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Rebecca Solis

Maxwell

EDUC 1300

11 June 2019

My Path to College Success:

Breaking the Bad Habits

Barriers can stop individuals from accomplishing their goals and dreams. It is important

to identify what those are and search for ways to overcome them. My personal barriers are that

I do not take helpful notes in class​ and ​I tend to procrastinate​ on most assignments. By not

taking notes I am not actually taking in any of the information given to me and by

procrastinating, I am not giving myself enough time to do my absolute best on my tasks. As I

come to the conclusion of what I need to do to improve myself, I am changing the ways that I

study or handle my stress when I have a lot to do.

I have recently discovered that my VARK is reading and writing which means that I learn

and understand things better when I see it written in words. One of my main struggles in class

is that I do not take notes very often. According to the article “How to Take Study Notes: 5

Effective Note Taking Methods”, the key to success is better note-taking because it’ll help

students remember concepts, develop learning skills, and gain a better understanding of the

things they learn in the classroom. When I am given lectures in class, I usually just sit there

listening to the teacher in hopes of remembering what was said. There are very few times

where I take notes, but when I do, I do not really make notes to myself so they are not very

helpful. This habit has a negative effect on my academic life, because I am not providing myself
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with the proper studying tools to excel in my classes. This not only affects me in class, but it also

affects my life because in the workplace a lot more will be expected from me and I will need to

be well informed of what is going on. To overcome this barrier, I have come up with a few

strategies. I will try out​ different note-taking strategies such as Cornell, outline, or paragraph

formats​ to “cover all the important points of the lecture or reading material without being too

detailed or too limited (Gardner 113)”. Another way to be more prepared is to make notes for

myself. When I take an online course, it would be very beneficial for me to ​“summarize the

reading material and put it in [my] own words, record [my] ideas and thoughts, and keep track

of the questions [I] may have (119)”​. In the end, taking notes does not necessarily mean writing

everything down word for word, it means writing what is most important and what will be the

most beneficial to the student.

Furthermore, I have identified another one of my barriers to be procrastination.

Procrastination is defined as “the habit of delaying something that needs your immediate

attention (56)”. In subjects that I have the most trouble, I tend to procrastinate the most. For

example, in my English classes, I put off reading books and answering questions until the last

minute because it was something that requires more time for me. This prevents me from doing

my work with the best of my abilities. I end up turning things in that are not well thought out or

just half finished. This trait is a toxic in the workforce because people usually get fired if they do

not do their job correctly and accurately; shortcuts cannot be taken. One way to get around

procrastination is to ​create a to-do list​ for my work. An article by “Mind Tools” says that

creating a list will help you remember and constantly be reminded of the tasks that need to be

completed so people will be more likely to complete them. Another strategy for this, learning to
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say “no” to people who seek your attention​. Instead, “agree to spend time with them later, and

schedule that time” after completing your work (57). Managing your time is a vital factor when

it comes to procrastination. People need to know the amount of time that they have in order to

plan accordingly. This means individuals may have to cancel plans with their friends or put off

going out for lunch in order to complete their tasks on time. After all, ​prioritizing​ is one of the

many keys for a successful college experience.

In conclusion, poor note-taking and procrastination can really have a negative effect on

your academic life. It is important to admit that you struggle with certain barriers in order to

surpass them. By realizing what I struggle with the most, I was able to come up with a few

strategies to help improve myself. These include note outlines, notes for myself, creating a

to-do list and learning to prioritize. College is not just about strictly learning material for your

future career; it is about learning new things about yourself, the good and the bad, and learning

how to become a better person.

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Works Cited

Gardner, John. ​Understanding Your LSC Experience. ​Macmillan Learning Curriculum Solutions.

2018.

“How To Take Study Notes: 5 Effective Note Taking Methods.” ​Oxford Learning​, 24 Apr. 2018,

www.oxfordlearning.com/5-effective-note-taking-methods/​.

“How Can I Stop Procrastinating?: Overcoming the Habit of Delaying Important Tasks.”

Procrastination - How Can I Stop Procrastinating? with MindTools.com​,

www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_96.htm​.