You can predict who is going to do well in a typical community college class.
You can tell by one special move a student makes.
The student attends the first class.
Now, how could someone raise his or her probably of doing well by simply showing up on the first day? And why should someone show up on the first day? The instructor is only handing out the syllabus, right? Wrong. On the first day, the teacher is looking for the eager expressions, the signs of intelligence. All teachers ask the same thing: “Is this the class in which I find the great thinker? Will this be the quarter?” We teachers look over the roster anxiously, working to put the names to faces. We are interested in those names and faces on the first day because we have been planning a new term for this cast of characters! So what do you think we feel when we call your name and see no answering hand? And how do you think I feel about your potential academic trajectory when you show up on the second or third meeting and explain that you were “on vacation and could not get a flight back sooner.” Oh yes, I have heard this and worse. And as much as I work with the late-arriving student, I can never seem to get him or her excited about the course. I used to worry about these latecomers, but now I do not.
How to handle the first week’s pressures
Whatever you think you have to do at the start of a new quarter at community college, the most important task is to show up at all the classes you may be taking. If you are bouncing back and forth between overloaded English classes, be patient. Students with overloads will drop, and you will get in somewhere—but go to both classes. Make it clear to both teachers that whatever the outcome, you are attending classes. If I notice that a student is really trying to squeeze into class, I will help them. Why? I know that when the assignments get tougher, that student will probably push hard again to succeed!
What are some other hints about doing well?
What is the other secret to doing well? Be focused about getting your book ahead of time. Books are expensive and lines are long, and sometimes students do not plan ahead, but I put copies of my textbooks on reserve in the library. You can look at the books and think about the purchase for free. You can do this far in advance, and then order your own book, if you wish, online. Please do not wait until a week before class to order your book online. As class progresses, you are responsible for all reading assignments—whether you “have” the book or not. We have only 19 or so meetings in the usual quarter, and far fewer in summer. The first weeks are the most important for getting essential reading done. I also test frequently to be sure you are on target. So, you can be pretty behind if you are bookless and you fail to start reading by the beginning of class.
What can you do to ensure that you understand the material?
What is another important secret to doing well? Make sure you understand the material by re-viewing lectures. Look at the class website, the one behind the firewall, to which all registered students have access! You can look ahead, listen to or view lectures, read sample papers, view sample documents, and consult my lists of excellent materials to read. You can get an accurate, global picture of what we are doing and where we are going, 24 hours a day! Soon, you will even be able to upload lectures to your iPod, so it’s worth checking out my site. Why is this important? You have a chance to go over class materials and listen to me in private, without distractions.
What if you feel overwhelmed?
Come talk with me. I am invested in your progress and I want to see this through with you.