OnlineProfessor

Time and time again, I see students resist the need to use a tutor. Students, it seems, would rather see their grades spiral downward rather than use a FREE tutor provided by the school. Often, students seem embarrassed to work with a tutor, thinking that it makes them look stupid.

Well let me tell you, those failing grades aren’t doing much for a student’s self esteem. So why not suck it up and get a tutor? Athletes have coaches and homeowners seek out help to finish renovations. What’s the big deal about getting a tutor to help boost your grades for something as important as succeeding school and getting a good job?

Top myths about getting a tutor:

• Using a tutor will make me look stupid. Uh, what’s smarter than getting the right help at the right time? It’s smart to develop a strategy so you can succeed – not just in school but at anything.
• Tutors are expensive. Most schools have FREE tutoring services of some kind, and even if you have to pay, it’s usually cheap.
• All tutors will treat me like I’m stupid. Get over it. Tutors are overworked and underpaid. They don’t sit around talking about stupid students. And if you get a bad vibe from one tutor, just go to another one. It’s not like you’re married to them.
• A tutor hasn’t worked if I don’t get an “A.” What? Just because you get a tutor doesn’t mean you’re automatically going to start getting perfect scores. Why would anyone expect that? When you go to the gym to lose weight, do you expect to reach your ideal size after one visit? Come on. It takes work over the long term. Anything important takes effort and commitment.
• Signing up for tutoring will automatically put me in the “slow” category at school. Typically in college, there is no slow category. You either make it on the regular track or you get out. Getting a tutor does not put a black mark on your record, and most of the time, your professors are totally unaware of your life outside their classroom.

If you’re really freaked out about getting a tutor, don’t use a professional at first. Use a friend or family member who is really good at your weak topic. Join a study group with other people in your class who are star performers. Either way, get down and get the job done. Too much pride can hold you back.

I actually received a message from a student and they referred to me as “Hey.” Now I’m not an uptight person, but this greeting is just inexcusable in a professional setting. When communicating a message, think of your audience and the impression you want to make.

Examples of completely unprofessional phrases:

• “Wassup!” Yes, I have received salutations that began with this highly casual and informal slang phrasing. It makes me wonder whether students who feel comfortable using this phrase with their college professor would also use it to their potential employer.
• “Hey Prof!” This is by no means an offensive term, but it is an unrefined way of speaking with your instructor. Why not simply write, “Hello Professor”? Random abbreviations are not necessarily signs of warmth and friendliness. It is poor judgment to assume everyone will like such a cozy salutation.
• “How’s it hanging?” Yes, I have also received messages with this opening line, and in a business setting, it is a waste of valuable communication space. This statement makes the writer look incapable of holding an intelligent conversation.
• “U gonna b online 2day?” Indeed, students continue to use text-message abbreviations in formal e-mail communications. Again, this shows that the writer is completely unaware of the most basic professional communication standards.

Good communication practices are vital not just in school but in the professional world. Most people lose out on jobs and promotions because they don’t know how to communicate well. If you want to earn positive attention (instead of quiet disdain), work on building strong communication skills. Honestly, in the workplace, people will seldom explain why you’re not getting promoted. They’re more likely to simply laugh at you behind your back.

If you want to be known for your strong work ethic and good ideas, learn how to present yourself well in many ways.

College students can be passionate about their grades, and that’s perfectly fine. And there are times when a student and an instructor have disagreements. It is certainly okay to discuss disagreements with your instructor; however, it is important to remember not to “cross the line.”

Title of tip list:

• ”You work for me,” or “I pay your salary.” These are two of the most obnoxious and incorrect statements a student can utter. When you decide to say this, you are admitting your complete ignorance of the educational system. Education is a privilege. A college degree is an aspiration that not many people achieve. Statements like this show that you might not be ready to attend college. If this is truly how you think college works, then you likely need to rethink things.
• I am an “A” student. There is no such thing. You are an “A” student when you achieve an “A” in a certain class. Declaring this on the first day of class is not only pompous, it’s untrue. You may be a hardworking student, but each “A” must be earned separately in each class.
• Anything remotely threatening. If your instructor has the slightest inkling that you’re making threats, you can be removed from school – immediately. It’s the easiest way to set yourself back, even if you’re on the right side of an argument. It is never acceptable to make even the vaguest of threats to anyone. If you’re really upset about something, take a few hours to simmer down before you say something you might regret. Also, discipline issues do get filed in a student’s permanent record. So it can come back to haunt you later.

Most online schools do not allow students to edit their message board or discussion board entries. Why? Because it’s expected that students function with the understanding that they can’t take things back once they’ve been posted or said. And that’s a very important premise to understand in the business world: Think before you write or speak.

But what if you wrote something and realize that it might have been too harsh or in appropriate?

Damage control tips for the discussion boards:

• Immediately post another entry with an apology. Write to your classmates and explain that you might have written something poorly or rudely, and that it was a mistake. They will likely appreciate the gesture. Be sure to clarify your previous statements and replace them with more appropriate comments.
• Send the instructor an e-mail. Directly approach the instructor with an explanation and apology. Explain how you remedied the situation on the message boards, and be clear that you understand your error so you won’t repeat it. Know that the instructor can deduct points and might even delete your offensive comment. But the penalties might be less severe if you show a solid understanding and remorse for the situation.

There are some instances when the situation cannot be remedied, like when you use inappropriate language or insults. In fact, most schools have a Student Code of Conduct, and such behavior is a violation of that code. It could get marked on your student record. So, it’s always good to think well before you post an entry. It’s nice to be provocative and spark conversation, but do it in a professional way. When in doubt, err on the side of caution.

Now that you’re in college, don’t expect to get extra points for telling the instructor, “But I tried really hard.” Unfortunately, you’re now past the point where that kind of excuse is acceptable. It’s okay when a fourth grader uses that excuses, but a college student is expected to work hard on all assignments, and if they still don’t make the grade, then they need to simply work harder next time.

Reasons why “trying hard” isn’t a valid excuse:

• It’s about the results. In business, they judge you by your results and not by your effort. After all, if a contractor botches your kitchen renovation but then says, “but I tried really hard,” would you still pay the bill?
• It makes you sound immature. When a student tries to use the “trying hard” excuse, an instructor immediately wonders whether that student is prepared for college. These types of excuse are like neon signs above your head that say, “I am not prepared for this,” or “I don’t know what is expected in college.”
• Did you really “try hard”? Ask yourself the following questions to see if you really did all you could on the assignment: Did you start the assignment weeks in advance? Did you ask the instructor focused questions when you didn’t understand something? Did you include all the required elements in the assignment? If you still didn’t understand the assignment, did you get a tutor or go to a Writing or Math Center? If you did none of these things, you didn’t really try all that hard.

If you want a high grade, you have to be willing to “go that extra mile.” And sometimes, in tough classes you actually will go that extra mile and still not do as well as you expected. That’s all part of the learning process. You can’t ace everything, and that’s okay.

Remember to see your education in context across the span of your educational career, instead of focusing on one class. Sometimes, you will barely pass a class, and while you’ll wish you did better, the important thing is that you made it through to the next phase.

You’re not expected to be an expert in everything, but you will be expected to do your best to problem solve, adapt, and tap into your inner strength to persevere. After all, getting the best from yourself is indeed part of the college experience as well.

It’s never too early to prepare for final exams

Too often, students panic at the end of the term because most — or all — of their classes have a final exam or final project requirement. Students can save themselves a lot of anguish if they took an incremental approach to studying.

Final exam study tips:

• Take final exam notes every week. After every lesson or class, take notes of key terms and study topics in a final exam folder or on index cards. Build on this collection each week, and by the end of the term, you’ll have a neat set of study guides for the final exam.
• Schedule a weekly review of materials. At the end of each school week, go back and review the major elements you’ve learned. This summary helps you retain information and etch it into longer term memory.
• Collect all your old quizzes. Regular quizzes during the term give students a clear guide about the types of questions your instructor is likely to include on a longer exam. Reviewing older quizzes and tests provide you with good practice for what lies ahead.
• Play the guessing game. Before every test, as you study and prepare, try to see if you can predict the types of topics and questions likely to appear on the exam. Make educated guesses based on the instructor’s style, focus and lecture points. If you practice this enough, you’ll find that you will likely get better and better at identifying key study points because you’ll learn to “think like the professor.”
• Come prepared to final exam reviews. Quite often, professors will have final exam study sessions. It’s amazing how many students come to these sessions and just sit there when an instructor asks if there are any questions about topics covered in the class. Come prepared to such study sessions with specific questions about things you did not understand. An instructor will rarely tell you what’s on an exam, but the more intelligent and genuinely interested students seem, the more inclined an instructor will be to slip in a few hints. If students seem uninterested and passive, instructors often pull back on the hints as well.

Internet issues strike online students all the time. The local cable company decides to rewire your block during finals week. A water main break shuts down half of your town’s basic services.

When you have assignments due and the internet service at home is dead, what do you do? Always – and I mean always — have backup.

Internet backup tip list:

• Keep an updated list of local internet sources. Keep a printed list of at least ten places where you can go if your home internet dies. This list should have detailed hours of operation and any fees/restrictions noted.
• Go Wireless at the Public Library. Did you know that a large number of public libraries now have wireless internet access? Even if the library is closed, the signal often reaches the parking lot or front steps. If you have a laptop, accessing the library’s system is quite simple.
• Go to private libraries. If you have a local community college, you’ll find that they often allow any student access to the library, although you won’t be able to check out books. You might come last in line to that particular school’s students when it comes to computer access, but later at night, the library usually clears out.
• Tap into your friend/family network. Before every term begins, pick three family members and/or friends, and ask them if they would be your backup internet source. Friends and family work out well on your backup list because they are a bit more flexible when it comes to late night hours, etc.
• Make arrangements at work. If you have a good, cool manager, then ask them if you can work on school work during lunch and/or after hours in case your home internet service goes down. This option only works if you have a positive working relationship with your boss. If not, don’t bother.

Of course, immediately notify your advisor and your instructors when you are experiencing such challenges. While they will not often be flexible for such issues, they will appreciate that you let them know, and most of them might surprise you with lesser point penalties or some briefly extended deadlines.

There are no guarantees, but a student who communicates professionally and proactively often gets opportunities that careless students do not.

Every school has some kind of Web page, bulletin board, or announcement area where they post and share important deadlines and information. It’s amazing how many students simply ignore this integral resource, and this can cost them dearly when it comes to their grades, financial aid, and even graduation requirements.

Looking over my student records over the past several years, I’ve found that it’s clear that a majority of student mistakes could have been avoided if they had just read the class announcements more diligently. It sounds overly simple to “check your messages and class announcements,” but it can be the key to performing your best and avoiding huge time-wasters.

Some Common Things Posted in Class Announcements:

• School deadlines for financial aid: If you don’t get your forms properly filed on time, you’ll probably end up blocked from your classes at some point. And that’s a huge setback that could have been avoided.
• Tips for assignments: Almost all instructors post reminders and tips on how to approach upcoming assignments. Students who do not read announcements can miss explanations of instructions that directly impact their grades.
• Updates and changes to assignments: Sometimes, assignments are moved, updated, or cancelled. If you don’t read your assignments, you can spend a lot of time working on assignments that don’t exist anymore.
• Grading announcements: Instructors often let students know when grades have been posted. This means you can immediately review instructor comments on your past work so you can avoid repeating errors in future work.
• Career Development seminars and activities: It’s a shame that students do not take more advantage of resources that they can only get while in school. Career Development departments work overtime to get you prepared for your career, and they’re an underutilized resource.

It still amazes me how many students forget to put their names on their assignments. So, it’s worth taking the time to review this important element.

Name reminders:

• The message boards spoil students. The message boards (or threaded discussion areas) are the only places that automatically stamp your name by your entry. For the most part, other areas of the class will require you to put your name clearly on your documents/submissions.
• Hiding your name. When students do include their names, they often place them in difficult places like the very end or in the header only. Be clear with where you put your name. Usually, the top, left corner is just fine.
• Document and file names. It’s great to put your name as part of the file name; however, don’t stop there. Remember to put your name at the top of the document itself. Once opened, an instructor usually wants to see it all laid out clearly and professionally within the document.

Instructors might have specific format requirements that are particular to the class. So be sure to follow those closely. But these general guidelines will keep you from wasting your instructor’s time and draining his/her patience. Properly identifying yourself and your documents are simple ways to show that you’re a top-notch professional in all that you do.

Quite often, online courses will require you to submit documents in a specific format. Some platforms will be comfortable for you; others will be very new. If you are using software or programs that are less familiar to you, make sure you take them for a test drive. Here are a few ways to consider.

Assignment Test Drive Tips:

• E-mail the document to several friends. If one or some of them cannot open your file, you have a problem. This will help you troubleshoot your file format to make sure your instructor will get a version that’s readable.
• Send a test draft to the instructor. There is nothing wrong with submitting a draft of your work early, just to make sure the instructor can take a peek to see if there is anything major wrong with it. Most instructors will appreciate that you’re thinking ahead. Just give the instructor at least 4 business days to review. You’re not the only student or class they teach; so it’s good to extend that courtesy whenever possible.
• E-mail yourself. If you’re short on time, e-mail documents to yourself to see if they look right once they are sent over the digital lines. This is not only a good test run; it’s also a nice way to backup your files in case your computer decides to die on you.