Steps
for Success
1. See the Professor. Frequently a student will be very
reluctant to take the first crucial step. Hesitation to visit
the professor is frequently caused by a student's embarrassment
with his or her own academic predicament. This is often coupled
with a belief that a professor could not have possibly faced
similar problems and therefore cannot understand. It is a rare
professor who has breezed through college without academic or
personal difficulties. An office appointment with a professor
will give your student an accurate assessment of their status
in the class. Sometimes a student will be pleasantly surprised
and discover that they are doing better than they previously
thought. In instances where that is not the situation, a student
will benefit from the professor's suggestions on how to do better.
A visit also lets the professor know that the student is interested
and wishes to improve.
2. Attend class. If students are not attending class, it
is impossible for them to take notes, ask questions or successfully
pass the course. Frequently, students who are not doing well
in a course will stop going to class because they feel lost
or discouraged. Like most bad habits, non-attendance is easier
to establish than to break.
3. Know when to drop a class. There are situations when nothing
can be done, and a student should withdraw from a class. The
final date to withdraw without academic penalty can be found
on the Dates and Deadlines handout, or can be found by calling
the Registrar's office at 785-628-4222. If a student plans
to drop a class he/she should NOT wait until the final day
to do so.
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