Being a teaching assistant this past semester has allowed me to understand how students succeed and do not succeed. In addition, being a student myself, I did do things a bit differently this semester which I believe strongly contributed to my academic success. What students do not realize is that each and every one of them has the capability to succeed. The only ingredient, which I feel is essential, is discipline. Along the way, you will acquire perseverance and dedication to complement your discipline.
Since the grades have been available online, I have received numerous emails asking me what my formula for success is. To be honest, I have always been enthusiastic about sharing my key to academic success, however, I am at a loss of words to describe exactly what I did. Nevertheless, I know exactly what I have done to succeed and how any student can use my formula to find their own achievements in school.
My formula for success is quite simple. It helps build discipline and I think if you put in an honest attempt, you will succeed. My proclivities dictate that there is not just one golden rule. In fact, I believe, there are many golden rules which should be followed. Before going any further, let me list my formula for success:
- Attend every lecture/class
- Start your assigned work the day it is assigned
- Never hesitate to use your professor or TA for help
- Refrain from copying
Make sure you attend every lecture/class
This may seem like a no-brainer to you, but you will be surprised as to how many students skip class for no apparent reason other than laziness. I think the only time you should not attend class is when you are on the brink of death or gravely ill. The reason why I say this is because every lecture has been paid for and by not attending class, you are simply throwing your money away.
I understand that sometimes your professor’s lectures are completely useless and/or the course teaching assistant (TA) is not every effective either. However, by attending every lecture, two things happen. First, your professor will notice your presence. As other students skip the class, those who remain, the professor will recognize and sometimes may offer incentives (e.g. extra credit) just for attending. In addition, if you visit the professor during office hours, he/she may recognize you as one of the few attending lectures and may give you extra attention. Second, you may pick up tips, suggestions, or material that is not covered in the course text. This is perhaps the most valuable piece of information that you could ever receive. I cannot tell you how many times I have presented information that was not in the text, but facilitated the homework and made everyone’s life easier. In fact, even my own professors put exam questions that were based on lecture material that cannot be found in the course text.
Attending every class is definitely a golden rule in my book. Factors such as weather, mood, and other trivial matters should not prevent you from attending lecture. I realize that sometimes missing lecture is the only choice we are left with. I, myself, have a tendency to skip at least 1 or 2 classes during a semester. However, in both cases, I have missed a significant amount of material and I had no choice but to skip class (e.g. 102.8 fever and interview). In college, every lecture is capable of covering a significant amount of material; sometimes up to 2 chapters or more. So for next semester, I encourage everyone to attend every lecture.
Assigned today, start today
Another major mistake many students make is to start their assigned work the night before it is due. Many times, they come to realize that the assignment will take a while to do or that it is extremely complicated to complete in the time remaining. I think much of this stems from the belief that homework should only take a few minutes to do and should have the ability to be completed the night before. Although some homework assignments are like that, many assignments in college require more attention and care than just the amount given in one night. Hence, it is my strong recommendation that students begin the work the night it is assigned. At least take a look at it and if possible, attempt to start it. The important lesson here is to understand the possible difficulty that lays ahead. It also gives you a chance to seek any help from the professor well in advance. I also know that starting the assignment the same day is pretty hard to do, especially after a long day. However, even if you just take a look at it and think about what needs to be done, you can gauge how much effort is required and that will help you balance your time better. In many cases, most homework is due one week after it is assigned, so you may feel that you have plenty of time to do it. Many students tend to forget that they may accumulate more work from other classes during the week. In the end, students get overloaded with work and begin complaining without ever realizing that they squandered the time they had available.
Always use your professor and/or TA for extra help
In most cases, your professor and TA will have office hours available. In addition, many will be willing to accommodate special time requests as well. Sometimes, students are reluctant to ask their professor for help because they are either intimidated or unsure of how the professor will respond to them. Regardless of your thinking, you should always approach your professor for extra help if you need it. Remember, if you cannot understand the material, it is the responsibility of the professor to continue explaining the material to you over and over again till you understand it. Nevertheless, the duty you have is to do your best to learn the material and practice it on your own. Personally, I have found it much more comfortable to approach my TA because he/she is able to explain the material to me in ways that are more easier for me to understand. So do not feel apprehensive in asking your professor or TA for help. Be bold and continue asking until you understand, remember, that is what they are paid to do.
DO NOT COPY
This is quite simple and self-explanatory. If you cannot complete an assignment, please do NOT copy it. If you are caught cheating, you could be suspended or even expelled from your university. So don’t risk it.
I hope that this succinct guide gives you some insight into the formula I use to succeed in school. By applying these four principles, I think you will start to realize greater success than ever before. You have to remember that success takes time. You may not see immediate results, but you should see some improvement. There is no guaranteed way to succeed because you have to find out for yourself what works for you. However, I do believe that the principles I mentioned earlier are prevalent and should help you improve overall. So for next semester, give it a shot and see what happens. Please let me know what you think and what has worked for you.
I rented Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby to watch with my dad and brother tonight. Many of my friends suggested that I watch this movie because of my tendency to laugh at the most absurd jokes. Regardless, I found this movie quite entertaining. In a surprising twist, this movie does not have much crude humor. Rather, the movie relies on wholesome fun and pokes humor at “trailer-trash” comedy. In fact, this movie mocks the common term “Red-neck”.
