Tips for Success

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

1. 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.
   
   
2. 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. Don't plan week-long vacations in the middle of a semester.
   
   
3. Consult the chart 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 don't believe that this chart applies to you, consult tip number 1 again.
   
   

   • IF YOU WORKHOURS/WEEK

     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
   
   
   
4. STUDY, STUDY, STUDY!! Even if you earned "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 postgraduate program and/or a job. I recommend an average of three hours of study time for every hour of class time.
   
   
5. Attend every class and do all of your homework on a daily basis. You cannot successfully cram for a math class the night before a test.
   
   
6. See an advisor as soon and as often as you can. Check on the specific requirements for your program.
   
   
7. 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, etc. But don't wait until the last minute to get help.
   
   
8. Don't expect help from others if you don't help yourself. If you don't attend class, do your homework or participate in class then don't expect anyone to go out of their way to help you out of a problem that you have created for yourself or one that life has randomly thrown your way.