Category Archives: Higher Education

A Remarkable Return on Investment

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Commencement 2015 GMS with StudentsLast Saturday was Bowie State University’s Commencement, an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the years of hard work my students invested in their futures. I’m a professor of finance so I often see a financial a correlation in things and that is why I think of graduation as when I am generously paid dividends on my investment in my students. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to see them stride across that stage, diplomas in hand. That Bachelor of Science or Master in Business Administration is what I work toward with each and every student I teach and there is no financial measure for the pride I have in my students’ achievements.

Congratulations Class of 2015 and thank you for such a great return on our investment in each other.

GradeUP! Challenge #14: Knowing The Art Of No-ing

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When to say noMillions of you are headed back to campus for the final weeks of the semester. During the first part of the semester you may have experienced how challenging time management and staying focused is, and will be, throughout your college careers. Through personal experience and conversations with my students, I’ve learned that mastering the skill of setting priorities and learning how to say “No,” can help you manage your time and sharpen your focus with great results. How well you deal with requests from other people for your time and effort will determine how successful you are at staying on course to graduation. This is especially true for if you’re doing well in school. Everyone wants a bit of your brilliance so you have to be careful not to burn yourself out.

Jill, a student of mine who was doing well came to see me just before the end of last semester. She flopped down in a chair in front of my desk, exhausted and stressed.

“I just can’t keep up with everything. It’s just too much,” she said. “I’m taking 15 hours to stay on track to graduate in four years, it takes a lot of time to do well in all my classes. I’ve made many friends that I like to go out with a lot. Then there are extracurricular activities I’d like to be involved in. There just isn’t enough time for everything I need to do, want to do or other people want me to do. Now, I don’t know what to do. ”

I told Jill, “I understand. I’ve got more to do than time to do it as well. Each activity or person outside of your course work wants just a little bit of your time but all of those little bits add up to more time than you have to give. The first thing you must remember is that your classes comes first. That is your priority; it is what you’re in college and paying for. Your education ensures your future. Plan any other activities around that fact. During each semester, I want you to plan each week in the semester by what you need to get done in your classes; then refer to that plan before committing to anything else. You’ll see right away which weeks your study load will be lighter than others – those are times you’ll have more time to play. You’ll know in advance when you’ve got two papers due, a research project and an exam, that’s when you’ll  have to say ‘no’ to any one and anything that tries to knock you off track.”

“That’s easier said than done,” Jill said “my friends can be pretty persistent, sometime they wear me down.”

“Then you’re going to have to learn how to say “no,” empathetically or emphatically.”

“What does that mean?” Jill asked.

“The empathetic no lets your friends down easy, ‘I’d love to go with you but I just can’t. I know you’re going to have a great time and I really wish I could be with you but I have to put this time in to pass this class.’ The emphatic no is just NO – you pull this out when the empathetic no doesn’t work.”

Jill laughed, “I’m going to have to use the emphatic no a lot.”

“Not necessarily,” I said. “The beauty of having your study schedule mapped for the semester the way I suggested, is that you can actually see where you can move some things around so that you can do other things, and still get everything done. That’s knowing when and how to say no.”

“I’m going to use this,” Jill said. “Thanks, Dr. Sawyer! Or should I call you, “Dr. Know.”

“Is that ‘k-n-o-w’ or ‘n-o,’” I asked.

“Both,” she said as she left my office smiling.

GradeUP! Challenge #9: The Conundrum of College Camaraderie

Higher Education, Mentoring Students, Success In College, , , , ,
by Scarlet Ortiz on flickr
by Scarlet Ortiz on Flickr

One of the things that makes college life so special is that you will never be in a place where you have so much in common with so many people. Making new friends will never be easier;  there are many opportunities and activities inside and outside the classroom – more than you can possibly manage. There will always be someone to invite – or tempt – you to lose sight of your priorities. Put school and your objectives first. The fun you had with your friends, even  the money you made working a part- or full-time job, will just be memories when you graduate and start a career. However, your academic performance will follow you for years.

Be  honest with yourself about how much you can really take on and do well while you’re in college. Can you really work 30 hours every week and go to school full-time and make the dean’s list? Failing grades can be a sobering lesson. Seek help if you can’t accommodate it all. Share your concerns with anyone who can assist you – a parent, mentor or other anyone who is invested in or supports your success. Just be sure that those who support you do not confuse your college experience with theirs – your reality is what you and your support team have to focus on. Also give your professors as much information as possible so that they too can help you succeed.  Remember that:

  • Nobody is going to ask about how much fun you had in college or care how many friends you had. They won’t ask how much money you made on jobs to support yourself unless those jobs are related to your degree and make you better qualified for a position.
  • Many people – the ones important to your future – will ask what you studied and how well you did. What’s more, they will make pivotal decisions that affect your future, including job offers, based on your answers. Doing well in school is what’s most important. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.

There is a lot  more information about how to stay focused on success in Chapters 5, 6 and 7 of College In Four Years: Making Every Semester Count.

Grade UP! Challenge #7: To Be Good With Numbers, You’ve Got to Get to Know Them First

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black and white numbers

In GradeUP Challenge #6, I showed you how to create your own outlines to help you learn in a way that best suits you. Another reason to create personalized outlines is so that you read about and understand the underlying concepts before trying to use them to answer questions and solve problems. This applies to all classes and all levels of study.

A student I’m advising came to my office thoroughly frustrated because she was failing economics for the third time. She said she was able to answer questions on tests but couldn’t do the problems – even after doing the homework assignments. I asked her how she did the problems assigned. Here is her process:

  • Look over her class notes for understanding;
  • Try to do the homework problems;
  • If she couldn’t, she’d go to the part of the textbook that seemed relevant and read that for the first time;
  • Try the problem again;
  • Keep doing this until she got the problem right or gave up on it and asked the teacher to show her how to solve the problem.

After all this effort, she couldn’t even figure out how to get started with problems on tests. I told her she needed to use the outlining techniques that I shared with you in Challenge #6  to understand the concepts that the problems are based on before trying to solve them.  Here’s a the process:

  • Create your own outline;
  • Study sample problems in the chapter to understand how the concepts were used to identify and solve the problems before trying your homework;
  • Use this information to know what kind of problems you have and what you need to do to solve them before you start working on them – in other words, have a strategy for solving the problem before trying to solve it;
  • Use your strategy to solve the problem.

There is more in-depth information on creating your problem solving strategies in Chapter 19 of College In Four Years.

GradeUP! Challenge #6: You Can’t Study Your Textbook!

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  • studying-studentIn the last post, I talked about how to use your textbook to prepare for and get the most out of your classes. You’re a few weeks into the semester so you’re probably preparing for a test on the material you’ve covered so far – let’s talk about how you prep for that.

First, don’t use your textbook to study for your test – it was never meant for that. The textbook is a reference source of all information about certain topics and concepts – you can’t remember all of what is in there. That’s why there are study guides that go with textbooks. However, you need to create your own custom study guide, one that works for you, not a generic one written by someone else. The best way to fully grasp the information that you’ll need to retain for an exam and use as a foundation for more learning is to process what’s in the text – not memorize the text. Here’s how you do that:

  • Get organized. Gather together everything you need to know and understand for the test – text, notes, handouts, your syllabus;
  • Using the textbook do the following;
    • Read a portion of the material you are responsible for on the test;
    • Close your book and summarize what you read in your own words – don’t look back at the book and don’t use or copy what the author wrote;
    • Read the section in the book again to see if your summary includes all of the important points;
    • If you missed some of the material, it means either you didn’t remember or you didn’t understand so go over that material again, summarize it;
    • Repeat the process for the next section of the text and repeat until you have created your own outline for all the material you are responsible for knowing for the exam;
  • Use this same technique for any additional resource material you need to know for the exam. Use the syllabus to make sure you’ve covered all the material you’re responsible for;
  • Don’t use anyone else’s study guide – you must do your own. This process creates a study guide specifically tailored to the way you process and learn material;
  • Now, use your study guide to prepare for the test. Don’t study the book or that stack of class notes – you’ve covered that in creating your guide so everything you need to know is in it.

Yes, this will take time – a lot longer than just reading the material but it is the best way to actually understand and be able to use what you learned when test time comes because doing your study guide well requires that you understand everything you outlined. You can’t finesse this – you’ve either got it or you need to go back to your resources and get it. Getting that understanding and creating your study guide is when learning takes place. When you’re finished, you will know and understand everything in it because that is the only way you could have done the guide well. A bonus, you’ve already started your comprehensive study guide for finals!

In Chapter 11 of College In Four Years, “How to Use Your Textbook the Right Way,” you’ll find more information on how to outline different types of study material to maximize understanding and ensure it works well for you.

Next GradeUp! Challenge, Tuesday, February 24.

GradeUP! Challenge #4: Go To The Source – See The Decision Maker

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Exit from labyrinthYou are going to need help to complete college successfully. Everyone does. If you’re in college to earn a degree and graduate with great job prospects, you’ll need some help along the way. Be it academic, career planning, social or emotional issues – stuff comes up during the semester and there are resources on campus to get you the help you need. To access the right advice at the right time the following rules always apply:

Never hesitate to ask for assistance. If you think you need help, ask. If you think you’ve got this, ask anyway. In college you are surrounded by a wealth of information; access as much of it as you can, whenever you can. At no other time in life will you be in a place where the primary goal and objective of everyone there is to help you succeed.

Go to the source. When you need information that’s important to your success always go to the source of that information and, when you can, go to more than one source to verify what you have been told. Don’t go the source that is convenient or that will give you the information you want to hear – like your roommate, Facebook, the Internet or people who can only tell you what they’ve “heard.” Remember, an opinion spoken and repeated twice becomes fact. The first time it’s “I think” the second time it’s “I heard” and the third time it’s a fact! Don’t be misled this way. Go to the person who is responsible for creating and disseminating the information you need. You’ve been to see your advisor – (Challenge #1) and you should have talked to your professors (Challenge #3). Visit the registrar to confirm you’re on track to graduate on time. Register with the career office to get information on the job market. If you didn’t get the information you seek directly from the source – it’s all just hearsay.

Go to the decision maker. Make sure you are always dealing with the decision maker and that they are empowered with the authority to make a decision and stand by it. No one else can give you the definitive answers you need. Others can tell you about decisions that have been made in the past or what they think about the decision; but if they are not the decision maker, they can’t ensure your outcome and the only one with something at risk is you. Don’t take chances with your college success. Always go to the person with the authority to make a decision you can count on – preferably in writing.

Knowing when, where and who to ask for advice is key to success in college and in life.

Next GradeUP! Challenge post on Tuesday, February 17.

GradeUP! Challenge #3: Go See Your Professors

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student-talking-to-college-professor - croppedIf you haven’t yet visited the professors for the classes you’re taking this semester, Go Now! Make sure your teachers know you and understand that you’re serious about doing well in their classes. If they know you as more than just a name— you give your professors the opportunity to respond to you as a person, not just a name or number on the class roll.

See every teacher from every course, outside of the class time, at least once during the semester. The biggest chunk of the money you spend on college pays for your professors, so go see them, make them know you, let them help you and get your money’s worth!

When you go to see your professor, you’re not just going to introduce yourself – try to accomplish the following:

  • Be prepared! Show your instructor that you have read and thought about the material you’re covering in class. If you don’t understand something, formulate reasonable questions beforehand so the meeting will be beneficial for you and your instructor will gain more appreciation for you as a scholar.
  • Ask open-ended questions about the class. For example, “What can I do, other than the assignments, to improve my performance in class?” or “ Are there things you can tell me that I should avoid doing in this class to improve my performance?”
  • Ask your instructor how he/she thinks you are doing in class and whether he/she can project a grade for you based on your performance so far. This is the assessment that counts. Find out how it is being made and the best ways to monitor/influence your performance in a positive way.
  • Act on the advice you are given. If your instructor suggests that you do something to improve your performance in class, do it and make sure he/she knows you did it.
  • Be grateful. Make sure your professor knows you appreciate the help and advice you are given. Saying thank you, and meaning it, is important.

Get more information and advice on the benefits of talking to your professors and, read about the time a visit to a professor saved my grade in Good Players Talk to the Coach, Chapter 15 of College in Four Years. If you don’t yet have College in Four Years, during the GradeUP! Challenge you can purchase the book for $14.99 (normally $19.99), a special 25% discount. I’ve set up a special College in Four Years storefront that will only be open during the Challenge and it is the only place you can buy the book for $14.99.

To get the discount enter the code BBQ86MXV at checkout from the special College in Four Years GradeUP! Challenge storefront. Use this direct link to the storefront.
If you prefer an eBook, you can purchase it for $9.99 on Amazon.com.

Next GradeUP! Challenge,Thursday, 2/12: Why your professor isn’t the only person you need to see.

 

GradeUP! Challenge #2: Make Your Syllabus Your Action Plan

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Syllabus from Flickr by Grace KatRead the syllabus for each class you’re taking. Really read them – all of them. Find out what is expected of you and when, then use a planner – paper, electronic, virtual – and plan out what you need to do and when you plan to do it so you stay current in all your classes. If you don’t have a system for scheduling your time – get one NOW! Don’t get behind because trying to catch up and keep up at the same time is a losing proposition.

From the syllabus in every class you should:

  • Confirm the location and time for class – be there on time from the first day forward.
  • Learn the instructor’s name, office location, contact information and office hours so you’ll know who to contact and how to contact them when you have questions about class;
  • Find out what you need for class – the textbook (if it’s required) and any other material or equipment, (calculator, software package, etc.) you’ll need to be successful. Get everything now, not having the materials is not an excuse for not doing your work;
  • Understand the assignments for each class including reading, homework, projects, reports – know when each is due then schedule when you plan to tackle that assignment so you can turn it in on time;
  • Know when exams are scheduled and what they will cover so you can plan when and how to prepare for them;
  • Find out how you’re going to be graded in class so you’ll know how you’re doing at any time during the semester (more about this in a subsequent post;
  • Note any other information about how the class is going to be run and what is expected of you; and
  • Find out anything that you think you need to know to get the most out of each class, now is the time to ask for it.

The next Challenge posts on Tuesday, 2/10/15. Learn more about the GradeUP! Challenge here. 

To let me know what you think about this post and the GradeUP! Challenge, please leave a comment below.

GradeUP Challenge #1: Talk To Your Advisor

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Academic advisor - croppedOne of your most valuable and probably most under-utilized resources is your academic advisor. They do more than sign your advisement form. Your adviser actually has the best view of your academic future  – no crystal ball needed. With access to your academic past (what courses you’ve already taken), present (what courses you’re taking now) and future (what you’ll need to graduate) and the experience they’ve gained from successfully shepherding other students through the college experience – they have some valuable skills.

Meet with your advisor as early in the semester as possible – before the drop/add date in case you need to make changes to your schedule. When you see your advisor do the following:

  • Talk to them about your performance last semester. Discuss why you got the grades you did and how to keep doing what you did right or how to fix what didn’t work. They actually have the answers to these questions.
  • Ask them to review with you what your curriculum is going forward and what if any changes you need to make or accommodate.
  • Look at your present course load – are they aware of any particular challenges? Should you arrange or rearrange what you’re taking this semester?
  • Talk to your advisor about scheduling classes so you’re not trying to take a spring course in the fall or a fall course in the spring.
  • Talk to you advisor about when you should take your courses to ensure you meet all the prerequisites when you want to take a course that requires them.

Get more information and advice on working with your advisor in Chapter 9 of College In Four Years.

Grade Up Logo - jpeg-rev

Let me know what you think about this post and the Challenge.  Please leave a comment below.

The next Challenge posts on Thursday, 2/5/15. Learn more about the GradeUP! Challenge here. 

 

College In Four Years Challenges Students to GradeUP!

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Grade Up Logo - jpeg-revSo, how were those first semester grades? Are you on track to ace this year or will you need to improve to finish strong? Either way, it is the beginning of the second semester and you have to start now to make this semester count. To finish strong you have to start the semester strong; then stay on it through mid-terms and finals. This semester, I’m here to help you do that.

Tuesday, February 3, I’m kicking off the first College in Four Years Grade-Up! Challenge. For the next 15 weeks – through the end of the spring semester – every Tuesday and Thursday I’ll post a task designed to help you work smarter, not harder, to get the grades you want this semester. The tasks are short, easy to accomplish and, they integrate and enhance what you should be doing to earn your degree. GradeUp! tasks are not optional – they’re essential and work for any class, all majors and students at any academic level. The GradeUp! Challenge tasks are tools to help you succeed in college and beyond.

To join the GradeUp! Challenge, click the orange Follow button to the right. I’ll notify you by email when a new post is available or, follow me on twitter @ProfGMS you’ll find the GradeUp! Challenge Tasks on my profile page or use #Ci4YGradeUP hashtag.

The goal is Graduation so, Tuesday 2/3, GradeUp! and let’s get started.