Mary S. Alexander at Marist College & Bill Petkanas at Western Connecticut State University share advice for students on "How to go to College - The Unofficial Rules." They invite faculty and universities to reproduce their article in full and distribute it among students without charge.
As they note, "One of the things not mentioned [in most catalogs and student handbooks] is how students make impressions on professors, both good and bad, and how this can affect your college career."
Some of their advice for students includes:
"Read the syllabus. Do not lose it, ignore it, or stick it in your notebook and forget about it. Your professor has written a syllabus so that you will know what is expected of you. It should tell you when readings are due, when exams are scheduled, when papers are due, etc. If you say to your professor, "I didn't know we had a test today," and the test is listed on your syllabus, you are out of luck. And it makes you sound unobservant. So check the syllabus.
Excuses. There are many good excuses for your paper being late, missing class, missing exams, missing presentations. Although professors may sound sympathetic, they are not much interested in your excuse. When the financial aid office tells you that your money hasn't come through yet for one reason or another (this is almost certain to happen at least once) you won't really care what the reasons are. And it will irritate, if not enrage you. Professors feel the same way about your excuses. Don't give us a story, give us your work.
Don't whine. There are a great many rules and regulations at college concerning class status, transfer credits, financial aide, major requirements, etc. Some of these will strike you as unfair. Some of them are. Deal with it. Professors find it unbelievable when they see a grown person whining about rules, tuition, and other things which were clearly spelled out when you started college. And for the record: there is no known campus in the world with enough parking.
Show up. Attendance always counts even when it doesn't. That is, even if the professor doesn't take attendance or count it toward your grade, your being in class or not in class still makes a significant impression. Not all professors will admit this but just being in the room will often give you enough information to pass an exam. If you are just trying to get by, showing up is enough. If you want to learn something, showing up is essential.
Show up on time. Professors hate it when students are late. It may be the worst thing you can do. Don't even bother with an excuse. The professor may look sympathetic but isn't really.
Leaving class. It’s a delicate subject, but let’s just say that you are expected to have an adult level of bladder control and tolerance. It is possible that a situation will come up once which will force you to walk out of the class. Once. If it’s a regular occurrence, you may need to see a doctor."
They end with this comment:
"Professors are human. Things which you would consider rude or offensive will also strike them as rude or offensive. All of your professors were once students. It's entirely obvious, but most students don't think of it. A typical professor with a PhD has been through eight to ten years of higher education. There is not one trick, excuse, method of cheating or charming that they don't know about. Students who don't get this think that they're getting away with something. But the professor knows exactly what you're getting away with, even if he or she allows you to do so."
The entire article is great and one I plan to share with my students next semester.
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