{"id":56899,"date":"2013-08-28T12:00:09","date_gmt":"2013-08-28T17:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/?p=56899"},"modified":"2017-09-02T14:15:41","modified_gmt":"2017-09-02T19:15:41","slug":"advice-for-new-college-students-from-two-sociologists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2013\/08\/28\/advice-for-new-college-students-from-two-sociologists\/","title":{"rendered":"Advice for New College Students from Two Sociologists"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Screenshot_22\"<\/a>Congratulations to everyone starting college this semester! College can be a bewildering new challenge, but a bit of advice can go a long way. Below are some of the secrets of college success from us: two sociologists — one from an open-access four-year school and one at a private liberal arts school — with over 15 years of college teaching combined.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t put pressure on yourself to get straight As from the get-go.<\/b><\/p>\n

College is a unique institution with its own rules and skills. You will not simply get an A because you are “smart.” Getting an A is a combination of effort, prior knowledge, and experience, so being smart at college<\/i> means learning a specific skill set. If you are in your first year, you may find that you must work harder to get the same grade as a senior who has much more experience at excelling in college classrooms and, thus, knows better how to do it. Be patient with yourself. Acknowledge that there will be a learning curve and give yourself some time to climb it. In the meantime, look forward to when you will be the one who knows exactly what to do.<\/p>\n

Sometimes studying hurts and that\u2019s a good thing.<\/b><\/p>\n

The mind is like a muscle: if you use it, it becomes stronger. You can improve your emotional intelligence, your reasoning skills, your mathematical ability, how quickly and effectively you absorb new information, and more. But it isn\u2019t necessarily fun. Like working out your body, working out your mind can be uncomfortable, even painful. You\u2019re not really challenging and improving your mind unless it hurts a little. So you may find that learning can sometimes feel kind of like suffering. This is normal. It doesn\u2019t mean that you\u2019re not smart, it means that you\u2019re getting even smarter.<\/p>\n

Memorize the phrase \u201cpluralistic ignorance.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

Research shows that most college students misperceive their peers\u2019 behaviors and attitudes. They think drug and alcohol use is higher than it is<\/a> and that their peers are less concerned about it than they are<\/a>. They also tend to think that everyone else might be having\u00a0more fun<\/a>\u00a0and more sex. We suspect this is even worse<\/a> now that everyone stalks each other on social networks. Keep in mind the possibility that studying a lot, having other responsibilities, and not partying all the time is normal<\/i>. Because it is.<\/p>\n

Collect as many mentors as you can.<\/b><\/p>\n

Often new students will be assigned an advisor when they arrive on campus. That\u2019s great. Definitely go talk to them. But don\u2019t think that you only get to have one. Collect lots. Turn to older students, professors you like, counselors and coaches, and members of the staff or administration. Build a range of relationships with people who understand this college thing pretty well and lean on them all. You will be glad to have their advice and, later, they\u2019ll all be lining up to write you letters of recommendation for jobs and graduate programs.<\/p>\n

On tests, change your answers if you second-guess yourself.<\/b><\/p>\n

Somewhere along the line, you\u2019ve probably heard the standard advice for taking multiple-choice or true\/false tests: stick with your first answer. Instructors often reinforce this adage before each exam, and students encounter it everywhere from SAT prep books to the study skills lecture in their Intro to College course. Just one problem: decades<\/a> of<\/a> research<\/a> show<\/a> it<\/a> isn\u2019t<\/a> true<\/a>. There\u2019s overwhelming evidence that when students change their answers, they do better on the test. In one study<\/a> of 1,561 students, 51% of the changes were from wrong answers to right ones; only 25% were from right to wrong ones (the others were from one wrong answer to another wrong one).<\/p>\n

So why are we still so convinced we should stick with our first answer? Because we feel more regret when a bad outcome is due to an action we took than when it\u2019s due to our inaction, and that regret makes us more likely to remember it. You shouldn\u2019t change answers just for the sake of it, of course, but if you\u2019re taking an exam and begin to doubt an answer, don\u2019t be afraid to change it. You\u2019ll be wrong sometimes, but mounds of data strongly suggest you\u2019ll be right quite a bit more often\u2014even though it might not feel that way.<\/p>\n

Think hard about whether online classes are the best choice for you. <\/b><\/p>\n

Online classes \u2014 and even entirely online degrees \u2014 are increasingly common at most campuses. They offer flexibility that can help you fit classes in around work, family life, or conflicting class schedules. But before you sign up, think honestly about your strengths and weaknesses. Ask yourself:<\/p>\n