Success

Dead Face Divas Don’t Do Well

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Have you ever heard of a Dead Face Diva? Well, I have met a couple. They sit in class, obviously bored to tears, not participating ….ever…, and always with the same responses whenever I ask a question: “What he (or she) said” or “I don’t know….” (Note that a whine accompanies the second response.)

What do you think a professor thinks about that? I think that D. F. Diva is hopped up on drugs or is not the one paying for college. Or both. I think Mom and Dad are making huge sacrifices for a grown child who does not appreciate it and resents being in school.

What is my recommendation for the parents of such a student? Pull her out of college immediately so she doesn’t infect the other students with her horrid attitude and make her get a real job for the next couple of years. Perhaps a couple of years experience slinging hash will make her appreciate being in school and give her the maturity to actually apply herself when she gets back.

I have had several young men in my classes who learned the hard way that only having a high school education will not get you a very good job.  They leave college at the bottom of their class, work a job for a couple of years turning the “slow” or “stop” sign on the side of the road, and then come running back to college.

They usually come up to me with apologies for how they acted in my class the first time and with promises for a much better work ethic this time. The amazing thing is that the couple of years they were gone and the life they had while out of college leads them to apply themselves and end up at the top of the class. It is a maturing experience some students simply need.

So, to my Dead Face Divas, I leave this message: straighten up or join the real world for a while and then come back as an adult. Ladies, you aren’t there yet.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

The first day of school is tomorrow-what do I do now?

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Watching school buses pick up their children this morning, I began wondering what my students in college are planning for their first day of fall semester tomorrow.

Have they visited our class webpage and read my first announcements, including the one that tells them to bring a copy of the syllabus to class with them, or do they figure that I printed it out and will hand it to them when they show up?

Do they have the book for the class, or will they make a quick scramble to the bookstore tomorrow, along with half of the student population (only to discover that the book is sold out and they can’t get it for the first three weeks of class)?

Will they have paper and pen, ready to take notes, or will they think that nothing important will be done tomorrow and blow off the idea of even showing up?

Will they prepare their backpack today, making sure that they have all the supplies they need for their classes, or will they run around first thing in the morning, trying to pull everything together at the last minute?

Will they lay out their outfit tonight, making sure that it is in good repair, or will they show up in their pajamas?

Will they make sure that their car is gassed up, their laptop is charged up, and their eyes are opened up, or will they run out of gas halfway there, string the cord for their charger across the room (which becomes a tripping hazard for everyone in the room), and sit in their chairs, barely awake because they stayed awake playing computer games half the night?

Well, I guess you can tell which route a successful student will take. The second choices, all the way through, are for students whose success is doubtful. See you tomorrow!

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Before you fail read the instructions

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:
I received an email from a student today. Her note made it very clear that she had not read the announcements or the syllabus before posting her first assignment.

While I am the first to agree that a syllabus will probably never make the Best Seller list with Amazon, there is important information in it that could dramatically affect your grade.

First, she did not know any deadlines. (They are in both the syllabus and in the first announcement for the class, which I have repeatedly asked students to read.) Key: Read it before you write an assignment.

Second, she was unaware that there were any length requirements on discussion board postings. (Those instructions are at the end of the question, so she obviously did not scroll down one more line, where she would have located it.) Key: If you do not meet the minimum length requirements, you might not get credit for doing anything. Key: If you always post brief postings, your teacher gets very annoyed for your wasting her time. You obviously wanted credit; you just felt like doing a poor job. She notices and makes note that you are lazy. Guess what happens to lazy students if they need a curve at the end of the semester because they are “that close” to the next grade?

Finally, she did not want to participate in the Free Feedback Thursday where she would receive free (what a surprise) feedback that she could use to improve her paper and end up with a better grade. She didn’t want to work that hard. (One student told me “I never do re-writes.” His final grade reflected that attitude.)

The take-away here is…well, you are in college, what do you think?

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Gals who definitely have it all together

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Today’s blog is about two gals who are in one of my classes. These ladies have truly got their college act together. Let me tell you what they do:

They figured out a few semesters that they were majoring in the same thing and would be taking the same classes, so they made the commitment to take the same classes at the same time and become study buddies. This has worked out very well, since they share a common work ethic. They study hard and hold one another accountable.

They show up for class early every day, so that they can organize their study plans, solidify their assignments, and quiz each other for upcoming tests.  The tests may be a couple of weeks away, but they prepare for them early. No late night cramming the night before the exam for them! They have also mapped out their future coursework and talked to the advisers about their next-step plans.

They challenge each other to get the top grade; in my class, their GPAs are .8 different. Needless to say, they are at the very top of the class.  They are already discussing the courses they will take for their master’s degrees, even though they are sophomores right now. They have gotten guidance about what classes they should take at our college and which are best reserved for the future.

They know where they are going, what it takes to get there, and the time frame they need to complete their goals. When success arrives, it will not be a surprise. They have planned and prepared for it all along.

How about you? What preparation have you begun for what lies ahead?

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Success isn’t going to hit you over the head by surprise

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

It’s always a surprise to me when students think that success is going to hit them over the head as they just stand there. Nope, folks, success in college is no accident. You have to work at it.

How can you achieve your goals? By taking college seriously from the very first minute, you can increase the odds that you will do well. What does taking college seriously look like?

For starters, you get the book that is required and you read it, take notes on what you read, and study it. Attend the lectures and ask questions. Be engaged in what you are learning.

So, how do you read the book? Look at the Table of Contents and see what you will be reading about. Use a highlighter to bold certain parts of the text, but do not bold everything! I had a student once who highlighted the entire page…..so what good was that?

Keep in mind that you might be a person who is distracted by underlining and highlighters, so keep this in mind if you plan on reading the book more than once. Also keep this in mind when you go to purchase used textbooks. I used to sit on the floor next to the college bookstore’s used books and flip through them until I found a book with minimal underlining. Sometimes folks only underline or highlight the first few chapters, so you might find that the rest of the book is “clean” which is important to those folks who get distracted easily. Perhaps your instructor will emphasize different ideas from the ones that someone highlighted, so do not depend entirely on a former student’s notes in the book to help you this term.

You might find it more helpful to put notes in the margins, rather than underlining. Try underlining, highlighting, and margin notes until you find what works best for you personally.

After the lecture, try to take time that day and go over your notes, supplementing them from the textbook. Did your professor emphasize certain points more than others? It is important to him or her, so it automatically is important to you! Review throughout the semester, so that you don’t get stuck the night before an exam and have to cram. That’s no fun and it rarely works very well.

Are there any study habits you find helpful? Do you have any questions or topics you would like me to cover on the blog? I am as near as your computer and I am here to help you have success in college! It won’t hit you over the head by surprise, but is the result of hard work and dedication. You can do it!

Best,

Dr. Sheri

How supportive is your significant other?

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Today’s blog asks a very important question: How supportive is your significant other as you complete your college education? I was in college when I met my hubby, but, as we got serious, my college education took a back seat to our romance. It took 20 years for me to be able to return to college; that’s a long time to wait!

If you are married, of course, you don’t want to get a divorce over the issue of being in school, but if you have an un-supportive person in your life such as a casual boyfriend or girlfriend, you may wish to rethink your relationship.

Does your significant other encourage your academic pursuits or does that individual look for ways to set up roadblocks? Does the person sigh heavily every time you say you need to study or does that person help with the chores so you can focus on your classes? Does the person make snide comments about the time you are taking away from him or her or does your Sugar Plum say that he or she appreciates your commitment to the future? Does your sweetie seem jealous of your accomplishments in the classroom or does he or she applaud your every success?

These are things to think about and ponder. Is college worth it? You bet it is! The intangible rewards are tremendous, as you become more self-confident, become better organized, increase your interpersonal communication skills, and gain greater self-esteem. The tangible rewards, such as better and more gainful employment, also make the journey you are on worthwhile. You can do this!

I would love to hear how your significant other has helped you on this road. What has he or she done to support your classwork? Let’s share some ideas that might help others. [One thing that I did was to set a timer for how much longer I needed to study. That way, when my hubby wanted to go out to enjoy the day, I could tell him, “I need to study for 30 more minutes; then I can go.” It kept him happy, knowing that there was an end in sight that day and we really could have some time together.]

Best,

Dr. Sheri

College students: If you want to have a garden, you have to use some worms

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

What in the world do worms have to do with college students? Well, my sister-in-law is a gardener and she has found that a good garden requires a good foundation. Her foundation is worms.

You are laying the foundation for the fulfillment of your dreams, whether you want to be a hotel owner, restaurant manager, or president. To that end, you have to lay the foundation of what you hope to become by making sure that you have the background needed to accomplish those dreams.

Maybe you don’t think that your communication class is necessary, but you will need to be able to communicate effectively with your employees. Maybe you think the math class is a waste of time, but you will need math to add up your assets and subtract your liabilities. Maybe you think your science class is not worth the bother, but you will need to know about carbs and fats if your restaurant is ever investigated for serving unhealthy food. What this means is you need to know about worms, the foundation of what you DO want.  Food, literally, for thought.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Getting it done or getting by

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Have you ever wondered why some students excel while others, who seem equally intelligent, just get by? When a student did poorly in my class, I used to think it was me. Now I know that individuals have different goals for their education.

Maybe they are in college just to stay on their parents’ medical insurance policy. Maybe they are there to avoid having to get a post-high school job. One of my favorite reasons is the student who told me, “Well, the judge said I had a choice between prison or college. I chose college.” I thought, “Oh, goodie goodie gumdrops- you chose my class.”  He turned out to be a good student and a very pleasant young man…..but I never found out what crime he had been convicted of……

I have been teaching an online class recently and there is a student who always does the absolute minimum, no matter what the assignment. He seems talented but chooses to waste his time with the course, rather than apply himself. It is such a pity.

Why do you think some students just get by instead of getting it done? Have you ever done that yourself? I look forward to hearing from you and how you overcame it…..of not.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Letters of recommendation

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Today’s blog deals with that all-important letter of recommendation from your instructor. You may need one in order to get into a four-year college, if you are in a community college. You may be required to provide letters in order to get a scholarship or to get a better-paying job. The very best letter you can get is one that the instructor offers to give you, without your even needing to ask. So, how do you get one?

The first few hints are intuitively obvious, but still need to be included. First, be a good student who shows up on time, who shows up for each class meeting totally prepared for the day, and who does well on assignments and exams. “Okay,” you may be saying, “what else is new?”

Go beyond that, folks. Be pleasant to everyone, from the teacher and the other students, to folks who can never “do” anything for you. Do you know who the janitor is in the buildings you have classes in? Do you ever thank that individual for the work he or she does? Do you greet the advisers, the office staff, and previous instructors with a smile on your face? This may sound silly, but you never know when the instructor you plan on asking for a reference is watching.

Don’t go about like an Eddie Haskel, pretending to be nice and then turning into a monster when the instructor’s head is turned. Be genuinely nice. Ask your instructor how his or her weekend went and pay attention to the answer. Talk to your fellow students before or after class, don’t just show up and clomp out.

I was asked for a reference letter just this past week. The student was in a class of mine one year ago, but I still remembered her because, not only was she a top student, but because she threw herself enthusiastically into every assignment. She never complained about anything, but truly sought to take charge of her own education. It was easy to write a reference for her; she was one of the most involved students I have every met. When she was in class, she was in class with every fiber of her being. I had 150 students that semester, but she clearly stood out. Be that student!

Best,

Dr. Sheri

P.S. Eddie Haskel was on Leave it to Beaver.

New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? I conducted a very informal survey today and here is what some of the folks told me:

A very hard-working (and very slender) friend said that she resolves each year to “see more movies, eat more chocolate, and have more fun.” Life is short!

An elderly gentleman at the mall said he resolves to “stay alive.” A noble thought, there!

His wife said she resolves to “be happy.” She always seemed happy to me, but perhaps not.

Their coffee-drinking companion said that he doesn’t have any resolutions but that the additional walkers at the mall and at his health club apparently did. He wonders how long their resolutions will last. Things will settle down, he said, and in a few weeks he will have better access the to machines at his club.

My banker said she resolves not to resolve anything. She doesn’t like the idea of being stuck with resolutions only once a year, as if you can’t start any new lifestyle change at any time other than January. She said that if you want to do something new, just do it. Sounds a bit like a Nike ad!

Whatever your resolution, or lack thereof, I hope that 2017 is a great year for you and yours.

Best,

Dr. Sheri