As students at Elgin Community College kicked off a new semester this spring, several different professors have contributed helpful tips and habits for students to take heed of in order to be successful at the start of the semester.

Many professors have stressed the importance of staying on task.  Specifically, Professor II of English, Rachael Stewart put emphasis on this thought.

“One important thing is not letting yourself get behind in your work.  When students are behind in their reading and assignments, they start to feel overwhelmed, which often leads to either dropped classes or failing grades.”

Stewart also made a very important point when she concluded her thoughts.

“ I think the most important thing is for students to be clear about their purpose for being in college.  What do they want from their education and college experience besides the degree? What do they believe they can contribute to their classes and community?  Having a clear purpose helps students to be more intentional in their behavior and empowers them in their work.”

Academic Advisor, John Popik, mentioned the idea of going to office hours as early as possible in the semester.

“Go to office hours early.  Professors are required to set aside time to be available to students, I recommend going early in the semester, even if it’s a quick question, so your professors know you are serious about doing well in class.  That way, if you do need help later, you already have some rapport with him or her.”

Popik also talked about the benefits of building a relationship with professors.

“You never know when you need a recommendation and you will get a way better one if you put some effort into building relationships with professors, especially ones that teach a class you may be interested in majoring in later on.”

The topic of attendance and not skipping class for meaningless reasons was brought up multiple times by professors.  Each class and lecture you miss is important information that you probably need in order to do well on the next assignment, test, or quiz.  Even though attendance may not be required by a specific professor, it is in the best interest of the student not to miss classes regularly.  This could result in barely passing, or even failing the course.  Professor II of Humanities, David Zacker, said,

“Attend every class.  No excuses.  Commit to being a student, that is your first job while in college.”