Tips for Success in Postsecondary

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Tips for Success in Postsecondary
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• Your college or university years can be some of
  the most rewarding and challenging of your life
  personally, socially and academically. If you
  dont employ certain academic and personal
  strategies or take care of your health,
  postsecondary can even become overwhelming,
  leading to stress, social struggles and even
  academic failure.
• Take steps to ensure your postsecondary
  experience is nothing but positive. Here are a
  few tips to get you started

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Join a Student Activity

• Student activities and clubs are a great way to
  get involved in your school community. They
  provide enrichment, chances for personal and
  social growth and resume-worthy experience. Plus,
  you can engage in activities that fit your
  interests or existing hobbies, or take advantage
  of an opportunity to step outside your comfort
  zone. You could try a new sport thats more
  physically demanding or take part in an activity
  thats mentally challenging.

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• The student association or council can also put
  you closer to school happenings, including
  student-led initiatives and associations, campus
  events, other student activities and general
  campus life.

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Take Care of Yourself

• Surprisingly, personal care is perhaps the most
  essential component for postsecondary success.
  College or university can be stressful, and
  stress can be hard on your physical and mental
  health. It can lead to headaches, sluggishness,
  depression, anxiety, anxiousness, high blood
  pressure and so much more.

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• These health problems can make it difficult, if
  not impossible, to perform well academically.
  Therefore, you should take care of your physical,
  mental and emotional health. This includes
• Exercising at least three to four days a week
• Eating as healthily as possible, e.g. choosing
  healthy meals, keeping healthy snacks in your
  room or suite and opting for healthier food
  options at restaurants

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• Avoiding substance abuse and cigarette smoking
• Meditating
• Taking breaks, especially when studying or doing
  homework
• Avoiding caffeine and any performance-enhancing
  substances
• Engaging in healthy, protective sexual behaviours
• Forming and maintaining healthy relationships

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• Seeking counseling when needed, especially when
  you feel overwhelmed
• Getting enough sleep and going to bed and waking
  up at reasonable times and at relatively the same
  times every day
• Maintaining a reasonable work and course load

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Be Diligent with the Learning Process

• Learning is a latent process, but it can be
  enhanced if youre diligent and take a proactive
  approach. Being proactive is essential to
  academic success because it involves activities
  that reinforce learning. For example, taking
  notes during class and while studying can make it
  easier to retain and recall information.
  Activities like this extend learning outside the
  classroom. However, theres even more that you
  can do to extend and enhance the learning
  process, including

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• Writing important tasks and due dates in your
  planner
• Creating and following a weekly to-do list and/or
  schedule
• Completing priority tasks and assignments first
• Using study aids, such as flashcards, etc.
• Joining a study group or getting a study buddy
• Studying and/or completing assignments in a quiet
  environment, e.g. using the study lounge

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• Taking breaks while studying or breaks in general
• Breaking large projects up into small steps or
  milestones
• Learning and practicing effective time management
• Adding short-term and long-term academic goals to
  your planner
• Taking comprehensive notes, participating in
  class discussions and asking questions when needed

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Ask for Help When You Need It

• Its no secret that postsecondary requires hard
  work. But so much hard work can quickly become
  overwhelming. In fact, its common for students
  to be overworked and stressed out, especially
  when they dont plan well or take on a heavy
  course load. This can lead to a mountain of
  problems that many students dont know how to
  deal with on their own. So, if youre feeling
  overwhelmed, overworked, sad or anything else,
  dont be afraid to ask for help.

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• Most schools offer plenty of helpful resources.
  For example, you could visit the student support
  centre for academic help, ask your student
  advisor for advice, check boards for help finding
  housing or a job or visit the student health
  services for physical or mental health concerns.
  You could also call home and talk to your friends
  or family when you need personal or even
  financial support. Remember, the healthier you
  are and the more supported you are, the better
  you will perform in school.

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• Take the first step to a successful
  postsecondary experience book your place in our
  awesome St. Catharines student housing today!