So we've talked all about college.
Making friends, time management, the works.
But we still haven't talked about one of the most important parts.
Doing well in your classes and getting that degree.
Maybe you're nervous about having the right papers
or picking the right class or just staying on top of all that assigned reading.
I didn't have it figured out freshman year,
and you don't have to, either. Spoiler alert:
the most important part about passing a college class
is showing up, ready to learn.
I'm CC Allen from Now This, and you're watching
"A Student's Guide To Your First Year of College."
Just do the work. Do the work every day.
Do a little bit of it every day.
Don't take a whole day off.
Don't take a whole weekend off.
Just do a little bit every day.
And that's how college is structured.
And you do have time.
You have time for all of it.
But you can't procrastinate.
And-- and you can make it.
( music playing )
Today we're talking about how to achieve academic success
and build strong habits from day one.
For some helpful tips, let's check back in with Hashim Pipkin,
the Director of Communications at the Opportunity Network.
I think students in their freshman year
should be mindful of their GPA.
But it should never be a source of stress.
And by that I mean, GPA is something
that is going to be associated with them throughout college.
It will be on their transcript.
But it is not something worth kind of losing sleep over.
Organization, organization, organization.
Kinda stepping back and organizing your week
according to priorities for that week.
It's okay to have an agenda.
It's okay to have a binder. Whatever the tool, the mechanism is
to help you keep track of those assignments, those deadlines.
Feel okay using that, even if it feels a little elementary.
So thinking about what is most urgent to accomplish
and then letting that reflect in how you plan out your week.
I think also taking a moment to celebrate accomplishments.
I think a lot of the time people really want to perform and do well.
Because they feel the stakes are high, which they are.
But there should always be a moment to step back and celebrate
and acknowledge those wins.
Because I think you're better able to
kinda perform and sustain achievement that way.
We know that students are going to be more invested
on topics and content that really resonate with them.
So take a moment to really explore your curiosities
around business, anthropology, whatever it may be.
There is probably a course offered on your campus
that allows you to kinda go deeper and explore that.
So that's a good way to really maximize your chance
of achieving well in that class.
It is very important to show up to class.
And by showing up, I don't mean literally just
attending the class, but coming fully prepared
to engage in discussion and ask the professor,
your peers really good questions to help drive the learning for everybody, right.
So college is not high school in the sense
that you're not there to turn in an assignment that day.
There often are classes where an assignment isn't due
for weeks on weeks on weeks.
So it's really important that every class session
you show up ready to go deeper in learning,
even if it's not a paper you're turning in
or actual quiz or exam you're taking that day.
It's still an opportunity to gain new knowledge.
Tell me one of your biggest regrets freshman year.
I missed a class and then it was, like, a pop quiz
that was worth five percent, but it was extra credit.
So everyone was going like, "Oh, yeah.
It was easy extra credit, so I don't need to--"
And it was like, why didn't I go?
There was no reason for me not to go.
And everyone was so excited
because their grade went up five percent and mine didn't.
Going to class is probably one of the biggest parts
that affect your grade and you can miss a lot of material that day,
So really creating that consistency of just, like,
this is what I do. I get up, go to class.
It makes for a better structure.
My biggest mistake was not taking is serious enough.
I had an opportunity to excel.
I had an opportunity to at least try to pass my classes,
and I didn't take advantage of that, you know.
And I ended up failing my classes, but, you know,
it's about picking yourself back up.
And I gave it a second shot years later,
and I succeeded that time.
Only thing I can say is take it a day at a time.
Actually get to know yourself more.
Get to understand what it is that you like to do
and that you would love to do every day.
And you'll figure it out. It'll come to you.
You have to learn how to study.
You have to learn how to manage your time.
'Cause you have lots of free time.
You know, I wish that I had learned that it's okay to fail.
Like, I am going to mess up and people,
when they go to school, they're gonna mess up.
They're gonna fail a class or they're gonna get a bad grade.
And, like, that's okay.
I had this idea in my mind that I was gonna be this athlete,
and I was going to go to business school,
and I was going to be, you know,
I just had this-- this plan.
And the business school had a different idea for me.
Because I couldn't pass their-- the math classes.
I think I failed one of the classes,
took it over again and got a C.
And then was having a really tough time
in the follow-up class after that,
and I had to really consider changing majors,
which I did, and so,
that came with a little bit of embarrassment at first.
Fast forward to, you know, where I am now.
Everything that I actually learned, I got a degree in communications--
strategic communications, and I use that degree almost every day.
And I'm glad that I transitioned, you know,
into that school as opposed to the business school
because I found my purpose in that.
It's funny how sometimes those failures
end up pushing you right in the direction
that you need to go.
I think for students coming in with high expectations
about how they want to do academically,
I say that's fantastic,
and I say if the only thing you walk off your graduation stage with
is with a high GPA and a degree,
you have missed the whole point of higher education.
Higher education is going to be about making sure you're doing well academically
and setting yourself up, all that is true.
Higher education is also gonna be about your networks and your connections.
Academic success is just-- it's a small part of it all.
The people who are ultimately successful in life
aren't the people who necessarily have the best grades
or have all the degrees in the world.
It's not just being good at academics,
but are you well-rounded?
You know, do you know how to tackle a project?
Do you get up on time?
You know, do you finish what you start?
Are you trustworthy? I mean, let me tell you
I hire a lot of people,
and the last thing I care about
is where they went to school
and what degree they got. All right?
That's probably important for your first job
or getting into graduate programs,
but when you're building your life,
it's core values that are important, right?
It's like who are you as a person, you know?
What are you contributing to the world?
Take it from Michelle, your GPA isn't worth losing sleep over.
So let's recap our tips. One, organize.
Whether it's a physical planner or a calendar reminder in your phone,
it will help you keep track of all your classes and assignments.
Two, priority check.
Determine what takes precedence in your studies
and plan your time accordingly.
Three, recognize your wins.
Take a minute or two and celebrate what you've accomplished.
Four, explore new classes to help you find your passion.
And five, go to class and show up prepared for the lesson.
Thanks for watching and see you next time
on "A Student's Guide To Your First Year of College."