are faced with lots of challenges every day. Challenges are not there to scare us from our dreams, but they are actually there to make is strong and to make is discover what stuff we are all made up of. Accepting challenges here implies being ready to face the uncertainties in life. No one is too sure of how smooth the academic pursuits would be, but one will always be sure of the fact that one-day challenges will set in.
You don’t need to run away from challenges, you need to prepare for it, anticipate it and when it comes you embrace it with a positive mindset. You don’t know all when challenges come, ask other how they battled with such challenges and then make a move. Don’t allow academic challenges to weigh you down, for you are a man or woman of impossible possibility
5. HAVE GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Good communication skill is another important skill to possess. Communication is an attribute of man that no animal can really enjoy. Man is a social being, a being that makes himself known by communicating with others. Communication skills include being fluent in languages, expression and in the passing of information. Good communication skills will always make you speak with confidence and be able to express yourself when need be.
6. LEARN TO LISTEN
Listening is a sure way to understanding certain things about reality. In silence, you listen to other people’s thoughts and expression then conceal your own. Understanding is deeper than knowledge, this when you listen to people you understand them as they will tell you things that really matter. But if you don’t listen; you are prone to be lost from certain information. Paying attention and listening to your teachers will be of advantage, as he or she would say a lot of vital things as explanations for one topic or the other which you didn’t understand. Pay attention to your teachers while they are teaching so that you grab the nitty-gritty of such a topic for that day. Not only listening to the teachers, but you need also to listen to your fellow colleagues and filter their own view as no one knows all, and no knowledge is a waste.
7. COPY NOTES
A student ought to be a good writer and a good ready. One of the importance of academic life is to always take notes. There are many things a teacher will explain to the class that is not even in the topic of discussion but that will help one in other areas of life. Some teachers do mark the notes of their students as this constitutes the assessment of students. Your brain is never an encyclopedia, thus you can’t remember everything stored there at a particular time, your notes will then serve as a reminder for you in things you might have forgotten. So always take note in class, for the more you copy notes, the more you better your writing skills and the more you learn new words and spellings.
8. BE ORIGINAL
The world values things that are original to the ones that are fake. While in school, try your best to be yourself, do your best and let go the rest. You don’t need to be fake for people to like you if you know something to show that you know, and when you don’t know, just be realistic that you don’t know. Originality breeds creativity, when you know who you are, you will sooner or later realize what you are capable of doing. While in school don’t be intimidated by other students, throw challenge when necessary, put across your own view about a particular topic of discussion even though others are saying things different from that, hold onto that as far as you have points to justify yourself beyond reasonable doubt. Mingle with those who are original not with people who claim to be what they are not because the kind of friends you keep conditioned you to some extent.
9. READ
It is better to read without going to school than to go to school without reading. Reading is even the most important thing about studying because you must always read to know. Read ahead of time; revise your notes on time and not to wait till the examinations are at hand.
10. BE ORGANIZED
Being organized is one of the best ways of passing examinations as a student. You ought to have your strategy, what you need and what you want, things that are important and not necessary, what to do and not do, and have an agenda of your day. Being taken unawares may lead to failure, but being organized leads to success as one will know on time what will be needed and not needed.