Practical Steps To Be A Lifelong Learner

By Lauren Bleser

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt completely inadequate to accomplish the task at hand? It has been said that hindsight is 20/20. It’s always easier to look back and see what you could have done differently to be prepared for the challenges that you face.

I remember that feeling during my freshman year of college. After attaining a Bachelor’s degree in education at the State University of New York at Oneonta and a master’s degree as a reading specialist, I can offer a few practical suggestions on how to best prepare for the rigor of earning dual credit, completing college-level coursework, and ultimately becoming a lifelong learner.

Time management

Whether you’re completing college-level coursework through dual credit, credit by exam (CLEP/DSST), or in a traditional college classroom setting, you need to be able to manage your own time.

This means making sacrifices in order to accomplish what needs to get done. Success at the college level requires much more than academic ability. It demands responsibility and discipline. If you’re still in high school, begin building these character traits now.

Take ownership of learning

You must be a self-starter. At the college level, no one will force you to work on your assignments. Take the initiative. If you don’t understand the material, it will be your job to put aside some extra time to study it more or draw upon other resources so you can grasp the concepts. Take ownership of your own learning, and begin steering the course of your future.

Prioritize

Planning of long-term projects requires the ability to prioritize. Author Sydney Harris observes, “A winner takes a huge problem and breaks it down into smaller parts, so it can be more easily handled. A loser on the other hand, rolls a lot of little problems together, until they are simply unsolvable.”

When working on a long-term project, ask yourself what your ultimate goal is that you’re trying to accomplish. What needs to be done first? What is most important? Set realistic deadlines for each step along the way. Regularly determine if you are on track with the schedule and expectations, and make adjustments where needed.

You will have to decide what areas you need to spend more time on, and where you might need to let go of your perfectionism and just move forward. Self-evaluation is one of your greatest assets.

Parental roles

Parents, you can help prepare your children for dual credit or college by giving them the freedom to manage their time and make certain decisions during their high school years. You may need to let them fail and learn from their mistakes. The goal is for them to be a lifelong learner, which means you may need to have more of a hands-off role in their academics during these years. Your child will learn more from a poor test score than they will from micromanaging their time.

The lost art of note-taking

I have heard college professors observe that most incoming freshman have inadequate note-taking abilities. I can remember my freshman year spending a lot of wasted time highlighting almost the entire textbook.

I was grateful to get some training from a professor who taught us how to extract key words and phrases, summarize, and take notes in a way where our eye is drawn to the important information. He taught us how to use simple grids and arrows and symbols to engage our visual memory.

Learn to identify main points versus minor details. Be able to differentiate between principles and application. Critical thinking skills do not come naturally. They require effort and practice. When listening or reading, don’t just consume information.

Analyze and evaluate it. Is it logical? Is it accurate? Practice identifying hidden messages, discerning subtle biases, making connections, and drawing reasonable conclusions. Honing your critical thinking and logic skills will be particularly valuable as you take your CLEP and DSST exams.

Lastly, before starting college-level coursework, make sure that you know what you believe and why you believe it. Be ready to give an answer for the hope you have. Be firm and grounded in your convictions, so that when challenges come, you will not be double-minded or easily swayed.

“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”
- Ephesians 4:14

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4 comments so far - Leave a comment below

Excellent article!! This information is valuable for all "students"...those still in school and those of us in the school of life. Thank you, Lauren. Your insight will help students be more successful. :)

— Mimi Enriquez Monday, September 6, 2010 1:37 PM CDT

This is really great information for all students to ponder. Thank you to Lauren and CollegePlus!

— Scott Tuesday, September 7, 2010 9:06 AM CDT

I like the advice on note taking. It seems like I highlight every sentence in my textbooks and I then I never know what to focus on. This is excellent advice!

— Missy Tuesday, September 7, 2010 11:11 AM CDT

All very good tactics for proper learning. I will like to imply these to my studies.

— Henrik Braun Tuesday, September 7, 2010 12:56 PM CDT

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