Student with a life

                By now, I’m sure that you’ve been asked how school is going or how you like your classes. Spring term 2013 is far enough along that you probably have a pretty good answer to that question. So, how is school going for you?

Like most students, you are probably feeling the stresses of being a student while you simultaneously balance your life outside of school.  If the term ended tomorrow, would you feel like you had gotten anything out of it? Would you be passing all of your classes? Maybe you are a typical straight "A" student, and don’t have much stress-sweating to do and have learned lots, so far, this term. Or, maybe your grades are hanging in the balance at this very moment.

For those of you who struggle, what are your obstacles? What is holding you back from being the best student that you can be? According to David Bird, a professor at LBCC and former counselor, being an effective student boils down to two things: environment and study groups. “Human beings are people of convenience, and will typically do what is most convenient for them.”

Is being a student convenient for you? When you are not at school, what does your environment look like? Some questions you need to ask yourself are: Who are the people around me? What are my priorities/roles in life? What activities am I doing outside of school? Are these conducive with being a student?

“I live in an environment where a bunch of us like to party. I end up chasing after alcohol and weed more than I do my books and assignments,” is what an LBCC student had to say about his term, so far. He is “not at all surprised” that his grades are not what he knows they should be. Maybe your school work suffers for another reason. One student said, “When my sister passed away in a car crash, I stopped attending classes for a while because of how depressed I was.”

Life happens, and each and every student brings their own life to campus each day. Regardless what your outside life may be, if you have chosen that being a student is what you need to be, then you should dedicate yourself to being a student, and you might as well achieve some decent grades, right?

                If you are one of those special cases that finds yourself holding yourself back in school, maybe you should try taking the “Dr. Bird” challenge….

Don’t try to get through school on your own.

 “People who not only get help, but also help out others in school have shown to do better in school”.

 Be aware of your environment and make changes if need be.

“If school is important to you, then you should surround yourself around people who feel the same way, and help each other through it. A good way to find people like that is to start study groups.”

Instead of chasing the non-important things in life, chase after your education. It’s what you are paying for. LBCC provides plenty of services. Your first stop should be with your professors and adviser. Talk to them and ask any questions you might have. If they don’t know, I’m sure they can point you towards someone that does.