This myTake is going to be a list of tips for first-year students who plan on going to College/University.
Whether it straight from high school, taking a "honeymoon" year before college, maybe you've been out of school for a few years or you're just a completely non-traditional student looking to start college, these tips will help you succeed, regardless of which school you attend or what your major/focus is. Keep in mind, I can't guarantee this will be effective tips if you're going to a technical or vocational school(but they may very well help.
Just a little background history about me: I attended Miami University of Oxford, Ohio (NOT Miami Florida, this is named after the Great Miami River which flows through this part of Ohio.)
I just graduated with a 3.4 grade point average today(pictured above) after attending college for six years. I'm looking to be a high school English Arts teacher. The only reason I had to go for six years is because Miami University has multiple campuses and I had to relocate to the main campus for the Education program. Long story short, my counselor messed up my schedule, I was on a waiting list and suddenly, my college career was pushed back a year and a half. To make matters worse, my college is known for snobby and prestigious, conservative students who look "down" on people for not being as fortunate as they are, regarding wealth that is. I know, I wasn't too happy myself, but that also urged me to write this MyTake. With that being said, here are my tips for incoming Freshman(Or ANY college student for that matter, this is important for anyone. I'm just targeting Freshmen because they are usually the most clueless about College.)
1. Show up to class
At Miami University, we had an attendance policy on all three campuses. Professors were to drop students for excessive absences and encouraged to even deduct points from the students' grades for missing classes. Attendance is arguably the most important aspect of college. Even if you are interested in the material, you won't know master most of it if you don't attend class. Even if you think you can ace a test, many professors will surprise you on tests with material they only mentioned on specific lecture days. Most professors I've talked to about this have told me there is a direct correlation with poor attendance and poor grades. I wouldn't doubt if most of the students who failed a class didn't show up much either. Even if your school doesn't have an attendance policy, you're paying for school and it would be ludacris to miss class, especially since you miss a bulk of the material and may do poorly on upcoming tests, projects, essays, etc. Don't be the Ferris Bueller of College!
Movie/TV Stereotype: "College students skip all of their classes, then ace the midterm and final, so they do well in the class." Yeah, right. This insinuates that a class either weights their tests so heavy, that the other assignments don't matter OR these are the only two grades for the whole semester. I've had classes without tests at all and classes where the tests are barely weighted. Besides that, it is unlikely you would pass, let alone ace the mideterm or final if you DID miss all of the other classes.
2. Do your homework
If there is one thing which surprises Freshmen the most, it's the fact that the rumor is true: You have homework. Lots of homework. Lots and lots. More than you can imagine(regardless of your major.) I remember having weeks where I would have multiple essays due, multiple tests to study for, a group presentation to work on and other reading assignments(sometimes, on top of a huge work week.) In college, I would agree homework is the biggest factor in your stress. A heavy work load is often the reason why many students drop out of college.
I already hinted at this with number one on this list, but believe it or not, most classes(at least from what I've had) do not weight exams as the bulk of the grade: It's homework. Whether it be an essay, small assignments, responses, forums, workbooks, etc, homework is crucial for a good grade. Remember back in high school when you could skip homeworks assignments every now and then and still pass with an A? Well, I don't(I always did my homework) but you get the jist: It's not going to work in College. Please, even if you ignore tip number one, do your homework(although there is a STRONG correlation between attendance and homework as well.)
Movie/TV Stereotype: "College students don't get homeowork: They just take notes and take tests"-Not true at all. I'm actually glad I had homework, since it's a grade booster(since I'm a poor test taker)
3. College Sports may be entertaining but that's not the main reason why you're there
Out of every issue I'll mention on this list, this is probably the one problem which is just as persistent as with upperclassmen(and even Graduate students) than it is Freshmen.
Personally, I never did like College sports: I always wanted to watch the professionals play. With this being said, whether you're an athlete or a fan of collegic sports, this should not be the main reason why you're in College. I know some people who were happy to go to Ohio State University; so they could have easy access to their Football games. Would it surprise you that these people soon transferred or dropped out? Would it surprise you if I knew many students(primarily men) who would skip classes, or skip homework assignments just to catch the latest Basketball game? Even though I don't watch College, I can relate to this. I remember simultaneously watching Cincinnati Reds and Bengals games and trying to do homework(it was an ineffective approach, trust me.) Needless to say, multitasking doesn't work out too well here. My College has lousy sports teams and the students could care less about sports but a local University here(University of Cincinnati) LIVES for sports. Sports are fun. They're great. They're exciting. But school is the main priority.
Movie/TV Stereotype: "The College male athlete doesn't have to do any schoolwork at all, because he will be drafted straight out of College" -This rarely happens. And even when it does, there are many times the teams release the athletes.
4. Don't socialize too much: This includes "social" networking sites
Don't get me wrong, a beach trip for Spring Break sounds fun! A party/gathering sounds nice! Going to the game, movies, etc is fun! Heck, most people in our generation of College students spend most of their time on social networking sites, allowing Princeton rank us as the most "boring" College students of all time(which is ambiguous anyway.) With this being said, spending time for "fun" is ok: We need to relieve stress in some ways. However, you should spend a majority of your time on academics, as exciting as that sounds.
You may have heard the "work hard, play hard" notion but that is an exagerration: I would say work 80% of the time, "play" 20% of the time(random percentages but you get the jist.) I know in high school you could waste your time doing something fun and perform well, but once again, this isn't the "13th" grade. This is a higher education. Freshman are the biggest "offenders", by a lonnnng shot, when it comes to thinking you can "work hard and play harder." This is the biggest reason why Freshman are more likely to fail out of College than any other class(and of course, they just started and haven't accumulated enough Credit Hours anyway to have a steady GPA.) So, spending twelve straight hours arguing on Facebook sounds like a blast but this will quickly interfere with your studies.
Movie/TV Stereotype: "College kids can party all the time and still pass"-Very unlikely. I would be surprised if your college even had a party going on "all the time." Or even every day for that matter.
5. When it comes to tests/exams/quizzes, don't try to "wing it".
Hi, I'm a College Freshman. You know what? I show up to class every day, take notes, I just absorb the material. I'll "wing it" at test time. Ok, sorry to insult the Freshmen, but I have to mention how risky this is.
Truth be told, there have been times I "wing-it" and done just fine on tests. A lot of it has to do with what type of test it is: Binary, Multiple-choice, Essay, Memorization, etc. However, I would recommend, regardless of how well you think you know the material, to study for the test. In high school, most of your teachers would make the test basic and you could "skim" read or just "take-in" the material in class. This more than likely won't be the case in college. You will have to master the material, and often times, be prepared to back up the material. Trust me, I'm a poor test taker and I know what it's like to struggle in this category but you must do it. Even if you are fortunate enough to get an open-book test, you'll still need to brush up on the material to know where to look in the book.
Movie/TV Stereotype: "All tests are multiple choice and the tests are based on exatly what the notes are. Oh and the test is straightforward, with no twists"-Don't be surprised when professors give you tests which have material not even mentioned in class. I actually didn't have as many multiple-choice tests as other forms of tests; and I consider that a positive note.
6. Don't get caught in the drama among your peers.
This surprises many incoming Freshmen, especially the ones coming straight from high school. Believe it or not, there is just as much drama in college as high school(life is full of drama everywhere.) This goes hand in hand with socializaing too much, but whether it be over the internet or in person, drama can take a toll on your life. Not only does this lead to many roommate arrangements but it also make be extreme enough to cause a transfer or a student to drop out altogether. Drama also takes a toll on your health and academic standing.
In my Freshman year, I had a LOT of Facebook "beef" with people, many of them being people I had graduated from High School with and wanted to instigate fights with me. This caused me to skip studying/reading on some nights and it showed on my transcript. Obviously, ANY distraction can interfere with your schooling. Make peace, not war.
Movie/TV Stereotype: "All college students get along just fine and never fight; that was a high school thing"-I used to think this was true. I had such high hopes going into college. Unfortunately, that's not the case.
7. Live a healthy lifestyle
Of course, this is important for everyone, however, not only does this affect your physical health, it affects your mental health and performance. Exercising and eating healthy will help you relieve stress and give you a boost of energy for school. Luckily, the college I went to had several healthy choices(it was actually difficult to find unhealthy foods.) However, I know this isn't the case for all schools. First and for most, I would stay away from drugs(including alcohol and tobacco here.) This will take a toll on your health quickly! Not to mention substances can become quite deadly. Try to eat unhealthy, but more importantly, exercise. Exercise is the key to motivation in school. I have finished a workout before and had the energy and relaxation to finish a huge paper. Please, don't be one of those frat doucehbag couch potatoes.
Movie/TV Stereotype: "College is all about eating junk food, chugging beer, smoking weed and sleeping in until noon"-You can live this lifestyle anywhere if you want. I would recommend not living this lifestyle anywhere.
8. Use the campus resources!
Out of everything on this list, this was my biggest problem. I rarely used resources in college and I actually regret it. Whether it be the library, printers, tutors, electronic devices, etc, USE campus resources. There were times I didn't do well in elective classes(such as a Science course) because I didn't seek out a tutor or use additional research in the library which was provided. Granted, I always worked outside of school and this interfered but I still was reluctant. I think too many men put their "pride" over what is best. It's ok to ask for help.
I actually put a bulk of the blame on this on many high school teachers. Teachers in grade school often scolded students on how in college, you will not be allowed to ask for help or the notion "you're on your own now, your hand won't be held" but this simply isn't true. I actually found more additional help in college than I did in high school. Resources are there for a reason: To use as resources in your classes.
Movie/TV Stereotype: "Dudes go to the library to pick up girls, and girls just sit there and read"-This one is actually quite true. But guess what? That still doesn't mean it's worth your time. I've tried to pick up girls, been there, done that.........
9. Get adequate sleep on a nightly basis
This was another tough one for me and I think this is another issue which is just as persistent among Juniors/Senior as well. It's so hard to get enough sleep, due to the heavy work load and outside factors which come into play. I remember weeks where I would get three to four hours of sleep a week.
Getting enough sleeping is not only healthy but allows your mind to be at rest and a well-rested mind performs well in school. There is no worse feeling than being dead tired in class or trying to get homework done while drowsy. It messes up with your mental state and causes irritability and stress as well, which can even lead to weight gain in the long run. Don't be that person that passes out in the middle of class or the bench in the hallway.
Movie/TV Stereotype: "College "kids" are young and can survive without sleep"-Actually, most doctors would agree the younger you are, the more sleep you need.
10. Do not cheat, in any way, shape or form
This is the ultimate tip on the list. Even if you exclude tips 1-9, whatever you do, don't cheat. Cheating is not only immoral, but detrimental to your success, and a potential career ruiner. My school has a policy that any form of cheating receives "AD" on your transcript(Academic Dishonesty) and expelled from the College. The professor is also required to meet with the student in Columbus Ohio(where our board of education is here in Ohio) where it will be stamped from the board, meaning "AD" will show up in your record, regardless of which school you attend. Cheating is the most serious mistake you can make in college(literally, I can't think of anything solely school-related more serious.) Please, take an F before cheating. Drop a class before cheating. Transfer a College before cheating. Drop to part-time or half-time status before cheating. Drop out of college before cheating(You can always go back and you won't have that nasty "AD" on your record.) Academic Dishonesty can be recognized in the following ways: Cheating on a test, plagiarizing(a HUGE one), cheating on your homework, buying an essay online(another form of plagiarism), and telling your professor you have knowledge of material when you truly do not(This is technically a rule at my college, but this one is rarely ever(IF EVER) enforced, so I wouldn't worry here.)
I also hate it when people say "when you cheat, you only harm yourself." This couldn't be more false. Think about people who were rejected from colleges, people who didn't have the GPA to make their programs, people who were not rewarded scholarships due to performance. Now think about people who CHEATED them out....becuase THEY cheated and that's why their GPA looks nice. You harm others, especially when you go out in your career and you have no knowledge of the material and are an ineffective employee. Cheaters are BAD. Academic Dishonesty spells DOOM.
And that concludes this list, so I hope you guys find this helpful! Please, relax and possibly enjoy college.
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