09-06-00 Eastern Echo

How to Function (and Flourish) in College and Beyond

This is it, folks. My final semester, the last hurrah, the jumping-off place, my swan song, final words et cetera, et cetera. Before I go I'd like to pass along some hard-earned wisdom I've gained during the several years I've spent at our fine university. Here it is. How to Function (and Flourish) in College and Beyond: Six Rules to Help You Wade Through the Crap and Come Out Smelling Rosy. � 1. Get it in writing. This is the number one rule of college and life. If an advisor or professor tells you, "Sure, you can replace that class with this one," and it isn't listed in your catalogue, whip out the Bic, put pen to paper and have them sign it. Better yet, pick up some Applications for Substitution of Courses in your department's main office and have them fill it out, ASAP. Verbal promises mean nothing. You never know if that advisor/professor will still be employed at the university when you're ready to graduate. Ditto for verbal contracts in the professional world. A pay increase or scheduled vacation promise is meaningless unless you can prove it was a provision of your employment contract. Get shrewd, not screwed. 2. Get curious. Okay, perhaps History of Western Civilization to 1648 doesn't blow your skirt, but if you must take it then you should try to find something about it that can keep you from blowing off the class. (Even if it's positioning yourself somewhere in the lecture hall that will give you an unobstructed view of the hottie in the third row.) Those who delight in knowledge are usually the happiest (and most successful) people you'll know. (Plus, they usually find a way to sit closest to the hottie in row 3). Don't write off a class because it seems like it'll be a real sleeper, give it a chance. Perhaps you'll be pleasantly surprised over the peculiarities of world history, and how it relates to our own times in ways we might not have seen in high school. Staying curious in your profession means you'll always continue to learn, which is very important in a job market that is continuously morphing. 3. Plan your life, but make room for adjustments. For all of those people (especially in the College of Education) who think that college is a four-year commitment, here is a piece of startling news: You're not done until you're done. The average Education degrees are five years or more, depending on your major. Most of the standard Bachelor degrees (based on 124 total credit hours) can be finished in four years, but only if you maintain 15 credit hours each and every semester and take a few courses one Spring or Summer. So, a class dropped and not replaced, say, twice in your college career, might prolong that "four-year" degree program to 9 or more semesters. If taking 12 credit hours per semester is all you can handle, then by all means prepare your parents for the eventuality that your graduation will likely be sometime after your 23rd birthday. Otherwise, they may flip and throw you off the gravy train. Professional application: if you can't finish the job by the specified deadline, notify your boss ASAP so that provisions can be made for additional time or assistance. Most employers will respect you for asking for help when you need it--unless it happens too often. 4. Make a friend and keep them. This sounds hokey, but let me explain. I don't mean, you know, like, the best friend you had, like, in high school. I mean the word "friend" in the definition of "contacts." Make a point of getting to know the professors in your major/minor department; introduce yourself to the department head or the dean of your college or the president of the university (if given the chance). The more people you know, and know you, the better the chance that your academic experience at the university will be a satisfying one (read: people will help you when you need it). For example; I need one more Literature class to graduate this December, but I'm unable to dedicate any additional on-campus hours; therefore I must try to find a professor willing to take me on as an Independent Study. I feel confident that I will be able to do this because I know more than a handful of professors, and they know me, and likely one of them will take pity on me. (Professor Duncan, can we talk?) The same can apply to your career. As cold-hearted as it sounds, sometimes it IS who you know. 5. Ask for what you need. This is an extension of rules 3 and 4. The world need not be composed of cookie-cutter Bachelors or cookie-cutter people. There is room for negotiation in most every class or degree requirement. If you believe a course outside of your department can greatly enrich your academic experience, and can make a case for its inclusion in your curriculum, then ask your academic advisor about the substitution (refer to Rule # 1). If you have the support of a faculty member, all the better for you (refer to Rule #4). Or talk with Academic Advising about an ISP, or Individualized Studies Program. The key here is to know what you need, why you need it, and cultivate the good will of people who are willing to help you get what you need. In the business arena, the effectiveness of this rule is reliant on your track record as an employee. It's not the squeaky wheel that gets oiled; it's the wheel that doesn't squeak all the time, and knows who holds the oil can. And lastly, 6. Find time for yourself. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Take some time to experience more of what college life has to offer. Join an on-campus organization, support our athletic teams by attending a game, go to a student-produced performance at the Quirk/Sponberg Theatres, get a workout in the Rec/IM building. Only your imagination and endurance limit the possibilities. This is doubly important if you live off-campus. We are called a commuter-college because the majority of us live elsewhere-limiting our "college experience" to the short time we are on campus for classes. There is much more to college life than merely attending classes and writing papers. College is a place to gather knowledge, only some of which is available in the classroom. Employers are now seeing the benefits of programs designed to give their employees the breaks they need; flex-time and work at home options are becoming more common (refer to Rules # 1 and 5). Too soon the real world of jobs, mortgages, marriage and children may be upon you. Learn to balance your life. It's healthier. � This is a special time in your life; work smart, play safe, and start creating the future of your dreams. �