from your English Department Advisors
This is the introduction to a set of slides designed to give new students an overview of what to
expect during the first semester.
It is divided into four sections besides the introduction:
The First Day of
Classes
The First Six Weeks
The Second Six Weeks
The Last Weeks and
Exams
The whole set is posted as one presentation entitled “Tips for New Students” in the “For Students”
section.
(The “Year by Year Checklist” in the Advising section is the Appendix to the “Tips for New Students.)
Whether you are coming straight from high school or enrolling after years in the
workforce, the first semester of college will pose some challenges. The purpose
of this presentation is to help you anticipate some challenges, answer some
common questions, and help you understand ways in which the pace of college is
different from what you experienced in high school.
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Students are assumed to be
minors, answerable to parents.
If you miss class, your parents
find out and you get in trouble.
Classes are all in one or two
buildings.
Most classes meet five days a
week.
Assignments are usually given
every day or maybe once a week.
Teachers will usually go over the
reading with you point by point.
Parents, teachers and others
share responsibility for your
education.
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Students are assumed to be
adults, answerable to themselves.
If you miss class, your grade may
be affected.
There are a lot of buildings. It can
be confusing at first.
Classes meet 3, 2 or only once a
week.
Most assignments are given in a
syllabus at the beginning of the
semester.
Professors expect you to read and
process information on your own.
You must take responsibility for
your own education.
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The most successful college students are
those who know how to learn independently.
They turn to professors and advisors for help,
but they take responsibility for their own
learning.
If you don’t have a lot of experience studying
on your own, the time to start is now.
Seek support systems-study groups, the
writing center- but don’t rely on others to do
your thinking and planning for you.
A full-time student ( enrolled in 12-15 credit hours or
more) should be spending 36-45 hours on studies.
The basic formula is 2 hours of outside-class work (24 to
40 hours if full-time) for each credit hour in addition to
the regular class contact time.
While you may be able to get by with less (especially in
introductory courses in subjects that you are good at) it is
better to budget more time than you’ll need than less.
Remember also that as the semester progresses, many
classes will become more demanding.
College classes meet
less often than high
school classes
because you are
expected to do more
concentrated
independent work.
Although many times
it may seem enough
to study one hour or
less for a class, you
will usually have to
make up the time
later.
Each semester credit
hour represents
about three hours of
study and/or class
attendance each
week.
Don’t assume that
because you
understand the basic
outline of a subject
you have mastered it.
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Attend classes regularly even when the
instructor doesn’t take attendance.
Don’t procrastinate on the reading or other
assignments.
Don’t wait until the day before the deadline
to begin a paper.
Don’t leave all your studying for the day
before the exam.
This isn’t high school.
If you are not coming to college
directly after high school, you may be
worried that you have forgotten what
you learned in high school and need to
relearn it.
You probably also have at least a
part-time job, family
responsibilities, and other
concerns besides studying.
Juggling different responsibilities
may make being a student a little
harder for you.
But the good news is that your
greater maturity and sense of
responsibility will often make you
a better student than you might
have been straight from high
school.
Returning students in particular
sometimes fear that asking questions
suggests incompetence or laziness.
The opposite is true.
In the university, asking
questions is part of the
learning process.
Admitting that you are not sure about
something is the first step towards
learning.
If you have to work (full-time or part-time) while attending school, you need to be realistic
about the possible consequences.
If you consistently choose work over school, your school performance will suffer. (In a
perfect world, you wouldn’t have to make this choice.)
Most professors will not excuse work-related absences or tardiness.
Budget your time carefully.
Be clear about your priorities.
Try to balance the different demands on your time.
 Being
a full-time student is a full-time job.
 If you have a demanding job, or if family or
community obligations take a lot of your
time, consider studying part-time.
 If you can afford not to work (or to work
only part-time) during your first year, try to
do so, especially if you have other
obligations.
 Many students successfully work and attend
school full-time (some of them even raise
families while doing so) but it is not easy.
Even if you are living at home when you are in college, you are
still assumed to be an independent adult.
Your instructors are not legally allowed to talk to your parents
about you.
Letters of “excuse” from your parents don’t count.
Your parents may be what is making it possible for you to go to
college and you should always be grateful.
But this is your education; not theirs.
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Meet with your academic advisor at least once
each semester.
You will need your advisor’s advice before
preregistration.
Don’t wait until preregistration to make an
appointment with your advisor.
Consult your advisor during the semester,
especially if you are doing poorly in a class
and want to decide whether to drop the class
or not.
You’ll feel at home in no time.