1. Are you going to all of your classes?
“95% of success is showing up”. - Woody Allen
Skipping classes can adversely affect your student’s academic performance.
2. Are you devoting adequate time to your studies?
Rule of Thumb: At minimum, students should study 2 x (# of enrolled cr. hrs) i.e., 2 x 12 crs. = 24 hrs of study per week.
3. Are you keeping up with your class assignments?
Expect the unexpected...students get sick, their computers crash. Starting early, staying on top of assignments, and submitting assignments on or ahead of time keep students from succumbing to a vicious game of “catch-up”.
4. If the semester ended today, would your grades reflect your best effort or would you be on “freshman warning”?
Students should be encouraged to meet with their faculty or advisor at the first hint of a problem or difficulty with a class. Having a discussion with the right person(s) about support services and a course of action is often the difference between success and failure.
5. Do you know the deadline date for withdrawing from a class(es), or when advance registration for the next semester starts?
www.fau.edu/registrar/acadcal.htm will link you to the current academic calendar. Encourage your student to download and post a copy of the calendar.
6. Do you need a tutor for any of your classes?
Tutoring is not just for students having difficulty in class(es). Successful students use tutoring to excel in their classes.
Free tutoring is available thru the Office of Multicultural Affairs (www.fau.edu/student/ma/programs.htm. Students should also be encouraged to speak with an advisor (freshmanadvising@fau.edu) or check with the Office for Student Retention (www.fau.edu/retention/tutoring/find.html) for information on Student Support Services available on campus.
7. Have you met with an academic advisor?
Advisors are a fountain of knowledge when it comes to degree requirements, academic policies/procedures and campus resources. Students are required to meet with their advisor at least once during the semester.
8. Do you know where to find your professors outside of class?
Professors will generally list their campus location and scheduled office hours in the course syllabus. This is to encourage students to meet with them when they have questions/concerns that are best addressed outside of class.
9. Are you making an effort to get involved on campus?
There are over 150 student clubs and organizations on campus. Check out http://wise.fau.edu/student/activities for a list of campus organizations and upcoming events.
10. Have you checked your FAU e-mail account lately?
All students are given an e-mail account upon being admitted to the University.
Important announcements pertaining to University policies, procedures and events will only be posted to students’ “MYfau” e-mail accounts. Announcements may include deadline, withdrawal and registration dates, student support services workshops and special events i.e., Career Day, upcoming sporting events, and general informational reminders to keep students informed.
