The distressed state of the economy over the past several years has wreaked havoc on many sectors of society, including higher education. While the demand for classes in public colleges and universities is very high, budget cutbacks have decreased the number of classes available, thus making it much more difficult for students to complete their degrees. In frustration, an increasing number of students are turning to for-profit colleges that promise to get them through their degrees quickly -- but at a very high price that is often not just monetary. This excellent Huffington Post article provides substantial food for thought.
Community College Budget Cuts Drive Students To For-Profit Schools
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Effective Study Groups
Have you ever joined a study group for a class only to have it turn in to a waste of time? Here are some tips to make a study group more effective than the social hour, people stop showing up, so-and-so doesn't follow through free-for-all that so many unsuccessful study groups melt down into.
Have a regular time to meet and a usual length of time to meet. This will give the study group meetings a more formal feel and make it easier for everyone to fit it into their schedules. Limiting the length of time may also assist with keeping things on track during the meeting.
Meet in a library or other quiet setting. Libraries will often have meeting rooms that can be reserved for group work. If you cannot obtain one, find a remote area of the library where the group's discussions are unlikely to disturb anyone. Having a study group at someone's home or at a coffee shop or restaurant will give too much of an informal feel and might lead to a loss of focus.
Keep it small (no more than 6 members). The larger a study group is, the more likely it is to break down due to no shows, social distractions, or members not doing their part. Smaller groups are more likely to feel responsible to one other and self-regulate their behavior.
Limit distractions. Start with checking that everyone's cell phone is off. Computers should be off as well, with the possible exception of one member whose job is to look up answers to disputed questions online if they can't be found otherwise.
Conduct it like a meeting. This may sound rigid, but study groups are organized in order to accomplish work. Having a structure where people take turns in raising questions or presenting material will smooth the process. Have an agenda or goal for each meeting and be sure to agree upon a new agenda at the end of each meeting.
Bring questions to be answered to each meeting. Each member should review all of the materials to be covered at the next meeting and bring specific questions to be answered. Whether they are questions over material the individual found difficult to understand or questions the individual thinks the instructor might ask on the next test, they can be good focus points to keep the group on task.
Share responsibility for material. If your group has four members and there are four chapters on an upcoming test, it might be beneficial to assign primary responsibility for presenting each chapter to each group member. Teaching information to others is a great way to solidify what you've learning.
Have a timer to limit off-topic discussion to 30 seconds. Someone should be responsible for timing and stopping off-topic discussions to help keep the group focused. It might be a good idea for the job of timer to rotate among group members. There also should be an agreed-upon limit of how many off-topic discussions can take place within a meeting period.
Eliminate dead-weight members promptly. We have all been in group work situations where one or more people slack off while the others work frantically to fill the gaps. Don't let this happen in your study group. Those who do not show up or fail to contribute their share to the group should be asked to leave the group as soon as possible. It might be desirable to discuss at the first group meeting what the criteria will be for asking a member to leave.
Have a regular time to meet and a usual length of time to meet. This will give the study group meetings a more formal feel and make it easier for everyone to fit it into their schedules. Limiting the length of time may also assist with keeping things on track during the meeting.
Meet in a library or other quiet setting. Libraries will often have meeting rooms that can be reserved for group work. If you cannot obtain one, find a remote area of the library where the group's discussions are unlikely to disturb anyone. Having a study group at someone's home or at a coffee shop or restaurant will give too much of an informal feel and might lead to a loss of focus.
Keep it small (no more than 6 members). The larger a study group is, the more likely it is to break down due to no shows, social distractions, or members not doing their part. Smaller groups are more likely to feel responsible to one other and self-regulate their behavior.
Limit distractions. Start with checking that everyone's cell phone is off. Computers should be off as well, with the possible exception of one member whose job is to look up answers to disputed questions online if they can't be found otherwise.
Conduct it like a meeting. This may sound rigid, but study groups are organized in order to accomplish work. Having a structure where people take turns in raising questions or presenting material will smooth the process. Have an agenda or goal for each meeting and be sure to agree upon a new agenda at the end of each meeting.
Bring questions to be answered to each meeting. Each member should review all of the materials to be covered at the next meeting and bring specific questions to be answered. Whether they are questions over material the individual found difficult to understand or questions the individual thinks the instructor might ask on the next test, they can be good focus points to keep the group on task.
Share responsibility for material. If your group has four members and there are four chapters on an upcoming test, it might be beneficial to assign primary responsibility for presenting each chapter to each group member. Teaching information to others is a great way to solidify what you've learning.
Have a timer to limit off-topic discussion to 30 seconds. Someone should be responsible for timing and stopping off-topic discussions to help keep the group focused. It might be a good idea for the job of timer to rotate among group members. There also should be an agreed-upon limit of how many off-topic discussions can take place within a meeting period.
Eliminate dead-weight members promptly. We have all been in group work situations where one or more people slack off while the others work frantically to fill the gaps. Don't let this happen in your study group. Those who do not show up or fail to contribute their share to the group should be asked to leave the group as soon as possible. It might be desirable to discuss at the first group meeting what the criteria will be for asking a member to leave.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
College Revisited: Coming Back to School
Perhaps the largest growing segment of students in colleges and universities throughout the United States are those who are over the age of 25 (sometimes referred to as non-traditional students). Some of them have no prior college experience. Others tried college after high school and found it was not right for them at the time. Many started college but dropped out when life -- work, family, or other issues -- got in the way. The good news is that it's never too late to start or continue a college education. I had a student a few years ago that was brand new to college at the age of 68!
It's not unusual for students over the age of 25 to be concerned about how they will cope with their studies and the college environment. The most common issues are worrying about fitting in, dealing with rusty study and classroom skills, and balancing school with work and family.
Fitting in. The average age of students at colleges and universities in the United States has been steadily rising for the past two decades or so. According to a 2008 report from the U.S. Census Bureau, 12.3% full time and 20.5% part time of two-year college students were over age 25, as were 32% of full time and 35.2% of part time students at four year institutions.
Classroom and study skills. With the rise in the non-traditional student population, colleges and universities have stepped up their services to address older students' specific needs, both in and out of the classroom. Peer support groups for adult re-entry students, programs to assist displaced workers, services for students with disabilities and veterans, support for single parents, and on-campus child care centers all can assist the returning student in reaching his or her educational goals. Financial aid, grants, and scholarships are available for the returning student population. For the returning student who feels unsure of his or her technological skills, workshops in how to use the internet, software programs, and library resources are frequently held.
Balancing school with work and family. Classes are now offered in a wide variety of options: face-to-face, hybrid (part face-to-face, part online), fully online, weekends, and evenings. Colleges and universities have accepted that students of all ages are often dealing with multiple obligations that can be challenging to fit into a hectic schedule. By creating class offerings that are presented through different means, higher education is more available to a wider segment of potential students. Granted, if one is working full time, it may not be possible (or advisable) to carry a full time class load, but some progress can be steadily made.
Over the time I have been teaching, I can't help but notice some of the amazing strengths that older students bring to the college classroom. Having more practical life experience under their belts tends to make them better at multitasking, more willing to ask for help, more realistic about the time it will take to accomplish a task, and better contributors to classroom discussions. On top of that, they are great examples to younger students, and I've seen some really wonderful intergenerational friendships develop among classmates as a result.
All great journeys start with a single step. Why not take that step now?
It's not unusual for students over the age of 25 to be concerned about how they will cope with their studies and the college environment. The most common issues are worrying about fitting in, dealing with rusty study and classroom skills, and balancing school with work and family.
Fitting in. The average age of students at colleges and universities in the United States has been steadily rising for the past two decades or so. According to a 2008 report from the U.S. Census Bureau, 12.3% full time and 20.5% part time of two-year college students were over age 25, as were 32% of full time and 35.2% of part time students at four year institutions.
Classroom and study skills. With the rise in the non-traditional student population, colleges and universities have stepped up their services to address older students' specific needs, both in and out of the classroom. Peer support groups for adult re-entry students, programs to assist displaced workers, services for students with disabilities and veterans, support for single parents, and on-campus child care centers all can assist the returning student in reaching his or her educational goals. Financial aid, grants, and scholarships are available for the returning student population. For the returning student who feels unsure of his or her technological skills, workshops in how to use the internet, software programs, and library resources are frequently held.
Balancing school with work and family. Classes are now offered in a wide variety of options: face-to-face, hybrid (part face-to-face, part online), fully online, weekends, and evenings. Colleges and universities have accepted that students of all ages are often dealing with multiple obligations that can be challenging to fit into a hectic schedule. By creating class offerings that are presented through different means, higher education is more available to a wider segment of potential students. Granted, if one is working full time, it may not be possible (or advisable) to carry a full time class load, but some progress can be steadily made.
Over the time I have been teaching, I can't help but notice some of the amazing strengths that older students bring to the college classroom. Having more practical life experience under their belts tends to make them better at multitasking, more willing to ask for help, more realistic about the time it will take to accomplish a task, and better contributors to classroom discussions. On top of that, they are great examples to younger students, and I've seen some really wonderful intergenerational friendships develop among classmates as a result.
All great journeys start with a single step. Why not take that step now?
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
What's the Best Way to Study?
Here is some wise advice from several psychologists on this age-old question of students everywhere courtesy of the Wall Street Journal.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
How to Study Long and Hard and Still Fail…or How to Get the Most Out of Studying
Here is a wonderful set of videos from cognitive psychologist Stephen L. Chew, PhD of Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. I highly recommend watching all five videos. I found them to be instructive, entertaining, and good food for thought going into a new school year.
Are your beliefs about learning holding you back from making the most of your classes? Check it out in Beliefs That Make You Fail.
What goes into the process of learning? Dr. Chew discusses the levels of processing theory and how it can boost your study power in What Students Should Understand About How People Learn.
How can the levels of processing theory be used by students? Cognitive Principles for Optimizing Learning breaks the levels of processing theory into four components for developing study strategies.
How do the levels of processing work in the real world of the classroom? Dr. Chew uses common study situations as examples in Putting the Principles for Optimizing Learning into Practice.
It's likely to happen to most students sometime in their college career. You failed an exam. I Blew the Exam, Now What? offers solid advice about what to do and what not to do in the face of this unfortunate event.
Many thanks to Dr. Chew for his research and passion to help students succeed.
Are your beliefs about learning holding you back from making the most of your classes? Check it out in Beliefs That Make You Fail.
What goes into the process of learning? Dr. Chew discusses the levels of processing theory and how it can boost your study power in What Students Should Understand About How People Learn.
How can the levels of processing theory be used by students? Cognitive Principles for Optimizing Learning breaks the levels of processing theory into four components for developing study strategies.
How do the levels of processing work in the real world of the classroom? Dr. Chew uses common study situations as examples in Putting the Principles for Optimizing Learning into Practice.
It's likely to happen to most students sometime in their college career. You failed an exam. I Blew the Exam, Now What? offers solid advice about what to do and what not to do in the face of this unfortunate event.
Many thanks to Dr. Chew for his research and passion to help students succeed.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Be There
One of the best ways to do well in college is to be there. It's not enough to simply physically be there -- you need to engage your mind and your attention so you can benefit from the learning experience before you. Some classes will hold your attention easily; others may be a struggle. Regardless of whether you are in a class that captivates you or if you're in a class where you feel like a captive, it is your responsibility to learn.
You should be well-prepared to learn each time you enter the classroom. Here are some hints:
The more you are truly there for each class meeting, the more you will get out of it.
You should be well-prepared to learn each time you enter the classroom. Here are some hints:
- Get to class on time.
- Reading the textbook or other material ahead of time will make the lecture easier to understand and enhance your ability to take good notes.
- Reviewing prior chapter notes before you go to class, especially where information in newer chapters builds on knowledge in older chapters, enables you to more readily grasp new concepts presented in lecture.
- Writing questions about reading materials and assignments and bringing them up in class gets you and other students participating actively in the learning process.
- This may sound simple, but have paper, pens, pencils, scantrons, syllabi, and whatever else you need to take notes and complete assignments and tests in class.
The more you are truly there for each class meeting, the more you will get out of it.
Adding A Class After It's Started
For the most part, you can add a class all on your own up until the first day of class. After that point, however, you will generally need instructor permission. Keep in mind that instructors are not obligated to add students to their classes on or after the first day. If an instructor tells you he or she is not adding students, you need to respect that.
If you've just missed one class and you are added to the class, you probably are in okay shape. If you're adding after that point, you may be putting yourself at a disadvantage. Here are some reasons not to add a class after the first class session has occurred.
If you've just missed one class and you are added to the class, you probably are in okay shape. If you're adding after that point, you may be putting yourself at a disadvantage. Here are some reasons not to add a class after the first class session has occurred.
- You may have missed points that you will not be able to makeup.
- You will have missed the review of the syllabus, which can give you important information and an overall understanding of the instructor's teaching style.
- You may find yourself taking a quiz that you've had no time to prepare for.
- You will need to catch yourself up on the class material you've missed. The instructor has no obligation to do anything special for you when you add a class late. Plan on getting missed notes and other information from other students.
The Frugal Student
It's no great secret that college is expensive. In addition to obtaining financial aid, here are some things to consider to help you control expenses.
- When shopping for supplies, don't forget your local Dollar Tree, Big Lots, 99 Cents Only, and other deep discount stores. There will be some supplies that you will want to spend more money on (computers, graphing calculators, and the like), but for others, a less expensive version will work just fine.
- Consider renting your textbooks. Most college bookstores and many websites offer this option which will typically save you 50% off the cost of a new textbook. Get your textbook information from the instructor as soon as you are registered for the course and you can start shopping. If you order your texts from a website, remember to allow enough time to get them before the first day of class.
- If public transportation to and from campus is a reasonable option for you, this could save you a lot of money. Many colleges have arranged for discounted or free student transportation via public transit. If you must drive to campus, think about carpooling with other students to save money and keep campus parking lots less crazy. If you only come to campus a couple of days per week, look at the costs of daily parking passes versus semester parking passes.
- Working on campus in a job specifically designed for students can help save money and time. Such jobs are usually designed around your class schedule. If you can obtain a full time staff job on at your college, tuition is often discounted deeply. Keep in mind that full time staff jobs are difficult to obtain in the present economic climate, but student jobs still seem to be plentiful.
- The cost of housing can be overwhelming for students. If you are a college student who can live for free or for reduced rent with your parents or other family members while you attend school, it will save you considerable money. You also may want to consider having roommates in an apartment or house. Another option is to rent a room in someone's house. You may also find some situations where housing is provided in exchange for work for the homeowner. For instance, in my area (Inland Southern California), it is possible for one to find such arrangements at horse or livestock facilities.
- If there is some item you need, check out the local Craigslist or Freecycle listings. At times you can find goods that are barely used at all for great prices.
- If you have some particular talent or ability that is marketable, you might want to check into doing a bit of freelance work to earn some extra money.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Just for Fun: Some Unusual Majors
I ran across this article about some unique majors in the Chronicle of Higher Education. Enjoy!
What's Your Major? Probably Not One of These
What's Your Major? Probably Not One of These
Monday, June 13, 2011
Treat Your College Education Like a Job
A significant number of college students work either part-time or full-time while they are completing their higher education. Applying the expectations that employers have for their employees – being on time, following rules and procedures, completing work assignments in a timely manner, engaging in courteous interactions with others, behaving appropriately, and being self-responsible – to your education can powerfully increase your college success potential.
Consider this. College is your own investment of time, energy, money, and intellectual resources into your future. This is an investment that can never be taken away from you. What you put into your college education will have a tremendous impact on the quality of what you get out of it.
A student who approaches his or her education in a responsible, consistent, and engaged manner is a student who is more likely to obtain positive future recommendations from professors for jobs or graduate school.
Applying good workplace habits to your education can be a great stress reducer by giving you a better sense of control.
Yes, you can still have fun in college. Knowing when to be serious and focused and knowing when it’s okay to relax and hang out is a valuable life and work skill to practice.
Consider this. College is your own investment of time, energy, money, and intellectual resources into your future. This is an investment that can never be taken away from you. What you put into your college education will have a tremendous impact on the quality of what you get out of it.
A student who approaches his or her education in a responsible, consistent, and engaged manner is a student who is more likely to obtain positive future recommendations from professors for jobs or graduate school.
Applying good workplace habits to your education can be a great stress reducer by giving you a better sense of control.
Yes, you can still have fun in college. Knowing when to be serious and focused and knowing when it’s okay to relax and hang out is a valuable life and work skill to practice.
The Essentials: English, Math, and Reading
In order to be admitted to a college or university, it’s very common for prospective students to take placement tests to assess where they are in English, math, and reading, which are collectively known as basic skills. If a student’s level in one or more of the basic skills subjects is not at college level, he or she will need to take developmental classes in order to get up to college speed.
If you need to take developmental classes in one or more of the basic skills, you will be required to enroll in and complete those in your first semesters of your college career. Once you have successfully passed them, you will then be required to take college level math and English classes that are suitable for your major.
It is an excellent idea to take the college level classes in math and English immediately after completing the last developmental classes in those subjects. That way, the knowledge and skills are fresh in your mind and it increases your chances for success. Fluency in college level math and English are needed to take more advanced classes, whether they are listed as formal prerequisites or not. Some classes will even require you to have earned a C or better in college level math or English.
If you are struggling with developmental or college level basic skills classes, get tutoring and other support to pass the classes right away. You do not want to get close to graduating but still have a basic skills class preventing you from doing so. Avoid using retakes on developmental and college level basic skills classes if at all possible – make wise drop decisions if needed.
Other classes that are often included under basic skills are speech, critical thinking, and computer competency. If you complete all of your basic skills classes early in your college career, you will be better equipped to take on the challenges of more advanced coursework.
If you need to take developmental classes in one or more of the basic skills, you will be required to enroll in and complete those in your first semesters of your college career. Once you have successfully passed them, you will then be required to take college level math and English classes that are suitable for your major.
It is an excellent idea to take the college level classes in math and English immediately after completing the last developmental classes in those subjects. That way, the knowledge and skills are fresh in your mind and it increases your chances for success. Fluency in college level math and English are needed to take more advanced classes, whether they are listed as formal prerequisites or not. Some classes will even require you to have earned a C or better in college level math or English.
If you are struggling with developmental or college level basic skills classes, get tutoring and other support to pass the classes right away. You do not want to get close to graduating but still have a basic skills class preventing you from doing so. Avoid using retakes on developmental and college level basic skills classes if at all possible – make wise drop decisions if needed.
Other classes that are often included under basic skills are speech, critical thinking, and computer competency. If you complete all of your basic skills classes early in your college career, you will be better equipped to take on the challenges of more advanced coursework.
Dealing Appropriately with Unforeseen Circumstances
Life happens while students are pursuing their educational goals, and sometimes life hands us circumstances which hold us back from doing our best at our studies. If you should encounter unforeseen emergency circumstances which will take you out of the classroom for a while, here are some strategies for dealing with the situation constructively.
• Contact your instructors immediately and be honest about your emergency situation. You do not need to tell your instructor any overly personal details, but do explain the scope and seriousness of what is going on, and provide an estimate of how long you expect to be out of class. Do not be offended if your instructor asks you to provide some sort of documentation; this is standard procedure at nearly every college and university.
• Notify your academic advisor so that he or she can direct you to further assistance from other college personnel or student services. We are here to help you in any way we can.
• Be willing to accept recommendations to drop classes or take incompletes if your absence from classes is going to be extensive.
• Be realistic about your abilities to bounce back from your absence within the time left in the semester. Some emergency circumstances (medical situations in particular) may take a lot longer for you to return to the classroom than anticipated.
• While you are out of the classroom dealing with the emergency situation, stay in touch with your academic advisor and instructors to update them on how things are going and when you plan to return.
• Contact your instructors immediately and be honest about your emergency situation. You do not need to tell your instructor any overly personal details, but do explain the scope and seriousness of what is going on, and provide an estimate of how long you expect to be out of class. Do not be offended if your instructor asks you to provide some sort of documentation; this is standard procedure at nearly every college and university.
• Notify your academic advisor so that he or she can direct you to further assistance from other college personnel or student services. We are here to help you in any way we can.
• Be willing to accept recommendations to drop classes or take incompletes if your absence from classes is going to be extensive.
• Be realistic about your abilities to bounce back from your absence within the time left in the semester. Some emergency circumstances (medical situations in particular) may take a lot longer for you to return to the classroom than anticipated.
• While you are out of the classroom dealing with the emergency situation, stay in touch with your academic advisor and instructors to update them on how things are going and when you plan to return.
So You’re Failing A Class
It happens sometimes. Regardless of what the reasons might be, you’re failing a class. Hopefully, you have become aware of this relatively early in the semester when there are still many things you can do to remedy the situation. Even if you have found out around midterms, you still probably have a fighting chance. But if it’s the last few weeks of the semester, there may be little you can do.
This is why it is so important to keep track of your grade in the class throughout the entire semester. If you know there is a specific grade you need to earn in a class for financial aid, scholarship, or transfer purposes, you need to focus on behaviors geared toward earning that grade from the very beginning of the class.
Here are some steps to take if you are failing a class.
• Talk to the instructor and ask for a breakdown of your grades. He or she may have helpful suggestions on what you need to do to improve your grade and probably can advise you as to whether you have any realistic chances of passing the class. Remember, the later you check into the problem, the less likely it is that it can be fixed.
• Take a look at the work you’ve done so far in the class and figure out where the weaknesses are. Do you procrastinate on out-of-class assignments? Are you losing points on reading quizzes? Do you panic when a major test is coming up? Are you unsure of how to write a paper? Find out what is tripping up your grade, talk to your instructor, and see if there is tutoring available to boost your confidence in the trouble areas.
• Look closely and honestly at your approach to the class. Are you truly putting quality time and energy toward learning the material and earning the grade you want?
• Multiple learning resources are readily available for most classes. Are you reading the textbook? If your textbook has free online supplements for students (most of them do), are you using them? Are you taking good lecture notes? If the class uses an online learning management system such as Blackboard, are you logging in and checking for updates frequently?
• Talk with more successful students in the class. Find out what their approaches to studying for the class are and see if their suggestions will work for you. You might want to see if there are any active study groups or if there is interest in forming one.
• See whether you are still able to drop the class without a penalty of some kind on your transcript. It would be a good idea to talk with your academic advisor before you do so.
• If none of the above is possible, you may simply have to retake the class. Consult with your academic advisor. Being aware of what went wrong the first time you took a class can be a powerful tool to use in successful completion of the class the second time around.
This is why it is so important to keep track of your grade in the class throughout the entire semester. If you know there is a specific grade you need to earn in a class for financial aid, scholarship, or transfer purposes, you need to focus on behaviors geared toward earning that grade from the very beginning of the class.
Here are some steps to take if you are failing a class.
• Talk to the instructor and ask for a breakdown of your grades. He or she may have helpful suggestions on what you need to do to improve your grade and probably can advise you as to whether you have any realistic chances of passing the class. Remember, the later you check into the problem, the less likely it is that it can be fixed.
• Take a look at the work you’ve done so far in the class and figure out where the weaknesses are. Do you procrastinate on out-of-class assignments? Are you losing points on reading quizzes? Do you panic when a major test is coming up? Are you unsure of how to write a paper? Find out what is tripping up your grade, talk to your instructor, and see if there is tutoring available to boost your confidence in the trouble areas.
• Look closely and honestly at your approach to the class. Are you truly putting quality time and energy toward learning the material and earning the grade you want?
• Multiple learning resources are readily available for most classes. Are you reading the textbook? If your textbook has free online supplements for students (most of them do), are you using them? Are you taking good lecture notes? If the class uses an online learning management system such as Blackboard, are you logging in and checking for updates frequently?
• Talk with more successful students in the class. Find out what their approaches to studying for the class are and see if their suggestions will work for you. You might want to see if there are any active study groups or if there is interest in forming one.
• See whether you are still able to drop the class without a penalty of some kind on your transcript. It would be a good idea to talk with your academic advisor before you do so.
• If none of the above is possible, you may simply have to retake the class. Consult with your academic advisor. Being aware of what went wrong the first time you took a class can be a powerful tool to use in successful completion of the class the second time around.
What NOT To Do with a Syllabus
**SARCASM ON**
• Space out, talk, text, and/or sleep while the instructor is reviewing the syllabus in class. Better yet, don’t even show up the first day of class when the syllabus is likely to be reviewed in detail.
• Don’t read it – in fact, go ahead and lose it or throw it away. That way, you can use not knowing what is in the syllabus as an excuse for a variety of things the entire semester.
• Don’t bring it to class. After all, who needs to keep track of when things like due dates for tests and major assignments are changed?
• Don’t transfer test and assignment due dates from your syllabus to your planner or calendar. Everyone knows that the work required for one class has no relationship to what you need to do for other classes.
• Don’t look at all your class syllabi together at once to get the big picture of how you need to organize your time and energy for the semester. It’s just too overwhelming!
**SARCASM OFF**
• Space out, talk, text, and/or sleep while the instructor is reviewing the syllabus in class. Better yet, don’t even show up the first day of class when the syllabus is likely to be reviewed in detail.
• Don’t read it – in fact, go ahead and lose it or throw it away. That way, you can use not knowing what is in the syllabus as an excuse for a variety of things the entire semester.
• Don’t bring it to class. After all, who needs to keep track of when things like due dates for tests and major assignments are changed?
• Don’t transfer test and assignment due dates from your syllabus to your planner or calendar. Everyone knows that the work required for one class has no relationship to what you need to do for other classes.
• Don’t look at all your class syllabi together at once to get the big picture of how you need to organize your time and energy for the semester. It’s just too overwhelming!
**SARCASM OFF**
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