School isn’t just about passing classes; it’s about building skills you can actually use. Ahumada-Tello and colleagues explain a simple idea: focus on three kinds of abilities—tools you use every day (such as writing or using apps), how you work with people, and how you connect ideas to solve larger problems. These are called instrumental, interpersonal, and systemic competences, and they’re the targets your study time should aim at.

They also describe how one university maps your journey in four stages: a base of essentials, hands-on technical learning with a professional practice module, training for the job you want, and finally, graduate studies if you choose. Think of it like leveling up in a game, each stage unlocking new challenges and perks. The plan behind all this includes clear policies, a shared learning philosophy, core components, and a purpose: to help you achieve a well-rounded education that translates to real-life success.

What actually helps you grow? The authors identify five key “agents” that surround you: teaching, research and development, management, university culture, and extracurricular activities. In everyday terms, that means great classes, opportunities to try new ideas, support that keeps things running smoothly, a culture that values learning, and clubs or projects that allow you to practice. If you tap into all five—show up in class, join a project, talk to mentors, get involved—you build the kind of skills employers and communities care about.

There’s also a smart way to track progress: regular check-ins. In their model, learning is assessed about every 80 hours; when your understanding reaches a high bar, new knowledge begins to emerge—like when a tough topic finally “clicks” and you can teach it to someone else. In their results, only about 15% reached that level, which serves as a reminder to be consistent and utilize every resource available to you—teachers, peers, campus culture, and activities—to push beyond the basics. Make your hours count, aim for mastery, and turn your study time into skills that open doors.

Reference:
Ahumada-Tello, E., Castañón-Puga, M., Magdaleno-palencia, J. S., & Villegas-Izaguirre, J. M. (2010). Knowledge Society a Multi-agent model for Adaptive Learning. 3rd World Congress on Social Simulation.