For Seniors

7 Things Graduating Seniors Should Know About College

By Lynn F. Jacobs and Jeremy S. Hyman
Lynn Jacobs and Jeremy Hyman Lynn F. Jacobs and Jeremy S. Hyman

As this year’s high school seniors prepare to graduate, we’ve asked Lynn F. Jacobs and Jeremy S. Hyman, authors of “The Secrets of College Success,” to update their tips for incoming college freshmen. — Tanya Abrams

Here are some things incoming students should know about college:

You Have Control Over Your Courses

You do not have to confine yourself to the standard program — a set of preselected courses that are designed to help incoming students fulfill general education requirements. As you select your courses, be sure that each one is on the right level for you (in some cases, one can substitute higher-level courses for more basic ones). Once you have picked your program, you should attend each of the classes and decide whether the professor is someone from whom you can really learn. Often, there are many instructors teaching the same course. By using the drop/add process, you may be able to get a much better teacher.

Every Class Counts

There is a lot of redundancy built into high school courses. Many classes go over what was done before, some classes are devoted to preparing for tests, and, once in a while, you don’t really do much at all.

In college, it’s different. Professors have only 30 or 40 lectures in which to cover the subject, so they try to make each class count. If you miss more than two or three lectures, you are likely to miss out on some content that will be difficult to fill in on your own.

You Are Expected to Do a Lot of the Work on Your Own

You need to be your own boss. Figure out when things need to be done and do them, week by week. The professor or teaching assistant might remind the class when the exam is or when the paper is due, but no one will contact you when you have missed the test or have not handed in the paper.

You will also need to propel yourself to study — even when there is no graded work that week. While a recent study shows that the average college student spends about 15 hours outside of class preparing, if you poll professors, you will find that they expect two hours of preparation for each class meeting. So, if you’re taking 15 class hours, the professors assume you will be spending 30 hours a week studying. That equates to four hours a day, if you are doing your homework seven days a week.

The Testing Is Often Done by ‘Sampling’

Exams in college are not 100 percent comprehensive — that is, the tests will not cover every topic or problem discussed in class. Instead, professors often select a representative sample of problems or topics and test the students on only those. This is because professors are looking for depth of thought on some issue, rather than the “once over lightly” on everything covered.

When preparing for exams, then, it is often a better strategy to prepare the central points in greater detail rather than going over everything superficially.

College Papers Are More Than Just Reports

College papers usually require analysis and/or research. In college, you may be asked to break down some issue into its parts and offer some evaluation of your own. Or you may be asked to consult original documents and scholarly sources and offer your own assessment of them. This is in sharp contrast with what is expected of written assignments in high school, some of which require no more than a simple summary of what others have said on Wikipedia, and articles found on Google and in newspapers and magazines.

You Don’t Have to Pick a Major in Your First Year

Many colleges now encourage students to declare a major at orientation; this forces students to get started on some directed course of study, and it helps colleges manage course offerings. In some cases it may be a good idea to declare your major right away, especially if yours is a four-year program like pre-med, music or a world language. In more cases than not, however, it is better to wait until you’ve taken a few courses — especially upper-division or advanced courses in a given field — before you commit to a major.

And keep in mind that even if you do declare a major at the outset, it is very easy to change your major if you find you don’t like the courses or you aren’t doing well in them. It is much better to get out of something you don’t like than to languish in 10 or 12 required courses.

The Professor Would Like to Help You Succeed

Professors need not be distant figures whose only job is to give lectures in large auditoriums and spend the rest of their time doing research. In addition to those tasks, professors are also teachers, whose self-conception is often invested in whether students are doing well. They are often delighted to help students construct a paper or prepare for an exam. They also have office hours throughout the week so they may devote time to helping students.

You should plan to visit each professor at least once during the semester. The office hour can be one of the few times at college for one-to-one engagement with a genuine expert in the field.

We’d like to continue this discussion with you. If you have advice for incoming college freshmen, please share it in the comments box.

Comments are no longer being accepted.

Adam June 12, 2013 · 9:55 am

Study for your college placement test before taking it!

Howard June 12, 2013 · 12:41 pm

The most exciting thing about college is that you’ll get your own ideas and preconceptions challenged, and that you’ll be able to challenge the ideas and preconceptions of others — including of your professors. As part of this, don’t read Wikipedia on some author; grapple in depth with the author’s own words.
In short, enjoy the life of the mind. College is, for most of us, the only chance to participate full-time in that life.

Jonathan Conant June 12, 2013 · 12:50 pm

I retired in 2007 after about 40 years teaching at three universities (one private and two public), and of course I formed strong opinions. Usually I don’t agree with the advice given in articles like this one. But this is splendid. If I were still advising I would make it required reading of every student I had, and encourage them to share it with their parents.

cls June 12, 2013 · 1:02 pm

(8) Professors expect you to read the syllabus. Ignore it at your peril.

jimbob June 12, 2013 · 1:49 pm

Excellent advice! I’d also recommend “Outwitting College Professors”, by a now-retired professor of mine, John Janovy. I try to give every graduating senior I know a copy. (I like to think he wrote this book after having to deal with me)

College prof June 12, 2013 · 2:01 pm

I suggest signing up for 1 or 2 more classes than you intend to take. Then, drop one in the first week, based on your first impression of the professor. If you hate his/her lecture style the first week, it’s not going to get any better.

pdxtran June 12, 2013 · 2:17 pm

Don’t let your parents tell you what to major in. You may earn more money in one field than in another, but all the money in the world won’t compensate you for a job you hate or one that makes you hate yourself. If you feel called to be a visual artist, a musician, or an actor or anything else that doesn’t fit the corporate model, the time to take this gamble is when you’re young. I once heard the late playwright Wendy Wasserstein say that she didn’t want to end up as a 40-year-old stockbroker with unfulfilled dreams of writing plays, and since she died in her fifties, it’s good that followed her dream.

Tom June 12, 2013 · 2:24 pm

Take two years off between graduating from HS and going to college. Work most of that time (I know, easier said than done in today’s job market). Because it will likely be a low pay, low skill job, find out what it is you don’t want to do for the rest of your life, so that you’ll bring an enthusiasm and professionalism to that which you do choose to pursue for a major and career.

During the two years, get the partying out of the way. That way you’ll be ready to do what you should be doing in college, working hard at your studies and learning how to think as an adult.

Dave June 12, 2013 · 2:26 pm

My usual tips to new college students:
– Wake up at the same time every day, and get to sleep early enough to be able to do that and not be exhausted. You’ll feel much more alert, and be able to pay attention in class.

– Spend your daylight hours doing classwork and studying, and you’ll have your nights free for socializing.

– If you’re living away from your family for the first time, remember that you’re now an adult, so you should behave assuming that your parents will not get you out of trouble.

– Try to fully engage the intellectual life of your college / university. If there’s a well-known outside speaker, even in a field your only vaguely interested in, try to get to their talk.

– You aren’t studying just to pass tests, you’re studying to leave college with new knowledge and new ways of thinking and problem-solving.

– If you get easy straight-A’s in high school, don’t assume you’ll get easy straight-A’s in college.

– Each classroom session costs you (or your family) something like $250. Don’t waste that.

Charles Hoogstraten June 12, 2013 · 3:23 pm

From a Biochemistry professor: All of these are good advice, especially the last one. Professors (the good ones anyway) are actively happy when their students are involved enough to ask sharp questions and come in to office hours for help or further discussion. It’s a resource too many students never take advantage of.

What I tell people is: A lot of folks skate through high school basically on brains. I don’t care how many brains you have, that doesn’t work in college. Success in college comes down to work habits. Cultivate a good set of those, and you’ll be way ahead.

Fahey June 12, 2013 · 5:38 pm

Agree with all the suggestions listed that are all fine advice related to academics.

I would think also some advice should be included about social networking as it is considered so highly by most graduating seniors.

Robert June 12, 2013 · 5:52 pm

These tips are all spot on. Another great book on this subject is The Secrets of Top Students. The author was first in her class at Stuyvesant H.S. and Columbia, so she knows what she’s talking about.

Lisa Raufman June 12, 2013 · 8:23 pm

Excellent tips. In addition, do not believe that going to college is to get a job. College graduates do have lower unemployment rates than those without a degree, but the job may not be related to the college major. (Often it takes a graduate degree to get a related job.)

I have been a college counselor and author for over 25 years and have seen that those who make the most of learning and living while at college often make the most of their futures once they are out. Remember, college is exposing you to more people and personalities than your will usually ever meet on your own. Maximize your networking with all of these people; they are your future network in the the world of work. I recommend that all students use the college Career Development Office as early as the Sophomore year in college but no later than the Junior year to be more ready for the job market (or graduate school) by graduation day!

Michael Cai June 12, 2013 · 8:57 pm

Love the advice already given and here are my two cents:

As much as you may want to, don’t take the “Easy A” classes. Your time is the most precious thing, so spend it on classes you are genuinely interested in and that will challenge you and better you.

Also, be conscious and careful about the relationships you cultivate. You largely will become who you surround yourself with, so surround yourself with those who inspire you and who you respect.

And last word of advice which I think is the most important: Work hard on your grades starting from day 1. It’s unbelievably hard to recover from a poor starting GPA, but the benefits of a strong GPA literally compound over time.

And try to have fun! But IMHO fun isn’t priority number one in college. So not too much fun. 😛

Mark Feldman June 12, 2013 · 9:10 pm

The authors write, “…recent study shows that the average college student spends about 15 hours outside of class preparing, if you poll professors, you will find that they expect two hours of preparation for each class meeting…”. If it were really true that professors (and I am one) expect students to work two hours out of class for each class meeting, then why do the authors think so many students make A’s and B’s, working only 15? Or, if professors expect that much work, do they really think that there would be grade inflation even though the number of hours students work has dropped by almost half in thirty-five years?

I’m am very worried that this sort of advice simply whitewashes what most of us already know: much of higher education is not what it purports to be. That is why many students are working only 13 hours outside of class (Please see the book “Academically Adrift” for this.), getting A’s, and not getting jobs.

Why not give this advice: If you are getting good grades and not working much, you need to find out if you are really being taught what you need to learn. Go to online courses at good schools to find out.

Caleb O’Halloran June 12, 2013 · 9:55 pm

I just graduated from a 4 year university with a Bachelor of Arts, and I disagree with all 7 of these points.

College Graduate June 12, 2013 · 10:33 pm

This is fantastic advice, and very spot on. Though it may seem intuitive, I went through college without having a firm grasp on much of this. I wish I had been given this valuable information when I was starting out.

Jeremy Pepper June 12, 2013 · 10:50 pm

I’ll second the office hours – go to office hours, meet your professors and TA’s. If you know them, they’ll actually help you with the coursework.

And even though all courses are online now, you learn nothing without the interaction. Don’t be lazy and head to class.

Bruce Hank June 12, 2013 · 11:34 pm

“You Don’t Have to Pick a Major in Your First Year”. It depends on the college and the major. Some colleges require you to commit when you apply and it can be extremely difficult to switch majors once you start school. For example, UT Austin, TAMU, and Columbia University all require their engineering students to apply for their engineering schools and once you’re in, it’s not easy to switch to a different major. So the advice about “You Don’t Have to Pick a Major in Your First Year” is inaccurate. It depends on the school and the major.

Bruce Hank June 12, 2013 · 11:39 pm

The Testing Is Often Done by ‘Sampling’ is not accurate either. Once again, it depends on the teacher. Some teachers do in fact test on the basis of sampling while others expect depth in multiple areas. You need to read the syllabus carefully and confirm with each teacher. The article is misleading with its advice. So much depends on the school, major and teacher that offering one size fits all advice can be worse than not offering advice at all. Don’t take the advice as gospel. Ask your specific professors.

Bruce Hank June 12, 2013 · 11:43 pm

You Have Control Over Your Courses advice is also fraught with peril. In many large public universities, by the time you start classes it will be almost impossible to drop and take the same class with a better professor. The most popular professors will have their classes full way before the first day of class. Once again, the advice given here is misleading and inaccurate. There is so much variation in the situation at different colleges that the superficial advice is almost worthless.

Alex June 13, 2013 · 6:25 am

As the parent of a member of the class of 2016, I’d say this is all very good advice — especially about getting to know your professors. I would add the following suggestions, based on our son’s very happy and productive first year of college:

1) Get involved in one activity on campus — whether it’s something you loved doing in high school, something you always wanted to try, but didn’t have a chance to do, or something your high school didn’t offer. This is, of course, a great way to make friends — including older students, who can be a vital source of information — but you can also develop skills that will help as you start to consider career options and search for summer jobs and internships.

2) Even if you’re going to your dream school, even if you couldn’t wait to get away from your parents, even if you are very independent and self-assured, you may feel a llittle homesick at first. That’s OK. Staying in touch with your family, high school friends and teachers can help ease this, as long as you’re making an effort to build a new community for yourself at college. Go to dorm social events — yes, even the corny-sounding ones, like apple-picking, — knock on somebody’s door on the way to dinner to see if they’d like to go along with you, talk to the students who sit next to you in class. By the end of the year, you’ll have made many new friends, and can make plans to visit them and have them visit you over the summer.

Stephanie June 13, 2013 · 8:53 am

Write. And revise, and go to the writing center, and revise, and then edit. And then edit again. And then get a friend to read it. And THEN turn it in.

Good, clear, to-the-point writing can raise a grades a full letter; terrible writing can mean mediocre grades, and lackluster recommendations. Even mathematicians and doctors write.

Jill June 13, 2013 · 9:33 am

Go to class! It works!

Read the assignments! That works too!

People that don’t do either and claim they got an A are lying.

Michele June 13, 2013 · 11:36 am

Excellent post and comments. I’ve been an academic adviser to first-year students, a college teacher, and the parent of college students. One bit of advice I can’t give often enough:

The BEST way to make sure you fail a course is to skip classes.

All the emphasis on strong writing skills–and how to make those happen–is also very true. Writing is a *skill* that is learned and strengthened, like playing a musical instrument or learning a sport. If you don’t truly work at it, you won’t get better and your instructors truly can tell the difference. Also, you’ll find that you learn so much as you become a better writer. You don’t truly know *what* you think until you craft, and edit, and polish, all those lovely sentences and paragraphs.