Welcome to “College Success 101,” part of the 21st Century Scholar Success Program.
Everyone’s path to college success is different, but there are many good habits and smart strategies
that successful 21st Century Scholars have in common.
Being a part of the 21st Century Scholars program gives you a great start.
In fact, Scholars go to college at a higher rate than all Indiana students.
However, too many Scholars who start college don’t finish.
That’s why we’re taking a few minutes today to help you understand what to expect in college and how to succeed.
First, because college is the route to where you want to go in the future, it’s a good
idea to start thinking about your career now.
Not sure about those goals yet?
Keep searching and do research!
Talk to your advisor, visit the career services office on campus, do online searches about career options,
and consider a part-time job, job shadowing, or internships.
Don’t be afraid to talk to people in a career that interests you.
People love to talk about what they do!
Completing college is a BIG GOAL, but it’s worth the effort.
And of course,
maintaining your 21st Century Scholarship is a big part of staying on track for college success.
To get where you’re going, you need to complete certain requirements along the way.
Think of it as breaking your trip up into manageable sections!
First, in order to remain eligible for the 21st Century Scholarship, you must complete
at least 30 credit hours each year of college.
That breaks down to 15 credits—about 5 classes—per semester.
You can also use the summer to catch up if you fall behind.
Completed credits are classes you complete with a passing grade.
This is different from attempted credits, which are simply the classes you sign up to
take but don’t pass.
If you’re unable to earn 30 credits in a year, but earn at least 24, you may be eligible
for Indiana’s Frank O’Bannon Grant, which covers a portion of tuition and fees.
Try to earn 30 credits the next year so you can earn your 21st Century Scholarship again—
it’s more money!
Another important requirement that all 21st Century Scholars must meet along their path
to success is maintaining the Satisfactory Academic Progress (or SAP) standards at your college.
This is usually a certain grade point average (or GPA) established by the college.
You’ll definitely want to ask your college advisor what grades you have to have to meet SAP.
And the third important requirement for staying on the path to college success is filing the
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (or FAFSA) by April 15 each year you’re in college.
Along the way, be sure to remain drug and crime-free, and steer clear of drinking alcohol
before you reach the legal drinking age.
That’s all part of your 21st Century Scholar Pledge.
That brings us to the second segment along our path to college success…obstacles that
can block your way—and how to overcome them.
Can you guess one of the main reasons students drop out of college?
In a nutshell, it’s because college is a lot different than high school.
There are more papers, more reading, more projects and you aren’t in class as often.
Frankly, some college students get intimidated by the workload of a full college schedule
and forget how smart they are!
Don’t be surprised if college seems hard—it’s supposed to be!
If you’re struggling in a class or feel out of place, remember you aren’t alone.
Confidence and college knowledge can get you ready for college.
Be prepared and spend time on your classes.
In fact, it’s recommended that for every one hour you spend in class, you should spend
two hours of time outside of class doing homework, reading or preparing for class.
It’s also a good idea to get to know your professors.
They are there to help you, but you have to ask.
The responsibility is yours to make connections, speak up when you have questions, and visit
professors or their teaching assistants during their office hours.
That’s the time they set aside to be in their office for students to come speak to
them or ask for help.
You can also visit advisors for assistance.
If you haven’t been assigned one, ask your department or the 21st Century Scholars office on campus.
Above all, to succeed in college, it’s important to just…show up!
College IS about independence, but all that freedom often causes students to fall behind.
It’s important to attend your classes and labs, participate in study sessions
and take part in other class activities.
A helpful way to keep track of what you’ll need to accomplish for each class – sort
of like road signs that guide you along your route – is the class syllabus.
The syllabus tells you everything you need to know about your course, like the required
readings, homework and scheduled tests.
Another BIG key to success in college…is time management.
The key to good time management is pretty simple, really…just use a calendar to stay on track.
Add homework due dates and dates for scheduled quizzes and tests, block out study and work time,
and reserve times you can spend with friends, or just chill out on your own.
A calendar helps you set a pace and maintain it so you don’t get burned out, or end up
procrastinating and getting overwhelmed.
And finally, develop a plan for studying that works for you by focusing on HOW, WHERE and
WHEN to study.
For instance, HOW you study might mean joining a study group, reading through your class
notes, rewriting information from class lectures, or studying flash cards.
WHERE you study can be important too.
That can be your residence hall, or someplace where you’ll have fewer distractions and
can focus better, like a library or study area on campus.
And then there’s the WHEN of studying, which partly means figuring out what time of day
works best for you, and partly deciding when to fit it all in.
In other words, will you pull an all-nighter to cram before a test, or study a little bit
each day during the week before the test?
And here’s a free tip for you…studying a little each day over a longer period of time works better!
Now let’s turn to some of the financial issues you may encounter along your
path through college.
Even though 21stst Century Scholars are eligible to have up to 100% of their tuition and mandatory
fees paid, there are many other costs of going to college.
Think books and supplies, room and board, non-mandatory fees, transportation costs such
as gas or travel expenses, and personal expenses like your cell phone bill or entertainment.
Continue to search for scholarships throughout college to help pay for these expenses.
If you’re thinking of earning extra money to pay for some of those expenses while you’re
going to college, good for you!
Many students find that having a part-time job or work-study while
in college actually makes them more organized and productive.
Consider EARN Indiana, the state’s work-study program, which offer part-time employment
on and off campus for students who show financial need.
This is a great way to earn money and gain valuable work experience!
But try to get a job that doesn’t take up more than 15 hours of time a week—more than
that can make your schoolwork suffer.
And college should be your first and most important job right now!
Being prepared for college isn’t only about academics and finances though, just adjusting
to life on campus can be a big challenge.
But fortunately, there are some tried and tested methods for making the leap to college life.
The biggest is to GET INVOLVED.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or alone, you aren’t the only one!
Take part in dorm activities, meet your classmates, join clubs, participate in orientation events
and activities or volunteer to help with college events!
Even if you live off campus, there are plenty of opportunities for you to get involved.
It’s common to feel homesick or scared at first, but try not to go home too often
so you can make connections on campus.
And, many colleges offer programs for freshman or 21st Century Scholars for the summer before
college or for your first semester.
Joining in can prepare you for college and help you build connections.
Of course, relationships are a big part of life on campus, too.
That can mean everything from getting along with your roommates to interacting with classmates
to girlfriend/boyfriend issues.
While there may not be a single easy way to steer you through any of these issues,
it might help to know that you’re not alone in dealing with them, and there are resources
on campus to help with that too.
So what happens if you hit an obstacle that you feel you just can’t get past?
Don’t give up!
Believe in yourself, and seek out help.
There are many resources on campus that can help you including:
the Advising Center, which oversees academic-related services such as advising.
The Bursar’s office.
This is the office in charge of billing and collecting fees.
The Financial Aid office, which is responsible for determining students’ financial need and award.
The Registrar, which is in charge of registering students and managing student records like
schedules and your transcript (what courses you’ve taken and the grade you earned).
And finally Student Affairs.
They oversee student support and activities like student government, counseling, housing and more.
There are also many helpful resources you can turn to for more information about the
21st Century Scholarship program, so take a look now and feel free to come back to this
module any time to review the information.
Now that you’ve learned about some of the challenges you’re likely to face in college…
and learned some great ways of dealing with them, you’re already one step ahead on the
path to college success.
With your goals in mind, your newfound college knowledge, and the 21st Century Scholars program
on your side, you can make it to wherever you want to go!