Jan 16 2009
Read Those Class Announcements
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.
