Text Box: 1. Go to all orientations.  Do you really need to go on yet another campus tour?  Yes.  The faster you learn your way around campus and all around the red tape the more at ease you’ll feel and the better prepared you’ll be when issues arise. 2. Get to know your roommate and others in your residence hall.   The people you live with, most of whom are going through similar experiences and emotions, are your main safety net not only this year, but for all of your years.  You may change roommates after the first semester or you may stay roommates for all your college years—just take the time to get to know your fellow first-year students. 3. Get organized.  In high school, the teachers tended to lead you Text Box: 3. through all the homework and due dates.  In college, the professors post the assignments, often for the entire semester, and expect you to be prepared.  Buy an organizer, a PDA, a big wall calendar, whatever it takes for you to know when assignments are due. 4. Find the ideal place for you to study.  It may be your dorm room or a cozy corner of the library, but find a place that works best for you to get your work done while avoiding as many distractions as possible.  5. Go to class.  Avoid the temptation to sleep in and skip that 8 am class.  Besides learning the material by attending classes, you’ll also receive vital information from the professors about what to expect on tests, changes in due dates, Text Box: 5. etc.  Attendance may also affect your grade. 6. Become an expert on course requirements and due dates.  Professors spend hours and hours preparing course syllabi and calendars so that you will know exactly what is expected of you and when.  One of the lamest excuses a student can give a professor: “I didn’t know it was due today.” 7. Meet with your professors.  There are only upsides to getting to know our professors, especially if later in the semester you run into some snags.  Professors schedule office hours for the sole purpose of meeting with students—take advantage of that time. 8. Get to know your academic adviser.  This is the Text Box: 25 Tips to Help You Survive and Thrive Your Freshman Year of College and Beyond Source: quintcareers.com Text Box: Summer Youth Employment Program Activities for August Text Box: YOUTH NEWZ

 

Text Box: The WorkPlace Text Box: August 2008 Text Box: GED CLASSES   The next GED exam is October 3 and 4, 2008 at the Bohlen Technical Center.  To enroll or re-enroll in free GED preparation classes, call 779-7220 to get scheduled for a mandatory orientation.  A three day orientation is required prior to starting classes.  The next available orientation session is September 23—25, 2008. Text Box:      Continued on page 2

Text Box: Top 10 Reasons College Students Drop Out 1. Too much fun at the expense of classes and grades 2. A sense of not belonging; a sense of isolation, homesickness 3. Academically unprepared; burned out on education 4. Financial constraints; low on funds 5. Personal family issues 6. Academic climate/fit 7. Choice of wrong major; major not offered 8. Lack of advising, guidance 9. Demands from part-time or full-time employment 10. Move to a different geographic location

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: The WorkPlace 1222 Coffeen St. Watertown, NY  13601 (315) 782-9252 Text Box: 8. person who will help you with course conflicts, adding or dropping courses, scheduling of classes for future semesters, deciding on majors and minors.  This person is a key resource for you and should be the person you turn to with any academic issues or conflicts.  Don’t be afraid of requesting another adviser if you don’t click with the one first assigned to you. 9. Seek a balance.  College life is a mixture of social and academic happenings.  Don’t tip the balance too far in either direction.  Perhaps study hard so you can play hard. 10. Get involved on campus.  A big problem for a lot of new students is a combination of homesickness and a feeling of not belonging.  Consider joining a select group of student organizations, clubs, sororities or fraternities, or team sports.  Be careful not to go overboard.  You’ll make new friends, learn new skills and feel more connected to your school. 11. Strive for good grades.  While good grades could have come naturally to you in high school, you will have to earn them in college and that means setting some goals for yourself and making sure you work as hard as you can to achieve them. 12. Take advantage of the study resources on campus.  Just about all colleges have learning labs and tutors available.  If you’re having some troubles, these resources are another tool available to you.  Forming study groups may also be beneficial. 13. Make time for you.  Be sure you set aside some time and activities that will help you relax and take the stress out of your day or week.  Whether it’s enlisting yoga techniques, watching your favorite TV shows or writing in a journal, be good to yourself. Text Box: 14. Don’t feel pressured to make a hasty decision about a career or a major.  It doesn’t matter if it seems as though everyone else seems to know what they’re doing with their lives, college is the time for you to really discover who you are, what you enjoy doing, what you’re good at and what you want to be.  It’s not a race, take your time and enjoy exploring your options. 15. Take responsibility for yourself and your actions.  Don’t look to place the blame on others for your mistakes, own up to them and move on.  Being an adult means taking responsibility for everything that happens to you. 16. Make connections with students in your classes.  It expands your network of friends and is a source if you have to miss a class. 17. Visit the Career Services Office.  Seek out the professionals in this office regardless of whether you are entering college as undeclared or have your entire future mapped out.  Get started on planning, preparing and acting on your future. 18. Don’t procrastinate; prioritize your life.  It may have been easy in high school to wait until the last minute to complete an assignment an still get a good grade, but that will not work for you in college.  Give yourself deadlines and stick to them. 19. Stay healthy/eat right.  An illness that keeps you away from classes for an extended period of time can lead to a downward spiraling effect.  Get enough sleep, take your vitamins and eat right.  20. Learn to cope with homesickness.  It’s only natural that there will be times when you miss your family even if you couldn’t wait to get away.  Find a way to deal with those feelings, such as making a phone call or sending some email home. 21. Stay on campus as much as possible.  Whether it’s homesickness, a job, or a boyfriend or girlfriend from home, try not to leave campus too soon or   Text Box: “You have to expect great things of yourself before you can do them.”    - Michael Jordan

Rectangular Callout:   Text Box: 21. try not to leave campus too soon or too often.  The more time you spend on getting to know the campus and your new friends, the more you’ll feel at home at school.  Take advantage of all the cultural and social events that happen on campus. 22. Seek professional help when you need it.  If you’re feeling sick, isolated or depressed take advantage of the health and counseling centers on campus.  You don’t have to face these issues by yourself. 23. Keep track of your money.  Create a budget and find ways to stretch your money.  Avoid credit card solicitations. 24. Don’t cut corners.  College is about learning.  If you procrastinate and cram, you may still do well on tests, but you’ll learn very little.  Even worse, don’t cheat on term papers or tests. 25. Be prepared to feel overwhelmed.  There’s a lot going on, but remember you’re not the only one feeling that way. 

25 College Tips

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