Suggestions to Start College

If you have a professor you can’t understand (an accent you can’t understand, not complicated material you can’t understand), one strategy you could use to better understand what they’re talking about in class is * If you have a professor you can’t understand (an accent you can’t understand, not complicated material you can’t understand), one strategy you could use to better understand what they’re talking about in class is to read the course material before class. This is a sound strategy in general, but it’s particularly useful when you can’t understand the professor. Then, you’ll already have an idea what the main points are and could recognize some of the vocabulary, and can connect words and ideas from the text to lectures. It’ll be sort of a “When he says this, he’s talking about this…” rather than a “What the heck is a _______?” Some colleagues of mine mentioned this idea at a retention workshop the other day, and I thought it was worth sharing.
If you need help, search out campus resources aimed at helping you with school. And do it at the first sign of trouble. Don’t wait until you’re drowning. Do it when you can tell the water is starting to rise. There are usually individuals, offices, and programs already set up on campus aimed at helping with most problems you could encounter. All you have to do is ask for help from your academic advisor, orientation instructor, professor, counseling office, or career center, among others. Help is usually available on countless topics like: note-taking, time management, stress management, test-taking, decision-making, etc. They could come in the form of a presentation or workshop, a flyer, or you might be able to meet with someone and get some specific feedback on your particular situation. Bottom line… help IS available, you just have to ask for it!
Write a letter and mail it home from college – actually hand-write it too! Mom is always a good choice for the recipient, but you could choose anybody you care about. Just talk about what you’ve been doing and what’s going on, what you’re thinking and seeing, and of course, that you miss them. I guarantee this letter will be kept for a LONG time! Just the other day, my Mom showed me letters I’d written and sent home during my first year of college – and she’d kept them for 25 years! My letters were written back when we didn’t have all the new electronic ways to communicate. Just think how unexpected it will be when they receive it, and how meaningful it will be to them.On an unrelated note. . . I’ve just put the finishing touches on a new report entitled “How to Go to College Cheaper”. I spent about the last year researching the best strategies available to help students save money on college. The electronic version is now available, and the printed version will be available shortly. I’ll keep you updated. Visit collegeanswerguy.com and click on “Go to College Cheaper” at the top.