Speaking of the future.

Planet College offers vast opportunities to get bound down in the everyday mundane pursuits of just getting through the term. When is that paper due? Do I need a Scantron? Can I park here without a permit? These things continually demand our attention. And it is difficult often to remember why you are on Planet College. The future disappears in a flood of daily details. Here's a question about your future. Where are you working this summer? Same job, or are you going away? Park ranger? Camp Counselor? Internship? If it is the same place you have been working then you don't have much to plan or think about. But if you're trying for that slot as a tutor for the special needs camp or assistant stage manager at the Shakespeare Festival this summer then it is time to prepare your application. Right now. Application filled out? Letters of recommendation included. Reference list available. Summer is coming. It really is. If you really want that position, get on it now.

What About Next Year?

NO. Not, next term. Next school year. You have your schedule for this up coming term, right. But, Unless you're graduating you still have to think about Fall 'O8 soon. This is important. A great deal can be gained on Planet College by planning at least somewhat ahead. Think about next school year.
For example, on out campus priority consideration for financial aid is given to students who file their fafsa before March 2. Take this opportunity now to file your new fafsa. They start taking new fafsas on the first business day of the new year. This year that day is Wednesday, Janurary 2. Filing your next fafsa is something you can do for yourself for your next school year. Go do it. Planet College note. If you don't know what a fafsa is go to your school's financial aid office and ask. While there ask for help.

What am I doing today?

Planet College Reminder.
Your graduation starts today.
What can you do about that? What is one thing you can do about your graduation today? One. Just one thing. Each day, one concrete step. That is what it takes. Just one thing. Whenever it is today take one step more toward your graduation.

How I know you didn't write this paper.

As an experienced college writing teacher I have read a lot of papers. In this current digital era is quite simple to obtain papers and hand them in as your own. Done all the time right? You may have done it. I and most other writing instructors can fairly easily tell after the first few weeks of the term when a student's work is original and when it is borrowed. It is easy. It is the same means that when you answer the phone you can tell who is there. The sound of their voice. Mom or your best friend, the sounds are distinctly different. Well, so is your writing. Just as you have a distinctive fingerprint and handwriting style you have a distinctive writing style. It some times is even referred to as your writing voice. So, when I pick up a student's paper to read and it doesn't sound like or seem like their other papers, I'm pretty sure they may have had "help". I might talk to them about it. I might not. Depends. Instructors have a large work load and often let things slide.

You can count on this sometimes. But not always. Here is today's Planet College tip. Do your own work. Slug it out. Get the grade that you earn. If it isn't satisfactory ask to do it over. I f it still isn't satisfactory ask for help. Learning is why you are on Planet College. You will learn to write by doing. Write your own paper. Just write.

Planet College reminder. What about next term?

Well. What about it. If you haven't left campus already. It is a good time to check. Schedule firm? Waitlist? Financial aid ready? New room mate at the residence hall. Everything packed and stored. Got it all done. It will be there when you come back in Janurary. So. Make sure everything is tight. Have a rockin' holiday.

Planet College: Butts in seats.

This is a Planet College Advisory. College is a butts in seats business. That is how it works. In order for your school to function it needs your butt in a seat. Schools thrive on recruiting students. Maybe you've seen this. Maybe you were recruited your self. What ever it was it was because your school needed you. It needs a whole big bunch of yous to make the thing work. You are a critical part of your college. Simply put, your school needs you to function as a school. Seriously. It is the students who make the school. If you and all of your friends left where would the school be?
 Closed.

Now.

It also works the other you. School is why you are there. You have decided that you need this education which the school is providing. So. Whenever it is time, get your butt in to a seat. Get through. Get on with your life. Finish and do whatever you have to do to graduate. You got your butt in there, now get your butt out of there.

Planet College End of Term Checklist #1

The term is ending. Lots to do. Paper's due. Finals. Pack for home. Work more. Spend more. It can get to be a blur. And a hassle. So. Here is a Planet College end of term check list for you. Number one. Are you registered in the class, course and section you have been attending all semester. Seriously. This is simple and important. Look at your schedule. Ask your instructor or the TA. Make sure you are on the roll sheet for every class you have been taking. Don't stop with the instructor. Go to the registration office or where ever the records are kept at your school. Ask. Find out for sure if their records match the classes you have been taking. Find out. For sure. Compare the course, the section number and the times and days that you have been attending with the records office record of your current schedule. Important? No, critical.

Your Instructor on Planet College

During your time on Planet College you will have many, many, many instructors. So, read this carefully.
Your instructor may be a professor, an assistant or associate professor, an instructor, a guest lecturer, part-time instructor or even a TA, a teaching assistant. Whoever they are and whatever they are called, they are the person who is responsible for assigning your grade. Pay careful attention to what they say during class. Pay careful attention to what they deem is important for the course. Examine the syllabus, course outline and every handout the instructor hands out. You are at a university, in a college, in a department, in a program and in a class to get a passing grade. Passing grades in your courses will enable you to finish your program, graduate with a degree and get a real job back on Planet Earth. Think about it. No more smelly roommates who stiff you for the cable bill, no more crappy old car that won't start when you’re late, no more waiting ‘till 2am to do your laundry, no more papers due, no more late fees, no more library fines. Sound worth it? OK then, quit staring out the window and get to work. Planet Earth is calling.

What does this have to do with me?

You, as a student, are at a university and in a college. If you are in your first two years you are probably in lower division. You are working on general education requirements and some pre-requisites if you have a major in mind. If you have declared a major you may be working within a department and you are most likely in a program. If you have not decided on a major you are at this point undeclared. No matter where you are in your schooling, except on rare occasions such as an appeal you will primarily be concerned with your Instructor. Your instructor is the person who will assign your grade for any course you are taking. That is what this has to do with you.

If you are a student at a community college most of the above still applies. If this still isn't clear read the above post again.

So who runs it?

The head of the Department is called the Chair (man or woman). The chair has a PhD. So go ahead and call her Doctor, she’ll like that. Among other things the Chair hires the instructors who teach in the department. The main instructors the Chair hires are Professors. A professor is someone whom the chair has deemed fully qualified to teach or “profess” a subject. Rather than a job a professor receives an appointment. Within a department the Chair may have appointed several professors. A professor is often the head of a particular program within that same department. Professors nearly always have a PhD but this is not always necessarily true. In fact, you may be surprised to learn, a professor need not necessarily even have any college degree at all. She or he simply needs to have been determined to be qualified by the Chair to teach the subject. If a professor lasts long enough in a department he may be granted tenure. Depending on the school this can mean this professor cannot be fired. This can explain why, at times, some professors behave in a peculiar fashion. How would you act at work if you couldn't be fired?

What is your department?

Colleges on Planet College are divided into departments.
Department.
A Department is a section of a college. This section of a college is always dedicated to one particular discipline within the college. The College of Arts may have a Department of Theatre Arts. The College of Physical Science may have a Department of Biology. Within a department there are often specific courses of study called programs. For example within a College of Natural Sciences, The Department of Health Sciences may have a Nursing Program. What department are you in? Do you know? What program are you in? If you don't know you better find out.

College Tour Degree Designations

Colleges grant degrees.

These degrees indicate the level of mastery a student has achieved in a particular subject. Degrees usually granted by a college include; BA or Bachelor of Arts, BS or Bachelor of Science, BFA or Bachelor of Fine Arts, MA or Master of Arts, MS or Master of Science, MFA or Master of Fine Arts. Community colleges grant degrees known as AA or Associates of Arts.

Colleges also grant credentials and certificates. A credential indicates having completed a course of study, such as teaching. A certificate is granted after completing a course in a skill or set of skills such as word processing or bookeeping.

Doctorates.
There is one additional classification of degrees. These are called Doctorates and the scholastic designation is PhD. While people with a BA are rarely called “Bachelors” and those of us with Masters are almost never called Master, people with PhDs really like being called, “Doctor.”

Planet College the tour continues.

This is the next stop on the Planet College College tour. This tour stop is college itself.
College. The term college connotes a collection of like-minded individuals gathered for a common purpose. We get the words colleague and collegiality from the same root word. The colleges, when grouped become a university. The individual colleges within a university are usually dedicated to one overall discipline. Your campus may include a College of Arts, a College of Science, a College of Engineering or any others of many disciplines possible.

Dean. The head of a college is called the Dean. He or She is the other person on the platform who will be shaking your hand after the president hands you the fake diploma everyone gets at the graduation ceremony. Deans move around a lot. In fact during the time it takes you to read this your college probably got a new Dean.

Basic Planet College Terms

By now you may have realized that Planet College has its own terms. Some of these may be clear and others more obscure. Believing that it is never too late for a campus tour here are some Planet College terms and their definitions. These explanations are generally accurate for most schools. For a more in depth explanation check your school's catalogue, bulletin or website.

University. A University is so designated because it represents an entire universe of learning. A university is often a collection of colleges. The head of a university is usually referred to as the President. In a system with more than one campus, such as North Carolina or California State University the overall head of the University is called the Chancellor. On any one of the campuses within a university you will find a president. A college president’s main job is fund raising. Unless it is your graduation, if you personally end up talking with the president and he is smiling and shaking your hand it is probably because you just gave the school a whole bunch of money. Other than that the president will probably just smile and nod as he hurries by you on campus to his next meeting with a potential donor.

Deadlines. Be Aware

Fee payment deadlines. Drop deadlines. Late add deadlines. Change of schedule, change of major, they are all due soon. Deadlines. Don't get caught past one. Because it always means fees. More fees. So. Be aware. What deadlines are due at your school? Get on it.

Planet College note: Instructor Evaluations

Planet College note: Instructor evaluations. Toward the end of every term our campus distributes Instructor Evaluation Forms to every student registered in every class. These are standard forms which provide confidential feedback to the instructor as well as the administration. The responses are anonymous and the instructor is free to review each and every one. If you have such a system on your campus it is genuinely helpful to provide an accurate accounting of your experience with this instructor. If you have a complaint quantify it specifically. If you found the instructor to be helpful say so and why. This could be useful to some other average student in the future.

Planet College final exam review.

Some instructors may hold a review session for a major test. Usually this review is the last class session before an important examination. Often, at least, an instructor will simply hand out a list of subjects to be covered on an important test. Some instructors may even distribute a series of actual questions which may be on the test. This is why it is so important to never miss a class session and keep track of every handout for the course. If the instructor offers nothing in the way of preparation try this. Review any previous tests in this course. Then, based on this, write out possible questions and their complete answers. Preparing your own examination for the final is often an effective review tactic for most course finals.

Planet College explanation: Quarters.

Indispensable item for laundry. By now you realize that if you had been really serious about college you would have started saving quarters some time during your sophomore year in high school.

Planet College Warning: Incomplete

The grade of "incomplete" is a designation assigned to a student when all of the requirements of a course have not been met. Instructors sometimes offer these to a student who has not completed the work for the course. Before you accept this you may need to know that over half of all the Incompletes assigned turn to an F. You don’t need another F. So what ever it takes to complete the assigned work for the class during the term in which you are registered, do it. If you don’t complete the work while you are actually enrolled in the course what makes you think you’ll do it when you’re not enrolled?

Do I have to have a FAFSA?

Hopefully by now you are familiar with the FAFSA. If you aren’t the government has help on line here http://www.fafsa.edu/ for filling out this essential document. This document is so essential that even if you were not a financial aid student I would recommend filling out and submitting a FAFSA on an annual basis while you are in college. Check your school’s financial aid office for filing deadlines. Realize however that even if you are past the dead line for your schools financial aid you still may benefit from other sources. These sources will no doubt require a fafsa. So, first thing, right now, if you haven’t already done so, go fill out and submit a fafsa.

Take the entire time.

I once took a required math class during summer school. The class ran four nights a week and the instructor moved rapidly through the text. The format was a test, usually about fifteen problems on the previous night’s lesson for the first half hour of the session. Then we had a brief break came back and it was on to the next chapter. Like most students I took the test, turned it in, and then went out for the break. There was one woman I noticed in the class who frowned and chewed on the end of her pencil while taking the test. She also always worked almost all the way through the class break. Just before we started the regular class she would run up put her test on the teacher’s desk. I thought, “Gee, she must be having a hard time with this class”. At the end of the summer term the instructor said, “I would like to salute one student in this class in particular. She has completed the entire course while making only three errors total -THREE ERRORS TOTAL- on the nightly tests.” He said,” Would you stand up, please?" And he motioned to a woman near the front. It was the lady who frowned, who chewed her pencil and finished last during the term. There is one important lesson here. It isn't frown and chew your pencil. It is take the entire time. For any test you have to take. Take the entire time. Use all of the time given. Yes we've all seen those whizzes who jump up slap their test down on the instructor's desk and sprint out the door fifteen minutes after the test has been handed out. You are not one of those whizzes. You are an average student. So for now until graduation-any test- take the entire time. Then after graduation you can go to Cabo and judge all the wet t-shirt contests you want.

What is help?

I have a slogan that I developed while working with students. It is like a riddle. It goes like this. “What is help?” The answer? “Help is help. That is what help is.” This means that any form of help you can get to assist you in passing this class is useful, probably necessary and a good idea. Here are some traditional sources of help which may be available on your campus.

Learning Center.

Writing Center

Department tutoring lab.

Peer tutoring.

Professor or instructor office hours.

On line study sessions.

Study groups either formal or informal.

Review sessions, formal and informal.

These are traditional campus sources. Planet College has one more. A student who has recently passed this class. Preferably from the same instructor. A note on a campus bulletin board, “Passed Mr. Morris’ Composition class? Let’s talk. IM @me.” Could produce a helper. Try it.

Planet College Explanation: Course Substitution

At times, many times, students feel desperate about a required course. Sometimes, at some schools and on some campuses alternatives are available. The action is usually referred to as a course substitution. A course approved by the administration of a college, as a substitute for another required course. For example on our campus qualified students may be eligible to take a Critical Thinking course, such as Logic as a substitute for a required math course. Also, students who qualify can take ASL, American Sign Language, as a substitute for a basic foreign language requirement. If you are feeling extremely intimidated by some basic required course investigate the possibility of a course substitution.

Shakespeare's World

Sometime during your tour of Planet College you will encounter the works of William Shakespeare. Mr. Shakespeare was a writer who lived in England and wrote at the end of the fifteenth century. He died in 1607 but his works have lived on to plague and perplex average students ever since. The curious part about his plays is, with some adjustments, that is how people actually talked at that time. Since 500 years later no one talks like that William Shakespeare is effectively a foreign language. But there is a means to actually decode what the actors are saying. So, keep reading.

In my experience there are several of William Shakespeare’s plays that you are likely to come across during your career trying to pass some English or Drama course. The most referenced Shakespeare plays are, in no particular order:

Hamlet

Romeo And Juliet

King Lear

Midsummer’s Night’s Dream

The Tempest

As You Like It

Macbeth (known as The Scottish Play in the Drama Department)

Much Ado About Nothing

Because for many students on Planet College attempting to understand Shakespeare can be tedious here is help. This is a simple method to assist you in understanding William Shakespeare’s work and enjoy yourself at the same time. When you find yourself in a course, which requires you to read and understand a play by William Shakespeare, follow this simple guideline.

Have a Shakespeare festival at your place.

First get the correct play script which may be in your textbook. If not get a copy of the script from the campus library or bookstore.

Get a copy of this play on DVD. Once again the library may be a useful resource.

Get some mead and invite some wenches over for the Shakespeare Festival.

Play the DVD and while it is playing follow along with the actual script.

As you watch the scenes of the play on the DVD turn the script pages and follow along as much as possible. You can use the stop/start or the replay to review scenes which are unclear.

Planet College Useful Tip: If there is a wedding at the end of the play it is a comedy. I f someone dies at the end it is a tragedy. If you die it was Macbeth and the curse of the Scottish Play has struck again.

After the play is over finish the mead and make sure the wenches are back to their house before curfew.

Lost In College

School populated by students who have been sophomores for three or more terms. If you are currently attending Lost In College C Altered State.

Altered State

Nobody’s first choice as a university but many students end up here. If you find yourself a nearly full-time student at Altered State stop by the Student Health Center and talk it over with one of the staff. Couldn’t hurt.

Late Registration

You’ve been there. Pull this snap shot out of your memory. It is the first week of classes. You found a class you need and it fits into your schedule. So, you go to the first session hoping to add. You’re sitting in a desk if you got there early enough or standing along the wall with thirty other people who are also hoping to add. The instructor enters and passes around an add sheet. You sign it, complete your registration, and now you’re in the class.

Fast forward, several weeks. It is the mid-term exam. Look around the room. There’s nobody standing along the walls and at least a few of the desks are empty. Now. Fast forward again. Think about the final exam. If you were there, what? Maybe, twenty other students taking the final. You and those nineteen other students have a fairly good chance of graduating. That is if you were there. If you weren’t then read Planet College regularly. These posts contain the essential steps toward you ultimate graduation with a degree from college.

This term after your register, late or otherwise, actually go to the classes in which you have enrolled. Everyone, every time. Make completing this term your priority above all else. This time make sure late registration means something.

The Suckiest Job On The Planet

“It’s the suckiest job on the planet Mr. Morris.” Heather was an Ed Major from upstate. During her first two years at our school she had lived on campus in the residence halls. Because she would be at school for at least two more years she decided to become an RA, a Residence Assistant in the campus residence halls. The promise of free rent and meals was appealing so she applied and was accepted for the position. Shortly before the semester began Heather attended training for her position. She was now about half way through her first semester in her job. She was sitting in my office looking particularly bedraggled. She complained that she could rarely sleep, her building was noisy and rowdy and her efforts to maintain some kind of order were laughed off. Heather was particularly discouraged that the Housing Office, the administration of the Residence Halls, gave her no support when she attempted to restore order in her hall. She said it was too late in the term to back out now and she was stuck for the rest of the year. If she had known it was going to be like this, she told me, she would never have applied for the position. So be cautious. Not all jobs on campus are for everyone. Being an RA takes a particular temperament. Expect roommate squabbles, late night knocking, primitive hygiene practices, heartbreaking tales of love affairs gone wrong and not entirely legal substance use. Especially if you are managing a building full of people who have never been a way from home for any appreciable amount of time before. Elsewhere these people may be referred to as irresponsible, uncaring and inhumane. On a college campus they are known as freshmen.

The Best Thing About College

The best thing about college is the friends you make. Take care of them and you will keep them for life. Friends are priceless, sturdy, fragile, durable, impatient, occasionally annoying and irreplaceable. They are not the Local Loan Company, Ace Messenger Service, or Lonely Hearts Counselors but they may at times function as all of the above and more. The best thing about college is the friends you make. Take care of them and you will keep them for life.

On Planet College There Are No Easy Courses

Easy is not a valid concept when dealing with college classes. There are no “easy “ classes. What may be “easy” for one student may be quite confounding for another. Rather than “easy” use the term ‘degree of difficulty.” I once needed at least one more unit to qualify for financial aid for the term. Another student told me about a one unit course, Fencing, which he said had been "easy." I signed up. In addition to all the basic Fencing moves the professor required us to learn Fencing's history and extensive terminology. I did as much work for that class as I would have for any three unit class. I barely passed with a C. Far from easy it was one of the most demanding classes that year. When planning your schedule it is wise to mix classes some more difficult, some less so. Just be wary of "Easy".

We Sincerely Regret To Inform You

That Your Graduation Has Been Canceled. Ever heard of it? It happens more than you think. While I was a counselor I can’t tell you the number or times I came in to my office to find a frantic student waiting with an “emergency”. I really can’t tell you how often that emergency was, “I just got this notice, my graduation has been canceled. “ After a while I got used to it. This is how this often happens. Students, especially, it seems, transfer students, often assume that all requirements are eventually graduation requirements. In other words if they were admitted to the school or admitted to a program then all of those units automatically counted toward their graduation. They often don’t. I regularly accompanied a frantic student down to the graduate evaluation office. There we would go over exactly why some of the courses they had transferred to our school may have counted for admission but did not count for graduation. So, heed this: Do not expect that every course you’ve ever taken anywhere, even at your current school, will count toward your eventual graduation. It never quite seems to work that way. Solution? Sometime early in the term in which you intend to graduate take yourself to the graduation evaluation office. Spend some time with a worker, usually they are called evaluators, going over your transcripts including your schedule this term. Make sure you have a reasonable chance of graduating and eliminate nasty surprises later.

Planet College Advisory: Get A Good Lab Partner

Most every student on Planet College eventually has to take a course with a lab. When you have to take a course with class is a lab or it has a lab a few tips might be useful. First and foremost get a good lab partner. Ask someone from the course whom you know to be reliable to be your lab partner. Get their cell phone number, IM, e-mail address etc. Your lab partner should be reasonably alert and capable. They should never miss a lab. They should arrive a few minutes early to get out the equipment and help you set up for that day’s work. They should participate fully in the lab. Most lab teams divide up the tasks required. For example, one partner measures and the other records. Decide early in the term who will be responsible for what. Also decide to complete the week’s lab and turn in your completed results by the end of the week in which it is due. This must be an ironclad agreement between you and your partner. Always finish the lab the week it is due. This is the surest way to avoid ‘getting behind.” Getting behind leads to hasty, sloppy make-up work and puts you that much closer to an unacceptable grade. . How do you get a good lab partner? Simple. You get a good lab partner by being a good lab partner.

Planet College Caution: Do What The Instructor Says

I once took a course, which required a series of individual in-class presentations from each student. The course outline said the first presentation should be between five to seven minutes. At the beginning of the class in which they were due the instructor said that he would be understanding if the first presentations went over time, even as much as two minutes. The presentations began and occasionally some students went over time. One or two even went to nine minutes. The instructor understood explaining that this was common for the first presentations in this course. That is until one student began her presentation and went on and on and on and on. She went well past the nine minute maximum and as the class grew more restless the instructor warned her to wrap it up soon. When she didn’t he finally stopped her at seventeen minutes. Seventeen minutes. I don’t know what grade she got for the presentation or for the course but I do know this is a blatant example of not doing what the instructor says. The course outline, the handout and the instructor had each said no more than nine minutes maximum. Yet this student persisted. Planet College often calls for basic co-operation and following instructor’s guidelines. These are usually for your benefit as well as the rest of the class. So always, read the course outline and do what the instructor says.

Planet College Caution: Bad Power Point.

As a student and as an instructor I have sat through a lot of visual display presentations. Usually these are computer-based programs like PowerPoint®. Often these presentations were overly detailed with too many pages and too many bullet points per page. It is understandable that the presenters were anxious to get their ideas across. They seem to have lost sight of the fact that visual presentations need only present an outline, the presenter then fills in the outline. Here’s a tip based on my experience. If you choose to use such a program make it brief and to the point. Do not make more than 3-5 display pages and do not use more than three bullet points per page. Keep it simple, really simple.

Planet College Tip: Sign The Roll Sheet.

I have occasionally taken classes from a professor who said at the beginning of the term, “ I don’t really care if you’re here or not.” Ever had one of those? Don’t believe it. One of these same professors passed around a roll sheet at the beginning of the class and another roll sheet near the end of the class period. Get it? It made it easy for him to see not just who was there but who came in late and who left early. So tell me, did he care who was there? Some instructors make a point of telling the class that they don’t care about your attendance. This can make it seem like attendance is discretionary. Don’t be fooled. All instructors care about attendance. When the roll sheet is passed around, be there to sign it. Instructors often use the attendance record of a borderline student to help determine which grade they will ultimately give the student. So be there and sign the roll sheet, every time.

Planet College: Instructors

Your instructor may be a professor, an assistant or associate professor, an instructor, a guest lecturer, part-time instructor or even a TA, a teaching assistant. Whoever they are and whatever they are called, they are the person who is responsible for assigning your grade. Pay careful attention to what they say during class. Pay careful attention to what they deem is important for the course. Examine the syllabus, course outline and every handout the instructor hands out. You are at a university, in a college, in a department, in a program and in a class to get a passing grade. Your grade is assigned by your instructor. Do what the instructor says.

Major Decisions

If you find yourself in such a dilemma regarding choosing a major this is what you need to do. It is assumed that on your campus there is an office that processes students’ records who have applied to graduate. Locate the office on your campus that does so. (If you are on a satellite campus or other such facility the office you need may not be immediately accessible.) Somewhere there is an office with workers who process graduation. These workers are often referred to as evaluators. Find this office. Make an appointment to discuss your current status at the school which you are attending. When you make this appointment tell the worker you will need at least an hour with the evaluator. Bring paper to take notes and at least a general notion of the classes you have taken so far. If this is not your first college you may want to bring copies of any transcripts you may have. Once you meet the evaluator tell him you want a realistic assessment of how close you are to graduation. The evaluator will probably tell you that with out a major it will be difficult to assess your graduation possibilities realistically. At this point explain to the evaluator that you will be using this information to choose a major. While they probably won’t make any recommendations they may have a suggestion or two as to your best options.

Planet College Workers

On your campus: Financial Aid, Administration, Registration, Bursar’s Office, Department office, whatever, they all have workers. These workers are the people you deal with all the time on campus. Whenever dealing with a campus worker be respectful and considerate. They are there to help you graduate. Here is a PlanetCollege® tip: When dealing with a campus worker it is likely you want something from them. Or. They want something from you. Either way it is always wise to be courteous. So, talk to them like you would talk to your mom when you really want something and you don’t know what kind of a mood she is in. Couldn't hurt.

Planet College Tip: Boxes

As an average student you've noticed you move a lot. Off to campus, off to summer school, back home for a term, off for a semester overseas. Moving inevitably involves boxes and around the time you are moving so is every one else. Leaving boxes around campus in short supply. This will take some foresight but most copy places go through a lot of boxes, copy paper boxes. These boxes are sturdy, commodious and have fully covering tops. Ideal for moving and storing. This may take some foresight, something else which is in short supply around campus at any time,but- sometime before, well before your next moving day go by the campus copy center and ask how many boxes they can spare. Even if it is just one, snag it. Get there early and go back often. You are not the only one who knows about boxes from the copy center. By your next moving day you should have enough boxes stored up to pack up neatly. You may even have a few left that you can help out your suite mates with.

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.

Too Cool For School

Eric was a student in an upper division major class. He almost always arrived late and slouched against the wall alongside the last row of desks. When homework was assigned he would bellow loudly, ’Homework. I didn’t know there was going to be homework.” He spent much of his class time on his cell phone or IMing buddies. Although he did attend most class sessions and even turned in the final project no one saw Eric the following semester or any time since. Makes one wonder. Why was Eric here? He always seemed to want to be someplace else. Was he too cool for school?
Is this you? Do you arrive late, leave early, skip assignments and even class.
OK.Here's a pop quiz about your life.
Where do you really want to be?
What do you really want to do?
It is your life.

You may be too cool for school.

Your Graduation Starts Today

On a college campus in Southern California there are banners strung across the walkways. The say “Graduation starts today.” This is an effective reminder of your position on Planet College. Today is the day to take that next step toward graduation. What is it? Go to the library and check out those books your instructor has on reserve? Figure out your schedule for next term? Fill out your FAFSA for next year. Pay the materials fee for your art class?
Whatever it is, today, take another step toward your graduation, today.

Graduation Rates

Technically a graduation rate is the number of students who complete their education within a defined time period after first attempting college. Often these statistics are broken down into gender and ethnicity. Your schools graduation rate is available from the registrar’s office. It may also be available here, nces.ed.gov/ipeds/. Exploring this may be enlightening for you concerning your progress through school. But, be aware. The only graduation that really counts is yours. No matter what your gender, ethnicity, age or physical condition you can complete your education. Six years, seven years, eight years it. It takes what it takes. Just graduate, baby.

Sorry, wrong number.

This is a tale about a student named Greg. But it might be a tale about any student, even you.

Greg was slogging through the last half of his third semester at the University. While toughing out four years at a community college he had adapted a tactic common to many average students. When things look tough drop a class and finish the term with passing grades on the remainder of your schedule. Before we continue you need to know that after a certain point in the term school business, adding, dropping etc, can no longer be done on line. In order to drop a course a student must fill out a form and get signatures from the instructor and the department before turning the form in to the window at the registration office. Courses are identified not by their title but by a five-digit code. So a course could be 13151 or 15131 or any other of the thousands of five digit combinations.

Greg had tanked the mid-term and was in danger of flunking an important course in his major. Greg was passing another required course with an A. Greg’s decision, drop his lowest grading course and press on to the end of the semester with his three remaining courses. While filling out the drop form Greg transposed the last two numbers of the course he had intended to drop. The instructor failed to notice when he signed Greg's drop form. The department secretary simply stamped the form with the Department Chair’s signature without even looking a the course number. The worker at the registration office took the form input the number into the computer and gave Greg a stamped copy of the form. It wasn’t until his final grades were posted that Greg realized what he had done. He had dropped the class he was getting an A in. He remained on the roster for the class he was flunking. He received two Cs a W and an F for the term. These grades seriously affected his already wobbly GPA. They also jeopardized his financial aid standing. Last I saw of Greg he was frantically trying to locate his department secretary to help him set the record straight.

Planet College tip. Check everything. Check everything you turn in. Check it and re-check all forms carefully. You don't want a simple careless error to affect your ability to finish school.

The Turkey Trap.

The work load for most students on Planet College accumulates during the course of the term. Papers, projects, portfolios all pile up with due dates seeming distant. Many students defer working on one or more of these with and optimistic, "I'll do it over break." Break comes, usually Thanksgiving or Spring, a good time is had by all. On the returning journey back to campus many students awaken from a pleasant mid-flight snooze with the sudden awareness,"Oh. My. God. I've got a paper due for my ten o'clock class and I haven't even started it." Sound familiar? Probably. I call this The Turkey Trap. Don't fall for it. If you're an average student, next time you hear your self say, "Oh, I'll do it over break." Get real. You will not. That is what break is for. A time out. Kick back. Party. School? Fugggaadddaboutit. Take a break.

The Advantage Of Making Your Own

Flash Cards. Make your own. See, many many college courses involve some kind of list. Ancient History, Roman Emperors. Chemistry, periodic table of the elements. American History, Battles of The Civil War. Algebraic equations, Geometric theorms, basic verb forms of any foreign language. These basics are essentially lists. And lists lend them selves to flash cards. The advantage of making your own flash cards is you start involving yourself in the material while making the cards. This is an Get a stack of 3x5 file cards. Now, what's the subject? History, Portugese, Fire Science? Find the essential 'list' for this subject. Some may be easier to construct than others. When you found the essential sequence of events, people, dates or theories it's time to write. On each card write on essential fact. It can be in a statement form or a question form. For example, for Basic Chemistry class, Avogadro's number might be written out as a statement.

"Avogadro's number is 6.5 x 1023. This number is used to calculate the number of hydrogen atoms in a molecule." That is one entry for one card.

The information on you card can be written as a question or in the answer question format popularized by the television show, Jeopardy. However you do them, make or buy be sure and carry them with you. Whip them out and go over them when ever you find your self waiting. Put your waiting time to use and Pass That Class.

Flash Cards

Flash Cards. That is the solution to all the time you spend waiting. Flash cards for your Must Pass Class. For practically any subject a deck of flash cards can be found at the campus book store. Most every common college subject is covered. Chemistry formulas, French irregular verbs, English grammar basics, what ever you need. But more importantly you can make your own. All you need is a packet of file cards. Go.

Waiting

Planet College presents many, many opportunities for students to wait. Waiting in line. Waiting for class to start. Waiting for a call. Waiting for a movie to start. Waiting in the dining hall line. Waiting, waiting waiting. Sometimes that seems to be what Planet College is all about. Waiting. What to do with all this uninvited free time? Study of course. But how? Who wants to carry books, notes or a laptop around with them every where they go? What is the solution? See next post.

A Simple Plan.

When faced with a difficult class most students choose avoidance. They don't take it until they absolutely have to. This unfortunately adds to the already fair amount of anxiety they have regarding this class. Anxiety like this sometimes compounded by an unsatisfactory grade from a previous attempt can make passing this class nearly impossible. There is hope. First understand that there is a lot riding on this one class. Just this awareness can help put your effort into perspective. Second develop a simple plan to help yourself get a passing grade. This plan might include arranging your work schedule to allow for more study time for this class. Also, never miss a class session. Never, no matter what. Next, get to every class on time. If it is an 8 am class be there at 8 am. Ready. For this class, this time, get the hand-out or syllabus and actually do what it says. If it includes books and equipment required for the course get the required stuff. Note the dates of important projects and tests for this class. Also note the instructors contact number and office hours, if she has office hours. This is going to be particularly important this term for this class. That's the plan. Get the stuff. Be on time. Never miss a class session. this term, this time, you're gonna pass.

Must Pass Class

Few college students get to graduation without one nearly insurmountable class. This is the class you have to have for your program. Or it’s a pre-requisite for your major. And it seems nearly impossible. For me it was Statistics. Took it twice. Finally passed it. What is yours? This is Planet College post is about your must pass class. Is there a class in your potential program which you have to take. Maybe you’ve already attempted it. Maybe dropped it before you completely tanked. Maybe you didn’t drop it in time. Maybe it is now an F on your not so exemplary transcript. Now your dreading ever seeing the book or the instructor or even that classroom again. But. You still need to take it and pass it. What to do? Stay tuned.

Homeless on Planet College

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s definition of homeless includes a person who has no place to go, no resources to obtain housing. The U.S. Department of Education's definition includes children and youths “who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason”

What might these definitions mean to an average college student?

Students are often nomads. With transitions occurring regularly on Planet College, breaks, summer, moving off campus etc, students commonly lead a wandering life. At times economic necessity means “non-traditional” housing i.e. sleeping in your car, showering in the gym, eating off of someone else’s meal plan, well you probably know the drill by now. This is part of one student’s experience.

When I was homeless in college I sometimes lived in vehicles on campus parking lots or in buildings on campus. A couple of times students called campus security because “some homeless person” was sleeping in the dorm lounge. Security was cool and just told me to move along. I usually showered in the gym and I often ate at campus events. I kept clothing and other stuff in a box on a friends porch. I saved a few bucks here and there during these times. I learned a lot and now I’m putting my experience as well my degree to use as an advocate for the homeless.

This student seems to have put his experience to use for his career. Be advised: Living like this for more than a very short time can me stressful and sometimes disorienting. If you find you are among the housing challenged for more than a few days take stock. Possibly you can trade work for more permanent shelter. Also find someone you can talk with about your current situation. Students are often resourceful and resilient but the sense of isolation that even brief homelessness can bring can be very discouraging.

Loan Management

On Sunday, July First, 2007 in a finance column a student asked about a loan to finish school. The student explained that he (or she) had already taken a small loan for their eduction. They were currently working full time as they had been for most of their college life. This student said that at this point they were finding it difficult to concentrate on school. This was mostly due to their work hours. Thus they were considering a small loan to lighten the load and free up some time to concentrate on graduation. Yet they felt anxious about any more loans which would come due after college. The advisor in the column advised them to take the loan. This exchange brings up a few points about Planet College that are worth noting. First, it was wise of this student to even ask someone about this loan possibility. Often an outside source can cast a light on your situation. This applies to many things but money is so critical that it is almost always a good idea to talk to someone about what is on your mind. Second, this student is following a basic rule of successfully completing your time on Planet College. Keep your loans low. You don't want to return to Planet Earth with too much debt. But in this case this student is aware of the toll that stress working full time is taking. The columnist advised the student to strongly consider the loan. I agree. In this student's situation the loan will help. It will also not add considerably to the students eventual debt.

Something to consider while your on Planet College.

School is Hard, Life Is Harder.

Hi. My name is William H. Morris. I am a professional writer who has worked in higher education for several years as an instructor, counselor and advisor. I had also been a student most of the time at the same school where I was hired to counsel, instruct and advise. Along the way I have noticed two things. One, School is hard. Two, schools, institutions, colleges and universities seem to make it harder. In fact, the usual rules and common regulations of most Institutions of Higher Learning make them other worldly. Almost like another planet. This planet I call Planet College. These entries are intended to help the average student find their way through Planet College and back to Earth. Back to Earth with a real job. School is difficult but so is life and without an education life can be even more difficult.