VIKING PLUNGE
First Year Experience Workshop: Pre-class
Prep
College is different from high school in so many ways. Succeeding in college means putting
yourself in a different mindset for how to get the most out of and ace your classes. Follow
these tips to start yourself off on the right foot before you even enter the classroom all the
way until the last day!
1. Scope it out
- A day or two before classes start, check out where your classrooms are going to
be. To avoid getting lost, make sure you know how to get to each classroom within
the different buildings.
- Check out the set-up of the classroom and determine where you want to sit.
Studies show students do best when they sit in the front row but if there aren’t any
seats left, find another spot that fits for you. For example, if you know windows will
distract you, don’t sit near them!
2. Time it out
- Because the campus is spread out, make sure you figure out how long it will take
to get from classroom to classroom, building to building.
- Be sure to plan for the inevitable “hallway stops” as friends stop to talk to you.
- If the shuttle is taking too long, walk! When traffic is heavy, especially during the
first two months, it’s often quicker to walk.
- Don’t spend forever in the Dunkin Donuts line. No professor likes it when you walk
in late with an iced coffee. If you want to head to Dunkin Donuts in the mornings,
plan at least 15 minutes or more in the line.
3. Psych up
- Repeat the mantra, I will go to class! No one is going to check up on you, the
professor will just start marking you down for absences.
- Socializing is great but if you live on campus make sure you talk to your
roommates about bedtimes and study times, no professor is going to accept you
missing class because you were up until 4am watching Harry Potter for the 73rd
time with your new friends.
- Prepare yourself to have an open mind about your classmates. Go into class ready
to meet people and form connections as these are the folks who will form your
study groups, become your group project partners, and can share notes if you do
have to miss class.
- Push yourself to step outside your comfort zone and introduce yourself, remember
you will be with these students in each class for 14 weeks.
4. Pack your bag
- Don’t forget to have everything ready to go for the first day of classes. Pack your
bag with a notebook, pens, and/or your laptop. Class starts on the first day and
often professors will begin teaching so don’t assume that it is going to be an “intro”
class with no content.
- Make sure you’ve looked on Canvas to see if there are assignments already given
in the syllabus for the first day. If the course isn’t on Canvas and the professor
didn’t email you then you don’t need to worry.
5. Check your email
- You should be checking your SSU email on a regular basis because that is where
your professors and the university will send you important information.
- Make sure you check your spam folder and settings to see if something was
accidentally diverted there.
- It will never be acceptable to say you didn’t know something because you don’t
check your SSU email.
6. Be ready to work hard
- College level work is going to be harder than high school, in order to succeed get
into the mindset that you are going to need to spend more time studying.
- Classes may seem easier because you don’t go to them five days a week, all day
every day but the reality is it is set up that way because we assume you will spend
a lot more time out of class studying, preparing, working on projects, and reading.
Remember, success starts with initiative, so take a few extra moments and set yourself up to
make the most of your college experience!
If you’d like to get more information about using your
syllabus, stop by the First Year Experience office in Meier
100A or email us at firstyear@salemstate.edu.