My first semester as a student at Trinity College has presented its fair share of challenges and victories, defining moments and shameful slip-ups. Yet, despite the multitude of late nights and “homework emergencies,” every second of this semester has brought me a step closer to satisfying my objective of developing a distinctive level of ambition and maturity. Whether one attends a large university or a small liberal arts college, every first-year student shares a similar objective. Andrew Roberts’ The Thinking Student’s Guide to College provides sufficient guidance in this regard. Complete with 75 tips concerning everything from choosing a major to exploring post-graduation options, Roberts’ Guide presents the anxious first-year student with everything he or she needs to know to enrich his or her academic experience at an undergraduate level.
Of the 75 tips, I found the most truth in Tip #48: “Ask for Help,” in which Roberts advises students to seek out extra help from professors, TAs, and campus tutoring programs. According to Roberts, “not only will you get help, but you will distinguish yourself as a student who cares about the class.”[1. Andrew Lawrence Roberts, The Thinking Student’s Guide to College: 75 Tips for Getting a Better Education (University of Chicago, 2010).] Coming from a highly competitive high school, asking for help was certainly not something I was comfortable doing. I was strongly opposed to the idea of “admitting defeat” by letting someone know I was having trouble understanding a concept. Asking for help was equal to owning up to a failure, an insufficiency, a defect. However, Trinity College’s small class sizes and slim student-to-teacher ratio guarantees that faculty will have the time and energy to assist students on a level that is far more intimate and thorough than faculty at larger institutions.
My perspective changed this past semester, after taking an educational studies course. With a little over twelve hours left until my first paper of the semester was due and no solid strategy for how to tackle it, I reluctantly attended a session with one of my TA’s. She let me do all the talking at first, asking me about what ideas I was considering including in my paper, in no particular order. After listening patiently to my jumble of thoughts, she asked me follow-up questions like, “Your idea reminds me of this theorist. Have you considered that?” and “Your observations are interesting. What theories can you recall that could explain some of those?” My choice to reach out resulted in a very helpful brainstorming session—much more productive than if I had spent hours stubbornly trying to de-tangle my own ideas. With my TA’s help, I had structured and organized my entire argument in thirty minutes, and not once did I feel inferior.
Tip #48 promotes personal responsibility and encourages students to hold themselves accountable for their learning. Thus, I would propose the addition of a similar tip—“Tip #76: Learn Your Learning Style.” The rigor of a high school curriculum and that of a college curriculum are completely different, so it is expected that your study habits will evolve as well. Try out different study spaces, note-taking methods, and organizational tools during the first few weeks to find what works best for you in each of your classes. In high school, I was an aural learner. In those classes, I benefited most from listening to lectures and engaging in class discussion. However, at Trinity, I found that just listening to a lecture was no longer sufficient in some of my classes. It was not until I re-took an online assessment about learning styles from high school that I realized that I am “multi-modal”, meaning that of the four existing modes of learning information—Visual, Aural/Auditory, Read/write, and Kinesthetic—students do not rely upon just one. There is no one mode of studying that suits all subjects.[1. Neil Fleming, “The VARK Categories,” VARK: A Guide to Learning Styles, 2001, http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=categories.] Likewise, it is likely that one mode must be supplemented with another. For instance, in my educational studies course this past semester, I was a kinesthetic and a visual learner. Simulations and other practical activities relating to real-life examples helped me grasp concepts. However, when it came to understanding theorists and their ideas, I found it helpful to prepare charts to categorize information. I eventually learned that, in addition to adjusting socially to college, academic adjustment was necessary as well. With the wide range of courses Trinity offers as part of its liberal arts curriculum, knowing how to maximize your potential for success in each individual course can truly be beneficial.
As precious as it is to discover yourself in college, it is equally valuable to know how to adapt. Roberts’ advice aims to help students learn to do so, particularly in regards to academics. Understanding the active role you have in making the most of your educational experience is the key to succeeding during your undergraduate years. However, such a responsibility can definitely be intimidating. Though Roberts’ intent is to ease the majority of a first-year student’s worries, no solution can truly prepare you for a fail-proof college experience. Rather, the only way to fully access your potential, both inside and outside of the classroom, is to approach situations head-on with the willingness to adapt if necessary. Such is the most genuine strategy for handling this new transition, as well as the one that will inevitably prove to be the most rewarding.
About the Author:
Nykia L. Tanniehill, a Chicago native, is a member of the Class of 2015 at Trinity College and a student in the “Color and Money” first-year seminar.