How To Plan Yourself As A Student In 2022- I am super excited to write this article because I believe if you practice the truths you read in this article, outstanding success is definitely yours. I must say that this generation is blessed to have all the tools needed for success unlike when I was in school then, it was more like game of trial and error. You are not expected to fail if you can harness all these tools and resources. I will be sharing with you some of the secrets that helped me while in school. I know you may say, that is old school, it won’t be applicable in this digital age. Don’t worry, I will guide you on how you can apply those secrets in this age and still be outstanding.
School Is Not Scam
A popular singer sang in one of his songs, School is scam. Well, that is not true, it is important you get some level of education first before some other things. So you are very right to be a student at this time. I know there have being stories of high personalities in our present day that dropped out of school and today are very much ahead in life, even ahead of their colleagues that graduated from school. But those cases are just one in a thousand.
The truth is this: there are some doors that will never open to you if you don’t have certain level of education. So if you are reading this and you are already planning to drop out of school, please don’t.
If you make your research very well, you will discover that even as a student, you can learn some skills and start earning while in school without any distraction to your academics.
What Is The Meaning Of Planning?
According to Wikipedia, planning is the process of thinking regarding the activities required to achieve a desired goal. Planning simply involves thinking on the steps to take to achieve a desired goal
Benefits of Planning
- It helps you keep your eye/mind on your goal.
- It enables you to be able to utilize maximally the resources you have.
- Planning helps you to stay focused and keep you from every distraction.
Let me cite an example:
Ade has a desired goal, which is to make 395 in the coming JAMB. As part of his strategies to make that score, he decides to spend five hours on reading daily. Two weeks later, Ade’s uncle came around and wanted to take him on a two-month trip to Dubai.
Now Ade being an intelligent and very serious boy told his uncle about his goal and the strategies he is using already to achieve the goal. His uncle was very excited to hear that and he promised to postpone the trip to the time he would have ended his exams. In addition, Ade’s uncle promised to get him some gifts if he was able to achieve the goal.
This story leads me to the next point.
4. Planning will make you earn the respect of family, friends and even your teachers.
In the story above, Ade was able to win the heart of his uncle because he was involved in strategic planning.
I can boldly say that favor travels in the direction of admiration and respect
5. Planning helps to improve your academic performance.
6. Planning helps to eliminates wastes, mistakes and errors.
7.Planning helps you stay motivated.
What Happens When You Fail To Plan?
- You will be disorganized
- You will be swayed by every form of distraction
- Your academic performance / result will be poor
How Do I Plan?
- Set a goal: the goal you are setting should be bigger than yourself. Don’t be afraid to set goals e.g. I want to have nine As in my WAEC.
- Design a step-by-step guide on what you would be doing daily to achieve this goal. Be a daily person.
- Have the right mindset. If you are going to succeed, you must cultivate the heart of a winner. Don’t keep reading stories of people that failed rather read stories of people that achieved success.
- Be realistic with your daily practical steps. For example, how many hours you want read daily.
- Be disciplined.
Practical Examples Of Goals To Set As A Student In 2022
As a Secondary school student: “to make distinctions in your next exam”.
As a final year student in Secondary school (SS3): “to make 9As in WAEC and score 395 in JAMB”.
As a university undergraduate: “to make first class this session so as to get a scholarship”.
As a final year student in the university: “to get scholarship for M.Sc. and PHD”.
As a Youth Corper: “to get a good job in a multinational company after service year is over”.
Social Media: An Effective Tool for Effective Planning for Students in 2022
We live in an era of Social Media. Everyone and everything is going global. I can be here in Nigeria, and with just some clicks on my computer, I can know what is happening in Faraway Australia.
I can be in Plateau state and be taking online courses with a post-graduate school in Switzerland.
I can be in Ibadan and be chatting with a friend in Canada. Social media has really made life easier.
As a student, you must know how to harness the social media to your advantage for maximum results in life. Social media is not just for chatting, viewing funny pictures or downloading games. No, it’s far beyond that.
Practical Steps To Harnessing The Social Media For Effective Planning In 2022
Have a Schedule
As a student, you should have a study timetable, one that is realistic and flexible. For example, if you fixed 5-6pm to study on Saturday and suddenly your Bio 101 lecturer decided to fix an impromptu class at that same time. Do not say, “that is the time I fixed to study my mathematics, so I won’t attend”. No that is very wrong. You should attend the impromptu class and schedule another time to study your mathematics.
Set alarms for different activities you do daily. Set alarm for waking up in the morning, alarm for study, alarm for rest, etc.
Attend Classes
Don’t form the habit of skipping classes. Don’t be biased with your teachers/lecturers.For instance,
You have geography 101 lecture by 2pm but you decided instead to go to the library to study physics because you don’t like the teacher. That is very wrong.
Get a Syllabus
A syllabus is simply a document that contains the set of topics in a course/subject that is expected to be covered/known by the student for a particular duration. At every level/class you find yourself, you must strive to get the syllabus and keep it handy. Whenever you go to study, you must take the syllabus with you, so you can be well-guided.
Study
You must mark out time for personal study of your school work. Don’t just mark out time, make sure you keep to that time. Get a good and quiet place to study. Don’t study on the bed, you are only beckoning on sleep by so doing. Don’t study in front of the TV while your favorite program is on, you are just deceiving yourself. You can make use of the library and other solitary place to study.
Complete All Tasks
Do all your classwork, assignments, projects, group work. Don’t skip any. They help to build you up.
Create Online Study Groups
I remember when I was in secondary school, I had some class mates that we work together then. We drill ourselves by exchanging tough questions. It really helped me then. Now in this social media age, it is even much easier to form a group. You don’t even have to be physically together. You can create a WhatsApp page where you add some like-minded classmates of yours. In the group, you can do revision, ask questions, trash difficult assignments and interact generally on your subjects.
Enroll for Online Coaching Classes
When I was in Secondary school, I attended extra coaching classes after school hours. The extra coaching really helped my performance in school and even when I was preparing for WAEC and JAMB.
But in this dispensation, coaching classes are already moving from on-ground to online which I think it’s a good one. Because back in those days, a lot of crazy things happen in those coaching classes like peer pressure, unwanted pregnancies, etc.
But with the online classes, you can safely join from your home, learn and even interact with other students without being unnecessarily exposed.
Take Advantage of Google Search
After being taught a topic I class, you can research and read more about the topic at your leisure on Google. This will help you to understand the topic better.
Conclusion
According to Benjamin Franklin- If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. That is, if you want to fail in life, just do nothing. Success is sweet but it comes with a price. The possibilities of being successful as a student is endless if only you are ready to give it the needed work.
I wish you all the best this 2022.
Thank you.
