Making the most out of your college courses: Get to know your professors

    The first day of classes is rapidly approaching (August 24th if you forgot or were in denial that summer does actually end) and while most of your time might be currently occupied with a summer job, pools, travel, barbecues and the like, it is also worthwhile to start planning for a successful fall semester. You can start by evaluating your habits in and out of the classroom. As the first part in a series on getting the most out of your college classes, we’ll take a look at how you can get ahead by getting to know your professors.

    One of the more underutilized resources for students is also the most obvious and accessible: your professor. Many students are either apprehensive or complacent about approaching their professor, even when struggling with classes. The reality is most professors are welcoming, engaging, helpful and encouraging. While some professors might be a little more student-friendly than others, the fact is, they are required to make themselves available to you (through office hours, appointments, email or phone contact). If you put a little effort into showing your professors that you truly care about the classwork and doing well, it can go a long way. You might be surprised by what a little effort on your end can do in not only ensuring you stay on top of your classwork, but setting you up for success outside of class.

  Most professors will be happy to meet with you and discuss class expectations, clarify material or even just chat, but it is also up to you to make sure you are respectful of your professors’ time.  Faculty are required to distribute a syllabus at the beginning of the semester with a listing of office hours and contact information. If your schedule doesn’t allow you to meet at a professor’s set office hours, most professors will be happy to schedule an appointment that works for you both.

  You should make an effort to get to know your professor as early in the semester as you can, especially if the class is part of your major coursework. Introduce yourself the first day of class if given the chance. Clarify syllabus material if need be. You don’t want to be the student that comes out of the woodwork right before finals week with a desperate plea for help. If you have an issue with a grade or professor’s policy, you’ll probably feel a little more comfortable approaching them if you’ve already made the effort to introduce yourself. Putting in a little face time with the professor lets them match a name to a face and shows them you’re invested in your academic career.

    Email often seems to best way to reach a professor with a question or request, but you should be conscious of not “email bombing” a professor or making unreasonable requests. Your professors receive dozens, if not hundreds of emails throughout the day so it is important to be respectful of their time, especially if you are in a larger class. Asking a complicated question about an assignment hours before it is due is not going elicit a helpful response. If you expect helpfulness and understanding from your professor, you need to show some initiative, responsibility and respect on your end. Keep your questions concise and reasonable, especially if you haven’t developed a rapport with the professor you are speaking with.

You’ll probably find that your more involved student-professor relationships will occur in smaller classes within your major where the teaching and learning is more personal because professors have fewer students. You should take advantage of these more highly-involved class scenarios. While it isn’t always necessarily part of their job description, you may find that a given professor can assist you in areas outside of your coursework. This may be advising for future classes, networking opportunities, or professional development advice.  Your professors are undoubtedly experienced and well-connected in their industry. Thus, your professor is a great person to ask for help with tailoring your résumé or CV or give you advice about internships or professional conferences (if not, you can always go to the Stuckert Career Center for this).

 Like many things in life, if you make an effort, you’ll probably reap some benefits. This can certainly be true in regards to getting to know your professors. You’ll find that your professor can be more than the person that gives you your grades. If you talk to alumni, plenty of them will be able to name a professor or two that made a lasting impact on their lives and whom they still maintain contact. You’ll feel a lot better about your college experience knowing that you engaged your professors and took initiative in your education. After all, college isn’t cheap...you might as well put forth your best effort and take advantage of all the resources available to you.

Stay posted for the next article in our series on getting the most out of your college courses: Get to know your classmates.

Looking for more information on how to get the most out of yourself and your courses at UK? The Study provides free peer tutoring, individual academic consultations and other services to improve and foster your academic career. Visit uky.edu/AE for more information.

School Supplies for Success

Among all the excitement of back to school events it’s easy to forget the main purpose for being a college student: academics. As you save money and build your wardrobe with all those free t-shirts during K-Week, don’t forget to make a stop at the bookstore and pick up a few school supplies. You don’t want to be the kid who has to ask a classmate to borrow a pencil and paper on the first day, instead be prepared to start the semester off right. Every student has a different approach to organization when it comes to school supplies, but The Study is going to share with you some of the tips and tricks we’ve learned over the years. 

The number one school supply must-have should come as no surprise, considering you have probably been encouraged to get one every year since elementary school. Yes, an academic planner. In order to manage your time wisely and keep track of assignments it is a necessity. However, in college we also recommend pairing your planner with a wall calendar. For one, it’s a lot more difficult to lose than your planner. Also, it can serve as a constant visual reminder of what big tasks are coming up. You may not remember to check your planner and see what’s coming up next week, but it is a lot harder to ignore the calendar hanging in your dorm room. 

After investing in a planner and wall calendar, you’ll always be aware of your upcoming exams. This means you will have plenty of time to establish a study routine and not wait until the last minute to cram. Several school supplies can help with this strategy, but one of the best is a whiteboard. Yes, they are useful for something other than decorating your dorm room door. From studying vocabulary to math problems, whiteboards are great for studying when repetition is key. 

After you ace that exam, you probably don’t want to haul all of the worksheets and handouts that are no longer pertinent to the day-to-day classroom activities, but that material will more than likely pop up on the final exam. This means you need to create a system for filing papers that you don’t need immediate access to, but that you will want to reference in the future. One option is to use a file folder for each class and storing them in a desktop file folder box. They come in countless patterns and colors which will serve double duty as it brightens up your work space.

 

It’s a lot easier to stay organized if you start that way on the first day of classes rather than trying to piece together a plan halfway through the semester. Make the most of your day by spending more time on the activities you want or need to accomplish and less on rummaging for papers or calling classmates to figure out when assignments might be due. Organization is key to keeping your sanity through the hectic tornado of college life.

iPhone Apps for UK's Campus

Maybe you’ve been on the iPhone train from day one or perhaps you’re like me and just now converting to the Apple smartphone, either way UK has some great mobile apps that have probably slipped under your radar. To make the most of several UK services, and your iPhone, The Study wants to bring to your attention these free UK apps you should be installing.

1.    UK Mobile

If you only install one app from this list, make it this one. With this app, all of the resources you would typically search for on uky.edu are a single click away. If you are trying to find your way around campus, this app has a Maps feature to guide you. Not sure which office your professor is located in? Check out the Directory feature. If you witness an emergency as you make your way through campus, just click on the Safety feature and a list of emergency contacts will be conveniently at your fingertips. In addition, this app also allows you to access myUK, Blackboard, and the library catalog, as well as campus news, sports information, and iTunesU.

2.    TransLoc

Do you ride the CATS bus on a regular basis? Would you ride it more often if you could know exactly when it would be at a particular stop? Then this app is for you. TransLoc is an app that tracks public transportation in various cities across the country, including on UK’s campus. When you log on for the first time, select University of Kentucky and a campus map will pop-up, showing you in real-time where each bus is and which direction it is moving.  The app also includes the med center route and notifications of any bus-related announcements.

3.    Kernel Mobile

There’s a lot happening on campus. If you aren’t on campus on a certain day to pick up the Kernel, you may feel out of the loop. Sure, you could check their website but what if there’s breaking news and you have no computer in sight? That’s where this app comes in. The Kernel has launched Kernel Mobile to make sure that you are always up to date on the latest campus news. Never miss a headline again!

4.    TipSubmit

When walking around campus, what is one of your top concerns? Besides running late or spotting your friends, you may also be concerned about safety. The TipSubmit app allows you to quickly submit a crime tip to the University of Kentucky police department. This app is supported by Crimestoppers and endorsed by the UKPD, meaning your identity will be protected. Install this app and you are helping to do your part to keep our campus safe.

5.    Take It Artside

This iPhone app has a unique Kentucky connection. Developed with the help of students and faculty from the UK Department of Art and the Gaines Center for the Humanities, this application allows you to quickly discover information about public works of art. From indoor to outdoor, from murals to sculptures, this app includes GPS locations, artist information, and a description of art works all over central Kentucky.

Whether you’re an iPhone expert or novice, these are easy to use apps that will certainly help make your life a little easier. 

Top Ten: Summer Advising Lessons

Summer advising conferences may be over, but we gained some valuable insight through being a part of them. We share that here in our "Top Ten Things We Learned From Summer Advising." Enjoy!

10.       No matter what year you are, being at summer advising reminds you of the summer before your freshmen year.

9.       Dining Services really knows how to cook.

8.       UK departments come up with some pretty cool free stuff to give away.

7.       Parents and students all laugh when we tell them, “You can’t get extra credit for bringing in tissue boxes.” But it’s true.

6.       A lot of incoming students are on twitter. (Thanks for following @TheStudyScoop!)

5.       Tornado warnings or not, advising must go on! Luckily, no tornado appeared near campus that day.

4.       UK may be a big campus, but if you’re an upperclassman inside an advising conference you will probably see at least five people you know.

3.       Parking is free in the structure by Kennedy’s during summer advising conferences.  Everyone related to UK in any way loves taking advantage of this.

2.       Freshmen don’t have a clue about what college is like. Not all of us may remember feeling that way, but undoubtedly we did.  Moral of the story: Be nice to freshmen, because you were one once.

1.   The entire campus is thrilled to welcome the class of 2015 to campus. See you again in August wildcats!

Good Ol' Summer Reading

                                    So, what is on your summer reading list?

Brain Food: Study Smarter Snacks

The alarm goes off, you stumble out of bed, get ready in a panic, and run to class, barely giving yourself enough time to brush your teeth, let alone eat a full breakfast. Getting to class is the most important part of doing well in school so you figure not taking the time to grab some cereal won’t be a big deal.  However, research completed by Dr. William Sears found that eating habits can greatly influence not only your academic performance, but your overall brain activity as well.

Happy 4th of July!

Here at Academic Enhancement, we want to wish you guys a very happy Independence Day! Enjoy every single hot dog and hamburger you eat, every single Coke and root beer you drink, and every single firework that fills the sky!

Making the Most of the Common Reading Experience (CRE)

With this year's Common Reading Experience kicking off, both incoming freshmen and upperclassmen involved with K-Week will be diving into No Impact Man by Colin Beavan. For suggestions on how to make your CRE as valuable as possible, check out this excerpt from Idaho State University's Dr. Kathleen King's "Reading Strategies."