Transcript A message for your child as they go off to college

From my twenty years in higher education teaching and administration, here are the top 10 points of
advice for parents to tell their child going off to college.
1) You have prepared thirteen years for college. You are ready. Go do your best. This is your
future and your time.
2) Plan your time well: Expect for every hour you spend in class you may have up to three hours of
homework and study. So be prepared to put in the time to study. If you are taking 15 credit
hours, then potentially you have another 45 hours of studying a week to be successful. That
means a sixty hour week for studying. Be prepared before you go to class.
3) Take notes, compare notes with classmates, and rewrite your notes for both lectures and the
readings. Maximize learning takes place after you have gone over the reading three times. For
quantitative classes do all homework problems and more.
4) Take care of your health both mentally and physically. Exercise and practice stress management
techniques. Practice positive self- talk and meditation. You’ll function best if you are relaxed
and refreshed.
5) Seek out achieving students. Find other students that do well and compare your formulas for
success.
6) Study every day and plan to take some time to relax over the weekend and enjoy what your
school has to offer.
7) Participate in student life. Find a club, intramural sport, or music group where you have
common interests with other students.
8) Get to know your professors to the extent that you may. If you are sitting in a large lecture hall,
chances are slim that they will know who you are, but make an effort to participate in class.
Know that they syllabus a professor provides is a contract. If the professor deviates or changes
it, then complain to administration immediately. Note any excessive tardiness by the instructor
and report it. You are paying for the instructor’s full participation.
9) Take ownership of your major and class schedule. Know specifically the classes you need to
take and the order in which you take them. Balance more rigorous classes with classes that
make you more comfortable.
10) Don’t do anything stupid or hang around with those that would. Set boundaries on your
behavior and those around you. Be cautious about your relationships. Bad conduct gets you
kicked out of college and an opportunity like college will vanish quickly with any bad behavior.
Go do your best! Achieve and be proud of your accomplishment. Like most of us, you will treasure
your college years for the rest of your life.
©Alan T. Nichols July 9, 2015