How to be an Outstanding Student University College “The Center for Student Success” Blake Mackesy

Success “Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result.” ~Oscar Wilde Easier Said than Done

Transition to College The transition from high school to college can be a difficult one. Both your social and academic life will be remarkably different from high school.

10 Differences Between High School and College No Parents No Hand Holding Less Time in Class Different Attendance Policies Note Taking Challenges Different Attitude Toward Homework More Study Time Challenging Tests Greater Expectations Different Grading Policies No Parents Life without parents may sound exciting, but it can be a challenge. No one is going to nag you if you're messing up. No one is going to wake you up for class or make you do your homework (no one will wash your laundry or tell you to eat well either). No Hand Holding In high school, your teachers are likely to pull you aside if they think you are struggling. In college, your professors will expect you to initiate the conversation if you need help. Help is available, but it won't come to you. If you miss class, it's up to you to keep up with the work and get notes from a classmate. Your professor won't teach a class twice just because you missed it. Less Time in Class In high school, you spend most of your day in classes. In college, you will average about three hours of class time a day. Using all that unstructured time productively will be the key to success in college. Different Attendance Policies In high school, you are required to go to school everyday. In college, it's up to you to get to class. No one is going to hunt you down if you regularly sleep through your morning classes, but the absences could be disastrous for your grades. Note Taking Challenges In high school, your teachers often follow the book closely and write on the board everything that needs to go in your notes. In college, you'll need to take notes on reading assignments that are never discussed in class. You'll also need to take notes on what is said in class, not just what is written on the board. Often the content of classroom conversation is not in the book, but it may be on the exam. Different Attitude Toward Homework In high school, your teachers probably checked all your homework. In college, many professors won't check up on you to make sure you're doing the reading and learning the material. It's up to you to put in the effort needed to succeed. More Study Time You may spend less time in class than you did in high school, but you will need to spend far more time studying and doing homework. Most college classes require 2 - 3 hours of homework for every hour of class time. That means that a 15-hour class schedule has at least 30 hours of of out-of-class work each week. Challenging Tests Testing is usually less frequent in college than in high school, so a single exam may cover a couple months worth of material. Your college professors may very well test you on material from the assigned readings that was never discussed in class. If you miss a test in college you will probably get a "0" -- make-ups are rarely allowed. Tests will often ask you to apply what you have learned to new situations, not just regurgitate memorized information. Greater Expectations Your college professors are going to look for a higher level of critical and analytical thinking than most of your high school teachers did. You're not going to get an A for effort in college, nor will you usually get the opportunity to do extra credit work. Different Grading Policies College professors tend to base final grades largely on a couple big tests and papers. Effort by itself won't win you high grades -- it's the results of your effort that will be graded. If you have a bad test or paper grade in college, chances are you won't be allowed to redo the assignment or do extra credit work. Also, low grades in college can have serious consequences such as lost scholarships or even expulsion.

Defining Success Academic success comes in many forms. For most students, it's a stellar transcript that opens doors into great jobs or great graduate schools. For others, academic success also includes what happens outside of the classroom. With so much going on in college, though, how can you make sure you're headed down a path toward true academic success -- and toward a truly rewarding college experience?

Get the Most from College Let Yourself Explore Make Informed, Honest Choices -- and Enjoy the Consequences Set Yourself Up for a Strong Performance Remember to Learn Outside of the Classroom Stay Balanced Get passionate Academic success comes in many forms. For most students, it's a stellar transcript that opens doors into great jobs or great graduate schools. For others, academic success also includes what happens outside of the classroom. With so much going on in college, though, how can you make sure you're headed down a path toward true academic success -- and toward a truly rewarding college experience? Let Yourself Explore You may arrive at college knowing that you are destined to become a teacher, a lawyer, a doctor, an engineer. Or you may arrive not having the slightest idea about what you want to major in. No matter which end of the spectrum you're on, however, you should let yourself explore everything that your school has to offer academically. Take classes in a subject you've never taken before. Follow a passion that doesn't relate to your major. Just let yourself really learn from your environment. Make Informed, Honest Choices -- and Enjoy the Consequences There will undoubtedly be a lot of people giving you advice about what you should do during -- and after -- college. And while you may be in school to learn, you will, at some point, have to draw your own line in the sand. Pick a career and course of study that suits you, not your parents. Pay attention to the fire in your belly and learn what you're truly passionate about. Make sure you're happy at your school. And once you've made a choice, feel confident in your decision and do all you can to learn from the resources around you. Set Yourself Up for a Strong Performance You've explored a little, changed your mind here and there. Decided on a major, maybe even a career. With those decisions out of the way, you can now set yourself up for a successful college experience. Make sure that you make the most -- intellectually -- of the time you have left, be it one year or four. Take classes from the best professors in your department. Don't let minor errors in your papers take away from your great ideas. Grab coffee with your favorite professors and talk about what they love about their field. Remember to Learn Outside of the Classroom True, you spend a significant amount of time in class (and possibly in labs) learning new material. But what are you doing during the other hours of your week? How you spend your time outside of the classroom is a critical part of your college experience -- and, in a sense, of the education you receive while in school. Make the most of it! Join a club or organization that explores your interests and passions. Take all your required courses next semester . . . in a different country. Branch out and try something you've never done before. No matter what you do, make sure you do something that you can look back and be proud of. Remember to Stay Balanced College can be overwhelming. And while you're focused on doing well academically, there can be multiple parts of your life that are keeping you from doing so. Maintaining a healthy, balanced life in school is challenging but important. Make sure to let yourself de-stress when you need it. Keep the things in your schedule that keep you healthy, whether it be going to the gym or going to religious services on a regular basis. Do what you can to keep your relationships healthy. In essence: take care of all of yourself, not just that big brain of yours. Get passionate. It is crucial to establish your personal, positive frame of mind in regards to your education. Take a moment to reflect on what you enjoy doing and studying, and what you're genuinely interested in. What are your goals? What are your plans? Knowing yourself, and your reason for being in college, will eliminate any tinge of self-doubt or emptiness that might arise due to an intense, seemingly cold and emotionless academic atmosphere.

Your Job--Be business-like about your education! 40 Hour Work Week 12-15 in class If you were working a job you would have to go to your job at 9 AM and stay there until 5pm. The rest of the day would be your own time. If you did the same thing in college, you would do great. Go to class, go to the library, study seriously, at 5pm put away the books and go home. Once in a while you might have to work late, just like at a real job, but in general if you were spending 40 hours a week attending to school you would be a Dean's List student. Act like a professional, adult person.

Your Job Description Go to class Get/stay organized Find your own best method of studying Use your time effectively and efficiently. Balance work, school and social life Be sure to take care of your health Positive Attitude & Confidence Go to class. You might get participation points, and the professor will also get to know you better. It will keep you in the flow of the class, and prepare you for anything that might come along.   Stay organized. College is all about multitasking. Planners can really help you to balance homework, due dates and tests. You should try to get your work done early, then you will have less stress. Find your own best method of studying. For example, study at a desk . When taking tests, take your time into consideration so that you can complete the test to the best of your ability. Balance work, school and social life. Many students start to mess up in college because they want to hang out with their friends every minute. There will always be time for partying in college. Pull yourself away from partying so that you can take care of business. Use your time effectively and efficiently. Do not procrastinate on assignments. Try to make progress every day on what is assigned. For example, if you have a report due in 6 weeks, do not wait until 3 days before it's due to begin working on it. Instead, work on it every day for 30 to 60 minutes. Once you get into it, it will actually be enjoyable seeing the progress unfold versus being stressed out and worried about an important assignment that has been put off and whose due date continuously gets closer and closer The Golden Rule: Whatever you do, DO NOT procrastinate. College academics, especially in the first and second terms, is not meant to present itself as arbitrarily difficult. Unlike high school, college asks you to formulate your own understanding, rather than having a teacher feed you facts for later regurgitation. Keeping caught up with your professor's lesson plan, as well as the course material, will save later stress, anxiety, and feelings of intellectual inadequacy. Be sure to take care of your health. Ancient Greeks said "Νους υγιής εν σωματι υγιεί" which means "a healthy mind in a healthy body". Join a sports team or exercise, don't overdo the junk food, and try to get as much sleep as possible. Not only will you feel better, you'll be able to think and learn better too. Always try to keep a positive attitude and have confidence.

“Good” Academic Standing Begin with the end in mind…… Overall GPA 2.0 Minimum: 24 Credits Graduate-Major Field Average 2.0

Faculty Mindset Research Engage in Topic interested

Academic Performance Time on Task Talk with your Professors during Office Hours Get Study Partners Use Flash Cards Write in Your Textbook Read Rigorously Academic Advisor Use Support Set Goals Talk with your Professors during Office Hours Most students never visit their teachers during office hours. Office hours are a great time to get clarification on concepts taught in class, and also a great way to get advice on studying for tests or writing essays. Most teachers love when students visit them because it means you’re interested in learning and getting your assignments right. Don’t be like other students—meet with your teachers on a regular basis. If you can’t meet with them during office hours, try talking with them during class breaks or right before or after class. Get a Study Partner from Class It’s not always practical to study with another student in your class, but try to do this at least once—especially before a final exam. Study partners can be extremely helpful because they can help clarify subjects taught in class. They might have also written down some notes you might have missed. They also can be great proofreaders for your class essays. Use Flash Cards If you’re class requires memorization of key terms or concepts, make flash cards. Flash cards can help you learn concepts quicker because you can study the cards wherever you are. All you need is a big pack of flash cards and a rubber band. Just remember to just have one main point or concept on each card. Don’t make the mistake of putting too much info on a card. Write in Your Textbook One of the best ways to learn is by getting involved in your study material. You can get involved by writing notes in you textbooks. Circle important words. Underline vital concepts. Write down questions in the margin. Summarize key concepts and write them down on the page. The more you write, the more you’ll probably learn.

Set and Achieve Goals Goals that are right for you Build skills for a lifetime Manage your responsibilities Motivation Have Fun Achieve

University College Center for Student Success Academic Counseling and Coaching Advising Services Career Services Disability Support Services Tutorial Services/Supplemental Instruction Peer Tutoring & Professional Tutoring SI Learning Skills Study Strategies & Academic Skills

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