By Diondi Tan

MARIA Paul is among the very first batch of graduates from the University of Buffalo@Singapore Institute of Management's (SIM) Bachelor of Arts in Communications programme, and one of the few who graduated magna cum laude (with distinguished honours) in this year's cohort.

Here, she shares her secrets on achieving better grades in college, even when the going gets tough.

Firstly, time management is important. Maria was the chairwoman of the dance team at her secondary school, and she had to balance spending her time between dance practice, handling the tasks of a chairwoman and studying for classwork. This applies doubly to university students, because of the tougher workload from instructors.

Leaving time for yourself to relax and rest is also important. Maria dances to relax and to exercise, spending at least half-an-hour on it every day. She also likes going shopping with her friends, she says.

Getting the support of your teachers means that you'll be able to progress further, faster, says Maria. She got the approval of the dean of the school to take on a heavier courseload than what was usually allowed, in order to make up for lost time earlier in the year. And the support of her professors meant that she wasn't overwhelmed with the courses she took.

Don't be afraid of new experiences, she says. Maria said that one of the things that spooked a lot of her classmates was having to learn to speak in front of an audience, which a lot of them had never done before.

She has also been called up as a substitute teacher before, and she relates the experience as 'educational, but a bit hectic'.

Also, know what it is that you want to do, and set your sights on that goal. Focus your studies on things that are relevant to your desired result.

Finally, Maria emphasises the need for putting in hard work to succeed.

'I made sure I finished all my work before I went out with my friends, and I spent a lot of time studying and staying back in school. It cost me a few opportunities to go out and have some fun, but I think it paid off in the long run,' she says.

This article was first published in The Business Times on Sept 1, 2008.