You’re well into the new academic year and you’ve already received some important feedback from your professors. A couple of tests, a pop quiz, and several writing assignments have revealed to you that your grades need to improve. Habits learned in high school have to be adjusted for college, because you only have a few months before your class is over as the semester will soon come to an end.

If you’re knew to college, making the transition from high school can be difficult, especially for freshmen who are not used to the rigors of applying themselves academically.  Many students quit at the end of their freshmen year finding themselves ill prepared to continue their education.

One of the keys to succeeding academically are your study habits. Disciplined studying will result in better grades, a habit that should be developed in the freshmen year. Some ways that you can improve your studying skills include:

Recognize Who You Are — Do you learn verbally or visually? Perhaps both? Some students learn best by what they hear while others by what they see. If you find that you learn differently from the way you are being taught, you’ll have to redouble your efforts to understand what the professor is teaching you. You may need to meet with your professor(s) to explain the difficulty you have comprehending, otherwise be prepared to stay extra focused and ask a lot of questions.

Take Notes — How many of your classmates take notes? Unfortunately, many do not. Even if you understand everything, you won’t remember all things. Instead of writing down what the professor says verbatim, be prepared to jot down highlights, just enough information to help you recall what was being taught to you.

Study Often — Disciplined studying will help you remember subject material and to build upon what you’ve already learned. If you wait until the last minute to study, you’ll be stressed out, miss out on things, and be too tired to take a test or bring a report to completion.

Follow Directions — How often do your fellow students mess up on an assignment because they didn’t follow instructions? If you’re not certain about something, ask. You may have an idea on how you want to go about an assignment, but if your idea doesn’t match what the professor wants, you could be penalized.

Absent Often — Even one or two absences can make it difficult for students to catch up. Never miss a class unless an emergency comes up — you’re there to learn and your professor is there to teach you.

Many freshmen find that their new found freedom causes them to lose self control and quickly fall behind on their studies. You’re on your own now, but don’t take that freedom as a license to fail. Even if you were to quit college, you’ll still have to work and the workplace isn’t nearly as forgiving as academia to people who are undisciplined and unwilling to apply themselves.

---

Adv. — Federal Pell Grants and PLUS loans are two options you have to pay for your college education. Visit SayStudent.com to find our library of articles covering your many financial aid options including scholarships, grants, private student loans, and more.

Tags: academia, academic progress, grades, learning, study skills, studying, term papers

---

Your Freshmen Year Will Set The Trend

Over the next few weeks, this year’s college freshmen class will be arriving at campuses all across the country, a little bit scared, very excited, and certainly wet behind the ears. As much as your son or daughter has prepared for college life, there are many unknowns which will crop up, new experiences which will shape them over the months and years ahead.

All those years of preparing your child to leave home, to sprout their wings, will soon be a fond memory. The training up time is over; your student is now in the game of life.

Surviving Your Freshmen Year

Of all of the college years, the very first year can be the most difficult one as adjustments to a new life are being made. Students who successfully navigate through their first year are in good shape to complete college and on time. Those who struggle during their freshmen year may fall behind and increase their chances that they’ll eventually quit school.

To help your student run the race with certainty, the following tips should be kept in mind:

Relax — The last thing an 18 year old wants to be told is to relax. However, calmness will help your son or daughter to adjust to a new environment enabling them to handle the stresses related to major change. Encourage your student to carry a sensible schedule the first year and not be in a rush to declare a major. This is a good year to take several electives and to explore what direction your child wants to go.

Housing — Most schools require boarding freshmen to live in the college dorms, an experience that can be fun, challenging, and even difficult to get used to. Many schools try to put similar students together as roommate compatibility can go a long way toward impacting your college experience for better or for worse. If you get stuck with an absolutely miserable roommate, you’ll want to rectify that issuer as soon as possible.

Orientation, Registration — Try to complete your orientation prior to registration or you could be doing both just about the same time. Some colleges will not even allow you to register for class before going through orientation, a step that can give you a good feel for where everything is on campus. At this time you’ll get your food passes, dorm assignment, parking sticker, etc.

Classes, Books — If you can wait to buy your textbooks until class starts, then you can learn which textbooks your professors require and which ones are optional. To save money, consider renting your books through a service like Chegg.com who can quickly ship to you whatever you need. Get all of your other supplies while still at home shopping the “back to school” sales to save on paper, pens, notebooks, etc.

Have Fun — Your lighter freshmen load can work to your advantage, giving you a chance to boost your GPA and consider the ensuing years of your education. This can be a good chance for you to find out about various college related activities including football games, clubs, special events, and more. It can also be a time where students who are not rooted and grounded in a solid moral upbringing begin to stray. Without offering to you a lecture, you’ll want to be on guard for those people who look at college as a four-year party instead of a chance to pursue academic excellence.

Its A Wrap!

You’ll have plenty of other decisions and situations to handle during your freshmen year including homesickness, whether to work a part time job or not, adjusting to college food, new professors, relating to people from around the world, and much more. There isn’t enough room to cover everything here, but the related reading and resources you follow are certainly worth perusing and bookmarking for future reference.

Best wishes to you this academic year whether you’re an incoming freshman, sophomore, upper class men, or a grad student.

Related Reading

Quitting the books — About half of college freshmen fail to graduate within six years

Tips for Freshman Academic Success

Your First Year of College: 25 Tips to Help You Survive and Thrive Your Freshman Year and Beyond

Resources

College Planning Tools

Financial Aid Charts

Shop For Tech Gadgets

Tags: college, college freshmen, College Planning, dorm living, learning, university