By John Flem

Editor’s Note: The following article was written by John Flem during his first year of college. Your high school students might be preparing for college or perhaps are even taking college prep or “Running Start” classes at a community college.

If they’ve always homeschooled, they might need a few tips on successful study habits. We felt that this article, having been written by someone “in the midst of the battle” offers practical tips and ideas for your student.

Learning can be a difficult subject to understand, because for many people it does not always mean sitting at a desk for hours at a time. Humans all have vastly different learning styles but regardless of your style there are ideas that can help you. Which brings up an interesting question, “How do you get the most out of college?”

There are two groups of students. There is the group of students who attends college just to enjoy themselves, have fun, and they never really apply themselves. The other group of students attends college to learn; they want more satisfying and higher paying jobs.

What does college studying have to do with your future career?

Without an impressive GPA, bigger companies may not even consider your application. However, your bad grades may not be solely due to a lack of studying. They could possibly be due to not knowing how to study to your maximum potential.

Improving study skills can personally benefit every student both young and old, in work and school. I want to better my own education and get the best grades possible so that I look smarter than I actually am.

Many students don’t understand that just showing up to class and listening with half an ear is not going to get you good grades. There is more to studying than simply sitting at a desk. In order to excel you must be aggressive in forcing yourself to study. If you want the highest grades you can possibly achieve you must apply yourself in ways that benefit you the most. Here’s how.

Perhaps the most difficult part of studying is making time. Most of us like to stay out late. We need to limit our social activities to get the most out of our college education. Try weekends only or a few hours a week. The trick is simply to find a pattern that works for you or a groove to slip in to. Be careful not to mistake a groove for a rut. In other words, don’t be afraid to change or wait too long if something isn’t working.

Another answer would be to do all . . .

For the 11 additional slightly unusual and highly effective ideas get the rest here.