Even the best college students sometimes make things hard on themselves. This happens when fear, pride and busyness get in the way of making the best decisions. These five blunders happen to all students at one time or another, but taking action to avoid them on an ongoing basis should be the goal. In the long run, taking charge and avoiding these mistakes will save time, energy and frustration.
Avoid going to professor’s office hours
Many students are intimidated by professors. They don’t want their professors to believe that they are stupid, and therefore, need extra help. But the truth is that professors wish that more students would visit them, and that they would visit them sooner in the semester. Other students are in denial that they need help until it is way too late. The best time to go see your professor if you’re having problems understanding the material or assignments is as soon as you realize that you need help. Another truth about professors is that they see students who visit them as the ones who really care about learning, so if you need clarification about course material, screw up your courage and go to office hours. This is the absolute best way to get the help you need…before you are in over your head.
Miss important dates
Whether it is overlooking an assignment or forgetting to get an important application in by the due date, missed dates are missed opportunities. Every year there are students who don’t get to graduate as planned because they didn’t get their graduation paperwork in on time. Even if you tend to be a person who likes to fly by the seat of your pants, now is the time to keep track of all of your important deadlines, appointments and due dates. Want to accept the offer of joining an honor’s sorority? Have a desire to study abroad next semester? Well, you won’t do either if you overlook the important dates to file the required paperwork or meet with the committee who chooses the final candidates. Don’t miss out on once-in-a-lifetime opportunities because you are disorganized.
Procrastinate signing up for important stuff
There are a lot of due dates when you are in college, and it is easy to put off registering for various important things because your time is so limited. But events such as enrolling in classes for the upcoming semester or setting up your required advising appointment can lead to extra semesters in school. Even if these types of things seem less important than your immediate responsibilities, they are vital to your success in the big picture. Make them a priority.
Ignore degree requirements
Academic advisors are wonderful! But they are only there to be a guide for students. It is ultimately the students’ responsibility to make sure that they are taking the correct classes in the correct sequence so that they meet all of the department’s graduation requirements. Too often, students hand all of the responsibility for this to their advisors. But it is important to be aware of how you are progressing through your coursework and to ask questions of your advisors so that you fully comprehend where you stand and where you are headed. College and life are full of important details that we all have to juggle. Make sure to stay abreast of the details of your educational progress.
Dismiss the syllabus
Your course syllabus is so much more than a list of assignments & due dates! But even good students forget about its importance once the first couple of weeks of class are over. Many students don’t understand that a syllabus is a contract between professor and student. All of the individual professor’s policies are listed there, and students are responsible for all of the information in it. So keep those syllabi handy! If you aren’t sure what a policy for a class is, don’t assume it is like all other classes. Most colleges allow professors a good deal of leeway about various policies, such as absences, academic dishonesty and late work acceptance. You don’t want to mess up your good grade by assuming that you know what’s in your syllabus.
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