The 5 most valuable things you can do in college to help your career.

Read this great article, The Five Most Valuable Things I Did in College to Help My Career, by posting this link into your browser: http://adage.com/gennext/post?article_id=141196 Read the comments below it,too. Just don't start thinking it's a sure bet to get you your great job in advertising by asking your prof to get it for you!

I don't teach you.

That's right, I don't teach you, at least not much. Instead, I set up situations you can learn from, such as homework assignments, class exercises, and projects. Then you teach yourself, under my guidance. The old idea of a professor lecturing while students write notes has been shown to be a lousy way to educate people. It's the "sage on a stage" model. As someone said, "from ny notes to your notes without going through the brain of either of us." Oh, sure, I do lecture, too, but only because I know, sadly, many students in the class will not have read the text (and may never), and there are plenty of things that need explaining in any subject.

I don't give you your grade

In my last post, I said something about giving students grades. That was not a correct statement. I don't give them to you. Your earn them. I just record them. If your grades have been high, don't thank me, thank yourself. If they've been low, don't blame me -- you know who to blame.

Did I hurt your self-esteen? I'm sorry, but ...

Sometimes I hear that we professors should not criticize our students or give them low grades because it hurts their self-esteem. I certainly don't want to do that. But I teach in a business school in the University. I'm preparing you for a career in business. Since I was in business myself for quite a while, I can tell you that when you start your career, it's unlikely anyone you work with will give a darn about your self-esteen. In fact, there are plenty of people in the business world who will happily destroy your self-esteem on the theory that will advance their careers over yours. So get used to criticism from your professors. We're preparing you for the "real world." Develop a "thick skin" as they say.

Get a Harvard education right here at this school!

You can have as good an education you want, right here. Yes, as good as you'd get at Harvard. But you have to ask for it and work for it. Demand that your professors include the latest materials in their courses. Sign up for free electives that will really make a difference in your education. Maybe take a course at another university that isn't offered here, and transfer the credits. Go to the art exhibits, musical concerts, and other events that are being held all the time at this and nearby schools. Don't be satisfied to follow the crowd. You can do it!

What an easy job professors have!

Professors at my school who carry a full load are in the classroom 12 hours a week. What an easy job, huh? But just as you are supposed to put in 2 hours of study for every hour of class, we profs do at least that: preparing lectures, exercises, assignments, etc. and grading homework papers, projects, etc. So that's 36 hours. Still pretty darn good, huh? But wait: teaching is only one of five responsibilities we have. We also have to serve our department by designing new or revised courses, recruiting the occasional new professor, and so on. Our third responsibility is to the University: for example, we serve on various committees such as the University Senate, the curriculum committee, etc. Our fourth responsibility is to the State, being a state university. We teach seminars to businesspeople, for example. Our fifth responsibility is to create new knowledge through research, the "publish or perish" part of our job. If you add all the time we spend on teaching, department chores, University service, community service, and research, most of us spend at least 75 or 80 hours a week. Not that I'm complaining, I'm not. It's still a great job.

Should your instructors require attendance at class?

If your instructor says attendance is mandatory, maybe that forces you to go and you learn more and get better grades. Or maybe you go but zone out or surf the Web, learning little or nothing. I don't require attendance, but almost all of my students come anyway. Why? Because they know the quizzes and tests are likely to focus on topics I've discussed in class. What do you think? Does requiring attendance help you or not?