Challenges for College Freshmen - Part 1 of 6

While having lunch with my grandson in high school I asked him what he thought would be some challenges faced by college freshmen and he came up with a pretty good list.  This summer series will be a combination of his ideas and my own from years of working with students on academic probation.

His first challenge was that the classes may be longer than those he experienced in high school and it will be hard to keep focused.  This may be true or not, depending on the schedule.   At my university a three credit class is 50, 75 or 150 minutes long.  Even if the class is only 50 minutes it is much more intense than in high school.   Here are some ways to maintain your concentration and focus for the entire class:

·       Be rested

·       Be fed

·       Be on time or early so you don’t miss any interactions and information before the official class begins

·       Sit in the front of the class so that you are more engaged

·       Take detailed notes

·       Bring some water or hard candy to break up the time

·       Everyone has times when they just cannot keep their eyes open.  If this happens (and it is appropriate to the class) leave quietly and go into the hall for a drink of water of a few jumping jacks to wake up.

If you mind constantly wanders, try this – every time you lose focus make a hash mark in the margin of your notebook and bring your attention back to the class.  As you continue to do this you will notice the number of hash marks decreases as your attention span increases.  What you are doing is retraining your mind to focus longer.

Next week watch for one of my ideas – knowing exactly how to learn and exactly what to do when you sit down to study.

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First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right  link.