(Special Note: This post was written by our HS4CC 12th grade Intern, Madison. Madison is Homeschooled for College Credit in Minnesota.)
Some background: I’m currently taking Dual Enrollment at the University of Northwestern in Minnesota, and so far I’ve taken 7 classes (24 credits) there. I did make it out with a 4.0, and I’m here to share some tips to help your students do the same.
Just a disclaimer, everything I’m sharing is specific to my experiences at a private university, and may not apply everywhere. Even if it’s not the same for you, I think you and your students may still be able to use a lot from what I’m about to say.
- At the start
Before you even go to class, you can usually find the syllabus on whatever online portal the college uses. You should also have your textbooks already. Look at the content you’ll be learning and see how closely it relates to the chapters in the textbook. I’d highly recommend reading at least the first couple chapters before the first or second class, especially if it’s a hard subject. I know I wish I’d done this when I was in week two of my Database Management class and floundering.
Take a good hard look at the syllabus. Some professors have all their assignments and dates perfectly laid out to be adhered to, to the letter. Others don’t. Take notice of what percentage of your grade each item is. Midterms and finals are usually a significant portion of your grade, so you definitely want to keep an eye on that.
- The professor
As I mentioned earlier, you don’t know what the professor will be like until you’re looking at them. Some are always on time; some aren’t. You might want to double check the online portal (if that’s where they post assignments) every day because they might post something that they didn’t mention in class.
If the professor is very…precise and has a list of requirements for completing each type of assignment, you’re going to want to double check your assignments against said requirements. Every. Time. You might think you remember what they are, but if the list is long and some of them don’t seem like a big deal, you’re most likely going to end up with a point or two taken off if you don’t double check.
Regardless of a professor’s style, they all have one thing in common: They like to teach, and they like it when you learn (at least the good ones do). Remember to learn. Don’t just memorize; don’t just get stuff done to get stuff done. Learn. Raise your hand in class, if you can. Even if you don’t really like the professor: don’t let them know it. It’s in your best interest if they like you, too. Thankfully, I’ve liked all my professors so far.
Here’s the bottom line (in my experience): If the professor thinks you deserve an A, you will probably get an A. What I mean by this is that the professor can tell when you’re learning by the way you participate in class, and can still give you an A (even if you did poorly on a mid term that was worth a lot of your grade, for example).
- Exams
This brings me to my next point: exams. It’s over the minute class ends, so every exam is basically a timed exam (unless it’s online and specifically not timed). Timed exams are always a jolt for those unused to them. The saying is “do the easy questions first” and it’s really not wrong. If you find yourself stuck on a question for longer than, say, 3 minutes, move on. I recommend wearing a watch for paper exams or checking the time on the computer screen. This is especially important if it’s a computer exam and the window to turn it in closes at the end of the period. Give yourself enough time to turn it in.
Also: I know this is common knowledge, but don’t forget to take notes in class. You never know what might be on an exam. Remember, the professor made the exam. Whatever they think is important, you’re going to want to study.
- Use your resources
Your college will likely have a lot of academic resources. Learn what they have and don’t hesitate to take advantage of them. At my university there is a tutor for every class who you can reach out to. I was a bit too prideful to ever arrange a meeting with one, but I did show up to a class early for a study session provided by that class’ tutor, and I was impressed with his ability to help us retain content.
There’s also an Alpha Center, where we can bring any academic writing to have it looked over and receive feedback on. I really wanted to do that for a couple of my essays, but never finished them early enough. This coming semester, I definitely want to have that done. The more eyes on your writing before you turn it in, the better.
Outside of the college, there’s also the internet. If you didn’t understand something in class, there’s usually a YouTube video out there that will explain with beginners in mind. I know videos by The Organic Chemistry Tutor were helpful when I was taking Statistics.
Make some friends; make some acquaintances. If you connect with the people you sit next to, you can help each other. This doesn’t work with every class or every group of people, but it is possible to have a bond with others where you have a group chat and compare homework answers. The guy next to you might be 26, but he’s a student just like you are. In that instance, he and the other guys in my row were pretty amiable and we got along great. Not everyone is so trusting. If they find out you’re Dual Enrollment, they might be a little wary if you ask them for help, so just make sure not to seem like you want to copy them. Try to help them if you can, though they might never ask you for help (out of pride or something), but just roll with it. You’ll prove yourself by being good at what you do.
- My golden tips
Get 100% on the little things. In one of my classes there were these little quizzes that were open book (textbook). My grade at the time was good and the quizzes were “so easy” I didn’t use the book, and I got some questions wrong on some of them. Later, when I wasn’t doing so well and stressing about my grades, I really wished I had gotten those little easy points. I made that mistake a couple times, and I’m never making it again. If you can easily get 100% on it, get 100%. Make sure you always have that cushion because you never know when the next assignment or exam will bring down that average.
Also to note: that class didn’t use the usual grade averaging method. Instead, each thing you had to do was worth a certain amount of points, and all of the points added together made up around 600. So if you missed one point on one assignment, your final grade would be from 599/600. If you see a system like this on your syllabus, be aware: it is much harder to earn a good grade this way.
One thing your students might have trouble with is the hard deadlines. It’s very common for professors not to accept late work, which makes managing your time and double checking that you’ve submitted every assignment more imperative than ever. If you do find yourself missing a deadline though, there may be one small hope: the TA (Teaching Assistant). If there is a TA who grades all of the homework, you may be able to find leniency with them. Even if a TA has said they won’t grade late work, it’s still worth emailing them if you find yourself in that position. Always advocate for your grade.
