What are your daily study habits? “First of all, I try to concentrate in each
class. When the teacher is explaining, you must pay attention and take notes. Notes are very important. Secondly, I do a lot of reading. Reading of textbooks, research on the internet, etc. It is very important especially for the general knowledge. For example, in international trade you should look up the different agreements and try to understand what the purpose is. So if you only read the textbook alone, you may not get enough information. After class, I will type up my notes, sometimes a summary and I will add more detail as well. This helps me to review what the teacher said in class, and I always read these notes before my next class also so the information is current in my mind. I study most in the evening after work, it varies how long I study for, but usually 2 or 3 hours a day.”
Do you do anything different when studying for a quiz or exam?
“A lot of students use the one day tactic, where they just try to remember the information the day before their exam. For me, I think that is not good because you cannot remember well the information one week after the exam. I use a different tactic. I study a little bit everyday and I always review the lessons and research on them more. I always go into exams confidently because I study the information a lot, and I also sleep and eat well so my mind is clear. Also, sometimes the quiz is a surprise one, so my tactic works well because I am always studying and learning the information throughout the class, not just before the exam.”
Do you study at another university or have a job or internship?
“I work 5 days a week in the public sector, my job is about 70km away from Phnom Penh. I study only one university because I work during the week, so I don’t have enough time for more than one university.”
How do you manage your time and schedule?
“Actually, I use my phone to mark down all the things I need to do. It is a good use of technology and helps me organize all the different tasks I must complete. I can organize my priorities, homework, assignments, meetings, etc.”
Being a student can be a very stressful and busy time, how do you manage your health?
“For my health, I like to do some kind of exercise, but I cannot do it all the time because I have to also focus on my work and studying. Every morning, I go for about a half an hour for some exercise. And somehow I play badminton with my colleagues at our workplace to release some stress.”
What are your future plans?
“Actually, I plan to apply for an overseas scholarship to obtain my Master’s Degree. The scholarship could be from a European country, the USA or Australia, because I want to discover their culture and ideas.”
What advice can you give to other students who are hoping to be more successful next term?
“Most students want to be outstanding students, and actually I think they know the strategy to become one too. But a lot of students always procrastinate and do other fun activities outside of their studies. They don’t pay attention, they use Facebook a lot. However, I suggest them to pay attention to each session, listen to your lecturer and take notes. Also, read a lot. Use the internet to search about your personal interests which helps you to improve your English as well. You can search for it on Google or even YouTube. Even for me, some-times with the lesson – I don’t understand it at all, so I just go to Google or YouTube and search for another explanation. Often this is very helpful for me to better understand the topic. You also need to be well prepared and confident in order to be successful. Lots of students are pessimistic, they think “I cannot do it like them” but in reality all the people are the same. You just need to be motivated and committed to be successful.”
