The First Semester: One Month In?
How are classes really going?
With the first month of classes completed, look back at what First-Year students have experienced. With everything they have gone through, there is enough to fill up six months’ worth of a calendar, yet adjusting to a new life has only been a little more than three weeks. In this piece, we will go deeper into the weeds, checking back on how students adjust academically.
-Instructor Style: College professors are experts in their respective subjects and have different ideas and philosophies on conveying content to their students. It could differ from how students were taught during high school. Teachers present topics in various ways to ensure everyone can understand. In college, it is the student’s responsibility to understand and be able to articulate what they have learned. A student can spend 10 hours a day studying, but it will be a waste of time if they do not understand what is being explained. Some people learn better by listening, while others are reading, and that could change for different classes depending on each professor’s style. Students need to know the best ways to comprehend content.
-Are students active in class: Participating in class discussions can benefit the students by showing the instructors an interest in the content and setting an example for other students about what needs to be done. Some classmates will sit in the back corner with their heads down, looking at their phones, not paying attention, and maybe even not caring when it does not bode well for them as professors are observing, and those observations will be taken into account when they are grading. Students who participate in the course also have an opportunity to help other students who need help understanding everything being presented. It’s always important to help when they can become in another class; the shoe could be on the other foot.
-Help: Colleges offer plenty of resources to get extra assistance through various tutoring programs in most subjects, often free. Support is out there for students to acquire. Whether it’s getting a transcript of a professor’s lectures or a last-minute tip before a math exam, it can all be available for them. Some students can adjust to lectures without visuals or comprehend 110 pages a week, while others need supplemental assistance with consuming so much content for each class. If students struggle with a specific professor, one way to get additional help is going to a professor’s office hours, where they get extra practice (office hours are often on the class syllabus). Another chance to get extra practice is to form a study group with fellow students. This can build friendships while also mastering the material of each class.
With midterm exams right around the corner (we will get into that next time), it is essential to know where they stand in their classes before the halfway point of the semester and make adjustments that can help down the road and impact grades.
