Students Succeeding

The 3M National Teaching Fellows offer tips and advice for succeeding at university:

1. Skills

• Do you want to be a better writer?  Read, a lot, and with your eyes hanging out.  Beware of clichés, jargon, and bafflegab.  Always ask, “What does this mean in plain English?”   
• If you are assigned texts to read, read them.  
• Take a speed-reading course.  
• Learn to take notes. E.g.  jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic/notes-tips.htm. 

2. Studying

• You can learn a lot from writing a non-A paper.  
• Don’t get too busy looking at the trees when there is a forest to be discovered.  
• Establish good study habits, or you’re doomed. 

3. In Class

• Ask hard questions of your teacher, your classmates, your books, and yourself.   
• Learning is a process, not just product.   
• Learning the “language” of a subject, its terminology and concepts, patience is a virtue.   
• Ten years from now, you might not remember anything from your courses, but you have learned Curiosity, Questioning, and how to Learn.

4. Help From People

• You are not alone.  Others are having difficulty too.  Talk with other students, with your teacher.    
• Someone else played a key role in every one of my most significant learning experiences.
• Get help as soon as you don’t understand what your teacher is talking about  
• Help is available.   Look for it.  If you can’t find it, ask for it.
• Teachers are allies, not adversaries.  Talk to them.
• Befriend at least two classmates in each class.  Your friends can be very resourceful.  Look for friends with views and backgrounds different from yours.  
• Never underestimate a fellow student’s practical knowledge.  For example, students tend to be more technologically sophisticated than many of their teachers.
• Learning is not a passive, spectator sport.  
• Get to know your campus and its resources. – 

5.  A University Attitude

• Be yourself and be assertive with your ideas
• Take risks, try different paths of reasoning, test other or unusual ways of doing things
• You are learning to become a professional.   
• ORGANIZE YOUR TIME.   
• Plagiarism is a major offence.  Internet plagiarism is a major temptation.  Resist them both.
• Explore, and explore some more!   Every question is worth asking.  Every subject is worth learning.
• Creativity can make all the difference.   And try taking some risks.
• It’s not about knowing everything.  Understand major and minor themes, then trust your nose to lead you.
• “How did you do? He asked. “It was great, I didn’t fall once.”   “Oh, pity” he said, “You’re not learning a thing.”   
• The three things that inhibit the full development of students: Poverty, Laziness, and the Fear of Making a Mistake.
• Reach out and take advantage of what is on offer.   
• University is not the only time for education.

6.  Love of Learning is all you Need

• Fall in love with Learning as you would fall in love with Soccer, or Jazz, or Cooking, or your Boyfriend.   The results will be the same.
• Most students learn most outside the classroom. 

7.  P.S.

• Enjoy yourself.  Give yourself some dancing-room.  
• Travel as much as you can, as far as you dare, and for at least two weeks longer than you think you can afford.

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LackOfABetterNameX wrote:	Inspiring! My anxiousness is slowly turning into excitement. Who knew! Posted on Jun 23, 2012 at 04:31
Fahimeh wrote:	Dear Mr or Mrs, I realy thank you for your advices. I finished ESL in Fanshawe College, and I should take IELTS test for graduate. I have only some problems in writing and speaking in high level. Would you please help me about these items. Thanks Posted on May 06, 2011 at 03:40

 

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