Tips For New Students To Ensure Academic Success At College

Based on years of experience working with new freshman and transfer students, most academic advisors agree that these are the keys to academic success:


• Attend class. Do not miss class for any reason other than dire illness or a genuine emergency. And if you must miss a class, notify the instructor in advance. Find out what you missed from a good student in the class. Do not expect the professor to re-teach the material for you.

• Keep a planner/calendar and write down all assignments, exam dates, review session dates, and other vital information about your courses. There is far too much information to retain just in your memory.

• Be realistic about the courses you enroll in—how many, what times, whether you have adequate preparation. Err on the side of caution and extra preparation.

• Keep your outside employment and extracurricular commitments in proportion to your academic load. Usually this means that a full time student should not work more than 10 or 15 hours per week. If you must work more than that for financial reasons, then seriously consider a part-time academic schedule.

• Allow yourself time to adjust to the new environment, whether you are living on campus or commuting, new to college or a transfer student. Do not over-commit your time during the period of adjustment.

• Make sure you have an academic advisor, that your advisor knows you, and that you meet on a regular basis—at least once each semester, but probably more. If your advisor seems very difficult to reach or not helpful when you do meet, consider requesting a change of advisor.

• If you find yourself struggling in any of your courses, take action! Talk to the professor during office hours, form a study group, sign up for tutoring at the Learning Resources Center or enlist the support of an upper classman who is a strong student.

• Make a habit of being on time for class, sitting near the front of the room, participating in class discussions, asking good questions, and taking good notes. Good notes are not necessarily voluminous notes, but notes that capture the important points.

• Never miss a review session offered by the professor or a teaching assistant. This is a golden opportunity to prepare effectively for an upcoming exam.

• Stay current on reading assignments, homework, on line work, lab work, and all aspects of your courses so there is no crunch when an exam comes up.

• Be aware of time-wasters and distractions that prevent you from studying effectively and plan to avoid these traps as much as you can.