Any advice for a new college student?

In My Humble Opinion
21

The absolute, hands-down, unambigiously best thing you can do in your college classes: nod.

That’s right: nod. When the prof. is up there, everybody in the class sits there like statues and make no responses to what she is saying. If you nod at the prof., just nod your head up and down as if you are indicating, “Uh-huh, yep, makes sense, got it, keep it coming,” and the prof. will respond to that. In a few weeks, the prof. will be teaching the class to you, acknowledging the rest of the pupils more-or-less to look impartial. I’ve been on both sides of the lecture, and the difference is amazing.

I was probably a junior in college when I learned this, and I applied it and it made a world of difference. It doesn’t hurt to be an all-around active listener–provided you aren’t disrupting the class by saying stuff back to the prof. too much. (You can do that a little, but not much.) But you’re trying to take notes, understand the material, etc., and active listening can be a little difficult. So when they look at you, just bob your head up and down, even as you are writing. Don’t make it look pathalogical, but you want to send a clear and obvious signal to the prof. that you are receiving her message, and you are doing what you can to follow along.

Think about it. You’re standing up there looking at 30 stone-dead faces. Their expressions don’t even change when you ask a direct question! Now imagine there is one student who is acknowledging what you are saying, making eye contact when she can, but actively listening even when she is scribbling furiously in her notes. You have 29 zombies and one person telling you, “I’m following…yep…okay…makes sense…that’s it…keep it comin’…got it…got it…yep…I’m with 'ya…” and you can’t help but respond to that.

This makes a world of difference! I am so confident in this that I simply cannot stress it enough. There is no study aid, no pep pill, no reference aid, no computer program, and probably not a single campus service that will help you as much as this simple classroom strategy.

In the same vein, have a very expressive face. If something doesn’t make sense, reflect it in your face. If you have a sudden understanding, show it (and even make the it-all-makes-sense noise: “Aaahhhhh”. Or however it is spelled.)

Other little classroom strategies that make a world of difference:
[ul][li]Sit dead center in the front row. That one is hard if you’re the only one, but do it anyway. Always do it, unless it will be disruptive to your view because of the class layout. Not only does it look good, it eliminates a whole host of distractions since your entire field of vision is pretty much the prof.[/li][li]Since you’re up front anyway, chit-chat w/ the prof. before class. Not about school, but the weather, a James Bond movie, a joke, etc.[/li][li]Visit your prof. and/or grad. assistant at her office during office hours right off the bat. Just introduce yourself and make a little small talk. Visit frequently. [/li][li]If you have a question, don’t just sit there with your hand up waiting for the prof. to notice you. Just say, “Question!” If the prof. can take it then, she will, if she can’t, she will ask you to wait. Don’t say, “Um, excuse me,” or anything like that. Quick, one word, unambigious: “Question!”[/li][li]Ask questions and make comments, especially when the prof. poses a question to the class. If you don’t know the answer, shake your head and say, softly, “I don’t know.” Since you’re up front, the prof. will hear it, so you don’t have to do it disruptively, but you are letting her know that you are with her, that you are paying attention and following her, etc.[/li][li]When you ask a question and the prof. answers it, say, “Thank you.” After I started doing that I was suprised how shocked some profs. looked after being thanked for what may have been the first time ever.[/li][/ul]
Outside of the classroom: Start doing your reading & homework right away. It may be syllabus week, but the early start can make a difference.

And don’t skip class ever. Unless you are home by doctor’s orders, do not skip class. It’s not so much that missing classes affects your grades, it is that once you skip one class, it is easier to skip a second, and this is a slippery slope that will bite you in the ass.

When dealing w/ financial aid, the registrar’s office, or any any part of the university bureaucracy, always be nice. Even if Hitler came back to life and cannibalized your first born that morning, when you get to the window, smile and say hello, and ask how their day is going. Make it sincere. They can only do so much to help you, but not helping you can be very painful for you. An empathetic, “Looks like you’re having a pretty busy day today,” will really stand out.

Well, have I rambled too much? Good luck!

22

hey,boscibo–whatcha worried about? You’ve got everything going to your advantage! You’re a mature person–not like the 18 yr olds who are more interested in meeting girls and buying beer without their parents knowing than in studying. Your profs will see that immediately–and be glad to get to know you.

If you think you dont know how to write–then try this:–dont write, speak. Writing assignments are designed to teach you organize your thoughts.For some reason lots of people write incoherently, where one paragraph doesnt follow from the previous one.But nobody speaks like that–we speak using simple logic, with each sentence in a normal conversation replying logically to the previous one.So before you start to write, say out loud what you are thinking. It may help to actually speak into a tape recorder and play it back to yourself. Listen to yourself.If it sounds good, write it down. If it sounds dumb, then re-word it!

(and one more tip about “how to write”: when you decide on the topic you have to write about–state it as a question to yourself, and then write an answer to your own question. For example,–if the English assignment is to “discuss Shakespeare’s attitude to love in Romeo and Juliette”, which is a bit vague., re-phrase the assignment as “Why did Romeo fall in love at first sight instead of gradually getting to know Juliette over long conversations at Starbucks?” Then, as you write an answer to your question, the paragraphs flow in logical sequence,
you force yourself to make a good persuasive argument, and you get a good grade.
And remember one more thing, if you are scared:it aint that tough! Your SO has already done it, So you know you can do it too.

At any typical American university,if you do what you are supposed to, if you don’t skip classes, and if you read the texts BEFORE the lectures so you are prepared, then you really can’t get a bad grade. I had a prof once who said that students who fail are people who DON’T do the work, not people who CAN’T do the work.

23

Very insightful js_africanus! Very insightful indeed. However, being the one staring back at the “29-zombies”, I’d say if you are noding your head like bobble-head toy, you had better know the answer when I call on you, or be able to make an inference worthy of the heavy nodding. :slight_smile: I mean this quite sincerely. I stand infront of three classes a day, the biggest with 45 students in it. I have a good idea after two weeks who is going nodding because they are interested in the class, and who is nodding so they don’t get called on next. Can I assume you would be the interested party? :wink:

24

That is simply a great idea. I’ll have to do that with my notebooks. It’ll certainly help when my mind starts to wander during lecture.

As a fellow returning student, I would concur with most of the advice given already - especially about talking with your profs. It’s simply amazing how much better the learning experience is when they know you and your interests and start to teach towards them. It’s also great when (as just happened to me) one of them will volunteer to write a letter of recomendation for you before you get the chance to ask.

No matter how much you think you can get away without it, make a habit of reading the text. It makes the material easier to learn, especially if you read the text before class. I have found this invariably true whether the classes were engineering related or liberal arts courses. Also, the amount I seemed to understand from the text mattered very little - I always understood so much more when I both read the material and listened to lectures.

The last bit of advice is perhaps the most important I have to give. You are at college to claim an education, not to recieve one. Be active in your learning - not as an ideal, but as a way of being. You are paying a lot of money (and losing much time in an opportunity cost) to be there so make the most of it. Don’t let anything get in your way of attaining the knowledge you want - not administrative or bureaucratic nonsense, not poor instructors, nothing. Part of this way of being entails following much of the advice given (especially about talking with profs, asking questions, etc.) but it is also a mindset - the money, time, and effort you have put into this venture entitles you to the best educational experience possible, so make sure you get it.

That said, have fun! College is a blast when you are there for the right reasons.

25

One more little thing - put a title and a date on every single piece of paper you write on. Unless it’s scratch paper you’ll be throwing away (I mean recycling) as soon as you finish what you’re working on, put a date, a title, and a page number on it.

That way, at midterms or finals, you’ll be able to figure out which bit of scribbling goes with which handout for which class, and what order they’re supposed to be in. And don’t forget to put the year on, for when you go back and look at your first year basic stuff when you are doing your more advanced work.
It helps.

26

Oooh, speaking of notes…

If you find yourself taking a lot of notes for a particular class, type them up as soon as you get home (if you’re writing in a notebook). Reason being, you don’t want to be fumbling around trying to interpret your handwriting the night before finals.

I don’t usually do this, since I take maybe a half a page of notes for most of my classes, but when I’ve had one of those 3-4 pages front-n-back classes, it was a lifesaver. Especially when the professor was a rambler, one of those guys who’d go on and on about one topic, segue to three more, then circle back around to the original topic.

If you’re lucky enough to have a professor who uses Powerpoint slides and posts them on the Web, print the slides in the view (I think it’s called “Notes”) that gives you little lines off to the side to write on. I’ve found that the Powerpoint lectures mean I spend more time listening/participating, rather than scribbling down notes.

If you’re worried about your writing, swing into the Writing Center (or whatever they call it, most colleges have them). The English majors on staff won’t write it for you, but will probably give you some pretty good advice, if you need it.

On that note, remember to take advantage of the services you’re paying through the nose for. Rec center, academic versions of software, student discounts, career counseling/services, personal counseling, whatever.

And one of my best friends:

27

University is HARD.

I had a really hard time my first semester. My classes were overwhelming and though I thought I was ready and my study skills were up to par, they weren’t. I got some pretty bad (by my standards) grades my first semester.

I tell you this because this is the experience of most people I have spoken to. However. I also want to make sure you know - it gets better.

If you find yourself struggling, remember that not only are you learning the material in class, you’re learning how to be a university student. And it’s not going to come in one week, one month, one semester, sometimes even one year. But it is something you will learn, and don’t despair.

28

I’ll second that. It’s such a shift to go back to worrying about papers and homework and blah blah blah from the 9-5, I’m done when I get off job I was working.

29

The vast majority of the advice is pretty good.

One thing I’m going to add is to find some organizations to get involved with, if you have the time. You should definitely find the non-traditional students’ club; it’s nice to be able to form relationships with other people your own age. (Dealing with 18-year-olds all day is not that much fun.)

Also, when you take some courses like sociology and psych, it’s fun to apply your own experiences to the theory that the professor is teaching. I did that last semester to all of my courses, and ended up with high grades. Professors like it when their students think, even if it means that the student’s conclusions are different.

Finally, take courses that interest you. Right now, I’m taking two journalism writing courses, Spanish, World Civilization II, and Intro to Political Science. All of these courses are interesting to me. As I finish up my general eds and start electives, I plan to find those courses which interest me and which fulfill requirements. Why should I waste time taking Basketweaving as an elective if Child Psych is more interesting (and relevant)?

Robin

30

Here’s my advice:

Most imporantly, learn how to finesse the system. No professor is going to tell you what books you don’t need to read; what classes you don’t need to go to; or which profs will give you bad marks for no good reason.

To learn these things, talk to a lot of upperclassmen.

When you start in college, it’s easy to go crazy with reading assignments; writing assignments etc. – so much so that it interferes with your learning and getting good grades. There are also a lot of crappy professors who will abuse you in class; dump lots of busy work on you; and give you a lousy grade for no apparent reason. You need to learn how to dodge these folks.

You can also waste a lot of time complying with silly requirements. I remember in my first semester of college going nuts trying to find my advisor to sign off on my class choices. An upperclassman I knew showed me how to declare “math” as my major, dispensing with the need to get approvals. He was a “math major” for his four years even though he never took any math classes.

Talk to lots of upperclassman. It will save you a lot of aggravation.

31

Buy a good computer. Your school may require a specific model. Even if they don’t require you to get a computer, you’ll be glad you did. Having to make arrangements to use a computer lab or making do with an older system will not be helpful.

In my experience, one big difference in an honors vs. regular course is the level of the other students. Expect all/ almost all of the other students in honors English to consider themselves good at English. I’m not sure your advisor gave you good advice to take honors English if you have concerns about your writing skills. The quality of writing expected in my honors English class was very high. I suggest doing a reality check on that with the professor while you are still in the drop/add period. If you really need to get the English credit now for some bureaucratic requirement and only honors is available, see if you can take it pass/fail.

Make sure you have taken logistics into account in setting up your class schedule. Do you have time for lunch and dinner breaks every day? Are you trying to cross the entire campus and do 9 flights of stairs in 10 minutes? (I admit to making both of those mistakes as a freshman).

Good luck!

32

Not my insight, I got it from a developmental psych prof. I’ve been told several times by profs. and other students that I seemed like the only one who knew what was going on–even before I started taking ADD meds and was often only passingly aware that there was a lecture going on. (At the UofO I could tell if I forgot to take my Ritalin just by looking at my notes during class.)

That said, I find it hard to believe that you’d punish anyone for attempting active listening, even it is a crude attempt, just because they can’t answer a question. Though, if the OP finds herself not following what is happening, a look of exaggerated confusion will probably be the option to take.

To put another way, the prof. is just a rat in a Skinner Box and the student’s goal is to train the prof. to teach to her and not anybody else. Being on the receiving end of active listening is very rewarding and therefore, I assert, very reinforcing.
(Though, IIRC, a Skinner Box is really just a modified crib that is climate controled, comfortable, and easy to clean so that your baby isn’t subject to unnecessary germs, discomfort and temperature variations. I don’t recall what the things one trains rats in are called.)

33

Thanks again, everyone. I am ready to go! I bought pre-punched notebooks and binders, and my bookbag is wheeled. I don’t care if I look like a dork, commuter parking is at the football field, and that’s a mile walk each way. I walked it today to time it.

I have a laptop, but probably won’t lug it to school unless I absolutely have to. There’s a bunch of computer labs, and since I am not going full days (most days I’ll be done by noon) I can do a lot of my stuff at home.

I have confidence about my classes, and I am only taking 13 credits this semester. So many classes were already full by the time I registered.

Thanks!

34

If your school is anything like mine, most people have wheeled backpacks, you won’t look like too much of a dork.

35

If your uni lets students view past exam papers, take full advantage of the fact. The single most helpful thing I have learnt is to study using past exam papers. Often questions are repeated or similar, and the nervousness of not knowing what the exam is going to be like or how hard it is going to be is gone.

Secondly, be sensible with your time. Some lecturers teach straight from the textbook. Some post their lectures on the internet. Personally, I can learn much better working through notes and questions by myself in 2 hours than I can almost falling asleep listening to a boring lecture. Obviously, you need to be motivated for this to work, and it’s definitely not for everyone, but it works for me. At my uni, the highest grade is a 7, and for the two sevens I got last semester I went to exactly 1.5 lectures. Note that I’m talking about lectures here, not tutorials, which are a different kettle of fish (read: immeasurably useful in passing subjects).

Lastly, I’ll just give my input on notes. I use a folder with 25 or so A4 size plastic slips. Each slip is used for one week’s notes and handouts, and I have 2 subjects in a folder, one starting half way through.

Also, I agree that dating and naming loose sheets and handouts is the way to go.

36

Can I please add something that I don’t think anyone else has said on here yet? The most important piece of advice I have to give you is ENJOY YOURSELF!!!

You are getting an opportunity that many people want but never get, and if you sit there and color-coordinate your notes and try to get everything your teacher says on paper, you are going to miss everything.
I am a freshman in college right now and I am having the time of my life. There are so many opportunities that you can miss if you just go to class and study. Look into all of the extra-cirriculars that your school offers. If it’s anything like mine, they have special events, guest speakers, concerts and plays going on all the time. You can learn just as much outside of class as you can inside.
In class, sit back and listen to the professor, don’t just scribble notes. Think about what he/she is saying, and what it means, not just how you can turn it into an essay question on the test. You’d be surprised how much you retain if you understand WHY a professor is giving you this material, and not just What material he/she is giving you.

I may be out of line here, but if I may make an assumption, I am going to say that you don’t really plan on this leading to graduate school, so I would not worry about Aceing every test and getting a 4.0. If you are, more power to you, and good luck. But nobody ever said that the student who learned the most was the one who got the 100%. Just don’t get too caught up in being the perfect student.