KEYS TO COLLEGE
SUCCESS
Academic
Advisement
Room 3117
Keys to Your Success
 Increase your Knowledge of the College
and its Services/Resources
 Learn to take Notes Effectively
 Use Study Strategies
 Learn Exam Strategies
 Learn how to Deal with Professors &
Tough Classes
 Stay Healthy
College Services &
Resources
 Attend the College Orientation session
http://www.mdc.edu/prospective/orientation
handbook.pdf
 Check out the College’s Webpage
http://www.mdc.edu/main/
 Get a Campus Map
 Get an Academic Calendar/Planner
College Services &
Resources
 Check out the College Catalog
http://www.mdc.edu/main/images/CollegeC
atalog2006-2008_tcm6-1668.pdf
 Know the Student’s Rights &
Responsibilities
http://www.mdc.edu/policy/student_righ
ts_and_responsibilities.pdf
Learn to take Notes
Effectively
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Take Clear ,Concise Notes
Sit near to the front of the class
Be a good Listener
Ask questions
Rewrite your own study notes with
lecture notes into a single set of notes.
Use Study Strategies
 Time management
 Do not study for more than 2 hours at a
time
 Try to study during daylight hours
 Prioritize, Learn to say no!
 Use memory strategies
Learn Exam Strategies
 Prepare
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Learn the exam format
Review course outline, notes
Review previous test
Summarize highlights on single sheet
Objective Exams
 Scan the exam to determine types of questions
asked.
 Always read & follow directions!
 Determine the exam’s scoring rules and use
them.
 If wrong answers are penalized, don’t guess,
unless you can reduce the choices to two.
 Answer easy question first.
 Mark difficult questions and return to them
later.
True-False questions
 Pick out key words or group of words on
which the truth of falsity of a statement
hinges.
 If any clause in a statement is false, the
statement is false.
Multiple-Choice questions
 Multiple-choice questions are essentially
true-false questions arranged in groups.
 Usually only one alternative is totally
correct.
 Eliminate obvious false choices.
 Of the remainder, pick the alternative that
answers most fully all aspects of the
question.
Essay questions
 Plan your time.
 Read through the entire exam first.
 Follow directions carefully and make sure to number
the questions correctly.
 Pay attention to key words: List, Describe, Compare &
Contrast and Outline.
 Your opening statement summarizes what you are
going to say.
 What follows should support your opening statement.
 Your conclusion should show how your body text
supported your opening statement.
Learn how to Deal with
Professors & Tough Classes
 See your professors during there office
hours.
 Get feedback from other students on
which professors to avoid.
 Make sure the professor knows your
name.
 Problems with faculty should be handled
honestly and clamly.
Stay Healthy
 Stay away from Fast foods and candy bars.
 Gallons of coffee and Sodas are not the way to
survive finals.
 Sleep and Study in Small Shifts.
 Exercise often during exam weeks.
 Pasta, peanut butter, cereals, yogurt and fresh
fruit will provide natural and sustained energy.
 Make time to relax.
TIPS FOR FRESHMAN
I WISH SOMEONE HAD TOLD
ME...
 Class attendance really does correlate
with your grade. GO TO CLASS
 COMMUNICATION IS KEY- especially
when dealing with professors and
advisors.
 BE ON TIME TO CLASS. Walking in late
distracts both the professor and other
students
 DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP
 COLLEGE IS NOT A CONTEST. You
don't have to compete with anyone else
for your grade. Learn at your own pace
and don't feel inferior if you don't
understand something the first time
around.
 SUPPORT SYSTEMS ARE ESSENTIAL
FOR SURVIVAL. Make friends. Talk to
everyone.
 READ WHAT YOU ARE GIVEN! Read
your mail!
 Don't take policy advice from other
students, check with offices on campus
 JOIN IN ALL THE ACTIVITIES YOU
CAN.
 DON'T BE INTIMIDATED BY THE
FACULTY AND STAFF.
 Get a copy of your school's code of ethics (
honor code). A simple mistake could cost your
degree.
 MAINTAIN A POSITIVE ATTITUDE, be a good
listener, stick to your own convictions, and
strive past your dreams.
 ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT IS CRITICAL! See
your advisor on a regular basis to make sure
you are on track with your academic program,
courses, etc.
 PAY ATTENTION TO DEADLINES! If you miss
one, it could cost you not just money, but
grades as well (ex. drop/add, fee payment,
course withdrawal).
 SAVE ALL COLLEGE PAPERWORK.
You may need to defend a course
selection when you apply for graduation
or you may need to prove you dropped a
class.
 SAVE EVERY GRADE REPORT.
Computers have been known to lose
grades, courses, credits, etc.
 Periodically ask for an unofficial copy of
your transcript.
 BE SURE YOUR RECORDS MATCH
THE REGISTRAR'S
Keys on Being a
Successful Student
 Know the Course Syllabus
 Know the Grading System
 Know your Instructors
 Attend Class
 Do the Homework
 Be Organized
 Behave Like a College Student
 Honesty is the Best Policy
 Ask for Help
 Learning Takes Time
Know the Course Syllabus
 In each class, you will receive a syllabus for
the course. The syllabus contains:
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The teacher’s name and office hours
Grading criteria for the class
Dates for important assignments
The attendance policy
Required textbooks, the course outline, and more.
 Keep your syllabus and read it often
throughout the semester.
 Keep other handouts that your teachers give
you.
Know the Grading System
Early in the semester, find the answers to these kinds of
questions:
 What factors will the teacher use to give me a final grade
in this class? In other words, what grading criteria is
used for this class?
 How much do quizzes and tests count toward my final
grade? How many quizzes and tests will we have? What
is the teacher’s policy for making up a test or quiz that I
miss?
 How will homework affect my grade? What is the
teacher’s policy on accepting late work?
 Does attendance count toward my grade?
 Is there an exit competency that I must meet in this
class? In other words, do I have to get a grade of 2.5 or
3.0 in order to meet the prerequisite for another class I
need to take?
Know your Instructors
 Your teacher’s name, phone
number, and office location
are on your class syllabus.
 During the semester, you
may need to go to the
Department of Language
Skills to leave a homework
assignment for your teacher.
It is very difficult to get a
message or an assignment to
the right teacher if you do not
know the name of your
teacher.
 You must learn the names of
your teachers.
 All teachers are required
to have office hours every
week. Check your
teacher’s syllabus for the
days and times he or she
has office hours.
 You do not need an
appointment to go to your
teacher’s office at this
time. This is a good time
to ask questions and get
further explanations of
ideas discussed in class.
Attendance
 The instructor can drop you
 Your instructors expect you to
from the class if you miss
attend all class sessions.
more than four (4) class
 Most instructors understand that
meetings in a 4-credit class,
emergencies sometimes
or six (6) class meetings in a
happen; if you have an
6-credit class.
emergency, please contact your
instructor as soon as possible.  After the 6th week of the
semester, the student may be
 You must complete
dropped from class and
assignments that you miss
receive a “W” as a grade if the
when you are absent. It is your
student has been doing
responsibility to find out what
passing work. If the student
the assignment was and do it!
has not been doing passing
work, the student will receive
a grade of 0.0.
Do the Homework
 Be sure you know how homework will be graded.
 Don’t be afraid to ask your teacher if you do not
understand how to do an assignment. Go to your
teacher’s office hours, call, or send an e-mail.
 DO NOT do homework during class time!
 Do your own work. Do not copy homework from
someone else. You will not learn by doing that!
 Plan to spend 1 to 2 hours doing homework or
reading for a class for every hour you spend in the
class. For example, you should plan to spend 4 to 8
hours a week doing homework for a 4 credit class.
 You may need to work fewer hours at your job if you
are taking two or three classes.
Be Organized
 Use a notebook with dividers and pockets. Keep
notes for each class in a separate section of the
notebook.
 Keep a list of all homework assignments that each
teacher gives in each class.
 Have your homework ready to hand in at the
beginning of class. Be sure your name, the date, and
the class are at the top. Put it in the pocket of your
folder.
 Talk to your teacher about ways to stay organized.
 Staying organized will help you be more successful in
the class because you will not lose assignments or
forget to do them.
Know What Kind of Behavior
is Expected at College
Students are expected to behave in the classroom in
a way that promotes a good learning environment.
Your teacher may give you some rules for classroom
behavior with the syllabus. Here are some general
rules for behavior in the classroom:
 Arrive on time. Parking is
very difficult at the beginning
of the semester, so please
give yourself enough time to
find a parking space.
 Speak English in the
classroom from the time
you enter until you leave.
 Turn off your cell phone
during class.
 Do not interrupt the
teacher or other students
while they are speaking. If
you have something to say in
a discussion, raise your hand
and wait for the teacher to
recognize you.
 Do not do homework
during class time.
 Show respect for your
teacher, yourself and other
students by paying attention
in class and participating in
class discussions.
Honesty is the Best Policy
Students are expected to be
honest in their work.
Cheating is dishonest.
Another word for this is
plagiarism. The following
behaviors are considered
cheating:
 Copying a classmate’s
homework.
 Copying from a classmate during
a test or quiz.
 Using answers for tests or
quizzes that you have received
from another student.
 Using papers written by another
student, or downloading a paper
from the internet, and turning it
in as your own writing.
 Consequences for Cheating
or Plagiarism include:
 Receive a failing grade on the
assignment, paper, quiz, or
test.
 Receive a failing grade in the
class and be withdrawn from
the class.
 Be expelled.
 The consequences will be
decided by your instructor,
the department, and the
College division.
Understand that Learning Takes
Time
 Hours of study and reading are necessary for faster learning.
 Making mistakes is a normal part of the learning process. Your
teachers can help you to learn faster if you are honest about
your own work. Do your best work, and learn from your
mistakes!
 Be patient with yourself! Improving your English language skills
takes time and practice. To make faster progress, speak
English as much as possible during the day.
 If you start to feel discouraged, talk to your teacher, a tutor, or a
counselor or advisor. Don’t quit or give up!
 Stay motivated! Keep your goals in mind and steadily work
toward them. You can do it!
Graduation is Success