Tips For Success in College

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TIPS FOR SUCCESS IN COLLEGE

Ronald H. Matson, Ph.D
Professor of Biology, Kennesaw State University

If you want to succeed in College, here are a few tips:

Don't try to be Superman/Superwoman. You can't work full-time, be a full-time student and have a social life and expect to do well in all of them.
Being a full-time student is a full-time job. If you take 12 or more credit hours, and if you want to get "A's" and "B's", that is a 40 hour/week job! If you have to work full-time, plan on being a part-time student. If you are a full-time student, plan on working part-time.
Consult the cart below when preparing your academic plan. This plan is based on the need to study for 3 hours per credit hour (taken from: http://biology.fullerton.edu/).

IF YOU WORK HOURS/WEEK	THEN YOU SHOULD TAKE CREDIT HOURS PER SEMESTER
0	16
1-9	14-15
10-19	13-14
20-29	9-12
30-39	6-9
40+	3-9

STUDY, STUDY, STUDY. Even if you got "A's" in high school without opening the book, it won't work at the college level. Your GPA can make a big difference in getting into a post-graduate program and/or a job.
See an Advisor as soon as you can. Check on the specific requirements for your program.
Get help if you need it. If you don't do well on the first exam, talk to your professor immediately. For other issues, talk to your advisor or professors, go to the CAPS center, get in a study group, hire a tutor. But don't wait until the last minute to get help.
Plan on doing a directed study or internship. To be competitive for a job or advanced degree, haing done something else besides coursework is a big help.