Hello all, Im currently enrolled in my local community college and I just joined the honors program. I have to take 15 units of honors classes in order to get certified. I enrolled in an honors stats for the social and behavioral sciences class. I took my first test last week and I got an 81%. This test is supposed to be the easiest one. I have a feeling that I won’t do well on the rest of the tests because of this. I feel discouraged to continue but I really don’t want to get a W. Most people say the class is pretty easy and it’s probably because these people are really smart. I just feel so out of place and my ability to succeed in the class seems slim because I’m really insecure around all the geniuses in the honors program. This 81% also discouraged me! I’m really scared and I don’t know what to do. Any advice?
My suggestion would be to go to office hours to get help understanding the concepts that are confusing you. Also make sure you do all the assigned problems and additional practice problems. Try to find a study group. You should also see if your school has workshops on how to improve your study habits. Personally, I would try to salvage the course first before seriously considering withdrawing.
Go to the professor’s office hours and say this:
“I got an 81% on this test and I would like your advice on how to proceed. How do students who get that kind of grade end up doing in the class? What would you suggest to do well in this class?”
Also, i always recommend the following in general:
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GO TO CLASS, BUY THE BOOK, READ THE CHAPTERS, AND DO THE HOMEWORK!
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Go to Professor’s office hours and Ask this question: “I know this is a really difficult class-- what are some of the common mistakes students make and how can I avoid them?”
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If you have problems with the homework, go to Prof’s office hours. If they have any “help sessions” or “study sessions” or “recitations” or any thing extra, go to them.
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Form a study group with other kids in your dorm/class.
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Don’t do the minimum…for STEM classes do extra problems. You can buy books that just have problems for calculus or physics or whatever. Watch videos on line about the topic you are studying.
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Go to the writing center if you need help with papers/math center for math problems (if they have them)
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If things still are not going well, get a tutor.
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Read this book: How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less by Cal Newport. It helps you with things like time management and how to figure out what to write about for a paper, etc.
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If you feel you need to withdraw from a class, talk to your advisor as to which one might be the best …you may do better when you have less classes to focus on. But some classes may be pre-reqs and will mess your sequence of classes up.
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For your tests, can you evaluate what went wrong? Did you never read that topic? Did you not do the homework for it? Do you kind of remember it but forgot what to do? Then next time change the way you study…there may be a study skill center at your college.
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How much time outside of class do you spend studying/doing homework? It is generally expected that for each hour in class, you spend 2-3 outside doing homework. Treat this like a full time job.
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At first, don’t spend too much time other things rather than school work. (sports, partying, rushing fraternities/sororities, video gaming etc etc)
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If you run into any social/health/family troubles (you are sick, your parents are sick, someone died, broke up with boy/girlfriend, suddenly depressed/anxiety etcetc) then immediately go to the counseling center and talk to them. Talk to the dean of students about coordinating your classes…e.g. sometimes you can take a medical withdrawal. Or you could withdraw from a particular class to free up tim for the others.Sometimes you can take an incomplete if you are doing well and mostly finished the semester and suddenly get pneumonia/in a car accident (happened to me)…you can heal and take the final first thing the next semester. But talk to your adviser about that too.
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At the beginning of the semester, read the syllabus for each class. It tells you what you will be doing and when tests/HW/papers are due. Put all of that in your calendar. The professor may remind you of things, but it is all there for you to see so take initiative and look at it.
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Make sure you understand how to use your online class system…Login to it, read what there is for your classes, know how to upload assignments (if that is what the prof wants).
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If you get an assignment…make sure to read the instructions and do all the tasks on the assignment. Look at the rubric and make sure you have covered everything.
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If you are not sure what to do, go EARLY to the professors office hours…not the day before the assignment is due.
Lol, ^ doesn’t have anything to do with OP question
How doesn’t it? OP is insecure about how to succeed in the class. That’s how to succeed.
That happens to all those who start with an honros course I think. My first test on a honors class, I got a grade below 50 but so did most of the class (first time taking an honors class). At the end I ended up with an A-. I was sad and happy at the same time because I knew that grade was somehow a good thing…it really woke me up to give it my all so I did ! Although I did gave it my all for that test, I pushed myself even more, that class was really helpful though a lot of material was covered more in depth and prepared me for the rest.
Thanks so much, this was really helpful
Thank you so much!!! I appreciate all of this!