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.