Freshman Pitfall #6 - Distractions at Home

When you are at college life does not stop around you.  I often have students who are distracted by problems at home – some unfortunately very serious.  I had one very promising student who had to withdraw because her family could not survive without her.  Some problems my students have encountered, and some coping strategies, are:

• Breaking up with boyfriends or girlfriends at home or at another institution (or even one at your own school) - This is quite traumatic at the time.  It does not help to say that you will survive and be happy again, and in fact that the break up could be a good thing.  Take some time to review your own personal goals and why you are in college.  Maybe talk to someone at your school’s counseling services or a good friend.  Don’t do anything stupid like recklessly going out and partying!   Take it easy for a few days and let your emotions cool down.
• Financial concerns – this is always a concern for students, and rightly so.  College is very expensive and paying for it now and later is an ongoing factor.  Consider a part-time job (one on campus is your best option if you are find one) or at least a job at home during breaks.  And keep track of your spending!  The cost of fruit smoothies and fancy coffees adds up.  Limit yourself to one a week as a reward for studying and/or attending all classes!
• Family illness, surgeries or a death in the family – It is a good idea to discuss this with your family before you start college.  What are their expectations and what are yours?  If you are the first in your family to attend college they may not understand the pressure you are under to stay on top of your work.  Again, if there is a problem at home consider talking to a professional at your institution.  In some cases there are grief support groups you can attend.  Unlike an illness, grief does not quickly lift and you may have difficulty getting back on track.

On a side note, if there is a death and you talk to your professor about missing class to go home, do not be insulted if they ask to see an obituary.  Unfortunately, some students seem to have multiple elderly grandparents and take advantage of the professor’s sympathy.

In all these situations it is important to always be on top of your studies so that you are best prepared to deal with any eventuality and to keep your professors informed.

Next blog we will switch to the positive things you can do to be successful!  Until then, keep studying!

*****
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.

Freshman Pitfall #5 – Getting Sick

Getting sick in the middle of the semester is not the end of your academic career, but it can make things very difficult and sometimes be the difference between a higher and lower grade.  The semester is so short and goes by so quickly that there is not time to take a week off to get better.  Some things you can do are:

• Stay healthy.  Don’t let yourself get run down.    Eat healthy food.  Get adequate rest.  Exercise. Wash your hands!  Once something starts to go through the dorms it travels quickly. 
• If you do get sick, try to catch it early and head off the worst part.  Missing one class early in an illness is better than missing an entire week of classes.
• The classes I teach are smaller (20 – 25 students) and I take attendance every day, so I notice if someone is missing   I prefer to know why a student is not there.  Just a quick email or a message passed on with a friend is sufficient.  You will have to read your professor to know if you should notify them, especially in a large lecture class, but I would err on the side of contacting the professor.
• Do NOT ask, “Did I miss anything?”   Of course you did!!!  It is insulting to ask because it implies that sometimes there was nothing important going on in class.   If you have to ask, be specific, such as, “Did you announce the next test date?”
• Early on in the semester make friends with a few people in the class (preferably those you think will earn an ‘A’) so that you can get missing notes or assignments from someone.
• While you are recovering do your best to keep up with assignments, reading and studying.

There is always the question about if you should push yourself and attend class.  If you are contagious I would prefer not so see you (and not to get sick myself!).  If it is manageable and you are not disrupting the rest of the class I say you should go!

Again – consciously work to stay healthy!

Next blog will discuss a more difficult subject – what to do when a family member at home gets sick and options to handle this.  Until then, go wash your hands!

*****

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.

Freshman Pitfall #4 - One Difficult Class

In my spring Learning Strategies classes there are always students who are on academic probation because of failing just one class, otherwise their grades were all passing.  There are multiple reasons for this:

• Not enough background  knowledge about the subject
• A professor with an accent that is hard-to-understand
• 8:00 AM class that the student has trouble getting up to attend
• Lack of interest in the subject

Here are some suggestions to cope with each of these:

• For lack of background knowledge, you can go on the internet and get the basic information (for starters look at Wikipedia), get a lower-level book from the Library, go to tutoring, or go and talk with the professor.
• For a professor with a hard-to-understand accent I usually suggest going to see them during office hours with some random question and get a chance to talk with them one-on-one.   Often it is just a matter of getting used to how they talk.  You can also raise your hand in class and ask them to repeat what they said – if you do not understand there are other students who do not understand either.  Also, read your textbook before class so you anticipate what words they will be using and go to tutoring!
• I have limited sympathy for a student who complains they cannot get up for their 8:00 AM classes!  You could go to bed earlier, set multiple alarms, or have someone come to the room and get you.
• Regarding lack of interest, one off-the-wall idea is to act as if you are interested.  What would you do if this was your favorite class?  How much would you study, pay attention, etc.?

In all cases, a major motivation to just buckle down and get the work done is that if you fail the class one semester you are going to have to take it again – and pay for it again!!!

Not every class will be your favorite but, especially in the liberal studies courses, you are building a wide range of general knowledge that you will draw on throughout your life.  And you never know when you might learn something that will turn out to be vitally important or interesting as you progress in your career.

*****
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  barnesanddnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.