Academic Success ~ Life is full of myths and facts. Academic success in college is also filled with many myths and facts. Here are four of the most common myths to stay clear of and by doing so should help you have a successful first year at MECA. Myth #1: "I can afford to skip a class or two." Fact #1: When you miss class, you miss assignments, you fall behind and you project a “I don’t give a darn” attitude to your teacher. Take it from those students before you who started out skipping a class here and there, and wound up failing the class because they fell so far behind that it was impossible to get back on track before the end of the semester. If you’re sick, we don’t expect you to go to class. But it is expected that you contact your teachers and let them know you’re sick and ask them to pass along to you any handouts or assignments. By communicating with your teachers, you’re showing them even though you’re on the disabled list, you still a team player. Myth #2: “I don’t need to study now - I’ll do it later.” Fact #2: For many of you this will be your first time away from home; which is both good and bad news. The good news is you now have the freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want. The bad news is you now have the freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want. Set a daily schedule that includes time to study as well as time to have fun and relax. The sooner you can set a daily routine, and stick to it, the more successful you’ll be. Questions to think about: Do you study better during the day or at night? Do you study better on your own or in a small group? Are you able to study better in your room, the library or in a corner of Porteous? Be sure to take a 5-10 minute break after each hour of studying - your brain and eyes need a break as well. At MECA it’s recommended you put in 6 hours a week of outside class work for each studio class and 3 hours for each liberal arts class. Myth #3: “I don’t need to ask for help; I just need to study longer.” Fact #3: Chances are pretty good that you’ve heard the following sayings: “Pull your own weight”, “row your own boat” and “pull yourself up by your bootstraps”. The American culture is one of self-reliance; but know that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, stupidity or being uncool. If you’re struggling with a class or a technique, talk to your teacher. S/he is more than willing to help you out. Don’t wait until the ship is going down to start bailing out water. At the first sign of not understanding something, talk to your teacher. Myth #4: “I got an F on my first project - this class isn’t for me.” Fact #4: History is full of great men and women who failed along the way. Along with falling from their horse, they each have something else in common. They all got back up, dusted themselves off, learned from their mistakes and rode on once again. If you happen to fall off your horse, don’t be too hard on yourself. Figure out what went wrong. Was it not enough studying, not asking for help, or something more fundamental like needing to strengthen your writing, time management or test studying skills? Once you identify what went wrong, take immediate action to fix the problem, dust yourself off and get back on your horse. The above myths and facts come from academictips.org.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Aug 2013 14:45:05 +0000
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