Eight Keys to Academic Success in College

In 2021, I wrote a post on how to be successful in that less-than-normal academic year. This post assumes a more "normal" classroom experience. So for you college students just getting started, here are a few things to consider that might help you get the most out of your semester and year. This list is not exhaustive or in any particular order, but I offer here a few things to keep in mind.

1. Communicate with your Professors. Before the semester starts or soon after that, reach out to your professors. I recommend introducing yourself and letting them know that you're looking forward to their class. Use email for this communication, but if they are on social media, go ahead and connect with them. It is a great way to find shared interests and immediately puts you head and shoulders above the crowd. This tip is particularly helpful in larger general education courses where it is easy to become a number.

2. Go to Class and Be on Time. This point goes without saying, but it needs to be said. Show up and try your best to be on time. Whether or not your professor takes attendance (many do not, but most colleges do have an attendance policy), ensure you get to class well before it starts. Walking into class late can disrupt the flow of things, and it sets you —the student—in a negative light. In general, get up, get out of bed and get going.

3. Read Stephen Covey's book 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. Reading material like this (there are others such as David Allen's Getting Things Done) will give you a head start in your academic productivity.

4. Sit Closer to the Front of the Class. It is great to connect with other students but connect with the students who are near the front of the class. This practice helps reduce the number of distractions you might face during the semester.

5. Read the syllabus and Know it. This might seem obvious, but too often, students forget to read and digest it, and this will have serious ramifications down the road.

6. Get lots of Sleep, Eat Well, and Exercise. Mom here. It's tempting to stay up late, especially with all the activities available on a typical college campus (and off campus). But resist that temptation to run on empty. You need sleep, you need to eat well, and you need to establish a good weekly exercise routine. Plus, working out is a great place to plug in good books (point 3 above) or podcasts that will further your educational experience.

7. Balance Curricular with Co-Curricular. Most campuses offer an overwhelming number of things to do, particularly for freshmen. In part, these activities attempt to ward off homesickness and other such ailments of the first semester and first year. These opportunities are great and helpful. Just remember the value of moderation. Your number one reason to be in college is to succeed academically. Don't let that goal be sacrificed for one more late-night game of 'Ultimate Frisbee.'

8. Get Control of your Technology, both software, and hardware. Learn some basic skills on your phone and computer. Get control of your email. No one loves email, but it is here to stay, and colleges use it regularly to communicate with students. Conduct an inventory of games and social media accounts. What do you need, and what can go away? Finally, learn a few basic skills such as how to scan and create a PDF file on your phone, how to use your electronic calendar, and how to build a Keynote presentation on your laptop. Students will have different needs depending on their respective programs. But some basic skills in navigating electronic tools will be immensely helpful throughout your college career. And thankfully, for all of these skills, YouTube is your friend.

Now, go out and have a great semester!

So, what are some other keys to student success?

Getting Control of Your Email

I made this short video for all my students who have 6 figure notification badges on their email accounts and wonder why they don’t get the notes I send to them. If you are a new college student or just need some help wrangling your email, this might help you. Enjoy.

Change the Name of your iPhone

Recently, I was on a Zoom call with several colleagues, and a participant showed up on the call from an anonymous “iPhone.” We had no idea who it was, so we stopped the meeting to inquire and make sure that the person was supposed to be on the call. It was, but the person indicated that they did not know how to change the name of their phone. Unidentified iPhones can be a problem, both for calls like this and also when you try to share a file or photo via Airdrop (a preferred method for sharing files or photos). In a crowded place, it can be nearly impossible to identify the recipient if the user’s phone does not have some clear identifier beyond “iPhone.”

Changing the name on your iPhone is an easy fix, so here is a short video tutorial to help.

Make a PDF from a Pages, Word or Google Doc

At my college, we use the document management system called Moodle. It is not the greatest course management system out there, but it is free, and many colleges choose to use it. When students upload documents to Moodle, they can do so as Word, Pages, or Google Docs, and they can also use plain text. But when professors interact with these docs, it is incredibly clunky because the documents need to be downloaded before anyone can read them. Uploading PDF files makes this process so much easier because the system can render a PDF without downloading the document. So I created a little tutorial for students who might not know how to save a document as a PDF file. This tip might seem obvious for many, but it is surprising how many students have no idea how to do this. So for them, here you go. Enjoy.

Six Ways to Ensure Student Success this Semester

This year has been one of the most challenging years for college students and professors alike. An ongoing pandemic continues to bring with it a host of health concerns and safety hurdles to navigate. Professors are stressed about class delivery challenges, learning new sets of tools, and how to function as amateur psychologists and counselors as they advise their students. On the other hand, students face increased stress at home, family and personal health concerns, financial issues, how to stay on top of their work at school, and in some cases, that nagging question of whether it is all worth it.

Well, from the been-there-done-that school of hard knocks, I can tell you that it is worth it. Staying the course and finishing strong is a challenge that all of us face at various times in our lives with work, relationships, and the like. Quitting is easy to do, but it inevitably brings with it a host of larger issues. Like, now what?

So here are a few things that might help you stay the course as you move through the beginnings of this less-than-normal spring semester.

1. Communicate with people regularly. Unfortunately, this year of isolation has caused many of us to feel comfortable with being isolated. I see this with my kids, who seem more at ease spending as many hours as they can killing creepers or expanding their empires. It's not healthy. We need to do what we can to be with others and communicate regularly with those in our circles. For students, this means classmates, friends at home, family, and of course, professors. Communicate regularly with the people around you, in person if possible and virtual if necessary. But either way, force yourself to talk to people.

2. Share some empathy. Know that your professors have many of the same concerns that you do. They share your health concerns, financial stresses, issues within their families (especially those with young kids), and of course, how best to serve students in a strangely difficult time. Be gracious to your professors and empathetic.

3. Learn new tools. As I interact with students, I often find that they underutilize the tools they have on hand, especially their expensive smartphones and computers. If you have an iPhone, learn how to use built-in apps such as Reminders and Calendar for managing time. Don't be afraid to invest in apps that will help you with assignments, write papers, or log your activity and the like. Trust me; there is more to life than Microsoft Word and Exel. Learn how to make a PDF and OCR a document from your phone with the Notes app or another scanning application. And don't forget to carry in your bag basic office supplies that will help you process things that come to you: from paper clips to a small stapler to a folder or two. You'll be surprised at how much more efficient you will become if you are open to learning new tools.

4. Help Others. Here's a crazy thought: offer to help your professors. I can assure you that they are there for you and probably struggling with how best to serve you as students. Return the favor. "Is there anything I can do to help you this semester?" would be a fantastic way to start a relationship with a new or old professor. Likewise, there are students in your classes who might benefit greatly from your help, not just with school work but with technology or even with a reminder about an upcoming assignment or the start of class. Be willing to help others, and you’ll be amazed at how much it actually helps you.

5. Try to be engaged. Our world of virtual meetings and classes has been a significant paradigm shift for educators and students alike. It has brought about many good things like the ability to be more flexible and engage students who might not otherwise participate in our classes. But it has also created the ability to check out. If you participate in virtual meetings, make an effort to show up prepared to engage as you would if you were face to face—Google ‘zoom etiquette’ for some tips. But attending a virtual meeting from your bed in your jammies in a mental state that falls somewhere in between a full-on coma and a hangover communicates volumes to your professor. If you need to turn off your video to lighten the load on your wifi signal, that’s perfectly good to do; just be sure to follow point 1 above. Let people know that you are there and that you have come prepared to engage.

6. Finally, don't forget to communicate. Did I mention this already? Connect with faculty, not just through the industrial medium of e-mail. Since our face to face connections are likely limited, connect with them on social media, if possible. I use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for professional purposes in some cases, but I also use them to connect with students on a less formal level. I want them to see that I have a life outside of the classroom. I have kids, a family, hobbies, interests -- that I am a human being like they are. This year especially, those connections can help students and faculty move beyond those often strict boundaries of professor and student. And that connection helps to build relationships that have the potential to make all the difference in trying times like these.

As this semester ramps up, your success as a college student is in your hands. Connect with people, share some empathy with your professors, learn some new tools, offer to help others, and communicate regularly. I promise that if you put these things into practice, you’ll have a great semester.