How many high school teachers told you that college is nothing like high school; the classes will be tougher, there will be more homework, and the exams will be more challenging. These statements aren’t wrong, but there are ways to make these academic hurdles manageable. There are resources all over campus from the professors to the students who have used the following tips to succeed in the classes that you will soon be conquering.
On your first day in these classes, sit next to new people and start a conversation. All of the other seats will be filled with other nervous freshmen who are also making the same transition from high school to college including other WEPOteers. The friends you make in these classes will help you navigate your classes. Sharing notes with friends is great when you or a friend is sick and unable to make it to a class. They can also share information the teacher discussed in class such as an upcoming assignment or information that WILL be on the exam. Another benefit of making friends early on in your classes are the study groups that are formed to more easily complete and understand the homework. There will be homework problems that you and your friends will each have a different approach to solve enabling the group to arrive at the correct solution. Some of the friends you make in your classes will go on to be in other classes where you can continue to use these tips to succeed.
There will come a time when you and your friends have exhausted all of your resources and still can’t come to the solution although you asked your new friends, read the book, and reviewed notes. This is when office hours are important to attend. Office hours are when either the professor or teaching assistant, TA, has scheduled time for students to ask questions about topics covered in lectures or homework problems that you and your friends are stuck on. It may seem intimidating at first, but keep in mind that these people have been in your shoes taking the same classes and only want you to succeed. Oftentimes, other students will be asking the same question or have similar ones. This is another opportunity to make friends and add people to your study group.
It is important to remember that everyone learns and processes information differently. If information still isn’t clicking and you are simply going through the motions without understanding, look into long term help on campus. While office hours can be a short term fix to a question, talk to your professor if you are struggling and ask to set up time once a week to review extra problems you worked on or ask specific questions from the text. Through WEP there are Facilitated Study Groups, FSGs, that are small study groups led by upperclassmen who have successfully passed the class they are assisting you with. At the beginning of each semester a sign up sheet is sent out asking what classes you are taking and your availability to assure that you have access to this help. There are also other study groups through The Society of Women Engineers as well. It might seem intimidating to talk to upperclassmen about a class you are struggling in, but we have all faced a challenging class that we couldn’t tackle on our own. Every one of these individuals wants to help you succeed.
Although there are many people you can turn to help with homework, there are actions you can take to ensure that you ace each assignment. The first thing is keeping track of your assignments and important dates in a calendar or planner. Your assignments are your responsibility to turn in on time to assure you receive full credit. The dates for assignments will vary. Writing important dates down will be important in completing homework on time. These homework assignments can be time consuming making it important to start on the assignments early when the material is fresh saving you from relearning the topic. Starting early also prevents you from rushing to complete your work last minute. When homework is completed at the last minute there is a higher chance for errors to be made and leaving you no time to ask friends and professors questions. Time management and organizational will be the key to successfully navigating homework.
Alex Kuma
Team A Mentor
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