TIPS FOR FIRST AND SECOND YEAR STUDENTS
Understanding and utilizing the campus resources available:
- Familiarize yourself with the campus resources available to you prior to using them
- If you make an appointment - show up on time and go prepared
- Try to conduct as much business as possible in person
- Don't wait until it's too late to seek assistance
- Advocate for yourself
- Be patient
*adapted from http://www.campusblues.com
Tips for Success:
- Go to your classes
- Study for your classes - allow 2 hours of study time for each credit hour for which you are registered
- Manage your time - plan time for class, study, work, sleep, eating, exercising, campus activities, out side of class projects and meetings
- Ask for help!
- Know who your advisor is and how to contact him/her
- Get to know your instructors - how they instruct, what their office hours are, what they expect from you - read your syllabus!
- Check your University e-mail (@hartford.edu) on a regular basis
- Get involved on campus
- If undecided, choose a course each semester that helps you explore a field you think you might like to declare as a major
- Think about what skills you want to improve and choose courses that will help you reach these goals
Helpful Links:
Student Interaction
Social Development
QUESTION?
How do you realistically choose your classes, balance your semester load and structure your day to match your personal patterns? - Try on this advice:
 Before you sign up: do you learn better in the morning or afternoon? How long can you pay attention? Are you able to resist late-night parties in favor of studying? What subjects come to you most easily? - Honestly answering questions like these will lead you toward forming a schedule that will work for you.
Don't forget to work out your schedule before the registration date arrives!
Scheduling your first class of the day: try scheduling your first class in a favorite subject - this might help jumpstart you into "class mode" by a course you won't want to miss.
No time to study: how about structuring your day with some time in the library - and go there!
Semester strategies: How long can you sit and listen? Do you prefer a 3 hour class one time per week or three 1 hour classes in a week instead? It's important too to pick and schedule classes that make you work in a variety of ways - short papers, long papers, group work.. Read descriptions in the undergraduate bulletin or talk to professors for clues about what a course entails. Also, make sure you plan something in your schedule that you already know you do well and that you love doing - aerobics class, editing the school newspaper...
Balancing work load with activity: Like to finish your afternoon with physical activity? How about taking kick boxing, spinning, racquetball or another fun course for credit? A no-homework physical education class balances your study load and gives you a chance to unwind.
The flexibility of college schedules gives you a chance to create structure that suits your personal style.
*adapted from Next Step Magazine and The New York Times
Choosing courses can be a confusing task. There are many different requirements and so many course from which to choose! Here are some ideas that should help you decide which courses to take: Choosing Classes
$EXPENSES TIP$: keep a summary of your total spending every two weeks or so. After a month or two of this, you should have a pretty good idea of your average monthly costs. For financial management tips, visit the Finman - Financial Management Tips for Students
Handout: The basics of effective learning (pdf)
Handout: Tips for first and second year students (pdf)
Helpful Links:
Coursework Strategies
Assignment Strategies
Guide on How to Study
Academic Tips
Study Skills
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