COLLEGE SUCCESS

 

Okay, you’ve made it through the college admissions process, decided where to go to college, and have finished high school.  It’s all a breeze now, right?  WRONG!!  Now you start college – and you want to succeed there, graduate, and have a good time in the process.  Many studies have been done in the last ten years on what makes college successful.  One study reported that what you do the first 4-6 weeks on campus will determine your college success.  Here are some of the tips to get a great start:

 

1.       Live on campus, if possible.  One of the top indicator’s of success.  If you can’t live on campus, get as involved as possible in other areas on campus.

 

2.       Attend freshman orientation, and take a freshman seminar course the first semester if one is offered.  This is usually a one-credit easy course, which teaches you the resources on campus there to help you.

 

3.       Establish a relationship with a faculty or staff member.  This can be a professor, someone at the Career Resource Center, or the RA (resident assistant) in your dorm.  It can be invaluable in your survival.

 

4.       Don’t work the first semester, if at all possible.  This gives you time to get really involved in your classes and campus.  If you must work, try to work on campus.

 

5.       Get involved in a club, activity, sport, the band.  One study reported a student who felt isolated, and spoke to her advisor.  She had no talent, didn’t know what club to join.  He suggested holding the drum in the band.  She checked it out, and had a marvelous college experience going to football games, traveling, all the extras that come along with being a band member.  So be creative in your involvement!

 

6.       Take a mix of courses.  Students who take nothing but large intro. courses to get them out of the way end up unsatisfied, and have a harder time finding a major.  Take a couple of courses that are really interesting to you – treat course selection like a shopping excursion!  You’ll enjoy your freshman year more, and may find a major you love!

 

7.       Speak another language.  Foreign language courses are the best-kept secret on campus.  They are smaller classes, with many quizzes and group projects, more chances to bring up your grade.  Most graduates said these were their favorite classes in college.

 

8.       Sit in the front of the class.  And ask questions.  This way you have to pay attention!  If your professor sees you in class, interested, it greatly increases your chances of help when you go to the professor with a problem!  (And they could be a good reference for a future letter or internship)

 

9.       Study in groups.  Quite helpful in understanding material, and enjoying studying more.

 

10.   Write, write, write.  Choose courses with many short papers instead of one long one.  More assignments means more chances to improve your grade.  In one study no factor was more important to being involved in classes and good grades than the amount of writing a student did.

 

11.   Consider time.  The most successful students discuss time as an important factor in managing their life.  Studying will be different than in high school, and planning your time helps immensely!

 

12.   Be careful with involvement in a Greek organization, especially the first year.  This is one of the highest risk factors in freshman success.

 

In addition to being successful in your classes and enjoying college, you want to take care of your personal self.  Perhaps you have heard of “the freshman 15”.  These are the 15 pounds you gain because of unlimited food in the dining halls, or in dorm rooms, and changes in living habits.  Here are some tips for taking care of your physical and mental self:

 

1.       Get enough sleep!  This alone greatly reduces stress and gives you energy.

 

2.       Get exercise regularly – walk, go to the gym, play tennis, volleyball.  Great stress reducer and will help with the freshman 15.  Eat lots of fruit & vegetables, also.

 

3.       Choose your friends wisely.  If you are going to college, you are smart enough to make good choices in this area.

 

4.       Look out for your friends, take care of each other.  You may feel invincible, but there are problems out there.  Be aware of them, and know how campus safety works.  Be careful off of campus, also.  Don’t leave someone alone at a party or bar.  Take care of each other.

 

5.       Remember that there are a large number of students who don’t drink and party.  You don’t have to get involved in this.

 

6.       Have rituals of celebration – popcorn at midnite, breakfast together, special dinners.  Enjoy!

 

7.       Manage your money wisely!  This can be a huge cause of stress.  Create a budget of how much money you have each month, and where you need to spend it, and stick to it.  Don’t sign up for credit cards, and if you do, don’t use them!  The debts add up, and the interest is usually very high!  And you will have to pay this money eventually, and your future credit can be hurt.  Only spend what you have.

 

8.       Manage your time wisely!  Make a time log of when you will study, exercise, relax, party, each week, and adjust it weekly to be sure you have time for what you need to do.

 

9.       Risk factors – depression, eating disorders – If you find that you are developing a risky behavior, seek help!!!  Talk to your RA, the student health center, support groups on campus.  Get help!!!

 

10.   And finally, LEARN HOW TO DO LAUNDRY BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME!  You do not want to wear pink socks all semester because you didn’t separate the whites and darks!

 

HELPFUL READING

And if you want to read lots more, here are some helpful books:

 

“The Everything College Survival Book”  by Jason Rich – great tips about going away to college, and what to do when you get there.

 

“The Yale Daily News Guide to Succeeding in College” – Kaplan.  Another great guidebook.

 

“Making the Most of College – Students Speak Their Minds” by Richard J. Light.  Just published book on 12-year study of college students, heavy reading but great stuff.

 

“Chicken Soup for the College Soul” – great feel good stories to help with homesickness.

 

Fodor’s Guide to (name your big city) – Most useful for students headed to that urban college.

 

 

Have a wonderful time, and please email Ms. Groden, [email protected] with your holiday break schedule, so that hopefully you can come back to Krop High and speak to seniors in December about your wonderful college experience!!!