| 10 |
Decide on a major field and commit yourself to
work as hard as possible to do well. Do more than just take classes. Read journals or
magazines in your field, explore the Internet, and do other outside reading to deepen your
knowledge. Get involved in student or professional organizations related to your major. |
| 9 |
Commit yourself to doing your best in all of your classes,
even those not directly related to your major. Take advantage of the opportunities at LSUE
to learn to use the computer. In a rapidly changing world, people who have a broad
background, in addition to specialized knowledge, are more likely to be able to adjust to
the future. |
| 8 |
Listen attentively in class. Develop a good note-taking
strategy. In a lecture class, be sure to get down all the main ideas and as many
supporting details as you can. Use abbreviations and then go over your notes as soon as
possible after class to clarify any unclear notations. This early review of your notes
will also help you learn the material. Try to review your notes on a regular basis. |
| 7 |
Tape lectures if you feel that you can’t get down
enough information in your notes—but keep in mind that this method is inefficient.
While you could go over notes from the class in 10 minutes or less, re-listening to the
taped lecture will cost you an hour. Try to use the tape as a backup for your notes. One
good place to listen to tapes: while you are commuting in your car (but don’t get so
interested that you fail to concentrate on your driving!). |
| 6 |
As you go over material, organize it. Group related items
under a general heading. If you can break down complicated material into more manageable
units of logically related points, the material will be much easier to learn and to
remember. As you review, go over your main headings and try to recall the points
associated with them. |
| 5 |
Develop an effective strategy for reading and reviewing
textbooks—use any technique that helps you learn the material. Look for main ideas
and understand how those ideas are developed in the discussion. Highlight key points as
you read. Outline chapters if you find that this process helps you learn, but don’t
waste time simply copying from your books. Use the outline to organize the ideas to help
you learn them. |
| 4 |
In classes like math in which you have to solve problems,
take advantage of any opportunity to work practice exercises. Try to understand how
general principles and concepts apply to specific problems so that you can develop a
strategy for solving new problems. |
| 3 |
Participate actively. Attend every class. Ask questions,
but don’t dominate class discussion. Be sure that you understand what you are
expected to accomplish in each assignment. Ask questions if you are uncertain. If you have
a question on a minor point during a lecture class, you may want to wait until after class
to ask the instructor. LSUE instructors set aside two hours per day for student
conferences. Take advantage of this opportunity to get help and ask questions, but also
work hard on your own to learn the material. |
| 2 |
Budget your time effectively. Make daily and weekly
schedules, and also be sure to schedule ahead to allow time to do a good job on major
projects like term papers. Include time for recreation, but break time-wasting habits like
watching hours of television. College means too much to your future for you to squander
your opportunity to learn. Stick to your schedule, don’t procrastinate, and reward
yourself by doing something special only after you have accomplished an important goal. |
| 1 |
Don’t give up. In addition to being an opportunity to
learn, college is an opportunity to improve your self-discipline. College can be fun, but
it also is work. The habits you develop in college to get the job done will pay off when
you enter your profession. Make each day throughout the semester count. Assess your
performance, talk to your faculty advisor when needed, get support from your classmates,
adjust your goals in college if necessary—but keep moving forward. In the long run,
your persistence will be rewarded.
|