Advice That Can Help You Succeed On Campus

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The fat letter has finally arrived welcoming you as a member of the class.（http://www.bestthomasabo.com/necklaces-c-3.html） You're about to become a college freshman.Most students enter college expecting to leave with a bachelor's degree; only half ever do. The others drop out."Half of a college education has to come from the student," advises Fred Hangadon, former dean of admission at Stanford University. But how?College counselors, faculty advisers and one very successful student offer the following tips? on how to get the most out of? your college education.INVOLVEMENT. The most successful students are those actively involved in their education, interacting with classmates and faculty and participating in activities. You become part of the college community, developing support groups that you can turn to for help. Get involved, but not overcommitted. In the first term, focus on adjusting to the academic demand.TIME MANAGEMENT. "Man is first a social animal, then a rational one," says a professor at Purdue University. So you may find it hard to say "No" each time your roommate wants to see a movie when you need ...
... to read Paradise Last.College is known for its distractions. In those first months, you'll meet people whose values and priorities are different from yours. The newness of the situation and the range of decisions you' 11 face could leave you confused.Think about what you want from college and from friends. Study after breakfast, between classes, whatever works best for you. Don't cut off all social contacts. They're as vital to surviving in college as reading. Study Hegel first, then catch a late movie.STUDY METHODS. Would you take a trip by stopping for directions at every station instead of reading a map? Of course not, but that's how most people study, says a professor, who teaches a course on preparing for college. Studying in college demands more reading and thinking, less memorization than in high school. Survey the material first to get a sense of it; formulate some questions. Jot down key ideas, tell yourself the essence of what you've read and review it. Does it make sense? Were your questions answered?Get copies of old exams from the library so you can see what types of questions each professor asks. Preparing for an exam on the Civil War will be easier if you know whether to study broad themes or specific battles.KEEPING CURRENT. Professors may not notice whether you attend a large lecture, but you could notice later on. Some professors use lectures to discuss material not found in the reading on which they will base an exam. Others stress key points. If you must miss a lecture, get the notes promptly. If too much time elapses, the notes will make less sense than second-hand notes normally do. Never fall more than a week behind in reading. If you don't do the reading, you won't understand the lecture.SEEKING HELP. You may attend every calculus class, do each assign- ment and still watch your grades go down. Or maybe you missed more classes than you should have. Get help. Most professors are very willing to talk about their courses. Just don't wait until a week before the mid-term exam.THE MAJOR CHOICE. For a minimum of $4,000 a year and four years of your life, you expect a degree and a job — when it's over. Why not major in computer science or business and be more assured of work after graduation?It is quite appropriate to view college as a broadening experience, a preparation for life. Indeed,many college students do not select their ultimate career path until after they graduate. So take occupational courses if you like, but don't feel compelled to mold your major to the market.FINDING TOP TEACHERS. On every campus, there are professors noted for their inspirational teaching style, for their way of making a course an exciting voyage into the unknown. Don't spend four years on campus without taking their classes. When Hangadon was admissions dean at Stan ford, he told parents to worry if their children were earning all as by the end of the first quarter, which showed they were only taking subjects they would do well in."College is a great feast from which to choose," he says. "Don't order the same meal every day."（www.bestthomasabo.com）