If you haven’t yet visited the professors for the classes you’re taking this semester, Go Now! Make sure your teachers know you—your name and your face—and understand that you have been working hard in their  class this semester. If they don’t know you as more than just an entry on the class role, they can’t respond to as a person. I can tell you when we’re considering grades—it helps when your professor can put a face to a name.

See every teacher from every course, outside of the class time this week, before the semester ends. The biggest chunk of the money you spend on college pays for your professors, so go see them, use the time you’ve paid for, 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 these 5 things:

1. Be prepared! Show your instructor that you have read and thought about the material covered in class during the semester – especially if this is the first time you have met with him/her. If you don’t understand something covered in class, you must get some help now before the semester ends. Formulate reasonable questions beforehand so the meeting will be beneficial for you and, your instructor will gain more appreciation for your efforts in class regardless of how well you’ve done.
2. Asking open-ended questions about the class will give you more credibility. For example, “What can I do, other than the assignments, to improve my performance in class?” Keep in mind that this is not a request for more work because you didn’t do the work already assigned. If you have not done as well as you wanted in the class, this request should be for things you can do to improve your understanding of what has already been covered in class before the semester ends, not more work to substitute for what should have been completed earlier in the semester.
3. 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, taking into consideration doing the other things they suggested to improve your understanding of course material. 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.
4. 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.
5. Be grateful. Make sure your professor knows you appreciate the help and advice you are given. Saying thank you, and meaning it, is important.

You’ll find more information and advice on the benefits of talking to your professors and, you can 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.

There are only a few more weeks in this semester so, if you haven’t already, read the syllabus for each class you’re taking. Really read it. The syllabus is the definitive action plan for great grades in every class. Have you  turned in all the work that was required? If you’ve missed an assignment, you’ll need to talk to your professor about it right now. Don’t wait until the last minute and then ask for something that can’t be done.

Do you know when your exams are scheduled? Check and double check—with your professor. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had students miss an exam then come to me in desperation because they “thought the exam was—(fill in the wrong date/time/place).”

From the syllabus in every class you should:

• Confirm how you’re going to be graded in class so you can get a good estimate of how you are doing and the grade you will get. Use my “How Am I Doing Worksheet” to figure this out.
• Note any other information about how the class is being run and what is expected of you. If there are other requirements, like class attendance, that factor into your grade make sure you have been marked present for all classes you attended. If you need to, talk to your professor about absences so he/she knows why you missed class. Professors have lives too, they understand things can come up.
• Don’t ask your professor for extra work to pull your grade up now. It is the end of the semester for your professor as well; they do not have time to custom tailor extra credit assignments for each person in the class. Instead, focus on doing the best you can with the remaining work in the class and talk with your professor about the best grade you can get in the class.
• If necessary, take the lesson. If you ignored the syllabus and did not keep up with how you were doing throughout the semester you may not earn the grade you wanted. However, you’ve learned something valuable and, now that you know better, you’ll use the syllabus as an action plan to do better.

One of your most valuable and probably under-utilized resources is your academic advisor. They do more than sign your advisement form. With access to your academic past (what courses you’ve already taken), present (what courses you’re taking now)  and, your future (what you’ll need to graduate), your adviser has the best view of your academic future.  Additionally, with the experience they’ve gained from successfully shepherding other students through the college experience, they have information and insight that is vital to successful completion of this semester and every semester until graduation—no crystal ball needed.

We are now a few weeks from the end of the semester; meet with your advisor as soon as possible. You have your mid-term grades so now is the time to be honest with yourself and your advisor about your prospects for the rest of this academic year. This is also how you begin planning for next semester. When you see your advisor do the following five things:

1. 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 have the answers to these questions.
2. Ask them to review with you what your curriculum is going forward and what if any changes you need to make or accommodate.
3. Look at your present course load – are they aware of any challenges? Should you arrange or rearrange what you’re taking in future semesters?
4. 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.
5. 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.

Have more questions? There’s more information and advice on working with your advisor in Chapter 9 of College In Four Years or, leave me a comment and I’m happy to answer your questions.