Meet Libby Sample. Libby is a freshman Political Science and International Studies major from Dallas, Texas. She is a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority through which she works with Peace at Home Women and Children’s Shelter. Libby loves to explore Fayetteville and North West Arkansas in her free time.
Going to college can be a difficult time in a young adult’s life. With all the changes happening, it can be hard to focus on academics. However, with a lot of dedication and hard work, success is not far away.
The most important thing that a student needs to do in order to have success academically, and I cannot stress this enough, is go to class. Many professors even take attendance and use it as a grade. It is so much easier to keep up with work and know what is going on if you attend class and listen to what your professor has to say. What he or she says in class will be the most important information you need to know. Your student’s notes are going to help them out considerably, and the best notes come from those that take the time to sit in a lecture and listen to what their professor has to say.
Another very important factor to improve a student’s study habits is time management. A great way to start with this is getting a planner. Write down all of your assignment due dates and test dates. Or, if your student is forgetful like I am, they can mark them in the calendar on their phones with a reminder. They can use this to help them plan ahead and decide when is the best time to work on each task. The habit I have adopted that helps me out the most with time management is starting my homework as soon as I get home from class. When I get home, I tend to still be in work more. I can focus much better when I start homework right away. If I take a long break and sit around for a few hours, it is much harder to get myself in that set of mind again after a long day. My personal favorite way to time manage is to make sure I have enough time for sleep. Many students believe that taking away from their sleep is a good way to get the most work out of their day. However, most people need about seven to eight hours of sleep for their brains and bodies to function optimally.
It is hard to be outgoing in some college settings. Your student may be sitting in a lecture hall surrounded by 200 other students or even more. It is understandable that they might not want to speak out if they have a question or a comment. If your student is like this, they should seriously consider taking advantage of their professors’ office hours. This is a time that the professors will specifically set aside to be in their office or on campus to answer questions, or simply discuss material from class, with their students. Not only will this help the student gain a better understanding of class material, but it will help them to build relationships with their professors. It is very beneficial for students to get to know those teaching them. Most internships and jobs require letters of recommendation, and professors are great people to write those.
The University of Arkansas works incredibly hard to provide academic help for those who seek it. We have so many resources to help with students who may want help. The U of A has a program called the Enhanced Learning Center, or ELC. The ELC provides tutors for many different classes that the university offers. You can make an appointment for one-on-one, one-on-two, or one-on-three tutoring. They are scheduled in fifty minute blocks. Supplemental Instruction, usually called SI, is a once a week study session that is offered in a particularly difficult class. These are lead by students who excelled in these courses and offer their help. The U of A also offers writing support. Tutors are available in person or online to assist students through one-on-one tutoring at any stage of the writing process.
Although it can be very different from high school, it is very possible to do well academically. With good study habits and the dedication to do well, your student should be able to do well.