U.S. colleges are places of intellectual rigor. This means that one must undertake deliberate preparation to be able to succeed there. Professors move through material swiftly and, unless forced to pause by student questions, will assume students understand what has been covered. So, if you are not aggressive about getting your questions answered to ensure you know what is going on, it is easy to get behind and do poorly in a course.
Usually due to poor time management, many college students fall quickly behind in a class and never catch up. Do not allow this to happen to you. Always be in control. Always know what is expected of you; when assignments are due; and how to get help if needed. These three key elements will really help you stay the course.
The following measures should be taken by every student to make sure he/she is making satisfactory progress in his/her coursework. They sound simple, but few students have the discipline to faithfully carry them out. Be one of those students who does.
- Show up to ALL classes on time.
- Do not party during the week and get sufficient sleep.
- Be pro-active about completing assignments early.
- Go regularly to your professors’ office hours. (Personal contact and facial recognition can only help you.)
- Utilize the campus Writing Center.
- Prior exposure to a subject helps a lot. Having taken an AP or IB-level course in the subject in high school will make a huge difference once in college. If you know literally nothing about the subject of a course you have registered for, study up! Begin with Wikipedia and follow links to articles and books in the field that will grant you some foundational understanding.
- Get help when need it! (There are often graduate assistants who are paid to help undergraduate students with their courses.)
If you live by these guidelines, you will be a successful college student.
Questions about this post: Email robert@designsonlearning.com