The changeover from high school to college is a significant milestone in all lives of students, filled with autonomy and independence, academic increase in difficulty level, and changes in all types of personal and social. This is certainly an exciting time, but it can also be a very challenging transition. One of the key skills you can develop, and that will support your transition, and is useful in all aspects of life is self-regulated learning (SRL). But what is self-regulated learning, and how does it help you function within the demands of college? Let's take some time to look at these outstanding skills, and what it can do for you.
What is Self-Regulated Learning?
Self-regulated learning is the process students use when they regulate the learning process and his or her studying behaviours. Self-regulated learners are proactive and set smart goals, select strategies to meet the goals, monitor performance progress, and reflect and evaluate the outcome. In other words, SRL is all learning in wicked spaces for students rather than learning and studying in a more teacher directed and organised way.
SRL is more than just studying better, it is studying smarter! That means understanding how you learn best, strategies for managing your time, and having individual strategies for dealing with situations where your learning is interrupted. Self-regulated learners are proactive and reflective and adaptable. They will need critical thinking, analysis and synthesis, not memorization that is all too common in high school classes
The College Challenge: Why SRL Matters
College is a different game than high school. Here are a few examples of this:
Independence: Professors expect students to set their own goals, manage their due dates, and ask for help if they do not understand something.
Learning Environment: Classes are usually large lecture style, small seminar style, or online modules, and the mode of delivery or education entails different skills, strategies and ways of learning.
Competing demands: Balancing academics, activities outside of class, casual jobs during academic terms or summers, and social activities may just be overwhelming!
For those students who have primarily relied on external structure or motivation, this can effectively be quite a challenge! This is where self-regulated learning can help.
Elements of Self-Regulated Learning
Self-regulated learning is often categorized into three major phases of SRL.
1. Forethought (Planning and Goal Setting)
Before you even begin studying, SRL calls upon you to define specific, achievable goals! Instead of saying "Study biology," you instead will say "learn”, the process of cellular respiration, and summarize." You will map out your approach, which resources you will use, when you will do it, as well as what difficulties you might experience.
2. Performance (Monitoring and Strategy Use)
As you work, you monitor how well you are understanding and making progress. Do you comprehend the material? Are you processing the information in a logical way? If you do not, you will shift your strategy (for instance moving from reading to making flashcards, or following up with a peer or a professor for clarification).
3. Self-Reflection (Evaluation and Adaptation)
When completing a task, you are always self-reflecting on your task and considering what went well, what did not go well? Did you meet your goal?
If you achieved your goal, what did you do that got you there?
If not, what redeemed it from being unsuccessful? How will you move forward next time? All this evaluation also promotes improvement.
How SRL Prepares You for College-Level Challenges
1. Fosters Independence and Responsibility
In college there will not be professors nagging you about getting your work in or reminding you of a deadline. Self-regulated learning teaches you how to hold yourself accountable for your own learning, your time management, your ability to prioritize your workload, and hold yourself accountable, all of which are important in college and in life.
2. Develops Problem-Solving Abilities
A lot of the tasks you will be doing in college will include a level of creative or critical thinking. Self-regulated learning will teach you to notice when you are stuck, ask yourself why, and try different options moving forward. The ability to be a problem solver will enable you to deal with larger projects and unfamiliar tasks with confidence.
3. Fosters Time Management
In college, you will have to juggle several courses, events, and deadlines. Time simply flies past. Self-regulated learners chunk large goals into small pieces, set deadlines for themselves, and learn not to procrastinate. They manage their schedules using planners, calendars and/or to-do lists.
4. Promotes Adaptability
In college, you will have to learn to be adaptable since there are many unknowns - sudden assignments, surprising scheduling changes, and new learning styles. Self-regulated learning can help you become adaptive because you are always revising what the next iteration of your learning will look like. If one method is not working for your particular class, you will attempt something different.
5. Increases Motivation and Resilience
Self-regulated learners have goals that are their intrinsic motivations and systematic learning rather than superficial external incentives. This intrinsic motivation means you are less diverted by challenges. SRL can promote resilience as setbacks arise, encouraging you to learn from your mistakes and to continue on.
6. Enables Effective Collaboration
Many college-level projects involve teamwork. SRL enables you to express your needs, establish group goals, and check progress as a group. You become a more effective team member and collaborator to contribute meaningfully and endorse the group to make greater strides toward success.
Practical Tips to Develop Self-Regulated Learning Skills
If SRL sounds more like a superpower that's because it is - and it's a superpower you learn to cultivate with practice. Here are some best practices to help you develop the skill of SRL:
Be specific: Don't let yourself be vague about purpose; be specific and manage what you will be working on in each study block or study session, and make it measurable.
Plan ahead: Develop a system to track your assignments, any missed class work, exams and deadlines, this could be done in planners or electronically.
Check/socialize your learning: Be aware and check your learning regularly. Don't be afraid to make changes if something is not working.
Reflect regularly: After every task, take a minute or two to do a brief critical thinking reflection to determine what went well, what didn't go well and what you will do differently.
Ask for feedback: Don't be afraid to ask your professors and knowledgeable peers for feedback. Use more direct feedback to help you formulate your action plans and practice.
Be organized: Stay organized and have your notes, assignments, materials in order to not be pulling things together at the last second.
Look after yourself: It is also about more than your academics; you also have to manage your stress and sleep, as well as your work-life balance.
If you are a high school student pushing yourself to stand out in college applications, RISE Research offers a unique opportunity to work one-on-one with mentors from top universities around the world.
Through personalized guidance and independent research projects that can lead to prestigious publications, RISE Research helps you build a standout academic profile and develop skills that set you apart. With flexible program dates and global accessibility, ambitious students can apply year-round. To learn more about eligibility, costs, and how to get started, visit RISE Research’s official website and take your college preparation to the next level!
Read More
