College is not a spectator sport. Taking detailed lecture notes and notes from the texts are central to success. Stay alert. Come to class with questions from your assignments. Enthusiasm is a wonderful lubricant for learning. Participate in classroom discussions. Review often. There is no substitute for regular, systematic studying. None. To become an academic star, students have to move into high gear -- and stay there. This means studying at least four hours a night. It also means studying on the weekends. Watching Monday Night Football, going to prayer meetings, dating, and playing intramural sports are all excellent activities. They are recommended. But students need to plan plenty of study time around these activities.
A breakthrough for me in college was "discovering" early mornings -- 5:30 to 8 AM. No interruptions. Very quiet. A tremendous amount of work was accomplished. Confidence and the number of assignments completed increased. Lectures made more sense. I might have even asked a question or two. Yet that may be a reach. The painful truth is that I was the paragon of passivity and rarely said "peep." Too overwhelmed. Indeed, several freshman mistakes still haunt me. In an introductory course, for example, the assignment was to go to the library (assigned reading section) and read parts of the Federalist Papers. Two weeks before the midterm the assignment was completed. But I took no notes. (Bad mistake.) By the time of the examination the reading material was hazy. The result was an unsatisfactory grade. There was a sinking feeling in my stomach. The future looked bleak. It took almost two years of slogging through classes before the "rules of the game" became apparent. Learning then took on a competitive edge.
College is competitive. Early morning study hours puts students ahead of the preponderant majority of their snoozing colleagues. It also may help students stay abreast of class assignments. More realistic, perhaps, is putting yourself on a study schedule.
Students often make two "discoveries" in their junior year: excellence equals effort-level and an "early start" is essential. The more a person studies, the better grades he/she earns. Simply, "smart" students out-study their less studious counterparts. Committed students grab college by the throat. Some of these so-called geniuses -- who "ace" college -- may be a tad obsessive. They put themselves on very rigorous study schedule. Some students, albeit a small number, study too hard, and too long. They do not balance studying with recreation.
The second discovery is a lamentable one; students who got off to a slow start cannot erase two years of poor grades. Surely, graduate schools and potential employers view marked academic improvement positively. Yet competition is fierce. Both acceptance in graduate schools and employment opportunities are highly contested. As a pre-law advisor, I have witnessed many superb students rejected from their law school of choice. Two years of shoddy grades put applicants at a disadvantage when they competed with students with a four-year record of excellence. A successful transition from school to college, then, means getting off to a fast start.
Study Schedules? Excellent idea. It is unrealistic to account for every hour in the day. No one does it. However, study time is maximized if students bring order to their day. Some suggestions. A "to-do" list with assignments to study (e.g., Spanish 6-7, CALC 7:15-9, ECON 9:15-10:30, laundry, etc. encourages students to focus on daily tasks). An assignment book should also be standard. Professors may assign new homework before or after a class. A telephone number of a classmate is also useful. In case of illness a student can keep abreast of assignments. Further, a student may have questions concerning an assignment. It is a small insurance policy to be able to discuss problems with classmates. Some students benefit from review sessions in groups. They share notes and outlines in preparation for examinations.
Indeed, some professors argue that studying alone can be a mistake. Studying in small groups may help students learn in several ways. Exchanging ideas, answering possible test questions, and discussing different approaches to course material can help the learning process. Perhaps more material can be covered in a shorter time span. Enthusiasm and a class esprit may develop. In my large Introduction to American Politics class (over 100 students) for example, students who study in small groups usually score higher on multiple choice examinations. They also appear more likely to ask questions in class to try to resolve conflicting points that emerged from their meetings. Finally, small group study sessions may even build friendships and encourage friendly competition to excel.
A final suggestion in terms of planning is for students to use a large wall calendar. On this calendar key dates are circled: examinations, term papers, and class presentations. This pictorial of important dates encourages early preparation. Two midterm exams on the same day for example, can easily panic the best of first-year students. The calendar provides early warning to begin studying sooner, perhaps two weeks before the exam date. Further, it is easy to forget when an essay is due. College is a busy place. Professors may not provide reminders. Dates of exams, term papers, and oral reports are found in the class syllabus. Students should read it carefully and then mark the important dates on their calendars. Penalties for late papers can be severe. Some professors refuse to accept late submissions. The result: an "F" grade. Other professors refuse to give make-up exams. The "X" factor's persistence also includes responsibility. Treat college with the same level of responsibility as if you were already a full-time employee in the work force. Every day that employee is expected to show up on time and complete various tasks. Professors and employers are both interested in performance. Excuses do not cut the mustard.
The Joys of College. Excellent grades are, of course, vitally important. Yet, a student who only chases "A"s is missing the boat. Colleges and universities are filled with marvelous opportunities. Every semester there are visiting lecturers, concerts, foreign films, field trips, and sports events. Joining a club or intramural team often improves students' morale. Students make friends. They become woven, so to speak, into the fabric of the college. (The "Hold the Drum" example, previously mentioned, added greatly to a student's success). Pride in the college and self-confidence improves. Students discover new interests. They also become better, more curious students. Noteworthy is that a large majority of students' time (maybe 80% or more) is spent outside the classroom. Much valuable learning occurs in dormitories, libraries, and ball fields. First-year students meet upper-classmen who are a wealth of knowledge. They can often recommend professors, or tell you about internships, where students earn college credit by working in the community or government agency.
The student "grapevine," or informal communication network, also tells new students about overseas study, writing and mathematics centers (where students may receive free tutoring), or part-time employment. In other words, colleges frequently provide numerous social and academic opportunities simply not found in high schools. For example, in some colleges, independent studies allow students to study one-on-one with a professor doing research.
Fun? Excitement? Many colleges offer full-semester internships in Washington, D.C. Many of my own students have been treated like full-time federal employees there. Some worked for congressional committees, others for interest (lobbying) groups, and still others for federal agencies like the Smithsonian Museum. The joy was meeting interesting people, gaining hands-on practice and work experience, and seeing first-hand how government works. There was also a rich variety of social experiences: hundreds of excellent restaurants (many inexpensive), dozens of super cultural events, and even a date or two. Further, students earned needed college credits. They also "earned" wonderful and influential letters of recommendation.
The adventurous students who take field trips, internships, independent studies, or study overseas, successfully exploit college. They frequently relish their four years and are sad to leave. Further, they learn a lot, enjoy it, and earn high grades.
Other students, unfortunately, find college rough sledding. These students frequently need to put themselves on a systematic study schedule. They also need to ask for assistance. The three key words for students experiencing difficulty are ask, ask, and ask. When struggling students study hard they often make tremendous academic progress in terms of both grades and confidence.
Academic Taboos. Students of all academic ilks, from the very strong to those who struggle to pass their courses, sometimes violate some of the informal rules of the college "game." What are they? A short list follows.
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