“I enjoyed going to college at the University of Michigan, an hour from home, but my secret humiliation is: I was the type of mediocre student I now disdain. As a freshman, I cared about my friends, my boyfriend and my poetry. Or, I cared about what my boyfriend thought of my friends, what my friends thought of him, and what they thought of my poetry about him. Here’s what I wish I’d known and done differently:”
very wise "Big Picture " advise that college students should take to heart , that is if they wish to be happy AND succeed in college.
https://nyti.ms/2zf4KIb
A couple of simple ideas (written by a professor). Basic idea: get noticed, make an impression.
- Attend class, speak up in small classes, some prepared by having read the week's assigned readings. If it's a large lecture, don't hesitate to come up to the professor or your TA to ask questions after class. Take advantage of office hours.
- If you don't understand an assignment or a reading, contact your professor or TA (email or during office hours). They will remember you and like to be "rewarded" by seeing that their advice has helped you.
- At some point, you are going to want to take an independent "readings" course, and the professor may be more likely to help you out if he or she knows who you are!