By | Michelle MillerAdams | grownandflown.com
A year ago, when my nephew was beginning his first year of college, I put together a top-ten list of advice for college freshmen based on my years as a professor and the advice of colleagues and former students. Last week I checked in to see if my advice had been of any help. The original column appears below, with comments from Elias, now a rising sophomore.
This is the best advice from a college professor to a freshman.
10 Pieces of Advice for College Freshmen
1. SHOW UP.
Attend every class session unless you have a contagious illness. (Woody Allen was right: 80% of success is just showing up.) And don’t sit in the back; I can practically predict a student’s grade based on where he or she sits — slacking in the back row = bad grades with very few exceptions.
Elias says, “I can’t say enough about how important this is. Two-thirds of the students in my 9:30 class, where lectures were posted online, never showed up for class. I went to everything, so I developed terrific relationships with most of my professors.”
2. INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
Find an excuse to go to office hours, not just once but two or three times a term. Take a draft of your essay to a TA or professor for review; once graded work has been handed back, go back and ask for advice on how to improve it. These people will be your references, advocates, and possibly even friends later in life; you want them to remember your name when the semester is over. And don’t be afraid to kiss a little ass. If your professor is giving a talk or performance, show up — and make sure he or she knows you did.
Helpful hint: always remind said professor, adviser, or TA of your name when you encounter them; they will be eternally grateful.
