“I strongly feel visiting your academic adviser should be the first thing on your list to do when you start college. I tried to do it myself and I ended up taking classes that I didn’t need…. Definitely get to know your professors… They can guide you in the right direction if you ever have any questions. I have a few professors that I have gone to more than once for help in my studies, or even a reference.”
~Nicole Lauer, Junior in Elementary Education, Madonna University
- Visit your academic adviser at least twice a semester. Keeping up with college credits, classes, and careers is hard. That’s why you have an academic adviser to begin with. Your adviser makes sure you’re taking the right classes, helps you with problems, and connects you with other campus resources. You've already paid for this help. Use it.
- Choose classes by professors. Research shows that great instructors help students succeed. Find out who the “famous” profs are and take their courses if you can fit them into your program.
- Sit in the front row. Do you feel uncomfortable in the front of the class? That’s a good reason to sit there. It will keep you awake when the lecture turns boring. It will reduce your distractions because there’s nobody else to look at. And people learn more from people they have a relationship with; removing obstacles between you and the speaker mentally reinforces the fact that you’re listening to a real person not just a talking head.
- Ask one question each day during class. Write one down beforehand if you need to. Even if it’s not a great question, asking it will actually double your brain’s energy level so that you can learn more. That’s because it changes you from a passive listener to an active participant. When you think your prof makes an important point, nod in agreement or in disagreement. It’s a physical way of keeping your brain engaged in what’s being said.