Personal Responsibility for Success

A college education is aligned with greater success in many areas of life. While enrolled in college, most students are closely focused on making it through the next class or passing the next test. It can be easy to lose sight of the overall role that education plays in life. But sometimes, it helps to recall what a truly great step forward you are taking!

It’s also important to recognize that some students do not succeed in college and drop out within the first year. Sometimes this is due to financial problems or a personal or family crisis. But most of the time, students drop out because they’re having trouble passing their courses.

Are there patterns of success you strive for but aren’t yet reaching? Where might you shore up your support? What strategies can you use to achieve success in your college endeavors?

Defining Success in College

How do you define college success? The definition depends on you. You might think that “success” is earning an associate’s degree or attending classes in a four-year college. Maybe success is a bachelor’s or master’s degree or a PhD. Maybe success means receiving a certificate of completion or finishing skill-based training.

You might be thinking of other measures of college success, too—like grades. For instance, you might be unhappy with anything less than an A in a course, although maybe this depends on the difficulty of the subject. As long as you pass with a C, you might be perfectly content. But no matter how you define success personally, you probably wouldn’t think it means earning a D or lower in a class.

So, if most students believe that passing a class is the minimum requirement for “success,” and if most students want to be successful in their courses, why aren’t more college students consistently successful in the classroom?

So if you feel you are not smart enough for college, ask yourself if you can implement some of these skills. Can you make more time for learning? One approach is to create a regular study schedule and make sure you allow ample time. Most college success experts agree that students should study two hours outside of class for every hour in class. Only break away from your committed schedule if an extreme situation prevents you from sticking to it.

Another strategy to consider implementing is group study. For example, rather than relying just on your knowledge, notes, and skills, try studying with other students in your difficult classes. Studying in a group gives every group member a chance to ask questions and talk about concepts.

You can also add a tutor to your study group. You will really be able to notice a positive difference. Tutoring at Westmoreland is free, and the strategies and knowledge you gain will be invaluable. Usually, tutors have taken the class you are currently enrolled in, and they are trained to get the best out of you.

Overall, students struggle in college, not because of natural intellect or smarts, but because of time management, organization, and a lack of quality study time. The good news is that there are ways to combat this, specifically by doing things like creating a regular study schedule, studying in groups, meeting with your instructor during office hours, and taking advantage of Westmoreland's academic services, like Brainfuse Tutoring (online tutoring service, accessible in D2L) and the Tutoring & Learning Services department.

How Grades Play a Role in Shaping Success

In a recent online discussion at a student-support website, a college freshman posted the following concern about how serious he should be about getting good grades:

How would you answer this student’s question, given what you know and sense about college life? Grades do matter to your success, right? Or . . . do they? The answer depends on who you ask and what your college and career goals are. But consider:

• Undergraduate grades have been shown to have a positive impact on obtaining employment related to your degree.

• Grades also have been shown to have a positive net impact on your occupational status and earnings.

• Getting good grades, particularly in the first year of college, is important to your academic success throughout your college years.

• Grades are probably the best predictors of your persistence, ability to graduate, and prospects for continuing your education.

You stand to gain immeasurably when you get good grades.

Grades and Your Success

• Your first year accounts for a significant portion of grades that can be used in getting an internship.

• Your first year can account for a significant portion of grades that matter to starting your career.

• Top companies can have early recruitment programs that begin identifying prospective students and looking at grades as early as your second year.

• Many top clubs and major-specific honoraries on campus look at your grades in the screening process.

• When you get good grades in your first-year, you tend to keep getting good grades in the terms that follow.

• Instructors tend to give the benefit of the doubt to students who earn good grades throughout the term.

The best advice is to commit to making your freshman year count. Make it the absolute best. The earlier you can establish good habits during this time, the easier your future years will be—not just in college but in your work environment, home, and beyond.

Tips for First-Year Students Embarking on Academic Success

The following is a list of tips from an instructor and is for students embarking on their journey to academic success:

Ensuring Success in Your First Year

It is important to know that college success is a responsibility Westmoreland shares with you. Ideally, we'd work together to create as many opportunities for your success as possible. But the keyword is "together." We need you just as much as you need us.

Why is the first year of college so important? So much happens that year! Shouldn’t there be a grace period for the newest students to get acclimated to college before the pressure sets in?

The fact is that the first year of college is the most crucial time in your college life. So much is happening, but it serves to establish your trajectory to success.

Words of Wisdom

From a student quoted in Foundations of Academic Success: Words of Wisdom: