6. Other Random Things to Keep in Mind
Just because you have “had” a subject before does not mean you know it, or that a similar course in college is just offering the same stuff. Sometimes students expect to just play a game where they just repeat what the instructor says without actually absorbing it or thinking about it. Even on its own terms, this strategy will not work because you can’t remember every little thing. Having a broader conceptual framework and understanding that links ideas to each other means that all you have to do is remember part of it and you can follow the links to the part an exam might ask you about. Related to this is the hazard of trying to neatly compartmentalize different classes…saying to yourself that I only need to know the stuff in this class for this class and it means nothing outside of this class. While this compartmentalization is good in terms of adapting to the differing languages and personalities of different disciplines and instructors, its an impediment to developing your knowledge base because you can’t make the connections. It’s like putting the towns and roads on two separate maps…its really much more useful knowledge if they are shown and thought about together. At worst, compartmentalizing knowledge will leave you unable to solve new or unstructured problems, or think about something that hasn’t been “covered”.
In college, your professors and other students will correct you with varying degrees of sensitivity. This is what college is about after all…gaining new knowledge and correcting incorrect preconceptions. Your work and thoughts will be criticized. However, keep in mind that criticism is not in and of itself an insult. Criticism of your ideas is not a criticism of you personally, and don’t be afraid to give back as good as you get. At that point you are a critical thinker, questioning and examining the ideas you are presented with and taking an active role in your learning. Your professors will be stunned. However, at the point you start trying to protect your self-esteem by shielding your ideas from criticism, you shield yourself from learning. Or, look at it this way. You can be embarrassed by your ignorance in a classroom, or you can be embarrassed by your ignorance in a job interview or a meeting with a client. If you are prone to experiencing anxiety when speaking aloud in class, just coming ready with something to say can reduce it remarkably.
Taking your notes is something your dog does before he drools on and eats them. Making your notes is how you organize your thoughts in a way that makes sense to you. How many times have you gone back to examine your notes and discovered you have no idea what you were thinking when you wrote them? Myself, well, several times…and it doesn’t happen if the thought actually gets some brain processing time before it is written down.
Students too often abandon an idea if they “don’t get it.” When this happens, it doesn’t mean the idea is beyond you…what it means is that you are going to have to work to understand it, and that kind of learning is uncomfortable. Geniuses are born…but smart people can be made. You just have to work at it. However, I don’t want to overstate this. We all have natural inclinations that make us more or less suited to certain disciplines. Someone who hates people would likely make a poor social worker, and someone who hates numbers is an unlikely accountant.
Take some time to talk with your professors outside of class. It doesn’t even have to do with the course, just something that interests you. Trust me, we’re real people with all the flaws and virtues of anyone else. If nothing else, you will find the classroom a much more relaxed experience for yourself if you have even a minimal bond with the professor as a person. Come to school like an adult and your professors will generally treat you like an adult. At the same time, come to school like a kid and you will be treated like a kid.
Only about a third of students who leave school do so because of academic difficulty. For the rest, its mostly one of two things. We all have natural inclinations, but we don’t all have realistic expectations. To a certain extent this is something one just has to learn about themselves…its not at all uncommon for students to change majors, perhaps several times (I think I went through four). It becomes a problem when students get discouraged…realizing they will never be an accountant, and so giving up college entirely because of it. A more extreme case might be if the student isn’t suited to college at all. Another aspect can be a weak or non-existent commitment to college – this is part of the “Why are you Here?” question addressed at the beginning. If this is the case, it is best to realize it sooner rather than later. The other reason students drop out is that they feel isolated and alone, and just generally have trouble fitting in or getting involved in their learning. This can easily leave one to believe they aren’t suited to college life when they might just be having adjustment difficulties. Take advantage of whatever first-year support services your school offers, and if they don’t offer any then consider a different school. Get involved in campus life in some way. Sports, student and professional organizations, study groups; just find something. The minute you feel lonely, you know what to do.
And so, as you can see, there is quite a bit involved in making college a successful experience for you. Actual learning takes work – you have to go over something multiple times in multiple ways actively to learn. You have more latitude in choosing success or failure than you ever have. Strategies for school you’ve used before probably will not work as well, and may actually hinder your learning. The learning is what is important, its how you will be assessed as you pursue your career and your key to unlocking opportunities, freedom, and personal satisfaction. If all college was really about was a piece of paper, nobody would care about it.