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Going to college is a major part of the American dream. But enrolling is just the first part of the story. To be successful, you’ll want to get off to a good start. If nothing else, college offers a chance for a brand new academic career. No matter how well you did in high school, once you set foot in your first college class, high school is history. While this fresh opportunity can be invigorating, it also carries a ton of responsibility. To make sure you succeed over the long haul, follow these basic steps from the start.
1. Do the work
It might sound simple, but the most important step for starting well is simply to do the assigned work, right from the beginning.
“The day you attend your first classes, attack your assignments immediately,” says Don Dunbar, an educational consultant and author of What You Don’t Know Can Keep You Out of College. “You might be meeting new friends who want to go out the first few nights before the pressure builds, but don’t do it. Stay home those first few nights and save your socializing for the weekends.”
Normally this will include a great deal of reading along with other work professors expect you to complete outside of class. If you keep pace from the start, you won’t find yourself getting overwhelmed.
2. Manage Your Schedule
After the first few days of school, you’ll find one of the biggest adjustments to life as a college student is the level of independence. You have a lot more control of your own schedule, but this can be a challenge as well as a plus.
“In high school your teachers probably remind you about your homework, exam dates and paper due dates,” says Kelly Tanabe, founder of Supercollege.com and author of several books on college topics. “In college, you’ll receive a list of these deadlines at the start of the quarter, but you may not hear about them again until the day they are due.”
Keep this list at hand (typically contained in an outline known as a syllabus) for each course, and refer to it frequently. At the same time, keep in mind instructors focus only on their own courses and don’t really consider what other faculty demand of their students. Since each course will have its own list of assignments, you’ll need to develop a master schedule.
“You need to be responsible for keeping your own deadlines, doing your homework and studying,” Tanabe says. “No one is going to remind you.”
He recommends creating a schedule for when you’ll study, how much you’ll read or work on a project per day or week, and when you’ll do everything else. “By doing this, you won’t show up to class one day and be surprised with a mid-term,” he adds.
3. Develop Good Study Skills
As you prepare for exams and complete assignments, it’s important to be effective. In addition to putting in the basic time required, learn to absorb information as completely and efficiently as possible. Even if you’re an excellent student, there is always room to improve while adapting to the fast pace of collegiate studies.
Different techniques work best for different people, but some strategies are basic. Polish your note-taking skills. Learn how to extract the key points from textbooks and other written materials. Get organized so you spend your time completing work rather than looking for lost notes or re-doing misplaced work.
To learn more about proven ways to improve study skills, seek out-of-class help from counselors or academic advisors. Take a class or seminar on study skills. Consult sites such as HowToStudy.com, which provides links to a variety of helpful resources. In short, spend some time studying about how to study.
Also make it a point to focus on academic work to the exclusion of other activities. While this may be the age of multi-tasking, carve out time where you are not distracted by phone conversations, TV or the Internet.
“Don’t study in front of an open computer or you’ll end up stalking people on Facebook instead of studying,” says Suzette Tyler, author of Been There, Should’ve Done That: 995 Tips for Making the Most of College.
4. Foster Relationships
Educational research has shown that for most students, a key to success in college is getting connected with fellow students, professors, and other people in the college community. During the first few weeks this can be challenging, but be patient.
“Remember even if everyone in your new environment seems to be adapting easily, many are probably going through the same feelings you are,” Tanabe says. “Try to meet as many people as you can, especially during the first few weeks.”
There are any number of ways to getting involved. Consider joining or forming study groups, or taking part in intramural sports, student government or small groups with special interests ranging from music to web design.
It also pays to establish good relationships with professors. One plus with two-year colleges is in most cases, classes are small enough instructors get to know students as individuals. But this also means to be as successful as possible, you’ll need to show professors you’re serious about doing well.
“The most important thing you can show instructors is your interest in their subjects,” says Dunbar. “Ask for extra reading and think about how, by your participation, you can contribute to class discussion.”
Also keep in mind every college has a support network of professionals available to help you. If you experience problems or just need some advice, be sure to take advantage of the many services available. As the need arises, take the initiative to talk with counselors, tutors, academic advisors, administrators or support staff. The more engaged you become with others who care
about your success, the more likely you are to succeed.
SIDEBAR: Choosing the Right Classes
As a college student, you’ll have plenty of choices when it comes to the classes you take. To make the best selections, take these steps.
- Consult the college catalog to see what courses are required for the program in which you’re interested.
- Look over class schedules carefully to determine your choices for any one term.
- Meet with an academic advisor to make sure you understand all requirements. Be aware if you’re not careful in your selections, you could waste time and money completing courses that don’t fit into a given academic program. Or your courses will not transfer to a four-year school if you start your bachelor degree at a two-year college. So take this step even if it’s not a standard requirement at your college.
- Are placement tests required? Classes in areas such as English and math may require you to take placement tests; if so, take them early so the results will be available before class sections start to fill up.
- If possible, stretch yourself by taking a few classes in subjects that might not be your first choice, even if they’re not required or suggested as part of your electives. You’ll be glad you did.
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