College News & Views - Vol. 1

BetterGrads College News & Views is a weekly collection of college-themed posts around the web. Our social media team, partners and guest contributors take part in providing this service to you. This week, we came across several articles related to being ready for college, what students think of the price tag for a degree, and some tips students can use when gearing up for the semester.   College Preparation: ACT Scores show 1 in 4 high school grads are unprepared for college (TIME) Standardized tests are questioned by many as a legitimate measuring system for a student’s success, but this year’s ACT results are out, regardless. Nearly 30 percent fell below the college-level standards in English, math, science and reading. Is this reflective of a larger problem? Or are there other ways we can effectively test students’ college preparedness? Getting ready for college (Freelance Writer Network) This author provides a [...]

Avoiding the Holiday Crash

When I was watching “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” on Halloween night in college, I was excited. Thanksgiving was around the corner with the holidays following afterwards.

I also was amazed at the fact that I had been at college for nearly three months. Time went by fast! I started to think about all the good food: warm apple pie, sweet pumpkin pie, homemade pasta with the freshly grated cheese…

“Wait,” I warned myself. “College isn’t over yet. In fact, it’s just beginning. Don’t get roped into abandoning your scholarly duties just yet!”

Looking back to my first day of college, I was overwhelmed with the idea that I was not going to be able to succeed at college. After all, according to the American Institute for Research, in 2010 nearly 30% of freshmen will drop out of college by the end of their first year, presumably due to their workload, their inability to properly manage their time, or even too much partying.

High School vs. College: Views of A College Freshman

“Beep… beep… beep…” The alarm clock goes off, and you hit the snooze button. You expect to have your mother’s kisses, or your father’s tickles, to wake you up. When you realize they’re not there, you jerk yourself out of your slumber. This isn’t high school. You remember… you’re now in the real world. You’re now at college. As you turn to look at the clock, you see you’re late for European History, having spent all night attempting to finish that psychology assignment. It’s now a quarter to eight, and you have to be across the campus in 15 minutes.

Finals Week Tips

For those of us on the academic quarter system, this next week is finals week for the winter quarter. Finals are the most important event of the school term, and they can be worth anywhere from 30 to 70 percent of your grade. Utilize study guides The week before the final, ask your professor if a study guide will be available for the final. Guides are extremely helpful because they are virtual roadmaps of what the final will entail. If and when you do get them, focus most of your studying efforts towards the review guides. If professors are going to the trouble of making a review sheet, they are doing it to guide your study efforts. Visit review sessions Similar to study guides, if a teacher or TA holds a review session, it is because they want to help you with your studying. When you go to a review [...]

Grace and Gratitude

An AP United States History teacher once interrupted himself during a lecture and shared with my fourth period classmates the following factoid: “If you think high school goes by so fast, wait until you get to college. It goes by 4 times faster!” Mr. Roberson was correct. At times, my college career did feel like someone was pushing the fast-forward button and would not let go. Many things can get overlooked during this four-year period. Think about it, college provides the opportunity to study a myriad of subjects, perform research, and meet incredible people. So in the spirit of the holidays, I posed the question to my friends and social networks: “What are you grateful for from college?” Below you will find actual responses to this question. And more will be on the way. Enjoy unwrapping this gift from BetterGrads! “The social experiences-Allowed me to grow and mature. [Grateful for] [...]

Surviving Finals

Three tips for surviving final exams in college.

Academic Support

When struggling with a subject in high school, you might have looked for a local tutor to help clear up the confusion. And it was safe to say that the tutor was either a local college student, or recent college graduate. So, what happens in college when you are struggling with your coursework? Who tutors the college kids? Who offers to the opportunity to proofread your 20-page research paper a few days before you need to turn it in? Who offers the opportunity to take un-timed exams if you have a documented learning disorder? All of these things happen when you take advantage of your college’s Center for Academic Excellence / Writing Center. These places are usually located somewhere within the caverns of your school’s library (which should become one of your top-5 places you could be found, during any given day, while in college), and should be put to [...]