At this time of the year, many students are either seeking admission into colleges in India or eyeing foreign universities. As students make the transition to professional degree colleges, it is important to know what skills colleges are looking for and what level of preparation goes into making campus life successful. Such skills may not necessarily be taught at school. The very first requirement is to get organised and prioritise tasks. The moment students taste the freedom that college life affords, their sports, hobbies and friends cut so much into study and preparatory time that they end up being stressed while attempting to catch up on submission and academic work. There has to be a sense of balance for course commitment, spare-time activities, family, friends, social media, and not to forget time for relaxing, shopping, eating, drinking and sleeping. A daily and a weekly timetable are often the best way to start. College and university, as places to learn, are very different from school. A key difference is the formal lectures conducted with very large number of students. Student strength can vary from 100 to 300 in a single lecture theatre room. The number of faculty involved is also very large. There can be seminar; tutorial-based learning, performing practicals, besides self-guided learning. There is also large amount of unstructured time which can go totally waste unless channelized and organised.Writing is another skill that institutions of higher learning demand. Whether it is for taking notes, writing an essay, project presentation, research work or taking examinations, all these require writing skills. As an illustration taking notes may appear to be a simple task but for notes to be effective they should be treated as a memory aid to help understanding and easy recall of the topic. Mind maps, diagrams, pattern notes, spider diagrams are some ways to take useful notes. Often in schools the assessment pattern concentrates on memory recall. Much of the work at college level will need students to do critical evaluation. Students will be required to do analysis, critique and give supporting arguments and evidence to their conclusions. The transition from school to college is often a big jump and unless better prepared, students experience several mental pressures. There is a growing concern, as some survey reports indicate, about the mental health of students on college campuses, as students are seen buckling under the stress. Anxiety is a top concern, followed by depression and relationship problems. Students often resort to taking sleeping dozes rather seeking counselling.  The writer is an entrepreneur and an educationist.

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