Strategies for Success from Honors Advisors & Faculty

• Your first and foremost survival skill is time management; the second is stress management. If your skills are not up to the level they need to be for college, attend a workshop at the Learning & Academic Resource Center (Anteater Learning Pavilion, Room 3500) and learn some helpful techniques. Also, talk to continuing students who have learned what works and what doesn’t (peer mentors and peer advisors are great resources).
• Take care of academic problems early; waiting can and often does lead to bigger problems that are harder to change/solve. If you experience difficulty, find out what campus or Honors resources exist to help you. If you don’t ask, no one can help. (The honors advisors or the peer advisors are great people to go to for advice!)
• Remember that starting college is in some ways “starting over” and needing/asking for help is not failure — it’s one of your keys to success.
• For honors students, high achievement is often closely related to one’s self confidence and self-esteem. Remember that everyone has a rough quarter now and then and your grades are not a measure of your worth as a human being!
• All Honors students have the potential to succeed at UCI and in the Honors Collegium, but college will NOT be anything like high school! Be prepared for challenges and changes and realize you may need to work harder and longer for continued success.
• Study hard and set your own personal academic goals and priorities. Since school is your primary job, plan to spend 40 hours per week on it. But be sure that you also allocate time for the activities that are important for your physical, spiritual and emotional well-being. Don’t forget to eat balanced meals, get regular physical exercise, and allow time for friends and family. We know it sounds silly, but if necessary, schedule these types of activities into your daily/weekly calendar!