The Thinking Student’s Guide to College by Andrew Roberts is not just any book that will tell you how to get good grades, how to socialize with others or how to manage your workload, it discusses more than that. Rather than focusing on general areas such as these, Roberts mainly focuses on 75 tips to help students benefit the most from their education. The book is broken up into sections that include topics such as, “Choosing a College”, “Choosing Classes”, “Learning Outside the Classroom”, “Interacting with Professors” and even “Being Successful”. As a first year student at Trinity College I have already experienced some of these topics myself. The section that interested me the most within the book was titled “Being Successful”. This is because of the fact that I obviously want to be successful throughout my years at Trinity and in life after college. One of Roberts’ main points, which I found most appealing was his statement, “getting good grades is related but not equivalent to learning the material and getting the most out of college” (95). If you truly enjoy learning what you are being taught, good grades will naturally follow as a result of hard work and deep interest in your education.
I also feel that Tip 46 best represents how to get the most out of a college experience and has personally helped me succeed in my first semester at Trinity. Tip 46 states, “Show Professors That You Are Working Hard”. This section then discusses how to go about making sure your professor knows that you are working hard and the potential benefits that may arise. Roberts’ strategies consist of attending class, completing your assignments on time, participating in class discussions and by showing up at your professor’s office hours. Although these bits of advice seem like common sense, it is very easy for first year students to overlook the importance of each pointer. I am currently on Trinity’s Varsity Football Team and when I first arrived on campus upperclassman and coaches gave me and my fellow first year football players the same advice that Roberts shares in his piece.
Since then I have made my best effort to abide by all of these tips and it has paid off. For example, I received a grade on an exam for my Economics class that I was not satisfied with. I used the advice that I was given and decided to go to my professor’s office hours to review the exam. I arrived on time with a couple other students from the class. As we waited for the professor to arrive we discussed the exam ourselves to review where we went wrong. The professor was 45 minutes late to his own office hours but in the time spent waiting the other students and I were able to learn from the mistakes we made on our exam. As expected the professor was very apologetic but as a result he gave the students who waited for him four extra points on the previous exam. As explained by Roberts, displaying extra effort does not mean you are guaranteed better grades but rather “it makes professors look on you more kindly” (97). From this experience I not only was able to boost my test grade but more importantly I learned from my mistakes and my professor saw that I cared about learning the material he taught. There are some other tips that have also helped me show my professors that I work hard and care about learning. Tips such as emailing your teachers about the material or questions you have did not make this section.
However, one piece of advice that I would add to this section would be to sit in the front of every one of your classes. You may have been told this before and like me maybe you did not think sitting a couple rows closer towards the front of the classroom would really make you a better student. However, it is not this action alone that will make you a better student but the effects of being closer to your professor will benefit your learning experience. Some of these effects include the professor noticing you, forcing you to attend the class and having to pay attention. Because in some larger classes in college it is easy for a student to get lost in a class and a professor to not know who you are. Following Roberts’ advice of attending office hours will ensure that the professor knows who you are. Yet, you want to be noticed in class in order to show your professor that you are tentative and care about the course. This comes with some other obligations that you must follow through with. If you decide to sit in the front row this means that you cannot skip a class. Since the point of sitting up front is to be noticed, you will also be noticed if you are absent. This will force you to always go to class. Even when you are debating not going, which should never be considered anyway, you will have to go to avoid being noticed for not attending. Also by sitting in the front row you are forced to pay attention. In my Intro to Psychology class that had close to fifty students, I have decided to take this advice since day one. I have friends in the class who I would normally sit with a couple rows back if it were not for this tip. These students were often the ones talking to each other, using their phones and even falling asleep. By always sitting in the front row it is easy to avoid being apart of these disturbances and to focus on the material presented in class. After spending a semester with these tips in mind I clearly saw a difference in grades and the professors’ attitude towards my friends.
Even though these tips from the author and myself may seem obvious, they highlight the importance of taking full advantage of your education. From sitting in the front of the classroom to going out of your way to demonstrate your interest in the material you have learned are just small examples of things to do that will be beneficial to your education in college. There are plenty of other helpful tips besides these, but it is you who will ultimately make the decision to take advantage of the time you have in college.
About the Author: James DiBlasi is currently a first year student at Trinity College. Apart from being a player on the Varsity Football Team, he is also an active student in the Color and Money Seminar with Professor Jack Dougherty. He is from Winchester, Ma and a graduate of Buckingham Browne and Nichols School in Cambridge, Ma.
Bibliography:
Roberts, Andrew Lawrence. The Thinking Student’s Guide to College. ; 75 Tips for Getting a Better Education. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2010. Print.