Wondering how to be successful in college class if you are an ESL student? College presents plenty of opportunities for young people to learn and to grow but college years can also be extremely stressful for students, especially foreigners. Studying in another country far from home is very challenging. Besides, it’s no secret that international students need a different set of skills to successfully study abroad than the skills that could bring them success in their home country. No wonder that international students often feel stressed and overwhelmed, thinking about papers, exams, and grades.
College can be really tough if you don’t know how to study smart. Here are 7 great tips for ESL students on how to make it through college and be successful academically, socially, and professionally.
1. Learn the Same Information in a Variety of Ways
Studies reveal that different media stimulate different parts of a human brain. You are more likely to understand the new information and retain it if plenty of areas of your brain are activated. Wondering how you can do that? When you learn a specific topic, do the following:
- Read the textbook
- Read the notes you did in class
- Take quizzes from a variety of sources
- Teach your friend what you have learned
- Create a mind map
Use a different method or resource every time you review the study material, and you’ll learn faster.
2. Strengthen Your Writing Skills
Lot’s of students struggle with their writing, especially those who speak English as a second language. It’s not easy to write academically, especially if you have never written academic papers before. If you can’t meet tough deadlines for your endless college papers and are afraid to fail, the good idea is to get professional writing help at a cheap writing service online. Lots of students often use them to relieve stress and get better grades. You can buy a model paper on your topic and use it as a practical guide to the English academic style. It can also serve you as a great template for your own writings. If you practice writing on a regular basis, you can become a strong writer, and it will help in your academic and professional career.
3. Review the Information Regularly
Don’t cram. Reviewing the new information periodically can help you move it from short-term memory to long-term memory. You will remember it better and, as a result, you’ll get better grades. What is the optimal review interval? It varies, but the next interval is always longer than the previous one.
4. Get to Know Your Professors
Try to create genuine relationships with your professors and talk to them during office hours or after classes. Tell them who you are and demonstrate your desire to work hard and study well. If you don’t understand something when you read your textbook because your English is not good enough, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Ask questions if you are not sure what you are supposed to do when completing your assignment.
5. Make Friends with Other Students
Make friends with local students and with the students from other cultures. If you speak English with them, you are sure to boost your communication skills and become fluent. You can also partner with your fellow students and share notes, discuss lectures, and prepare for exams and tests together.
6. Find a Tutor
Find out about tutoring options on your campus and book an appointment with a tutor when you need some extra help. He will help you understand the concepts you are struggling with. Many colleges have writing centers where you can get help with outlining your papers, finding resources, and learning to use proper academic English. This way, you will develop your writing skills.
7. Find Time to Relax
You’ve invested a lot of time, effort, and money to study abroad and when you are far away from your friends and family, there are fewer social distractions. So it may be tempting to spend all your time studying. But you need to make some time to relax – have fun with your friends and classmates, visit local attractions, enjoy walking alone in the park or go to an exciting party.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.