Just Got Admission? Here are Some Tips for Newly Admitted Students

You have checked your school’s admission list or checked your admission status on JAMB CAPS and have turned out successful. First of all, you deserve to be congratulated. Getting admission into school is no easy feat. More than a million candidates register for JAMB each year, vying for admission slots with the goal of getting tertiary education and securing their future. Only a few make it, and for you to be among these few, you should consider yourself a conqueror. Now, what follows? Well, we’ve decided to share some few helpful tips that will help make your academic journey successful:

Also See: Just Got Admission? Here’s a List of Some Items You’ll Need in Campus

23 Quick Tips and Pieces of Advice for Newly Admitted Students

1. If you didn’t get your desired course, have an open mind about the course you got. Life is filled with uncertainty and you never can tell exactly what it holds for you. As such, your attitude towards your circumstances greatly affects how those circumstances affect you.
2. If you didn’t do well in secondary school, don’t write off yourself. You can still surprise yourself in the university. Believe it or not, your brain is as capable as anyone else’s. Many people just tend to underestimate their ability to learn. Academic performance is a function of studying. Just make sure not to ignore the foundations, and you can set yourself right again. Go back to elementary topics if you have to and build a solid foundation. 
3. Make friends but don’t get hung up on trying to please people or get popular. Remember that no man is an island, so make friends from different backgrounds as it will give insight into how other people’s lives are.
4. Take your studies seriously from day one and a target from the onset.
5. Study smart! Don’t depend on night reading too much (although this depends on individuals), sleep well and read a little every day. Remember, “slow is smooth and smooth is fast”.
6. If you’re not from a well-to-do family, and you feel getting school fees on time might be an issue, start scouting for scholarships now.
7. Follow the school rules and timetable. Do the necessary registrations on time. Don’t procrastinate registrations or wait till deadlines. This will save you a lot of stress down the line.
8. Get as much insight, advice and tips as you can from senior colleagues that are doing well.
9. Trust your God (whatever your religion). However, avoid being preoccupied with too many religious activities.
10. Make good use of your school library, if your school has one that is goo enough. Libraries are usually quiet enough for focused study, plus they are packed with books that you may not be able to afford on your own.
11. If you can make out time for extracurricular activities like sports, competitions, seminars, field trips, etc, do so as they will give you more exposure and expand your social networks positively.
12. Work hard, because nothing good is handed to you on a platter of gold. However, don’t work aimlessly. Have a simple plan and an effective strategy for reaching your academic goals. Don’t hesitate to revise your plan as you learn better methods for getting things done.
13. Look up new words often. The larger your vocabulary, the broader your thinking. You are now in a university, so expect to hear unfamiliar words often.
14. If possible, try to develop a close relationship with at least one or two friendly lecturers. This helps to keep you accountable to someone and serious with your studies and about your future.
15. Challenge yourself. Set challenging academic goals for yourself. The good thing about challenging yourself is that even if you don’t reach your goal, you will get close to it. Most first class students who graduate with say a 4.53 CGPA usually set and work towards a 5.0 CGPA goal.
16. Feel free to make friends with the opposite sex, but flee from distracting relationships that can jeopardize your academic journey or future.
17. Be polite to people, because you can never tell who he or she might become tomorrow. The university is a place where some ordinary people start their journey to stardom.
18. Have an open mind. Challenge yourself to consider new ideologies even if they are different from your perspectives as long as they are positive and constructive.
19. Please, attend lectures as often as possible even if the lecturer is insufferable. Apart from the fact that many courses have attendance requirements, many lecturers directly or indirectly dish out secrets for doing well in their course.
20. Make notes during lectures and read them, but don’t allow note-taking to stop you from paying attention during lectures. Use the recommended textbooks and materials to aid your study. Also, learn to maximize the resources available on the Internet.
21. Avoid lonely places at night and be security conscious. 
22. Learn quickly from your experiences in school. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for direction when you need it. Say no to ignorance and be quick to fill your knowledge gaps. Gather new and helpful skills whenever you find the opportunity. When it comes to knowledge, don’t discriminate because knowledge is power. However, as you advance, be selective and learn to sift out useful knowledge from the noise.
23. Finally, take care of yourself in the best way possible with what you have. Get adequate sleep and don’t allow school stress to jeopardize your health. Try to eat food instead of junk (even though junk food might sometimes be the easiest to find when hungry). Remember, health is wealth. 

Wishing you a successful academic journey through the university. May you reach your goals and even surpass them. All the best!