Jan 10 2009
Tips to Starting the Term Right
Every time we start a new term or a new semester, what we do on the first day of class can help make the rest of the term run more smoothly.
Term start tip list for students:
- Keep class materials organized. On the first day of class, you’ll get a lot of information including a course syllabus. Buy a folder for each class (or a binder with tabbed sections) and keep important information organized from day one.
- Double check your financial aid. Stop by the office or call the Financial Aid department to ask if there is any more information or paperwork they need to complete your financial aid package. Checking early will help avoid things like grade freezes and course drops/blocks later on.
- Create a school calendar. Mark all important dates on a planner or calendar. Make note of all exams, papers, projects, etc. Pay special attention to the final week of class and to finals week. This way, you don’t plan anything that conflicts with study time.
- Purchase your textbooks immediately. Of course textbooks are expensive, but so is retaking a class because you fell behind to try to save on textbook costs. Sharing textbooks or waiting for a used book deal might sound like a good idea, but it rarely pays off in the long run.
- Plan to get help for tough courses. Are you scheduled to take a writing course and it’s your weak subject area? Need to take a math course and it’s never come easy to you? Get a tutor and begin working immediately to prepare for your first assignment. Take your class syllabus and textbook to your school’s tutoring center and immediately begin practicing. Build in extra time each week for tutoring. Getting a tutor after you’ve already failed the midterm exam is not the greatest idea.
- Know how to use the library. Take a scheduled tour or information session at the library. Or, as a library to show you how to use the electronic card catalog, etc. Familiarize yourself with the way the library system works at your school so when it comes time to complete a research project, you can jump right in without trying to figure out how things work.
Good post, I wish I had good advice when I was an Undergrad. Reading this gave me some flashbacks to years gone by.
-Loren
http://theteachingbox.today.com
Loren, thank you. Indeed, part of the reason we blog is to help others avoid the mistakes we made in the past.
Plus, today’s students are so busy and distracted that it’s sometimes important to just “get back to basics” and give them a rundown of success strategies to help them get through. Thanks for joining in that crusade.