Being successful at university

What does success mean? It is healthy to set goals and objectives which are not just ‘mark’ oriented. No two people have the same definition of success and it is important to identify what you consider to be “success” to help you grow more as a student, and ultimately a person. Despite this, there are a few characteristics that, as students, are common in successful students. These characteristics may seem geared toward academic success, but can also apply to success outside of the classroom.

Characteristics

Take control of, and be interested in your own education.



Study what you are passionate about, or know how to create interest and passion to self-motivate even when you’re not interested or motivated.

Go to lectures, prepare before lectures, engage the instructor during the lecture.

Use your passion and interest to expand your knowledge and understanding - do not limit yourself to only “learn” what was officially taught or provided

Learn in a deep and thorough way. Not just facts, but try to comprehend, know how to apply the concept or lesson, be able to use what you have learned when analysing or thinking about something, be able to combine the ideas with others that you have and create something new!

Do not be afraid to fail, be able to learn from your mistakes, try not to avoid failure, embrace it, and pay attention to the instructor’s feedback and use the feedback to improve.

Address the lessons learned from your mistakes so that you don’t make the same mistakes multiple times.

DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP!

There are many resources around you, take advantage of them. For example, use UW's Student Success Office's resource for getting coaching or becoming a coach.

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