STEPS TO SUCCESS
1.
Put Learning First: Understand that learning something is different than getting good grades. Expect to be
challenged. If you knew it already, you wouldn’t be learning it now. Learning takes work, and you will have
to stretch beyond your current knowledge and comfort to do so.
o Learn how you learn in college.
 For your first year, over budget your time for assignments compared to high school.
o Maintain the proper school-work-personal life balance.
 If you need to work, plan your work schedule so that it allows sufficient travel, class, and
study time.
2.
Plan Ahead:
 Develop and articulate your academic, personal, and professional goals.
 Think through how do you expect Buffalo State to help you achieve those goals
 What do you think you would you be doing if you weren’t in college?
 Complete an Individual Academic Plan. The IAP will help you see how to get into your major of choice
and graduate in four years.
3.
Handle Your Business
 Know your financial status and plan. Make sure your bill is paid, your aid package is in place, and
know how you plan to pay to graduation.
 Know that your schedule is accurate - check Banner to be sure that you are not registered for what
you believe you’ve dropped and that you are registered for what you believe you’ve added
 Know your to-do list for the semester: review your course syllabi and documented the due dates of
every assignment and exam in one calendar.
 Know how to use the campus technology: Email, Banner, Degree Navigator, and Angel are essential
to life on this campus. Master them immediately.
 Know Your Support Network
o Know the names, office locations, and office hours of the faculty teaching your courses
o Know the name and office location of your academic advisor.
o Know where you stand: Understand how to calculate your grades in your classes.
4.
Show Up:
 Go to class: Being present during class sessions is a fundamental dimension of academic success.
Hearing the professor present the material, asking questions the professor communicates the
information, participating in classroom discussions, are critical dimensions of learning.
 Participate: Have you participated in a student roundtable or discussion? Do you vote on campus
issues when opportunities arise? Go to concerts, sporting events, Intramurals, clubs lectures,
museums,
5.
Reach Out:
 Join the community: You cannot expect to get the most of out of college if you experience it in
isolation.
 Get Help When You Need It. – Where can I get tutoring? Where can I find out about my bill? Where
can I find out about financial aid questions?
 Help us help you: complete surveys come to some of these focus groups so that we can hear how
you’ve experienced things and we can make things better. Complete the MAP-Works survey.