Hints for Classroom Success
HELPFUL HINTS FOR CLASSROOM SUCCESS
Understanding Your Instructor's Requirements
College differs from high school in a number of important ways. Academic success depends heavily upon knowing what each faculty member requires. You will find that requirements differ significantly from one faculty member to another. You should make every effort to:
• Attend the first day of class. Faculty members use the first day of class to provide an overview of the course and to explain their expectations. Before the first day of classes, take the time necessary to find the location for each of your classes and determine how long it takes to get from one class to the next.
• Read the syllabus for each of your classes thoroughly. Don't be afraid to ask about anything you do not understand. Keep your syllabus with class materials so that you can keep track of assignments and due dates.
• Determine the office hours for each of your professors. Also, ask each faculty member if he/she will accept questions by email.
First year students often experience difficulty meeting the expectations of faculty members. These common sense guidelines may help first year students avoid situations that contribute to the academic failure of students.
Attending Class
The majority of James Madison University's faculty members have classroom attendance policies. In fact, some faculty members will reduce your grade or assign an "F" for the course if you miss a certain number of classes. Faculty members have the discretion to establish their own attendance policies. Regardless of specific classroom attendance policies, all students should make every effort to:
• Understand their faculty member's attendance policy and abide by it.
• Arrive to class on time. This is a common courtesy to your instructor and your classmates.
• Stay for the entire class period. Leaving in the middle of class disrupts learning for your classmates and distracts the instructor.
• If you know in advance that you must leave a class early, ask the instructor for permission to leave before the start of class.
• If you need to leave class early, sit near the door so that you can leave quietly.
• If you know in advance that you will be absent from class, notify the instructor.
• If you should, for some reason, be late to class, slip quietly into the room and sit in the closest available seat.
• If you miss a class, without obtaining permission of your professor, notify him or her as soon as possible regarding the reason for you absence. Do not provide a false excuse.
• If you should miss a class, it is your responsibility to obtain any necessary information regarding the class or future assignments. Do not ask the instructor, "Did I miss anything important?"
• Be prepared to provide your instructor any necessary documentation to justify an absence from class.
Classroom Behavior
James Madison University's faculty expect students to behave in a manner which will facilitate active learning. Avoid behaviors that detract from active learning.
• Engage only in appropriate course related conversations or discussions with other students.
• During class, read only course related material.
• During class, only listen to course related material.
• Turn off beepers and cell phones.
• Make every effort not to interrupt other students participating in class discussions.
• Make every effort to use appropriate language during class discussions.
• Pack up your books only after class is dismissed.
• Be attentive and courteous to guest speakers.
• When class is over, ensure that you are not leaving anything behind, such as stray papers, soda cans, newspapers, etc.
Classroom Performance
Many students find it much more difficult than anticipated to balance the academic requirements of their courses with other activities and responsibilities. College courses move with far greater speed than those in high school. They require students to integrate material presented in class with material instructors expect students to master independently, outside of class. Equally important, new college students often find it difficult to adjust to having more than one exam on the same day or exams in most of their courses during the same week. Students who experience difficulty adjusting to this academic environment often find themselves in academic difficulty.
• A college student must be proactive and take charge of the learning process.
• Come to class prepared to learn and to participate. That means completing all required homework and readings prior to class.
• Be prepared to seek out help from faculty members or appropriate academic support services as soon as you experience significant difficulty in a course.
• Keep a calendar of examination dates and due dates for assignments. Plan to complete your work before the due date as an insurance against an unexpected illness or emergency.
• Understand that illness, forgetfulness, and having too many assignments due at once are not legitimate excuses for failing to complete assigned work on time.
• If you are unable to complete an assignment on time, don't make up an excuse in an effort to obtain an extension. Such conduct may subject you to a charge of violating the honor code.
• Turn in all work on time and do not expect faculty to give you extensions.
• Question exam or assignment grades only during the instructor's office hours or at a scheduled meeting, not at the end of the class period during which the instructor returns exams or assignments.
Coping with Academic Problems
Many students graduate from JMU without ever experiencing serious academic problems; however, some others who have good intentions find themselves in trouble during their first year. These include students who have not made academic success a high priority or students who are overwhelmed by the pace and intellectual demands of college courses. If you find yourself in academic difficulty, it is important to take corrective action as soon as possible.
• At the first moment you realize that you are experiencing academic problems meet with your instructor and discuss how you might improve your classroom performance. Most instructors will offer useful suggestions for how to do better in class and on homework assignments, on tests and quizzes.
• Talk with your freshman adviser. Your freshman adviser has significant experience helping freshmen with their academic problems.
• Make use of academic support services available on the JMU campus such as those cited below.
• The Counseling and Student Development Center, located in Varner House, sponsors the Educational Skills Program, which offers workshops in:
Test taking
Time management
Stress management
Motivation, concentration, procrastination, and basic study skills.
• The Reading and Writing Support Lab, located in Wilson Hall, offers a number of programs that help students:
Improve their writing skills in any freshman-level course
Enhance their reading skills in any class where they are experiencing difficulty.
Improve their test-taking skills.
• The Science and Math Learning Center offers assistance to students who want to improve their performance in 100-level and some 200-level math courses.
• The Supplemental Instruction Program offers assistance to students in courses with a historically high percentage of students receiving D's, F's, or W's.