Other places, Other lives

Planet College has been dedicated to the expanding world of the student experience since its founding. Worldwide there are many, many students, probably like a gazillion, doing many, many, many different things. Studying many, many, many, many different subjects and developing each their own point of view.

One typical, but still distinctive and unique is here. An international student, a native of Malaysia, studying in London, traveling to Spain and studying among other things French. Typical or, well, typically untypical. The site, when we looked, detailed the delight students expressed when they found something for free and some in depth critical exploration of nail polish among many other reflections of this student's experience. The writer is not particularly impressed with herself and has a slight sense of detachment about her experiences. This is a point of view which is developed through experience on Planet College.

This site was found probably like you have found a lot of things on Planet College, just by browsing. You have probably learned a lot, a lot more than you have realized, just by being on Planet College and doing what you do. It might seem surprising but your daily thoughts, adventures, mis-adventures and experiences could be as interesting to a student, a student at a distance, as this student's experiences.

The Only A You'll Ever Really Need

Grades have a different significance for different students. Some students absolutely must have an A every time. Those are the students who practically had coronary arrest first year when their gpa was one full grade point less than high school. Well this isn't high school. Still for some anything less than a C is cause for panic. Everyone has their standards. While personal preference and at times scholarship standing have a great bearing on grades there is, in fact, only one subject you really must get an A in. That subject is Persistence. Though it may not be listed in your school's catalogue there is no underestimating the value of Persistence. Planet College has emphasized many times and probably will again that in fact you need to pass your courses with a grade of C in order to Graduate. And that takes persistence. Just a C. Sounds ordinary, uninspired to those who haven't attempted it. Cs take persistance and Cs get degress. Press on, persistently.

How's it goin'? No really.

At this point in a typical term on Planet College things have usually distilled down to a daily grind. Amidst this daily grind mid-terms, tests, projects, presentations have come and probably gone. Mid-term is a good time to pause and review your progress. So. How's it goin'? Ok? No, really, this time "How's it goin'", doesn't call for they typical, "OK, Same ol' same ol' " response of a glancing social interchange. Mid-Terms and actually the resultant grades can be a useful measurement of how the now day-to-day grind really is going. Or what your efforts are actually producing.

This simple procedure can provide a beacon in the daily fog that Planet College often produces. Ask your self which has been your most difficult class. Are you doing better than you excepted in some class you were dreading? Are you doing worse? Right now the results of you effort are available. They are the grade on you mid-terms. What grades have you actually received? A? F? Incomplete? C? If you have a class or classes which are proving more challenging it is time to get some help. There still can be tutors available at the tutoring center. Make use of them, they are probably free.

And one other thing. Talk to your instructor. If you haven't spoken with her before you may have to introduce your self. Tell her which course and which of her sections you are enrolled in. Track her down somewhere, before class, after class, her office if she has one. Find her and tell her, " I want to do as well as I can in your class. And I'm finding the class more difficult than I thought." She may have some suggestions. She may not. The important thing is you have made contact and she can see you are at least interested. If she does have a few pointers take care to look like you are listening while she's speaking. This simple step, making contact with the instructor, can be really helpful around final grade time. You now have some guidelines for the rest of the term. Be sure and follow through as best as you can on these tips. Also, as noted, the instructor has seen that you are really interested in passing her course. This too can work in your favor.

Remember you want to graduate someday and until then you are entitled to all the help you can get. A lot of that help you can provide for yourself.

Rising to the Challenge

We are a culture built on achievement. We think of ourselves as stimulated by challenges. We expect great things of ourselves individually and collectively. At least that is what we tell our selves. Students on Planet College understand that “challenge’ can have different meaning to different individuals. While for some the challenge of maintaining their 4.0 is stimulating for others the challenge is not to roll over and hit the snooze once more when they are already late for class.
We all have our own personal challenges and we each have our own personal values. Your personal values will prompt you to rise and meet the challenges of your life.
Right now we are nearing the end of the term on Planet College and as stuff happens the challenges mount. At this point your personal challenge may be going to talk to the instructor of the class you’ve been skipping since you got a D minus on the mid-term. It may mean really going to your dental appointment for teeth cleaning like you told your mom you were going to. It may be actually writing the final paper for that required lower division class rather than ‘borrowing’ your friend’s paper which he got a C on in the same class.

Whatever your personal "challenge", the time to move is now.

Summer School Grades

If you've completed your summer school course or courses with a satisfactory grade or grades be grateful. It's probably a good idea to kick back a bit and enjoy what is left of summer. But seasoned veterans of Planet College know there is always at least one more thing to do. In the case of your summer school course the next thing to do is make sure your main campus gets the grade or grades you've received.

Many students take summer school courses at a campus other than their home college. If this has been true for you you may need to know that your home campus does not automatically get the results from your summer school campus. You have to do something to make that happen.

Basically you probably have to go to the administration office of your summer school and ask that a transcript of your grades be sent to your college. This office will require some information usually involved in a form. This sometimes involves a fee.

Because it is probably fairly critical that you get this grade to your home campus now would be a good time to make sure this gets done.

Your home campus probably needs this information as soon as possible. It may be critical for your Fall registration. You may need the transcript to be permitted into a restricted course. Or you may need it to maintain your financial aid package.

You may need it for all of the above reasons and more. Whatever. So take that next step toward graduation. Go make sure your home campus gets your summer school grades.

Then, have a good summer.

Grade Review Part Two

Having accomplished a grade review for your courses you are aware of where you stand this term. If you are up to date with your assignments and satisfactorily passing each of your courses then your are on track for the term. Keep up the good work.

If, however, one or two courses show problems you have some choices. Let say there is one course in which you have missed several assignments, several class sessions, and not done satisfactorily on the tests. Consider: Can you really get caught up by the end of the term? With all you have going on where will the time and the effort come from? If, after due consideration ,the situation is that you can not get caught up before the end of the term you have some serious decisions to make.

What are your choices?

Can you drop? Can you change your grading status?

If you have done neither of these things before you need to investigate the procedures for each.
Most campuses have a policy for dropping courses. Find out what the policy is for your campus.

On some campuses various grading options are offered. Other than traditional A through F there are also Pass/Fail, credit/no credit and audit. These options are usually offered at registration time and often depend on the course. Not all courses offer every option. On many campuses these options are not available after the term starts without a special petition.

Finally, what ever your decision follow through thoroughly on the procedure. If you are bound to complete the course get help. Many departments offer tutoring and additional help for overworked, overwhelmed students.

If you drop remeber this withdrawal can have an effect on your financial aid status.

If you choose a change of grading status be sure to get the necessary paper work signed and in on time.

What ever you decide your behaviour will have consequences. But most importantly you don't need another D or F. Now is the time to do something.

Mid-Term Grade Review Part One

At most colleges and universities mid-term grades have been posted by now. You should know pretty much where you stand grade-wise this term. If you attend a school which does not post mid-terms then you need to find out what your grades are so far. There is a simple way to do this. Ask. Ask the TA, ask the professor, ask the instructor, ask whomever is responsible for recording and entering your grade. For some large classes it may take some doing to track down the actual grader. But it will be worth.

If you've been around Planet College for a few semesters you know how easy it is to get out of touch. Skip a few class session, miss a couple of assignments, what the heck, it's Spring. Then comes finals, final grades and (maybe) once again probation or worse.

This term find out where you are now. Some times this can be accomplished simply by talking to the instructor after a class session. If this isn't possible get the office number, cell phone number, or e-mail of who ever is doing the grading. Ask for some time. Say, "I'd like to take a few minutes to go over my grades so far." Then go to the arranged meeting and find out how you are doing. Are you up to date. Are all of your assignments so far turned in and graded. Are you test scores acceptable so far. Do you have a reasonable chance at this point to pass this class? This is what you want to know right now.

Bear in mind that a grade of C is an acceptable grade for passing most college courses. If you had designs on a higher grade well, what are you doing to earn it?

If you have a full schedule you don't necessarily need to do this check-up for every course. But there is probably at least one course that you are a little iffy about. That is the one to check on.

Cs Get Degrees

Somehow the idea of anything less than a 4.0 gpa is popularly thought to be unacceptable. At least for some people. Most students with any time at all on Planet College understand how difficult it is to complete a term with anything beyond a 2.0 if that. Few people realize that “average” in college has a completely different significance. All of the demands modern life imposes on most student mean college is very difficult. With these pressures in mind it is wise to remember that it is perfectly ok to be average. Those grades you’ve been getting, when you actually passed a course? They were Cs. A C is a passing grade. It is perfectly ok to get a C. You can progress all the way through your college experience and graduate and never get any grade above a C. Cs get degrees. They do. They really do. So stick with it. Show up for every class. Drop a loosing course when you have to and remember: Cs Get Degrees.