Tips for Academic Success
- See the importance of your academic path: One of the first steps to success in college is to realize the value of higher education. If you don’t value your course work or see the long-range purpose of your academic requirements, you will not have a positive, and successful, experience at MATC. However, if you have a sense that your MATC education will help you attain your career or life goals, you have then taken the first step toward academic success.
- Be prepared: Don’t be left out of a class discussion because you didn’t do the required reading or work beforehand. Show up for class prepared!! Students who put in the work outside of class will do well in class.
- Manage your time: One of the most difficult aspects at the community college level is time management. MATC students tend to wear many “hats”: They go to school, and they often work part-time or full-time. Many also have their own families. Therefore, time management is a highly important skill needed here at MATC.
- Understand your own learning style: Not all people learn new material in the same way. Some learners are better at attending lectures than others. Some are more “hands on” and learn by doing. Others have a learning style that is more visual; they need pictures, graphs and charts when trying to understand new concepts. Some learners prefer to work alone while others learn best through group activities. All of these learning styles are valid. The key is for you to be familiar with the learning style that works best for you and try to incorporate that learning style into your daily life here at MATC.
- Use critical thinking and problem solving skills: Studies reveal that employers seek job candidates who can solve problems through critical thinking. Critical thinking is important not only in the workforce: It is crucial in higher education, especially in courses that pose problems and ask students to solve these problems.
- Value diversity: Higher education is more than just the material presented in the textbook or by the instructor. The richness of a community college education is, in part, created by the students themselves. Each student has an interesting and different perspective to bring to the class. Those students who value this diversity will enhance their time spent here.
- Communicate!: Communication is another highly valued skill both in the workforce and in higher education. Listen attentively. Speak when you feel the need to do so. And write with clarity. In other words, make your communication active and effective, not passive and inefficient.
- Use effective reading techniques: While at MATC, you will be required to read a lot of material, and you will be tested on your understanding of that reading material. Therefore, you need to comprehend what you read. In other words, develop good reading habits, even for those textbook chapters you think are “less” than interesting.
- Take good notes: In most cases, one’s short-term memory lasts only about 24 hours: After that period of time, much of the information observed, heard, or read slips from the mind. Therefore, write it down before the material is gone.
- Review the material: After class has ended, review what was discussed. At the end of the day, review again what you learned that day. At the end of the week, review the major concepts you learned during the week. Before class starts the next week, review the material from the previous class. In other words, review, review, REVIEW. Successful students are well acquainted with the importance of reviewing material many times.
- Familiarize yourself with test-taking techniques: Instructors have different styles and ways of evaluating students. And some students are better at taking tests than others. All students, though, need to have a “plan of attack” as the exam day approaches. They need strategies for studying, as well as their own techniques for handling the pressure of test taking. Students will also do well if they develop the knack for predicting test questions, as well as knowing how to successfully answer an essay question.
- Seek help: MATC has a deep pool of student resources. For instance, students who need help writing can go to one of our Writing Centers. Students with disabilities can have special accommodations created to help them learn more efficiently. Students who are confused in class can meet with the instructor during his/her office hours for one-on-one help. These are just a few of the many resources students can depend on for extra help. Use them.
- Take care of your health: If you’re tired or not feeling well, your ability to learn will be impeded. Therefore, eat well and get plenty of exercise to replenish your body’s energy.
- Make time for yourself: All work and no play will lead to…. an overstressed student. When the stress level is too high, one’s ability to learn new material is jeopardized. In other words, spend quality time with friends and family as a way to decompress. Also, try to enjoy your hobbies as much as time allows.
- Have fun: Look at your experience at MATC as an enjoyable period in your life. Take the pressure off yourself a bit and realize that everyone makes mistakes. Do the best you can, and work hard. But don’t forget to enjoy your MATC experience. Have fun!!!
MATC’s Academic Standards
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