Tricks of the Trade
Listed here are some hints on dealing with college life that we've accumulated over the years. If you have a trick or hint you think we should have listed here, please email us!
TEXTBOOKS
Try to buy used books--but check to be sure they're not heavily marked up. (Quite often, the prior owner of the textbook wasn't very good at studying and can lead you to study the wrong things!) The only textbook you must buy new is a workbook or a brand new edition that is being assigned. You might even ask the professor if it matters if you have the current edition.
Books are probably your biggest expense at college. Purchase wisely! Amazon.com, Half.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and others are all selling used textbooks now. Doing a little research could save you a HUGE chunk of change. Buying books on-line, though may entail some lag-time in their arrival. Checking with a professor to find out the title and ISBN of your text at the end of the semester in preparation for the following semester may be your best bet.
SYLLABI
Your syllabus for a class is not just any handout. It's evidence of the course's objectives that you may well need to use in the future if you transfer to another school. Make a copy of each of your syllabi at the beginning of each semester and put them in a safe place.
KNOW WHEN TO SAY WHEN
If you have a tough time in a class, you should take action early. First, you should talk to your classmates to see if you can arrange to study with others. Second, you should get a tutor. Third, you should talk with your professor to see if she or he can help you. Fourth, and as a last resort, you might need to drop the course. You might want to talk with your academic advisor or someone in the Academic Advising Center (Netzer Hall Room 100) if you need help making the decision to drop or not.
Dropping a course is not the end of the world, and unless you become a "chronic course-dropper," dropping a course or two over the course of your college career does not look bad on your transcript. What looks worse is a poor grade.
YOUR PROFS
By all means, you should try to get your professors to see you as a person. Stop by their offices during their posted hours to ask questions you may have to clarify course materials. This is often a better practice than to try to ask questions after class. Stopping by the office helps the professor put a face with a name, which is usually something that will work in your favor.
A rule of thumb for dealing with professors is to remember that they are humans who function on the same time table as you. In other words, their lives are governed by the semesters, too. If you must check with a professor about your grade or other administrative matters, you really should do that at a time that s/he is not likely swamped with matters such as mid-terms or final exams. Likewise, if you have questions between semesters and s/he isn't returning your calls, it is probably because s/he hasn't been in the office.
DON'T BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW
Your schedule may seem WIDE open to you at the beginning of school. Don't let that fool you into over-committing yourself with too many other activities. Within a few weeks of the semester's beginning, you will find that the work from your courses takes up an increasing amount of time. Pace yourself.