Cindy’s Other Blog

Here is some pretty sobering news. Well under forty percent of the students who begin college earn a degree in four years.

Some colleges lose half their entering classes within a year. While persistence and graduation rates are far higher at top tier institutions, even the most motivated, best prepared students are the victims of five classic mistakes. The good news is that all five can be avoided.

1. Do not think that the quantity or quality of academic work that got you through high school will get you through college. You do not have to be a rocket scientist to get through college, but you do have to be smart enough to recognize what is required.

2. Don’t think you can burn the candle at both ends. Scientific research has proven that traditional college age students need an absolute minimum of eight hours of sleep a night to function well.

3. Avoid alcohol consumption on evenings preceeding classes, and if you must drink at other times, do so responsibly. Binge drinking and/or drinking to become intoxicated will hurt you on many levels.

4. Do not procrastinate. Begin each semester by reviewing the syllabi of your courses and drawing up a schedule which includes the dates on which your major assignments are due. Then, stick to your schedule.

5. Perhaps the very worst mistake a college student can make is cutting classes. I do not have to explain why, right? Attend all of your classes…no exceptions. You will like the results you get.

These pretty simple suggestions are the key to earning the degree you want. It really is not complicated at all.