An Academic Onslaught

September 1st, 2010 by Ken 2 Comments »

By the end of the first week, students know which classes are easy and which are going to impose hours of agonizing pain. A huge and complex syllabus is usually a sign of tough times ahead. Now is the time when students prepare themselves for the academic onslaught.

All this class is getting in the way of my party schedule

The problem is that during the first 2-4 weeks of college, most students are in a daze. The best parties of the year are going down right now. Students are taken by an explosion of Football Games, Frat/Sorority rush, hall parties and meeting new people. The campus is bustling with activity. Focus is the last thing on a college kid’s mind. This is exactly when things can go wrong.

As a college student you might find yourself in a situation at the end of the semester where there are tests you are not ready for and papers due that are incomplete. But there are some simple things you can do early in the semester that can help get you though class without sacrificing your social schedule.

1. Identify classes that present the greatest challenge - If Math is not your strongest subject, or History makes you want to pass out, then recognize that you may need to focus more just to pass those classes.

2. Get to know your teacher - You don’t need to brown nose, just make sure the teacher knows you. Make a good impression by being on time for class and getting involved in discussions

A study group could save your semester

3. Identify the smart kids – There will be some classmates that understand the subject perfectly. If you need help, ask other students in class about setting up a study group. It’s a great way to learn from other students that understand the subject.

4. Go to the academic support center - Many colleges have staff available to help you study a particularly hard subject. You should set up a schedule to meet with a tutor at least once a week if you are having trouble with a subject.

5. Don’t wait until the end of the semester - If you wait until the end of the semester to try and learn everything, it will be far too stressful. Set yourself up for success by figuring out early in the semester what classes will need extra study, and then proceed to do so. By planning how to handle a hard subject early on, you can save yourself a lot of frustration by the end of the semester.

Tags: academic support center, activity focus, agonizing pain, brown nose, classmates, college kid, colleges, explosion, football games, greatest challenge, math, onslaught, smart kids, sorority rush, study group, syllabus, tough times, tutor

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 at 4:56 pm and is filed under Student. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.