Stop texting; rejoin the world

That's the headline of an article in the Daily Record (not a journal I usually read).  The author tells it like it is.  If you think there's something wrong with him when he complains about students texting, you really need to read this article: http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/B3/20110324/NJOPINION03/103250319/1082/Charlie-Sheen-s-live-shows-fast-sellout/Dear-students-Stop-texting-rejoin-world?odyssey=nav%7Chead
Leave a comment here to let us know whether you agree with his criticsim of freshman and sophomore college students.

How will the budget crisis affect you?

   The newspapers are filled with alarming reports on the state's budget crisis.  Included in the news is that the governor has asked our University to plan for a 10% reduction in our funding.  It seems likely that will happen. What does it mean for our students? For you?  Here's what I hear being gossiped about in the hallways and over coffee.
   Adjuncts and other professors with temporary positions could be let go.  So we could lose some valuable people.  The effect on you could be an increase in class sizes, as students who would have been in sections taught by adjuncts are crammed into other sections.  It's also possible that programs with low numbers of majors could be discontinued or merged with other programs, though current students already majoring in any affected program should be able to finish that program.
  Another possibility is that some administrators and support staff could be laid off.  That could mean you'll be standing in longer lines, waiting longer for action on your requests, etc.
  There is one possible effect that you might not notice but that would upset some professors.  Their research subsidized through reduced teaching load could be eliminated, with a corresponding increase in the number of courses they teach.  In other words, professor Jones (a fictional person), who currently teaches three courses, could be teaching four.  Jones may not like that, but it could actually benefit you (or not, depending on how good a teacher Jones is) as Jones replaces the adjunct who used to teach that course.
  All of this is conjecture at this point.  Keep tuned, as they say.  The next few months are going to be interesting

Do you know about the "contract major?"

Suppose you'd like to change your major to fashion merchandising, or sports marketing, birdwatching, or whatever, but the university doesn't offer those majors.  You could enroll in another university, but that's a hassle.  An easier solution might be the "contract major."  (I don't know how many universities offer one, but mine does.)  The undergraduate catalog says, " a contract major is a coherent program of studies leading to a B.A. or B.S. degree, proposed by a student in consultation with a faculty adviser...The intent of the contract major is to allow students whose academic interests extend beyond existing majors sufficient flexibility to design a program of studies appropriate to their academic goals."  There are requirements to be met that I won't go into here; consult your advisor.  But a contract major just might be the solution you're wishing for.

Open your newly-purchased texts now!

My university starts classes next Monday.  Many of my students have probably purchased their texts by now.  (Yes, I know, they're expensive!  I hate that too.) Will any of them open the books to see what's inside, before the class starts?  Sadly, not many. If you're serious about your GPA and your education in a larger sense, you should open each text now and read a little, enough to get a sense of what's going to be covered in your courses.  Maybe something in one of them will confuse you, and you can ask about it at the first class.  That'll be a great way to impress the professor, whicih never hurts!

Are you curious?

A new semester has started. Are you looking forward to learning new things?  If not, you may lack what we professors call "intellectual curiousity."  A good student is curious about the world and how it functions. If you don't care what you learn or if you don't learn anything at all, I am sorry for you. It must be hard to go through college like that. I am pleased to see those students who get excited about learning new things. They enjoy college more, and are going to be better prepared for a professional career. Yhey put some fun into my job, too.

It's August. Dig into your courses before they start!

Like a runner springing from the starting blocks, you stand a better chance of getting good grades in your courses if you get off to a good start. Don't wait until the first day of class to find out what it's all about. If you wander the corridors the first day trying to find your classroom and having no idea who the instructor is, that's a clue you're not likely to win the race.

One thing to do is go to the bookstore and take a look at the texts for your courses. You may not want to buy them there---there are other ways to obtain your texts---but spending 15 minutes in the bookstore leafing through the texts to get an idea what they are about is a good idea. Another thing you can do is talk to students in the dorms who have taken the courses: what do they recommend to get a good grade? Also, your course may make use of a  course management system like Blackboard. See if you can access it now. If you can, you may be able to download the syllabi for your courses and perhaps other documents. Read them before the course starts. If they raise questions in your mind, ask those questions on the first day of classes.

Here's the best idea of all: a day or two before classes start, walk by the offices of your instructors. If you see any of them are there, stop in and introduce yourself. Say you're looking forward to taking the course and ask if there's anything you need to do or know. You'll really impress the instructor--hardly anyone does this--and impressing an instructor can pay off in your final course grade!  If the instructors aren't around, stop at the desk of the department secretary and find out when you might be able to see them. It doesn't hurt a bit to know the department secretaries.

Do you have any ideas to add?  If so, write a comment below. I'd like to hear them.

Share an interesting post with your friends

Like one of my comments? Now it's easier for you to share it with your friends. I've added share buttons under each post. Just click the Facebook, Twitter, or other button to share it.