June 2001
Success Strategies for Students
By Allan M. Rabinowitz
Taking accounting, business, or professional development courses presents many challenges to students and entails significant personal obligations. Many instructors believe that for each hour spent in class, students must devote a minimum of two additional hours to master course matter, primarily through reading and homework assignments. In light of this significant time commitment, success in the classroom requires certain learning strategies.
Making Strategic Decisions
There are many ways for students to improve their performance. The suggestions made here are especially applicable to compressed summer sessions and professional development courses. Students should carefully consider, in advance, why they are taking a course and what their approach to it will be.
When considering a new course, seek advice from students whose opinions you value, who have taken the course recently, or who are familiar with the instructor. Opinions can vary, so getting reactions from several people is more helpful.
Obtain a copy of the current course outline or syllabus from the academic department or organization offering the course. Review it carefully for its coverage and course requirements. Look at the course texts and other materials, which may be in a campus, organization, or public bookstore; in the hands of fellow students who have already taken the course; or in an academic department’s or organization’s office.
If questions remain about the course, contact the instructor. If this is impossible, speak to another instructor who may be knowledgeable. For college courses, bear in mind that there are usually breaks of a few weeks between semesters, during which instructors may not be on campus.
Before deciding to take courses, consider other obligations to family, friends, and employer that might conflict with classes or limit time for homework. Be realistic when deciding if current commitments, personal plans, or past inclinations will interfere. Deceiving oneself about the desire to attend class, particularly in the summer, can be dangerous.
Getting Off to a Good Start
If taking a college course, obtain the course materials as soon as the prior semester ends and the campus bookstore stocks them. You may be able to borrow the text from someone else if the bookstore does not yet have it. When repeating a course, learn whether the materials are the same. Following the course outline’s order, devote some time to reading the texts beforehand. This is most useful in summer sessions and professional development courses. Begin the homework assignments, or at least begin to think about them.
Should it be necessary to repeat a course, retain all class and study notes and graded assignments to save future time and effort and improve performance.
Alert family, friends, and work associates about the study schedule. Let them know your studies are important and that you intend to devote ample time to them. If employed, try to schedule work hours, special projects, and any overtime such that they don’t interfere with class attendance.
It is easy to be overwhelmed at a first class session by the instructor and course requirements. Advance work and familiarity with the course readings fortifies against this fear and instills confidence.
When new to the course or instructor, be sure to inquire during the first meeting about the nature and coverage of any examinations. Similarly, clarify how the final course grade will be calculated. The first class meeting should also establish the scheduled dates and times for exams and assignments; plan ahead for the time it will take to prepare for them.
If employed on a full-time or part-time permanent basis, consider taking some vacation or personal time to study before exams, or try to rearrange work hours or take unpaid time off. Any added costs need to be balanced against the substantial effort and expense invested in the course.
Acting Wisely During the Session
Try not to miss class meetings, as this will increase the self-study burden. Observe classmates and notice which of them seem to be alert, attentive, and good note takers. Get to know them a bit before or after class or during breaks. A cautious student will get to know more than one person and exchange phone numbers and e-mail addresses in order to borrow notes if the student misses all or part of a class.
Carry course reading materials when traveling to class or work; read them during spare moments while in transit or during lunch. Doing advance reading prepares one for an instructor’s presentation and enhances comprehension. Prepared students will be equipped to ask meaningful questions about what they have read or cannot understand.
Stay in contact with acquaintances who have taken the course and seek their guidance or explanations of difficult matters. Ask for assistance as soon as problems are encountered. Ask the instructor or, if applicable, the pertinent academic department or student relations office whether tutorial assistance is available and what it costs.
Meet with the instructor if you are having problems with the course. Full-time college instructors generally have scheduled office hours (except possibly in the summer), whereas part-time instructors do not. Instructors are generally available just before class, during class breaks, or directly after class; they may also be open to telephone or e-mail contact. The longer one waits to seek guidance after hitting problems, the less time there is to resolve them and succeed in the course.
Remain alert in class. This is often difficult to do in an evening class after working all day. Attempting to take good notes often increases interest and awareness of what is going on. Asking questions is also essential, although some students are reluctant for fear of embarrassing themselves.
Some instructors offer review sessions, which may be in addition to regular class sessions, before exams—make every effort to attend them. If review topics are student-generated, request the instructor to cover material you found problematic. If no review has been announced, inquire as to whether one is possible.
To manage time effectively, review homework assignments before doing the course reading. Avoid the temptation to copy homework from someone else’s submissions or solutions manuals without adequately understanding what you submit. Meeting a submission deadline is not worth jeopardizing a course grade if mastery of that material forms the basis for future topics or exam questions.
In a short schedule, there is great danger in falling behind in readings and homework submissions and limited opportunity to get back on schedule. Do not take a break from studying after a midterm as a reward for working hard if this will lead to falling behind the class schedule. This is especially true when later course material is based on topics covered earlier.
Another danger is not clearly understanding homework requirements before trying to fulfill them. It is sad when a student submits homework that includes responses to wrong questions or problems or that is inadequate and requires resubmission. Reviewing homework assignments well before they are due and raising questions with the instructor (in class or privately) or checking with classmates can prevent this predicament.
When an instructor returns graded homework, quizzes, and midterm exams, learn from your errors to avoid making them again. Ask the instructor questions about notations that cannot be understood or that appear incorrect.
Summer Courses
Summer courses often seem to speed along at a furious pace, with good reason: one class meeting is frequently the equivalent of a full week’s work in the fall or spring semester. Students are at great risk of failing the course if they fall behind, because there is little time to catch up. The plans and practices mentioned above can go far to assuring that time and money are well spent and success is achieved.
It is wise to repeat a failed or low-grade course as soon as possible, while the material is still fresh and course requirements—including homework—remain the same. Repeating a course in the summer is preferable, because you can get off to a head start and more readily cope with the shortened time span. Many colleges substitute a better grade the second time around when computing one’s average. Repeating a course in the summer also often lets one proceed with the normal course schedule in the fall, especially if the course is a prerequisite for advanced courses.
Enrolling in a single course during the summer session allows one to focus full academic attention on it. A summer course might afford the opportunity to study with a favored instructor or repeat a course with the same instructor as a comfort measure. Under the latter approach, the instructor might not require resubmission of homework assignments completed successfully in a recent semester.
Some instructors are flexible with course requirements during a shorter session; readings and homework assignments not deemed essential may be dropped. The same might be true for quizzes used in longer semesters to encourage students to keep up in their study.
There are lesser temptations on campus in the summer; few, if any, social or athletic activities may be taking place. This provides an atmosphere where learning can readily be regarded a top priority. Libraries are quieter and more accessible. The campus hustle and bustle is gone and stress is reduced.
A Smart Finish
As exams draw closer, ask the instructor about their nature and coverage. Although this may have been reviewed at the beginning of the course, by this time further questions may present themselves on the basis of what has been covered during the semester. If answered, such questions could allow better preparation for the exam. A wise question to ask is just that: how best to prepare. Many instructors are willing to furnish valuable advice.
Arrive for exams before the scheduled time; arriving late leads to anxiety that probably prevents doing one’s best. Allow more time than is normally needed to reach the exam site. If an instructor permits students to begin an exam a few minutes early you want to be there to do so. Proceed carefully through the exam, taking as much of the allotted time as you need. Do not schedule other appointments too close to exam time. Mastering the material and preparing for the culmination of the course should be paramount.
Editor:
Robert H. Colson, PhD, CPA
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