The Freshman Fifteen: First Installment

What Your Professor Expects You to Know That You Never Learned In High School:

1) This is not high school.

This statement may seem self-explanatory, but I’ve noticed many students ignore this assertion in theory. Freshmen know there is an intrinsic difference between high school and college, but the differences generally involve unrestricted freedom to whatever one pleases or not being told what to do. College doesn’t exactly work that way. Also, what worked in high school may not, and most likely will not, work in college. You will have to develop different study habits. You will be expected to adhere to certain rules that never existed in high school. It is understandable that students compare their ideas regarding college to their previous learning experiences. However, college is not an extension of high school. It’s a completely different animal altogether.  I encourage you to forget your former experiences in high school and accept college life for what it is.

2) You are an adult.

Again, this seems like another self-explanatory statement. Many students want the freedom of adulthood to do what they want, go where you want, and answer to nobody when doing it. Unfortunately, there is more to being an adult than not answering to your parents regarding your whereabouts. For the first time in your life, education is not compulsory. If you fail to attend school on a regular basis in high school, you were declared truant. You are in college, because you choose to be. This is the decision of an adult. And in the adult-filled classroom, we will treat you as an adult, expect you to behave like a cordial adult, and implement adult-appropriate consequences. Adults are in control of the learning process, which is in stark contrast to how the education of children is approached. We expect you to be active. We expect you to attend (or you will fail). We expect you to carry on an adult conversation with us (this means no whining, blaming, or name calling).

3) Undecided is not a major.

I know many people will disagree with my opinion on this matter. I’m not a rope-them-into-college-by-any-means-possible kind of gal. Here is the method behind the madness. Goal-setting is a skill that successful adults master. It is not wise to engage in any long term decision without a clear plan or goal. Undecided, or undeclared, is an option on an admissions form that is a catch-all category for those who have no idea what they want to do with their life. You could take the general requirements and then wait until your junior year to take courses in your proposed major. However, general requirements differ from major to major. You want to avoid taking unnecessary courses. If you entered college undecided, actively attempt to remedy the problem before you finish your freshman year. There are services on campuses designed to guide you in the right direction. Otherwise, you may spend several extra semesters floundering in decision from major to the next in order to fulfill the need to find a discipline that interests you and may still end up unfulfilled and under a heavy load of debt. People who enter college with a clear goal (or some sort of goal, even if it changes along the way) have more success and are more fulfilled than those who fly by the seat of their pants.

4) The ground in the classroom is level.

I have no idea if you were a straight A student or if you came from the worst performing school in your district. I have no idea if you are enrolled in remedial classes. If the powers-that-be decided that you met the minimum requirements to be admitted into the college, you have the potential to succeed in my class. If you need help, please ask for help. I want to extend the same opportunities to everyone. However, if you are falling behind, responsibility rests with you to make up the difference. If that means working with a tutor, meeting with me during office hours, or utilizing other resources that the institution offers, please take advantage of those lifelines. Again, as an adult, you are an active participant in your education. Find a way to make it work. You earned your way into the college in the first place.

5) Choose your battles wisely and only after you have gathered a body of research.

It is possible we may have graded your assignment incorrectly. Then again, your assignment may really be an effort worthy of a C. If you have a genuine concern, there is an appropriate way to express it. Make an appointment to meet with the instructor during office hours or a mutually agreed upon time. Bring documentation and/or evidence to back your claim. Approach the concern from a place of logic and not emotion. You should rarely air your grievances unless they are founded. Some students complain about and contest every little thing. The squeaky wheel makes a poor impression. Harassment or threats of violence will result in disciplinary action.

6) Treat college like a profession.

Instead of viewing college as a training ground for your future occupation, treat college as an occupation. Even the federal government recognizes the designation as “student” as an occupation on tax forms. If you view college in this context, you will need to attend class regularly and on time, wear appropriate clothing, and meet deadlines. There are two points I want to emphasize. First, I don’t expect you to wear a polo and khakis or a suit to class but displaying your undergarments on a regular basis may affect whether or not I agree to recommend you for an internship, job, etc. Second, please address all email correspondence to your instructor in a professional manner. It is really difficult to take anyone seriously whose email address is hotpants64@whateverdomain.com and writes in text speak. Your professors know people, lots of people, and often people in important hiring positions. If you don’t take my class seriously, I may not seriously consider recommending you.  

7) You are responsible for you.

Now that we have established that you are a full-fledged adult and are an active participant in your educational experience, let’s extend the burden a bit further. I am particularly fond of a word used in sociology—“agency.” Agency is the ability to interact with the world and exercise choices. In other words, you are not a mere product of your environment. You can enact change. You have the agency to make your life work. In the end, you cannot reasonably blame others for your faults or disappointments. Always take responsibility for your life and decisions. You live by your choices.

8) There is no such thing as an unimportant class.

I know that public speaking or literature class you have been dreading may seem like a waste of your time when you are an engineering major. Why do you need a humanities elective anyway? Do communications majors really need pre-calculus? When the liberal arts curriculum was devised in ancient Greece, the idea was to encourage free thought, logic, and critical discussion. Humanities courses teach you how to write and think critically. Mathematics teaches linear thinking and calculating solutions. Science courses teach students how to observe the world, ask questions, and find answers. All of these skills are needed in the real world. If that doesn’t convince you, you need to make a decent grade in the class to meet your degree requirements and accumulate credits.

9) There are few acceptable excuses, and we have heard them all.

Your printer was out of ink (you waited until right before class to print it out because you wrote the assignment at the last minute). Your computer crashed (you didn’t save and save often). Your dog ate your syllabus (you have no idea what was going on the class to begin with). Excuses are a dime a dozen. The problem with fraudulent or irresponsible excuses is it makes it difficult for students whose grandmother really died to attend to family matters. Some of your professors may be jaded. I don’t care if you skipped class everyday of your senior year and missed the day the teacher discussed creating outlines or if you mother didn’t raise you right or you didn’t know college was going to be this hard. I sympathize, probably a little more than most instructors. Excuses are, well, an excuse to avoid responsibility. If you are ill, don’t come to class and make everyone else sick. If a close family member died, please place family ahead of college. But if come up with a bizarre excuse that doesn’t have documentation to accompany it, forgive me if I look a little exasperated.

10) There are programs to help you.

Some students view college as a some-have-it-and-others-don’t scenario. It’s okay to admit you are struggling. Your college offers free advising, free tutoring, free counseling, and many other free services. Your student fees pay for your access to these services. If you don’t what is offered, peruse the college’s website or ask your instructor.

11) There is a difference between helping and hand holding.

I am more than willing to meet with you and answer your questions. If you are unclear about an assignment or think you are doing it wrong, ask me. But please show me that you are willing to put forth the effort. I will not do your work for you. If necessary, do the assignment as you think it is supposed to be done and show me what you have (FYI--this only works prior to the assignment’s due date. Never ask the day it is due and after it is turned in.).

12) Reading the syllabus is not optional.

During my first semester teaching, students complained that they lost their syllabus. The following semester they told me they didn’t read their syllabus. Losing or ignoring the syllabus doesn’t negate your responsibility to follow the prescribed requirements for the course. The syllabus is also the instructor’s contract with the student. Remember that evidence I told you earlier to present in cases when an issue needed resolution? Also, if a 3-7 page syllabus is too much reading for you, college is going to be a long uphill battle, my friend.

13) You are a student first.

Ever noticed how some people are referred to as student athletes or student workers? This is not a mere distinction. College has a lot of options for entertainment (ahem, distractions). But in this sequence, the word student comes first. If you fail out of college, you have to leave the perks behind. By all means, enjoy college to the fullest. Become involved on campus. But only after you finish your homework, dear.

14) Extra credit should not be expected and is rarely given.

There is a debate over whether extra credit should be offered at all, and if so, how it should be executed. You will have instructors who will freely give extra credit. Others will tell you that you should have the work correctly in the first place. If it is given, it is the sole discretion of the instructor to do so. Never ask for extra credit. If you need it, don’t pass up the offer once it is laid out on the table. The only students who take the offer for extra credit usually have an A in the class already. My suggestion is never put yourself into a predicament that requires the extra credit point or two to pass the course.

15) College is tough, and grades are earned.

College is hard. It’s supposed to be. Will you have a class or two that will be a breeze? Probably. Remember you earn a degree for a reason. You must earn a good grade. Meeting the minimum requirements will earn you a C (for average). For an A, you have to go above and beyond. This is how the cream rises to the top. Please don’t approach your professor at the end of the semester when you haven’t turned in assignments, didn’t attend regularly, or failed to participate meaningfully in class and inquire why you have an F in the course.

***Come back regularly for other blogs in the Freshmen Fifteen series.