Keys to Academic Success Essay Example

Decision-making is a very vital skill for college students to have as it aids them in their educational success. Students have the power of deciding how they are going to use their time effectively. They can choose to party all night and have little to no sleep and immediately head to class or prioritize sleep first and head to class refreshed. A student's knowledge of technology also plays a major role in their academic success. Ultimately, a student’s own habits and choices cause the biggest impact on college success; such as sleep habits, technology development, and time management.

There are a few people who can truly function with less than 6 hours of sleep. Balancing due dates and free time becomes harder. Cuts have to be made and unfortunately, many students choose to cut down their sleep time. As stated in a Harvard Summer School article, “You may need less caffeine to stay awake during those long lectures. And you will also find you are more productive, more attentive to detail, and able to concentrate better while studying.” Buying coffee to increase energy has also proven to be futile. As the more caffeine is being consumed the more the human body becomes immune to it. Caffeine is also a temporary solution to a problem that progressively leads to depression. As stated earlier cutting down on sleep has a lot to do with students not being able to manage their time. 

The structure is important for people of all ages, young and old. As people get older they become responsible for their own schedule. Unfortunately, a lot of college students forget that schedules are important for managing time properly. Whenever time is p[oorly managed is when lack of sleep and terrible marks show. As Cunningham wrote, “The flip side of your freedom is personal responsibility. No one’s telling you what to do, which also translates to ‘no one’s telling you how to do what you choose to do’.” Freedom is a wonderful thing except it can also be too much to handle. Whenever there is too much of a good thing it becomes too bad. In Addition, a lot of college students are not used to having a lot of responsibility. Many are used to having their parents/guardians telling them what to do. Not knowing how to truly balance free time and work time. Long-term happiness is not something many have in their head but rather short-term happiness is at the core of all their decisions. To combat this problem a lot of apps have been developed to aid people who seem to get off track. Students are able to spend more time on their actual assignments now due to technology. 

There was a time in which students had to wait for library books to be returned before they can check them out. With technology, there is no need to wait when all the information they need is located in one place with no need to wait. “Students no longer have to page through text books to find information. Rather, they can do a simple key word search online and have everything they need to know right there. Taking notes is now easy and creative, allowing students to type up their thoughts quickly.” Time is of the essence when it comes to projects and assignments. The fewer times students spend going through meaningless pages the more they are able to spend on the actual assignment. As the tools students are handed can make the difference between a successful passing grade and a grade so slow it is practically underground.

Decision-making skills should be taken into consideration by everyone not only college students. A good routine/schedule can give many a nice change of pace- avoiding all the rushing and stress caused by disorganization. With technology in the palm of many hands, it is not hard to achieve success. Even an extra hour of sleep can improve mood and alertness. In the simplest of forms, a college student’s key to success narrows down to 3 major key points: time management, technology, and sleep. Almost all of these keys go ignored as many get consumed by freedom and not knowing how to be responsible for it.