How to Succeed in College
Professor Contact:
● Let your professor put a face with your name; ask pertinent questions.
● Read ahead so that you can ask valuable questions and become “known” to the professor.
● Sit in the front row if possible.
● Be able to clearly and simply discuss your specific learning needs.
● Be able to talk about why you are interested in the course/topic/book.
Study Skills:
● Sit in the front row if possible.
● Schedule classes with your best learning/alertness periods in mind.
● Become involved in a study group.
● Meet with tutors or class aides to discuss lecture and text materials.
● Ask if old exams are available for your review.
● Break long assignments into smaller parts – give yourself deadlines.
● Study every day; make summaries and outlines as you go along. Don’t wait for the week before mid-terms or finals to “cram.”
● Make a note of what was confusing in the lecture or the text and ask about it.
● Stay focused.
● Borrow someone’s notes if necessary.
Organization Skills:
● Set daily time for review of each subject. Begin with the most difficult or boring subject.
● Color code material.
● Learn to highlight when reading; develop a color-coded system instead of making the whole page yellow!
● Seek out a quiet place to study. Know what distracts you and remove it or yourself.
● Study in the same place each day.
● Allow more time than you think it will require: keep track of how long it actually takes you to finish the job.
● Make studying a priority! It’s your job!
Personal Considerations:
● Follow a major that reflects and enhances your strengths.
● Look for materials which are presented in your learning style to support the text and lecture materials (i.e., videos, tapes, computers).
● Ask about requirements for math and foreign language courses/credits. If required, consider taking them during summer sessions.
● Be prepared to type all papers. Hire a typist or improve your own skills.
● Pace the amount of heavy reading or writing courses, knowing your own abilities and skill bases.
● Remember that no paper or project can ever be perfect. Accept some “failures” and seek out the corrections. Celebrate partial successes along the way.
● Consider taking more than the typical four years’ time to complete college.
● Find a mentor, either a graduate student or professor, to guide you and inspire you. Their applied knowledge about your field of interest may make lectures and texts “come alive” and be meaningful!
● If you must work to earn money, try to make it related to your major. Ask your major department and professors about job opportunities.
● Sleep deprivation and all-night cramming does not help you learn.
● Monitor your health and nutrition. Know your personal health history.
● Don’t ever give up.
http://www.interdys.org/ewebeditpro5/upload/TipsForSucceedinginCollege.pdf
● Let your professor put a face with your name; ask pertinent questions.
● Read ahead so that you can ask valuable questions and become “known” to the professor.
● Sit in the front row if possible.
● Be able to clearly and simply discuss your specific learning needs.
● Be able to talk about why you are interested in the course/topic/book.
Study Skills:
● Sit in the front row if possible.
● Schedule classes with your best learning/alertness periods in mind.
● Become involved in a study group.
● Meet with tutors or class aides to discuss lecture and text materials.
● Ask if old exams are available for your review.
● Break long assignments into smaller parts – give yourself deadlines.
● Study every day; make summaries and outlines as you go along. Don’t wait for the week before mid-terms or finals to “cram.”
● Make a note of what was confusing in the lecture or the text and ask about it.
● Stay focused.
● Borrow someone’s notes if necessary.
Organization Skills:
● Set daily time for review of each subject. Begin with the most difficult or boring subject.
● Color code material.
● Learn to highlight when reading; develop a color-coded system instead of making the whole page yellow!
● Seek out a quiet place to study. Know what distracts you and remove it or yourself.
● Study in the same place each day.
● Allow more time than you think it will require: keep track of how long it actually takes you to finish the job.
● Make studying a priority! It’s your job!
Personal Considerations:
● Follow a major that reflects and enhances your strengths.
● Look for materials which are presented in your learning style to support the text and lecture materials (i.e., videos, tapes, computers).
● Ask about requirements for math and foreign language courses/credits. If required, consider taking them during summer sessions.
● Be prepared to type all papers. Hire a typist or improve your own skills.
● Pace the amount of heavy reading or writing courses, knowing your own abilities and skill bases.
● Remember that no paper or project can ever be perfect. Accept some “failures” and seek out the corrections. Celebrate partial successes along the way.
● Consider taking more than the typical four years’ time to complete college.
● Find a mentor, either a graduate student or professor, to guide you and inspire you. Their applied knowledge about your field of interest may make lectures and texts “come alive” and be meaningful!
● If you must work to earn money, try to make it related to your major. Ask your major department and professors about job opportunities.
● Sleep deprivation and all-night cramming does not help you learn.
● Monitor your health and nutrition. Know your personal health history.
● Don’t ever give up.
http://www.interdys.org/ewebeditpro5/upload/TipsForSucceedinginCollege.pdf