Everyone would like to do well in their courses but most students arrive at the University ill-prepared for the workload they will encounter. High schools rarely teach study skills and proper study techniques are essential if you are to survive at Michigan State or any other university. Do not assume that, because you got good grades in high school, you will automatically do as well in college-level courses. Most really able students can coast through high school without learning how to study. That approach won't work at MSU!
Some of you may have come from school systems that did not do a good job of preparing you for college work while others missed acquiring the needed skills because of a lack of motivation or disruptions in your personal or family life. A lack of success in high school does not mean that you can't succeed at the university! You will have to work harder to make up for a poorer level of preparation, whatever reasons, but you can succeed if you are willing to make the most of the opportunities the university can provide.
What follows is a mini-guide for academic survival here at MSU. The earlier you attend to these points and the more effort and time you invest, the better you will do!
In 35+ years of teaching here at MSU I have heard every possible explanation for poor academic performance. While a small number of students have very real problems, most students are looking for excuses. My classes are too big, my Prof couldn't teach if his or her life depended on it, nobody cares, the course is boring - all these are typical excuses. While it would be wonderful if you could all have small, intimate, fascinating classes run by Nobel Prize winners who love to teach, common sense should tell you that this isn't likely to be the situation you will face in every class, especially in your early years as an undergraduate. None of this matters - there are plenty of people getting four-points in those very same classes. How do they do it? It's simple - they work hard in every class and the results show!
One of the major advantages of attending a large university is that it has the resources to help with just about any problem you might encounter. If there is a crisis or some other problem in your life that is getting in the way of your ability to function in class, there are counselors and support groups available to help. Maybe you have serious deficits in math, reading, or other academic skills that were not spotted when you entered the university. If this is the case, there are remedial courses and programs that can put you back on track.
The single biggest mistake made by most students is that they don't seek help until a situation has gotten to the point where it is critical! At the first sign of a problem in the course, make an appointment to talk with the professor or your academic advisor. Your advisor wants you to succeed but he or she can't do a thing if you don't stop by and seek advice. Late is better than never, but early is best of all!
Finally, although it is unlikely, it is possible that you may be subject to adverse treatment, discrimination, or harassment. If you have reason to think this is the case, make an appointment to talk to the University Ombudsman. The Ombudsman's job is to act as an advocate for students in such situations. If the situation is real, the Ombudsman and the rest of the university stands ready to help.
You cannot succeed in a course if you do not attend classes! Borrowing notes from friends, signing up for commercial note-taking services, and/or simply keeping up with the readings is no substitute for attending class. Besides, get out a calculator and figure what each class is costing you, based on current tuition rates. Each class you miss is like throwing that money away, not counting the fact that each missed class puts you further behind. If you have to miss a class for illness or some other legitimate cause, contact the instructor to find out what you missed and how best to get back on track. Most important of all, if you miss an exam due to illness, be sure to get a treatment slip from a physician! Most professors will not excuse such an absence without documentation. This is also important in classes with an attendance requirement. If you miss a class or exam for any other legitimate reason, document the problem at the time (a receipt from a garage or towing service if your car breaks down, for example), otherwise your absence will not be excused. Finally, if you miss an exam, make sure you know and follow the required steps to make up the exam or whatever else the course instructor may require.
Your time at the university is a wonderful opportunity to develop new interests, cultivate a social life, or find the love of your life. Just remember, we only issue grades for courses! Your academic work must come first in terms of allocating your time and everything else must fit in whatever time is left. It is very easy to kid yourself that you can make up today's work tomorrow, but tomorrow will bring a whole list of new things that must be done. By and large, if you get behind you will stay behind. Allocate a realistic time budget for all your courses and stick to it. It's OK to party after the work is done, but, if you try to reverse the sequence, you will go down in flames!
The more distracting your environment (people, noise, music, TV), the less effective the time you invest in study. Studying already demands much of your time and if you try to do it when surrounded by too much activity, it simply won't work. Dorms will have quiet floors or study halls - use them. If you are living off campus and can't find a quiet place to work, use the library or a nearby study hall on campus.
One of the most effective study techniques is to sit down each evening and re-copy your class notes for that day. You will still remember what all your cryptic notes and abbreviations were all about, as well as things that were said that you didn't have time to write down. You can re-organize them in the process, if that makes the subject easier to understand. If you have the text open to the relevant assignment, you can cross reference to the text in your copied notes or include examples from the text in the notes. If you don't understand something at this point, write down your question and ask it in the next class period, inserting the answer in the notes when you get back from class.
While hand-writing the new copy can work, many people will find it effective to type the copy, resulting in notes that are both complete and easy to read. While you can re-copy notes at any time in the term, the technique works best when the lecture is still fresh in your mind. While this approach requires that you make a regular investment of time, the time is really organized study and you will be amazed at how familiar the material looks when it is time to review for an exam. People who re-copy notes don't have to stay up all night cramming for an examination.
Every course includes innumerable facts that you must memorize - dates, names, definitions of terms, etc. The most effective tool for this type of studying is the use of flash cards. Put the term on one side of a 3 x 5 card and the definition on the other. They key is to go through your stack of cards both ways. The instructor might give you the term and ask for the definition or the question might be turned around. If you study the card stack in both directions, you literally know the material backwards and forwards.
The ideal time to prepare flash cards is when you are re-copying your notes. Some cards you will learn quickly and those can be put aside (go back regularly to check). The one you have trouble with simply carry around with you and, when you have a free minute, take out the stack and work with them.
Every course will also have concepts, ideas, and other material that must be learned but which might be too lengthy or complex for flash card study. These items can be highlighted in your re-copied notes to make them easy to spot. Done properly, everything you have to learn will either be on a flash card or high-lighted in the notes.
The key elements in developing study skills are organization and time management. Learning, like exercise, is best accomplished at a regular, steady pace, not in a few long, hectic sessions. The study suggestions here will assure that you spread-out your studying and do it effectively. In the end, you will find that you will actually spend less time learning material then if you crammed it all in prior to exams. These techniques will work for any course as long as you start early and apply them on a regular basis
Ralph E. Taggart (taggart@pilot.msu.edu)