Sunday, March 15, 2020

How can I be successful in college?

Why do students fail?


After almost 25 years working in higher education, the primary reason I have seen for students who are successful comes down to time. Ability including learning disabilities can be overcome, but a student who does not or cannot invest enough time in class will fail.

Tennis legend Jimmy Connors said that, “I never lost a tennis match, I just ran out of time.” The same is true for college students. They run out of time.

A good rule of thumb is that for every semester hour of credit a student should expect to spend 45 hours of work. That includes in-class time as well as homework and study. It does not include travel time to campus. In a traditional 15-week semester, that is only 3 hours a week. That is not so bad. Most classes are 3-4 credits, so it is 9-12 hours per week for one class. Most people do not have an extra 9-12 hours a week with nothing to do. Full-time study is a minimum of 12 credits, so that requires 36 hours per week. That is almost equivalent to a full-time job.

Many colleges and universities offer accelerated courses where the number of weeks is reduced. This also means the time required per week is doubled. One class offered in an 8-weeks is going to require about 18 hours a week.

Traditional students that live on campus and have school as their primary focus should be able to carve out time for school. Those who don’t usually do not stay in school. Most college students today are non-traditional students. They are usually working. They often have families to take care of. They have interests in friends, church, and other activities. Something must give to allow them to be successful in school. That something must go for the years it will take to earn a degree.

Some students will give up. They may doubt themselves and their abilities. They may sabotage their success by avoiding doing schoolwork or attending class. Sometimes family and friends will pressure students to stop going to school. While many families do celebrate the first person to get a college degree, others are afraid that the college graduate will leave them behind and stop being the person they were. They may also resent the time spent on school versus family or social activities. Traditional college students living on campus around others focused on education have some buffer against these pressures.

Students can also waste time. As a professor, I have seen students try to solve problems on their own when they are stuck rather than reaching out for help. A professor or a tutor might be able to help the student see what they are missing very quickly rather than spending hours on something that is unproductive.

If students thought about how they were going to budget for the time that classes take like they think about how to pay tuition, more students would be successful. Very few people have a time hole in their lives. For most, college requires stopping something you are doing now.
How can I prepare for college?

In addition to being clear on your purpose and how you will make the time to study, a little preparation can increase your success in college.

Most schools have some sort of placement test that identifies your current ability in math, reading, and writing. If you do poorly on these exams, you may need to take additional courses to get your skills up in these areas.

Most schools downplay the importance of these exams because most prospective students do not like the idea of an exam. Ask if there is a practice exam that you can take and do a little study on these topics before the exam. It is all material you have seen before, but most of us do not think about things like fractions or punctuation daily.

Do I really need to take math?

Math classes are required in virtually every undergraduate degree. They are one of the most feared courses as well. In talking to students, I find them most of them have been traumatized by previous attempts to learn math. This stress makes it emotionally difficult to learn in college.

A primary source of the problem is that math is really a foreign language, but it is not usually taught that way. For example, if I ask you what is “½ / ½” ? You need to know that the one over two is one-half and the slash means divide. Now if I tell you that .5 / .5 means the same thing, you might question how this can be since they do not look like the same thing. However, if I tell you that we half a pie left and we are going to share it evenly, you can probably figure out that we are each getting a quarter of a pie. Math people skip the pie and just use code to talk about the same idea. You must learn to understand the code to be able to do math. When we start talking about cosigns and tangents, it is even harder to understand what is going on because the code becomes even more removed from the real world. Engineers make great math teachers because engineers are used to applying math codes to real world problems.

If math is a struggle for you, as it is most students, be patient with yourself. Learn it like you would a foreign language. Use tutors and other students to help you grasp it.

Some majors require a solid understanding of math. If that does not sound like you, then you should carefully consider other majors. Science, engineering, and technology fields are the most common ones that use math, but chefs use fractions more than anyone. Nurses also need to be good in math so they do not give someone the wrong dosage of a drug.

What if I don’t like to write?

If you don’t like to write, you need to get over it. While many careers do not require heavy duty math skills, almost all careers require people to communicate effectively whether it is in presentations, emails, or reports. In college, papers and essays are a standard way of assessing what you know. Writing skills are important.

You should take your composition class as early as you can. While most academic writing is different than the type of writing people do in the real world, the foundation of being able to express yourself and your ideas clearly and effectively is a universal skill you can develop with practice.

The most important concept in academic writing is the five-paragraph essay. Paragraph one is an introduction that catches the reader’s attention, tells them what you are going to say, and end with a thesis statement which is the point you will prove in the rest of the essay. Paragraphs two, three, and four each start with a sentence that summarizes the point you will make in that paragraph. The other sentences in the paragraph provide more detail. Together those first three sentences should summarize your argument. Finally, the conclusion (paragraph five) summarizes how you have proven the point you made in your thesis statement.

For example, if your thesis is that you like turtles, you might start your introduction with a description of turtles or some other device to start your story. Paragraphs two, three, and four will each be a reason why you like turtles: because they are easy to catch because they are slow, because they are cuddly, and because they eat salads. Finally, in your conclusion you summarize why you like turtles.

That basic structure is how you craft an essay in virtually every college class. If you need to write a paper, you add more paragraphs. You might even structure the paper as a series of essays where each essay builds on the previous one.

The other key to academic writing is the use of citations.

Plagiarism is one of the quickest ways to end your college studies. Plagiarism is using someone else’s ideas without proper documentation that these are not your ideas and where they came from. The most obvious example is using words or pictures that someone else has created. Anytime you quote someone, you need to use quotation marks and cite the source of the quote. Most of the time you will not (should not) use direct quotations.

Instead you put into your own words what someone else wrote. In this case, you don’t need quotation marks, but you still need to cite the source.

One way to think about this is that you are making an argument. Is it stronger to say that something is your opinion, or is it better to say that an expert on the topic said this? The expert has more credibility, so it is in your interest to give credit to the expert and how she/he supports your argument.

When you do not cite someone else’s ideas, you are committing plagiarism. Not only does this make your argument weaker, it also means that you are stealing someone else’s ideas, even when you do not us their exact words. Even if you do this unintentionally, you can fail an assignment or worse.

Different schools use different formats for how you cite your sources, and you should ask your professor or teaching assistant if there is a required style. If you are new to academic writing, it can be a good step to check your writing for plagiarism before you submit it. I have worked with 1000s of faculty, and many are not very forgiving when it comes to plagiarism.

Every so often someone famous will be caught having plagiarized a speech or document, leading to the end of their career. Learning how to properly cite sources and avoiding plagiarism is a valuable skill.

Why does failure matter?

Starting college but not graduating is not the end of the world. Having some credits has value, and it is always an option to start again later. Having said that, there are consequences to starting and failing.

First, there is a psychological barrier about starting and then failing. It can feel like a defeat, and it can be harder to come back if you believe that you will fail again.

Second, if you took out student loans, those loans must be paid back whether you graduate or not. It will be much better to graduate then to be paying on loans when you did not finish.

Third, if you stop attending class or stop submitting assignments in the middle of a class, you will likely fail those classes. That will make it harder to start again at the same school. It can also make it so that you cannot get federal financial aid in the future. You can also be financially responsible for financial aid that you received and did not use because you stopped attending classes. You should never stop attending classes in the middle of an academic term unless there are extenuating circumstances, and you should always talk to an academic advisor and a financial aid advisor about your circumstances.
What is your purpose again?

When a student chooses to do something other than schoolwork, it reflects a choice about values. Helping a child with their homework reflects a priority on being a parent. Helping a friend move reflects a priority of service to others. Going out with friends to see a movie reflects a value of social connection. Few people go take courses because they like to read textbooks and write papers. The key to making good choices is to remember why you are in college beyond the classes. What do you hope to do with that degree? When you think about your purpose, it will help you prioritize your time.

If you follow my advice from chapter one, you start college with a strong purpose for being there. College is a marathon, though, and it is easy to forget that bigger purpose. Unfortunately, not all classes and not all assignments will align with your purpose. Sometimes you must jump through hoops to earn the degree. Remember your purpose to keep up your motivation to get it done.

Sometimes your purpose will change. There is nothing wrong with that. It is your life to live. Every day we learn more, and some days we learn that the path we were on is not the right one anymore. Your purpose in going to college might not be relevant anymore.
Do you need to leave school?

If you find that the right decision is to leave school even just for a break, there are several issues you will want to avoid.

Whenever possible, finish classes you have already started. You cannot get all your tuition money back or your time. If you can finish out the class, you will have those credits for the future.

If you need to stop in the middle of a class, do not simply stop attending. Contact the college and formally withdraw, but before you do, make sure you review what the impact will be on your financial aid. Often students are not aware of what is known as “return to lender.” The federal government has loaned you money or potentially provided grants for you to go school. If you leave without attending enough of the classes that were paid for, the school must return the money to the government. The school will then charge you for this money. If you do not pay it, you will not be able to take classes there or even order a copy of your transcript. Do not assume that you are okay because no one told you it would be a problem. Make sure you talk to someone in financial aid.

Even if you have finished classes, you should contact the university before withdrawing and make sure your schedule is updated. I talked to someone once who was billed for a class that was after he left and had a difficult time getting it cleared. You also want to verify any financial aid impacts. Different schools follow different calendars and policies, so every school is different. Ask questions and get it in writing. If they won’t send you something in writing, email the school with a summary of the conversation and ask them to confirm your understanding. Unfortunately, you may need these types of records later.
Key Questions

Before starting a degree program at any level, it is important to review how prepared you are for success. Specifically, consider these items:
  • How much time can you commit to school?
  • What support can you expect from family, friends, and at work?
  • If you don’t have the skills in reading, writing, and math required for college, are you prepared to develop these skills?
  • If you are commuting, do you have reliable transportation options?
  • Do you have a computer and Internet access to do homework?
School requires time and there are no short cuts. Usually the time required is every week that classes are in session. Rarely in my years as a professor, have I seen students work ahead. To be successful in school requires commitment of time.

It also requires commitment from other people in your life. This is true at home, but also with friends who may not understand why you do not have as much time for them. Work can also be a challenge when unexpected work assignments interfere with meeting deadlines for school.

Most students in college today are adults who have not been in the classroom for years. It is okay to not be current with academic writing and math, but you need to be ready to develop those skills. That might require getting assistance outside of class from professors or tutors. Keep in mind that academic skills are generally not the same skills used in everyday life. The key is to do what it takes to be successful, and after the first term, classes will be easier.

I was visiting a rural campus one time and a student told me that one night both of his cars were broken down, so he drove his tractor to get to class. That is dedication. Missing a class requires a student to work even harder to cover what was missed. Having plans and back-up plans for how to get to class is important, and if you miss class try to find out what you missed before the next class session.

Online education removes the need to get to class, but it does require a computer and Internet access. Even traditional classes have homework that will require a computer and Internet access. While it is possible to use computer labs and libraries, it is much better to have access to your own computer.

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