The eNotes Blog How To Be Successful at a LargeUniversity

How To Be Successful at a LargeUniversity Success: The accomplishment of an aim or purpose (Merriam-Webster).   Success is what every person should strive to reach every day.   It is the backbone and motivator for all of our wants and needs.   Achieving success in college requires hard work and a little bit of knowledge about how to beat the system.   The university system differs from high school in a plethora of ways.   You dont have the same classes every day, there are up to 500 students in your classes, there is no mandatory attendance, and your grade can be based on your performance on one or two tests.   If you just graduated from high school and are about to begin college, or are already in college and have a newfound resolve for success, read on to discover how to be successful at a large university. 1. Define your success.   What are you looking to get out of college?   Is this just the next step in your educational journey?   Do you plan on using it as a stepping stone to a particular job or graduate program?   Do you just want to have fun?   Knowing what you want to get out of college before you begin is important.   Perhaps you want to make a difference on campus and run for a position on student government.   If you want a strong sense of fulfillment, giving back to the community and volunteering can get you there.   I was recruited at UCLA to play baseball, so my goal was to be as successful as I could in the classroom and on the field. 2. Plan.   Where are you going after college?   This can have a tremendous impact on your collegiate educational journey.   If you plan on attending some form of post-undergraduate education, you will need to get top marks in order to be accepted into a quality program.   If you have a specific job or career path in mind, apply to a major that will help get you there.   If you arent sure what you want to do, sample a wide variety of electives and general education classes.   Communications and English degrees are highly valuable degrees that appeal to employers because they accentuate your written and verbal skills.   I had no idea what I wanted to do after college, so after my freshman year I applied as a communication studies major because of the fascinating classes and competitiveness of the program. 3. Do your research.   Think of the phrase, work smart, not hard.   Although you will probably have to do both.   Find classes that interest you.   Read the course descriptions from your schools registrar.   Talk to other students and use websites such as ratemyprofessors.com to discover what your potential professors are like.   If a high GPA is more important to you, sign up for the easy classes.   I always tried to find manageable classes that had stimulating enough subject material to keep me wanting more. 4. Show up.   No, attendance is not mandatory at large universities.   You will have huge classes in a giant auditorium and the professor and TAs will never know if you dont show up.   But if you care about getting something out of your education and earning a good grade, then spending the couple hours per week in that class is the best way to learn.   It gets you outside and in contact with your friends as well.   Dont rely on Powerpoints or Podcasts from home.   Youre likely to procrastinate on reviewing them, and they arent as affective.   Its also important to know the classes that you  must  show up for, and recognize those that you can skip every once in a while when necessary. 5. Make a good first impression.   Be aware of the power of first impressions, and realize that your first interaction with a professor or TA can be impactful in the lasting conclusions they draw about you.   Although professors try to grade tests and assignments objectively, there is no doubt that at least sometimes they give preferential treatment to students they like.   Could you really blame them if they were stricter on a student who was constantly late, didnt participate, and didnt pay attention?   So dress nicely, sit in the front of class, participate during discussion, know what youre talking about, and perhaps even visit their office hours to talk about the class and their research.   People like to talk about themselves. 6. Focus.   Dont go to lecture just to go to lecture.   If youre going to sleep, talk to friends on Facebook, or play internet games, just stay at home.   You wont get anything out of class, and you wont do as well at playing Bloons Tower Defense (my favorite game to play in class) or whatever youre doing.   When class is over, go home and review your notes for ten minutes.   The material will be fresh on your mind, and looking it over again will solidify your understanding of important concepts.   I always viewed this as time spent studying for midterms and finals way in advance.   If you spent ten minutes reviewing your notes twice a week for ten weeks, you have already studied over three hours for your final, and probably only need to study two or three more hours to be adequately prepared.   This step is the key to academic achievement. 7.   Get the easy credit.   Know the grading rubric for each of your classes.   If attendance is 10% of your grade, you better show up and get all of that 10%.   If easy homework assignments make up any portion of your grade, be organized enough to turn in every one.   Lose points on the hard stuffmidterms, finals, and papers. 8. Utilize your TAs for the hard stuff.  Ã‚  A  Teaching Assistants primary concern is the academic research he or she is pursuing as a Masters or Ph.D. student.   However, most of them are   open to help their students outside of discussion sections, as long as you are respectful of their time.   For ALL assigned essays, check your topic and thesis with the TA!   This guarantees that you will at least get a B- on the assignment.   As long as you are writing about something that is important, on topic, or interesting and you have an argument that is important, on topic, or interesting then your paper will be at least decent no matter what you write for your supporting details and commentary.   This requires intense periods of deep thinking, but ensures a good start. 9. Build relationships.   If you are worried about academic anonymity, make an effort to expose yourself to your professors.   Go to office hours, participate in class, and offer to volunteer in assisting with their research.   Professors at research universities were hired for one reason: to conduct experiments under the name of that institution.   Any help you give your professors is likely to be reciprocated, whether in the form of a good grade in that class or as a valuable reference down the road. 10. Be comfortable outside of class.   College can be stressful.   Its easy to get tied up in all of your homework and independence.   A healthy social life and saving some time to unwind with friends takes the load off and helps you acclamate to your new environment.   Working out and staying physically fit can increase your self-confidence and enhance your mood to keep you happy 🙂

The 12 Best Books on Writing Ive Ever Read - Jerry Jenkins

The 12 Best Books on Writing Ive Ever Read - Jerry Jenkins The 12 Best Books on Writing Ive Ever Read Regardless how many books I’ve written (nearly 200) and sold (over 70 million), I fear if I’m not learning, I’m stagnating. My late mother was a convincing example of one who never believed she had arrived. Mom was not only a piano teacher well into her eighties, but she was also a piano student. So it’s the memory of my mother that spurs me also to keep reading everything there is to read- especially about writing. The books below (in alpha order by author) represent a fraction of those available. You could read one per  day for the rest of your life and not exhaust the resources. But, in my opinion, these are the best books on writing available. Some require wearing your big kid pants due to language, which I have noted. 12 Books Every Aspiring Author Should Read 1. The Writing Life: Writers on How They Think and Work By  Marie Arana This book came from ten years of Ms. Arana’s  Washington Post Book World  column. More than fifty fiction and nonfiction authors share how they discovered they were writers and how they work. I was fascinated by what pleases and annoys them. Arana also profiles each writer. Click here to get the book. 2. Plot Structure: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Plot that Grips Readers from Start to Finish By James Scott Bell (friend and colleague) Anything but a dry textbook, this breezy guide is from a former trial lawyer who keeps you entertained while covering basics like how plot impacts structure, the difference between popular and literary fiction, and how to serve as your own book doctor. Click here to get the book. 3. Getting into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn from Actors By  Brandilyn Collins (friend and colleague) Calling on her theater training, Collins teaches bringing characters to life the way actors do on stage. She draws on the Method Acting approach to explain and adapt characterization techniques for novelists. Click here to get the book. 4. The Writing Life By  Annie Dillard Dillard’s hauntingly ethereal prose soars even when she’s writing about writing. That’s rare. I resonate with her honesty about how grueling the craft can be. This is one of the best books on writing available. Click here to get the book. 5. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft [language] By Stephen King (acquaintance) At the risk of hyperbole, there’s so much to recommend here that I hardly know where to begin. Besides all the practical advice, you get King’s own rags-to-riches story in his inimitable voice. You  learn a ton  while being wildly entertained. Click here to get the book. 6. How to Write Bestselling Fiction  [mild language] By Dean Koontz I’m not overstating it that this book changed my life. It informed the way I wrote the Left Behind series, which has sold more than 60 million copies and still sells six figures every year, nearly a decade since the last title was released. I use this as a textbook when I teach writing. Click here to get the book. 7. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life  [language] By  Anne Lamott Lamott has you howling with laughter one minute and weeping the next as she recounts, with brutal honesty, the joys and travails of the writing life, single parenting, overcoming addiction, and coming to faith. Click here to get the book. 8. Writing the Breakout Novel: Insider Advice for Taking Your Fiction to the Next Level By Donald Maass An agent challenges you to do more than just spin a yarn, but to also think â€Å"big concept,† tackle major themes, and write life-changing works. Click here to get the book. 9. Stein On Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies By Sol Stein (acquaintance) Novelist, editor, publisher (Stein Day), and writing teacher, Stein is one of the deans of the American literary scene. His career spans decades, and he shares insider stories of famous novelists and their work, as well as everything he learned along the way. I sat under his teaching years ago and still follow his advice. Click here to get the book. 10. On Writing Well: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction By William Zinsser Zinsser’s background  should not be missed. He was a graceful classicist as a writer, and this million-seller has been lauded for its warmth and clarity. Zinsser offers sound tips on the fundamentals of writing any kind of nonfiction you can think of. Click here to get the book. Now, don’t read  any  of those books for writers, until†¦ †¦you’ve read the bible of writing books: 11. The Elements of Style By  William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White Failing to start your reading on writing with anything other than this undisputed classic would be akin to reading the top ten Christian classics while ignoring the Bible. This short paperback is recommended by every writing teacher I know. I’ve read it at least once a year for more than 40 years. Its simple truths cover everything from style and grammar and usage. Make them second nature. Click here to get the book. 12. Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One Never Lets Them Go By Les Edgerton Les is one of the most powerfully edgy writers in the business, and you must have your big kid pants on to read his novels. But any writer will benefit from this great resource. Packed with helpful, practical advice, it carries his blunt tone (but nothing offensive). I refer to it regularly. Click here to get the book. If you’ve read none of the other books on this list, start with Stephen King’s  On Writing. A short course in mistakes to avoid while writing, it’ll remind you why you wanted to be an author. Then, especially if you want to be a novelist, read Dean Koontz’s  How to Write Bestselling Fiction. You could learn more in just those two books than in an entire college writing course. BONUS:  Before investing in one of these, download my free guide:  How to Write a Book: Everything You Need to Know in 20 Steps.     Click here to download How to Write a Book: Everything You Need to Know in 20 Steps. What’s your favorite book on the craft of writing? Share it with all of us in the comments section†¦