Tips #11

John and I were friends who attended first and second grade together. My family moved across town, so I lost touch with him until he transferred to my high school. John was widely recognized as being extremely intelligent. He downplayed how smart he was, but everyone knew that he bright. He answered questions before we even understood what was being asked. He had an unbelievable memory. When we played a couple of hours of cards, for example, he could remember every hand and each card that his opponents held.

John and I lost touch when we went to different colleges. Although he was bright, probably a genius, he did not do well his first semester in college. As a matter of fact, he got Fs in every subject, and he was dismissed. John was readmitted after a semester off, and he graduated without difficulty. He later went to graduate school in our hometown. We renewed our friendship at that time, but a few years later, he got married, moved away, and we lost touch again. I heard that he enrolled in a Ph.D. program in mathematics. I also heard that he had a well paying job doing statistical forecasts for a company in Washington, D.C.

John's first semester at college was shocking. Why didn't he recognize that he was in trouble and take some steps to do something about it? Well, John enjoyed his new found freedom a little too much. Apparently he had a great social life his first semester, but he stopped attending classes regularly, he didn't study much, and he missed some tests. John figured that he could pull it out in the end, but he was in too deep. There was no way for him to raise his grades by the time he realized that he was in serious trouble. People who were not nearly as gifted as John--those people who attended class, turned in all their work, studied hard, and took all of the tests--got good grades. John just didn't understand that he was about to fail until it was too late.

How do you know when you are in trouble, and what should you do about it?

1. If you get an F on a test, you are in serious trouble. An F on the first test in a discipline such as mathematics, where learning the material from one chapter is necessary to learning in subsequent chapters, is especially alarming. When you get an F, don't just expect that you will do better the next time. You need to evaluate your study habits, your learning strategies, your attendance patterns, your background knowledge, your effort level, and so forth. You must make significant changes in what you have been doing in that course.

2. You are in trouble if you can not follow the instructor's lectures. If you leave the class and you have no idea what the professor was talking about, then you are at-risk. Even if you can follow what was said but you can not put it in your own words, you may need help. Think about how you are using the textbook (consider reading the book before coming to class), evaluate your background knowledge (you may need to work through a simpler textbook), and learn how to develop better listening and note-taking skills.

3. If you begin avoiding attending class, doing homework, or studying in a course because you don't like the course, because it's hard, because the professor is a jerk, because you've never been good at that subject, or because of any other excuse, then you are heading towards problems. If your lack of knowledge or weak skills do not cause you to fail, then your attitude will. Remind yourself that you are responsible for your own learning. You have to work even harder to do those things that you do not like. Do not allow yourself to make excuses; get the job done.

4. You are in trouble if you are like John. Are you having too good a time? You need to balance your academic life and social life. When grades begin to fall, ask yourself if you are missing classes because you were up too late the night before. When you have the choice between going out with your friends or completing an assignment, do you chose to have fun more and more frequently? Are you abusing alcohol or drugs? Do you just try to slide by? You may think that your friends aren't doing any work. No one ever admits how much they are studying. If they aren't studying much, then they probably aren't doing well either. To avoid this kind of trouble, start by examining the reasons why you are at college. Set priorities. Stick to a schedule. Remember that your success in college will give you so many more options for your entire life. Unfortunately, the job market is getting tighter. A college degree will provide more money, a better work environment, a good chance for advancement, and the opportunity to do what you want to do for the rest of your life (not what you have to do to earn money). Seek help if you are abusing alcohol or drugs.

5. You may be in trouble if you are not keeping track of all of your grades in each course. Use the syllabi to determine where you stand. We often tend to forget those bad grades that we earned.

6. If you learn that you have a D or an F at midterm, you are at risk of ending the semester with the same grade. Most students who have poor grades at midterm either drop the course or are unable to raise their grade. Do not expect your instructor to give you a passing grade; you have to earn it.

When you realize that you are in trouble, develop a plan. These are some key components of your plan for success:

A. Talk to your professor during his or her office hours.
B. Talk to your academic advisor.
C. Seek help. Find out what resources are available on your campus to help you. Do not be afraid to admit that you have made a mistake or that you are having trouble. I do not know of anyone who did not have trouble at some point in their college careers. We all make mistakes, and we all need help on occasion. As a matter of fact, the most successful people get help regularly from other experts.
D. Write a detailed plan for success. This plan must include a time management component. It should also include the changes that you are going to make in terms of your attitudes, study habits, and learning strategies.
E. Recognize when it is not possible for you raise your grade. You will generally want to drop a course if you know that no matter how well you do on the remaining work, you will fail. (Talk to your advisor before dropping a course to be aware of the consequences.)

In addition to watching for the signs that you are doing poorly, pay attention to your successes as well. What is the difference? Can you apply the lessons that you have learned from your successes to the problem courses? John got off to a really bad start, but he reevaluated what he was doing, he got a fresh start, and he made use of his tremendous gifts. Develop your skills to the fullest, and recognize when you are in trouble. Then do something about it.