The more I know, the more I realize I know nothing.
Socrates, d. 399 BC
Back in primary school, I used to have bad study habits. Just like life, I never took my studies seriously. As expected, I never got good grades. I did not see the importance of studying.
I was the least favorite child in the family. The middle child who never did anything right. Never got the accolades that my siblings often get from our parents. That drove me to isolate myself from those around me, preferring to seek out knowledge that truly interests me, which, unfortunately, were not the subjects in the syllabus they taught us at school. I wanted to learn. But I didn’t want to do it because I wanted to please my family. I rebelled against the norms. I cannot focus on my subjects. Simply put, I lost interest in my studies.
Too bad, I only realized the importance of good study habits when I entered college. I failed a lot of subjects. And it took me longer to finish my previous degree. When I entered the professional world, only then did I realized that good study skills are actually the disciplines one needs in order to be successful in his career.
If one wishes to be successful professionally, one needs to be successful academically. And one can only be successful academically with the right study skills.
Now that I am back in college, I would like to rectify that mistake in my life. I intend to finish my program with good grades. Something that my family, particularly my son, would be proud of. And I can only accomplish that with the right attitude, with the right study skills.
According to Wikipedia, study skills “are approaches applied to learning. They are generally critical to success in school,[1] considered essential for acquiring good grades, and useful for learning throughout one’s life.” (Study Skills, Wikipedia). And I couldn’t agree more. By staying focused and staying interested, a good study habit can be formed, thus leading to a successful academic program. Most of the time, I have observed that when students lost interest in their studies, they loose their focus. When they loose their focus, they begin to procrastinate. When they procrastinate, they start to miss important deadlines. And we all know what happens when students miss important deadlines.
Every course is relevant. Every course is interesting, if only students would look at the rationale why it was included in the curriculum. Every course is a chance at learning something new, something that may be of use later on not just in our professional life but life itself in general. I know it’s not too late for me to start over.
Reference:
Image taken from the web: https://i0.wp.com/www.customizableprofessionaldevelopment.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Hypnosis-learning-study-skills-training-Cork-Ireland-08.jpg?fit=720%2C600
Socrates, d. 399 BC, classical Greek philosopher
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/5930740-the-more-i-know-the-more-i-realize-i-know
Study Skills, Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Study_skills
Fragments of my Imagination 
