Suggestions for a successful freshman
transition to a college setting:
Traditional , Non-Traditional, & Commuter Students.
- Take a lighter course load your first semester to
improve your chances of success in college.
- Make use of all college resources: learning center,
advisor, computer-assisted instruction or review, and tutorial sessions.
- Identify one student from each of your classes with whom
you can build a connection when studying, exchanging notes, and preparing for
tests.
- Make the time to get to know your instructors.
Schedule an appointment to visit each one during their office hours. Let them know
you are interested in the material they teach.
- Set moderate, attainable goals that can be reached
successfully the first three weeks of the semester. This accomplishment will
give a feeling of success and will encourage you to set higher goals for the rest of
the semester.
- In a college setting most of your work must be completed outside of the
classroom setting. You will need to use your free day-time
hours for studying.
- Make a schedule of your weekly routine, post it in
a prominent place and stick to it.
- Always work ahead in your textbook reading. This
will give you a feeling of security in case something happens and you must miss a
class. Reading ahead assures that the classroom lecture will cover familiar
material.
- Switch subjects when studying and reading becomes
boring.
- Do your most difficult assignments first to get
them out of the way.
- Reward yourself by saving your favorite subjects
for last.
- Break your reading assignments down into manageable
sections of ten pages at a time.
- Always review your notes from each class within 24 hours
after the class.
- College reading is a higher reading level than high school texts.
Find a textbook reading approach that works and use it.
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