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Tips for A Successful First Semester. from your English Department Advisors. Introduction.
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Tips for A Successful First Semester from your English Department Advisors
Introduction Whether you are coming straight from high school or enrolling after years in the workforce, the first semester of college will pose some challenges. The purpose of this presentation is to help you anticipate some challenges, answer some common questions, and help you understand ways in which the pace of college is different from what you experienced in high school.
High SchoolvsCollege Students are assumed to be minors, answerable to parents. If you miss class, your parents find out and you get in trouble. Classes are all in one or two buildings. Most classes meet five days a week. Assignments are usually given every day or maybe once a week. Teachers will usually go over the reading with you point by point. Parents, teachers and others share responsibility for your education. Students are assumed to be adults, answerable to themselves. If you miss class, your grade may be affected. There are a lot of buildings. It can be confusing at first. Classes meet 3, 2 or only once a week. Most assignments are given in a syllabus at the beginning of the semester. Professors expect you to read and process information on your own. You must take responsibility for your own education.
Take Responsibility • The most successful college students are those who know how to learn independently. • They turn to professors and advisors for help, but they take responsibility for their own learning. • If you don’t have a lot of experience studying on your own, the time to start is now. • Seek support systems-study groups, the writing center- but don’t rely on others to do your thinking and planning for you.
Stay Focused • Attend classes regularly even when the instructor doesn’t take attendance. • Don’t procrastinate on the reading or other assignments. • Don’t wait until the day before the deadline to begin a paper. • Don’t leave all your studying for the day before the exam. • This isn’t high school.
Full-Time vs Part-Time • Being a full-time student is a full-time job. • If you have a demanding job, or if family or community obligations take a lot of your time, consider studying part-time. • If you can afford not to work (or to work only part-time) during your first year, try to do so, especially if you have other obligations. • Many students successfully work and attend school full-time (some of them even raise families while doing so) but it is not easy.
Your advisor is there to help. • Meet with your academic advisor at least once each semester. • You will need your advisor’s advice before preregistration. • Don’t wait until preregistration to make an appointment with your advisor. • Consult your advisor during the semester, especially if you are doing poorly in a class and want to decide whether to drop the class or not.
The first day of classes Some words of wisdom
Proper Classroom Behavior • Silence your cell phone. • Do not eat or drink unless professor allows it. (On the first day of classes, assume the professor doesn’t allow it.) • Raise your hand to be recognized—unless the professor invites/encourages “call-outs.” • If you don’t understand something, ask questions. • Listen respectfully to your classmates as well as the professor. • Unless invited by a professor to address him/her by first name, the correct form of address is “Professor Last Name” or “Dr. Last Name.” • Never make any derogatory comments about other groups even if you think the group isn’t represented in class. • Don’t carry out private conversations during class—this includes texting people in or outside the class.
Professors • English professors are generally friendly people who want to help you. • Professors have a different role in your life than other people you know. • Professors are not family, buddies, wait staff, co-workers, retail sales staff or police officers. • Professors are not your employers in the sense that they do not pay you, but they have a similar role in your life in that they assign work that you must complete by a specific date. • Address your professors with the same respect and consideration that you would show an employer. • Professors are usually happy to answer questions both in and out of class.
Reading a Syllabus Each professor will organize his/her syllabus differently, but here are some things to look for: • Professor’s office, office hours, email and/or phone number • Attendance and late work policy • Texts you need to buy/have access to • Class policies and expectations • Dates of major deadlines (exams, papers, etc.) • The reading and/or writing assignment for the next class.
Professors and Office Hours • Office hours are the times that a professor sets aside for walk-in visits and/or appointments. • Most professors are on campus (and even in their offices) at other times, but the office hours are the best time to get hold of them. • If a professor’s office hours don’t work for you, ask for an appointment. • Most English professors are willing to meet with students outside of office hours.
Each syllabus should have the professor’s attendance policy clearly stated. If you can’t find the attendance policy on the syllabus, ask. • Most English instructors will have a hefty penalty for missing more than a set number of classes. Make sure you know the penalty before you start missing classes. • In some classes, exceeding the allowed number of absences may cause you to fail the class even if you had a passing grade on all the work. • University excused absences (for specific university activities, military service, etc.) are not subject to the attendance policy. However, personal emergencies and crises are not automatically excused.
Textbooks and Other Supplies • In English classes, you are expected to have a current edition of the assigned text when you come to class. • Most classes will not review the text for you but will build on what you have read for the purposes of discussion and/or further development. • If your professor requires a folder, a blue examination book, a thumb-drive or other special equipment, get these while you still have money.
Schedule of Assignments • The reading assignments in English classes are usually meant to be completed before you come to class. • Make sure to mark major deadlines on your personal calendar. • If a writing workshop or peer review is scheduled for a particular date, absence may hurt more than other absences. (Showing up unprepared will be just as bad.) Mark those days on your personal calendar also. • Changes to the schedule of assignments are often necessary. If you miss a class, check with a classmate about possible changes and/or new assignments announced while you were away.
Class Policies and Expectations • The professor’s rules about the use of computers, cell-phones and other electronic devices are usually (but not always) stated in the syllabus. If they are not, and you wish to use one of these devices, ask permission. • Consumption of food is allowed in some classes but strictly forbidden in others. If your syllabus doesn’t say anything about food and drink, ask the instructor. • Different instructors will have different late work and make-up policies. The professor should include this information in the syllabus. All classes are different. The only way you can know the policies and rules of a specific class is to read the syllabus.
Grades • Most syllabi will include a section that gives you a weight for each assignment. Look at this section carefully. Not all assignments are worth the same. • Most syllabi will include a section that gives you the professor’s grading scale for that class. The university does not have the same grading scale for all classes. • At the end of the semester, the professor will average your grades according to the weights and grading scale stated in the syllabus and convert to grades on the 4.00 scale.
The first six weeks Staying on task
PREPARING FOR CLASSES After the First Day • Read the assignment ahead of time. Most syllabi tell what is due on the day that the class meets, not what you will read/do during or after class. • If you don’t have specific instructions on how to prepare, one way is to take notes where you summarize the main ideas as you understand them and identify two or three questions for further study. • Bring your book(s) to class every day. If you are not sure which book you will need, bring them all. Bring supplies you may need for in class writing and/or taking notes. Don’t forget any assignments that may be due.
Read and think for yourself. But don’t overlook instructions, directions and advice intended to ensure that you satisfy class or program requirements.
Class Participation • Most English classes value and encourage class participation. • You may participate by asking questions, answering questions or making comments that are appropriate and relevant to the subject. • If you just sit in the back and drowse, you will not be participating. • Energetic note taking is not really participating. • Always pay more attention to what others are saying than to what you are reading or eating (even if the teacher allows eating). • Always be respectful of other people, even when you disagree. • Don’t take disagreement or corrections personally. In academic dialogue, disagreement is sometimes the beginning of new learning.
Have you ever thought how much each class costs? For a class that meets twice a week, if you miss one class or don’t do the work, you are wasting $30. What else could you be doing with that money? Who is paying your tuition? When you waste your time at school, you are wasting money also.
If you miss a class • Contact a classmate for information about what you missed. In particular, make sure you didn’t miss any new assignments. • E-mail professor with a brief apology. • If you needed to be assigned a partner, pick a topic, get a particular form, etc. ask the professor how you can catch up before you come to the next class. Remember: The responsibility for finding out and doing what was assigned when you were absent is yours.
Group Work • In many English classes, especially writing classes, group work of some sort is part of the classroom environment. • It is very important to use group time to do what your instructor assigned you to do. Don’t waste time chatting and then have to make the work up after class on your own. • If you are peer-editing or reviewing, be sure to be thorough in your comments. Be supportive, but think about comments that will help the other person, not just flatter or reassure. And don’t be upset by criticism. If we don’t receive criticism, we don’t learn. • If group work means a group grade, and one or more of your fellow group members is slacking off, it is your obligation to alert the teacher to the problem before the group work is graded.
Writing Essays Instructors will have specific instructions for their assignments, but here is an overview of the process: • Familiarize yourself with your subject. • Think about your topic—brainstorm. • Outline and/or write a rough draft. • Revise your rough draft or flesh out your outline. • Leave it alone– preferably a few days- so when you come back, the text is new. But don’t stop thinking about the topic. • Revise again as many times as necessary until you are satisfied or the deadline arrives. • Proofread. Watch out for spell checker errors. Make sure you followed all instructions. • Have the paper ready to submit according to instructions before class begins.
The Midterm Crunch • Midterm exams, essays, projects and other deadlines will generally hit around the same time. • Prepare for this by keeping up with your work and planning ahead. • When facing “the crunch” don’t take it for granted that because you have been doing well in one subject, you don’t need to study or prepare as hard for that subject. You may be unpleasantly surprised. • Do everything you can to avoid turning work in late. However,if you are really unable to complete a task on time, talk to your instructor about turning the work in late. Even though you will lose points for tardiness it will be better than not turning in the assignment at all. • Hang in there. Even if you don’t do as well as you want on midterm exams and projects, you will have the second half of the semester to do better.
Get help if you need it. In addition to your professor, here are some good resources: • The University Writing Center (for help with writing, mechanics, etc.) • The Learning Resource Center ( for videos and audio books) • The Library (for books and materials) • The University Counseling Center (for personal crises, time-management help, etc.) • Your academic advisor (for academic guidance and also to steer you through the university experience.)
The second six weeks Taking stock. Planning for Deadlines. Preregistration.
To drop or not to drop? • You have had trouble with attendance and/or submission of assignments. • Your grade is a D or worse and you don’t see a strong likelihood that you will improve it. • You don’t enjoy/don’t feel you are getting much from the class. • Dropping will not hurt your financial aid status. • Attendance has not been a problem and/or you have stopped having attendance problems. • Your grade is a C or better. • You believe you are learning in the class. • You have a chance of improving your grade if you work hard. • Dropping will hurt your financial aid status and/or delay your graduation. Drop (but consult your advisor first) Don’t Drop (and keep working hard)
Remember your advisor. • Whether the problem is that you think you should drop a class or that you think you want to kill your roommate, your advisor will usually be glad to talk through your concerns. • Remember that each advisor usually has 90 or more other advisees (and is also teaching) so don’t be discouraged if you can’t see him or her immediately. • Your advisor wants to see you. If you can’t see him/her during office hours, e-mail or phone for an appointment.
Attitude and Perseverance • Don’t expect to “get it right” the first time. • If you make a mistake, rejoice in the great learning opportunity. • If you concentrate on learning, you will be a winner even if you don’t get the highest grade in the class. • Even if you feel you are getting worse grades than you “should,” keep working. • Don’t be a slacker, but don’t get obsessed about doing perfect work. Perfection is impossible. If you shoot too high, you doom yourself to failure. • Set realistic goals for your success.
The Last Weeks of Class And then there are exams
The Last Few Weeks • During the last few weeks of the semester, you may be torn between wanting the semester to end right away so you can rest and wanting the semester to last longer so you can finish all your work. • During the fall semester, Thanksgiving may feel like the end of the semester, but it isn’t. • In the spring, the sunshine may beckon, but you have to keep studying. • But then, after exams, you will have a break. • Hang in there!
Studying for the Final Exam • Find out if the exam is cumulative or if it covers only the work since the last exam. • Put together some method for review. • For most English classes, memorization will not be the best way to study. • When preparing for an essay exam, asking yourself questions and taking time to write out answers is a great way to review. • Study/review a little every day.
Exam Week • Confirm all your exam dates and times at least a month in advance. Put them on your personal planner. • Note that final exams last two hours. • Note that your exam may not be at the same time as the beginning of your class. • Make sure you have whatever you need to bring to the exam. • Plan ahead for parking. If you are late to the exam, you don’t get extra time. • Get enough rest and food so you can concentrate on the exam.
