Your first year in college will be especially important. For many students, the first year is the most challenging because of major changes: new people in your life, new independence, new responsibilities, new subjects to study, and new disciplines to embrace. Your greatest new challenge may be balancing school, your family, and a job.

To help you navigate these changes and establish firm footing, you are offered this college-success learning experience. It will guide you in building upon your current talents, skills, and interests in order to gain new ones, including:

What You're Up Against

Your first year in college is vital. Research suggests that how well (or not well) you do in your first semester can predict your performance in future semesters. This is one reason Westmoreland (and other colleges) insist you take this course. For many students, the first year is the most challenging because it's a major life change: new people in your life, new independence, new responsibilities, and new subjects to study, among other things. Your greatest new challenge will be how well you can balance all of that with the other responsibilities in your life.

We built the content of this course with that in mind for you. So when you think, "This course is going to be a waste of my time," sure, that could be true. It also might not be. We know you're busy. We know you've taken courses like this before. And we know that you've lived enough years to have experience. That's why we put great care and thought into each Module, so that hopefully in the end, you'll say, "This course wasn't a waste of my time."

Ensuring Success in Your First Year

It is important to know that college success is a responsibility Westmoreland shares with you. Ideally, we'll work together to create as many opportunities for you to succeed as possible. But the keyword is "together." We need you just as much as you'll need us. There will be times when you lose sight of your ultimate goal, especially when you're in the thick of things. It's in those moments, we'll be there for you.

Defining Success in College

Let’s talk about “academic success.” In terms of schooling, what does that phrase mean? Is it earning an associate’s degree? How about a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate? Transferring to a four-year institution? Or maybe success means receiving a certificate of completion or finishing skill-based training.

Are grades a motivational tool for you? You might be unhappy with anything less than an A in a course. Or, as long as you pass with a C, you're perfectly content. Regardless, you are the only one who can define "academic success" for yourself. No matter how you define it, all of us at Westmoreland can help you get there—just say the word.

Personal Responsibility

It’s important to recognize that some students drop out of college within the first year for reasons unrelated to academic performance. Life and other priorities, whether that's financial, personal, family, or a combination of many things, are often a culprit.

With that in mind, what can you do to stay ahead of the non-academic stress in your life? Or better yet, imagine a scenario in which you are the student who drops out. Think about your pattern of behavior and ask yourself what was the most likely cause.

Then ask yourself if there is anything you can do right now to ensure that doesn't happen.

So if you're worried you're "not smart enough" for college, ask yourself if these strategies can help. Can you commit to making more time for learning? One approach is to create a regular study schedule. Most college courses are designed with the understanding that students will study two hours outside of class for every hour in class.

Another strategy to consider is forming a group study. Why rely on just your knowledge, notes, and skills when you could combine forces with other students? Studying in a group gives every group member a chance to ask questions, talk about concepts, and bond over the frustrations of the course.

You can also add a tutor to your study group. Tutoring at Westmoreland is free, and the strategies and knowledge you gain will be invaluable. Usually, tutors have taken the class you’re in and are trained to get the best out of you.

Grades

As a Measure of Success

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:

• Passing grades in the first year of college is an indicator of academic success throughout your college years.

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

• They have been shown to have a positive impact on obtaining employment related to your degree, and thus, a positive net impact on your future earnings.

You stand to gain immeasurably when you work hard in your courses.

And Beyond

Also, these five points:

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

• When you earn passing grades in your first semester, you are more likely to continue that momentum into the terms that follow.

• Major-specific honoraries look at your grades in the screening process.

• The grades you earn in your first year account for a significant portion of what can be used for getting an internship and starting your career.

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

The best advice is to commit to making your first 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 Embarking on Academic Success

Overall, when students struggle in college, it's not because of natural intellect or smarts. It's 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: