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Academic Tips
We all know why you're here. The question is, how do you reach your goal of academic success and, later, graduation? Here are some suggestions that will be of help.
Go to class! This cannot be stressed enough. Many professors don't take roll, and some post their class notes on the Web, so it can seem easy and low-risk to skip class. Don't do it! Things happen in class that the textbook, online notes, or notes from a friend might not reflect. Discussion of the subject can both broaden and deepen as the professor brings years of knowledge and experience to bear on questions that are asked in class. Ideas and new ways to explain the topic at hand can occur to professors as they lecture, and these are not typically reflected in online notes. If a professor says that attendance is taken and does count, you can bet that he or she isn't kidding. If you miss class, it will affect your grade.
Introduce yourself to your professors and TAs after the first or second class. This is important in any class, and is especially important in the larger classes. There are two good reasons to do this. For you, it makes the professor a living, breathing human being with whom you've made contact, instead of just a talking head at the front of the room. For the professor, instead of a nameless face, you become a person she or he can make eye contact with during the lecture.
Keep track of all the important information for each of your courses. This info usually appears on the course syllabus, but it is a good idea to keep the vital information for all of your courses in one place: names, office numbers, phone numbers, E-mail addresses, and office hours of all of your professors and TAs. To assist in planning, it is also critical to get a calendar and plot when the exams occur and your major assignments are due in all of your courses.
If you are having problems in a course, do not assume it will get better by itself. For you to do better in the course you must take action right away: Spend more time studying, read the textbook, get help from the professor and TA, or become part of a study group.
If you are having trouble with MATH 0100 or 0120, you can get tutoring at the Math Assistance Center. Call 412-624-6588 for an appointment. If you are in MATH 0031, you should talk to your TA about extra help.
If you are having problems with basic study skills (time management, note taking, test prep, textbook reading, etc.) it would be a good idea for you to take a study-skills seminar from the Academic Support Center.
If you want someone who is more qualified than your roommate to look over a paper you've written for General Writing or any other course, make an appointment to visit the Writing Center, operated by the English department (412-624-6556, M-2 Thaw Hall). There, an English-department graduate student will sit down with you, read your paper, and give you some advice on how it can be improved.
If you don't feel well in both body and mind, it is very difficult to do well academically. You need to take care of yourself. If you feel sick, or have some other physical malady, you should call 412-383-1800 to make an appointment with a doctor or nurse practitioner at Student Health Services. The Health Fee you pay every semester covers the general services of Student Health, so there are no extra charges for those services. There is also a pharmacy, which provides prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines at very good prices.
If you are having motivational problems, are feeling depressed, or are having trouble coping with something that's happened to you (breakup with boyfriend or girlfriend, death of a parent, etc.), you can get professional, confidential help at the Counseling Center. Services provided include: individual, personal counseling; specialized group counseling; and a variety of workshops on subjects that are of concern to students. To make an appointment, call 412-648-7930, or stop by the center in 334 William Pitt Union.
If things are really not going well in a course, don't give up. In most cases it is better to withdraw from a course rather than get a failing grade. Make sure you are aware of the withdrawal deadline for each term. Talk to your advisor about your situation. They can help you to determine if withdrawal is the best solution for your case.
Last, but certainly not least, make sure that you follow the normal advising/registration sequence every semester: have an advising appointment early in the term, and then a registration appointment later in the term. Be sure to check the CBA portal for information about when and where to sign up for the advising appointments.