Skills For Success At University | AD

Student success isn't just that piece of paper with your degree on, or a good job once you graduate (although these
are pretty cool too). It's also being happy, healthy, and productive during your university experience. In fact, for
many being a student is where we get our first experience of adulthood and all the responsibilities that come along
with it. With that in mind, if you want to be as successful as possible, there are a few skills that you will need to
work on. Find out what they are below. 

Organisation 

Success, at university, and beyond is often reliant on good organisation. That is your ability to sort things in a
relevant manner, structure tasks in terms of priority, and systematically work through them. 

In fact, it's not just your academic performance that will depend on your organisational skills, but your greater well
being as well. After all, if you are living away from home, you won't have anyone there to remind you to stay
organised when paying your bills, or doing your laundry. 

That's not to say that poor organisation won't affect your studies either, as it definitely will. In fact, if you don't plan
enough time to study for your projects and presentations, as well as your exams, you are likely to experience two
things. The first is a decline in performance, while the second is a rise in stress. Something that can not only be
unpleasant but also further affect how well you can do. 

Obviously, then, organisation is essential. Although not all of us are gifted with a natural aptitude for it. Fortunately,
there are some actions we can take that can boost our ability in this area. 

The first is to embrace using a planner, whether it's a Bujo or another kind. The reason being if you have
somewhere where all your important info and dates go, it's much harder to stay disorganised.

The next is to realise that organisation is only a tool and not an end in itself. That is, if you are spending more time
organising your life than living it, you have gone wrong somewhere. With that in mind, when it comes to
organisation KISS method is the way to go. (Keep It Simple Stupid!)  

Communication 

Communication is another essential skill that you will need if you are to succeed at university. In fact, you will need
it in your academic life when interacting with peers and professors, as well as when presenting. 

You will also need it in your personal life as well. In situations such as renting a house, making new friends, and
applying for jobs and internships too. 

The great news about the skill of communication is that it's like a muscle. The more you work it, the stronger it gets.
With that in mind, be sure to embrace opportunities to hone your communication skills. Whether they are speaking
publicly, or acting as a student representative on a particular issue. 

You may even wish to go one step further and join your university debate team. Although, whether you do or not,
you will have plenty of opportunities to present in your seminars that will provide the perfect training ground for
nurturing this skill. 

Just remember that it's totally OK to be nervous, and there are a few hacks you can use to come across more
confidently and effectively. One of these is to use your body language to project confidence, standing straight with
your hands behind your back.  

While another is to not read your presentation or speech but instead practice it so you can work from bullet points
instead. Then you will be able to look up and out into the audience. Something that always provides a more effective
feel when communicating your message. 

Critical Thinking 

One of the most essential skills that you will need to succeed in university (& increasing in the real work with all this
fake news nonsense) is critical thinking. That is the ability to look at something and question how valid and reliable
it is. Based on several factors such as its sources and the countering evidence.

In fact, you will quickly find that most academic subjects are founded on critical thinking. Something that means if

you can grasp this skill, you can improve your projects and presentations no end. 

With that in mind, when researching information, be sure to look past what it is telling you to the deeper issues

involved. A skill that you can hone by practicing the hat technique you will see in the video below. 

Budgeting 

Finally, if you want to succeed during your student years, you will absolutely need to be able to budget. Now, this
means sticking to a budget as well as just drawing one up. Something that can actually be pretty challenging,
especially if you have never lived away from home before. 

One tactic that you can use here is to set aside a time each week to go through your spending. Use this to work out
what you have spent, and what still needs to be paid before the end of the month. While at the same time checking
to make sure you have enough to cover this. 

Another way that you can boost your budgeting skills is to use an app to set your limits and track your spending. In
fact, some apps will do this automatically for you and show you the results in a visual dashboard. Something that
will make it much easier to stay on top of your finances in real-time. 

Of course, the real skill here being able to say no to things if you don't have the money to cover them. An issue that
can be pretty challenging, especially if there are social elements involved. After all, you don't want to stay home
alone when all your squad is at the club. Happily, if you are forward-thinking, you can set aside some money for
nights out, treats, and even day to day things like a cup of coffee without blowing your budget. This being a skill that
will stand you in excellent stead both for your time at uni and beyond. 

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*This is a partnered post.