Your child will be required to overcome all sorts of obstacles while being flexible, resilient and open minded at college.
That being said, there are a number of skills you can encourage right now that have been shown to be the most important when it comes to studying more effectively.
In this article we’ll discuss proven ways to develop the most important skills a student can possess including communication skills, managing stress, citation skills, creativity, critical thinking and time management.
Table of Contents
How to help your child develop communication skills
Great communication skills will enhance your child’s life in innumerable ways.
The ability to communicate effectively is crucial when it comes to getting their point across and developing concise arguments.
Whether it’s with the written word, a one-on-one conversation or a formal speech to a room full of their teachers and peers, solid communication skills are among the most sought-after for students looking to get ahead.
There are five clear paths to improving your communication skills:
- Listening
- Being aware of body language
- Asking questions
- Being brief and to the point
- Taking notes.
How to help your child manage stress
During their studies, your child will most likely be exposed to high levels of stress due to tight deadlines and heavy workloads.
It goes without saying that too much stress can be detrimental to their studies and their mental health.
The ability to deal with stress is a crucial skill set in any parent’s arsenal.
The same can be said for students.
The best approaches to stress management include cultivating habits that will follow your child through life. Like these five, to name a few.
- Getting a good night’s sleep
- Exercising regularly
- Eating well
- Playing with animals
- Making time for their hobbies.
How to cite coursework good
While citing sources can be tedious, it remains one of the most important things your child will do as a student.
Proper citation avoids plagiarism by giving credit to the original authors of the work, and letting teachers know one is using reliable sources of information for their arguments.
So, what are the most effective ways to include citations in coursework?
There are actually several different kinds of citations, including APA used for social sciences and education, which is the most common citation format for students.
It’s easy to cite in AMA style using this reference generator or another trusted online tool.
Others include MLA for humanities and Chicago notes for history and bibliography. The guidelines for each can be found online.
How to develop creativity
One of the most common myths when it comes to creativity is that it’s something you’re born with.
While it might be true that some people tend to be more creative than others, that’s not the end of the conversation.
It turns out, like most things worth having in life, creativity is something one can develop over time.
Two of the best ways to increase your creativity are:
- Reading anything and everything – Reading is associated with many different benefits, creativity being one of them. Think of reading as a way of maintaining your mental fitness while increasing your creativity.
- Taking a walk somewhere beautiful – According to a Stanford study, walking while brainstorming can lead to a 60% increase in creativity when compared to sitting.
Improving critical thinking
Critical thinking is the process of analyzing information and making a judgment based on that information.
This is a crucial skill set for students that will make up a huge part of your child’s studies.
They will already be getting better at critical thinking as they go through their coursework, but help them to understand the elements of critical thinking in order to give them an advantage.
Indeed.com lists six ways to improve critical thinking:
- Become more self-aware
- Understand your mental process
- Develop foresight
- Practice active listening
- Ask questions
- Evaluate existing evidence.
Working on time-management
It’s not glamorous, but time management might be the difference between your child passing their exams and failing them.
Basically they’ll need to learn how to plan out their days and be in control of when they do certain tasks.
This helps immeasurably when it comes to reducing stress levels and meeting their deadlines.
The good news is that once they get used to it, effective time management will become a habit, and a natural part of their studying process.
There are plenty of options out there to help students better manage their schedule.
From a simple calendar and a paper notebook to more in-depth apps on their phone or laptop. Let your children choose the option that works best for them.
Conclusion
There’s a lot that goes into being a successful student. Expectations are high and it can be a daunting task at the best of times.
In this article we’ve covered how to help your child develop important skills that will ultimately make their lives easier and the learning process more enjoyable.
Developing a foundation of communication skills, stress management skills, citation skills, creativity, critical thinking and time management skills will set your child up not only to Help Your Children Develop Skills for Successful Coursework Writing, but also in their working and personal life.
