Faculty share their “bucket list” for students

ILLUSTRATION: BucketI wish students would…

Reading the syllabus summarizes pretty much everything!! If a student would read our course syllabus and understand the course policy….. he/she would understand most of the following “bucket list”

a) Do not cut classes. You will fall behind very quick.

b) Don’t do your homework at the last minute!

c) Each week, spend at least 2-3 hours per credit hour outside the classroom to understand the material and to get a decent grade.

d) Seek help IMMEDIATELY and NOT when the exam is tomorrow!

e) Be in good communication with your course instructor and understand their expectations and due dates.

f) Open the text book and just read the necessary sections BEFORE coming to classes and it will “CLICK” when you hear it in class!

g) Enjoy your classes and learn it with Passion. If you are taking the course with no purpose, it is better to drop.

h) Pay attention in classroom. Voice and text messages can wait for a while.

i) Make a study group if you can and work on problem solving (applicable for most subjects).

j) Make use of all the campus resources.

-Jesudoss Kingston

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I wish students would…

1) Read their textbooks!!!

2) Use technology appropriately during class time

3) Request letters of recommendation at least two weeks before they need them and provide instructors with a “resume” of accomplishments, etc. to aid in writing

-Amanda Rodenborn, Program Development and Academic Achievement Center Instructor

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I wish students would…

1. Eat at the Bistro.

2. Walk around the lake.

3. Visit the greenhouses.

4. Go to see your professors in office hours.

5. Take a psychology course (okay, that one is a little self-serving). 🙂

-Katharine Dowdell, District Chair, Social & Behavioral Sciences and Professor, Psychology

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I wish students would…

·         Would be willing to step out of their comfort zones— try a new course or a subject that intrigues them. It doesn’t have to be just at school either; maybe attend a poetry slam or participate in one, try out for a play, attend a sporting event, etc., something new or unexpected. (I don’t mean sky-diving, but if that floats your boat, go for it.)

·         Would challenge themselves—stop settling for ‘passing grades.’ Go the extra mile and push to excel.

·         Would connect with at least one new person in each class.

·         Enjoy a meal at The Bistro once a semester.

·         Could take advantage of the Study Abroad opportunities. What a fun way to see another part of the world.

·         Visit the library on campus.

·         Better yet, check out a book!

·         Best? Actually READ that book!

·         Would be willing to speak up in class. Share that brilliance! College is an interactive experience. Don’t they get tired of hearing us (instructors) lecture, lecture, lecture???

·         Would, for one day a semester, LEAVE THEIR PHONES in the car. Instead, actually TALK to someone they pass in the hall or to the student who sits in front of them. Engage! Engage! Engage!

-Lynn LaGrone, Instructor, English

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I wish students would…

__Come to class. Come to class. Come to class.

__Talk with your professor regularly, especially if you have concerns or don’t understand something.

__Contact your professor with questions outside of class.

__Ask questions in class.

__Volunteer to share when called upon.

__Read from your work to others, or demonstrate how you solved a problem for your peers.

__Keep up with the news in the outside world.

__Professor accessibility in the digital age means you have no excuses not to connect. Stay connected no matter what.

__Don’t disappear off the face of the planet and return three weeks later and expect to succeed.

__If you have a crisis or problem that is preventing your success, seek counseling assistance on campus. Take action immediately.

__Set up appointments to meet with your professor during office hours or by appointment.

__Call in when you can’t come to class. (My rule.)

__Come prepared for every class, but if you haven’t prepared properly or don’t have your assignment done, come anyway.

__Connect with peers in each class. You should use each other for support. Study or review together when possible.

__Going to college is your job. Going to college is my career. We both have work to do and a limited time to accomplish a lot, so make the most of each day.

__Care about the quality of work you do on your job.

__Make school enough of a priority in your life that you derive the maximum value from your education.

__Accept constructive criticism and learn from it.

-An anonymous English Professor

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I wish students would…

1.        Visit the AAC early in the semester to find the best strategies to study for each class you are taking.

2.       Organize a study group and meet regularly to process the lecture information as it is received, rather than waiting to learn/cram the information right before an exam.

3.       Get to know your professor…ask questions in class and visit his/her office hours.

-Stacy Vaughn, Professor, Academic Achievement Center

 

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