Know the tricks of campus!

Do upperclassmen have tricks to success? YES!

Starting off in higher education can be difficult. It was difficult for me when I sent my oldest off to school to the other side of the country. Preparing her to leave was a feat! An Olympian feat! Packing. Purchasing. Clearing out her home bedroom. Preparing her schedule at school. Organizing financial aid. Learning about housing. I soon felt like my lists were making lists of their own! My planner bulged with tasks and I kept shoving more into it! I was overwhelmed, but I learned some vital tips to help my daughter succeed at school.

Tips of the upperclassman -to do in the first days on campus:

• Know where essential offices are.
  • Financial aid, Bursar, Registrar, Dean of Students, Academic Advising, Career Center, Health Center
• Know library and computer lab locations.
• Find classrooms before classes start.
• Buy books early.
• Talk to upper class men -ask them for their best tips and advice.
• Be prepared for a lifestyle change.
• Know department leads -undergraduate head, dean, department head, academic advisor, etc.
• Get off campus and see what is in the surrounding community.
• Go to your professors’ office hours and meet them.

By Tracy Harrington-Atkinson

Tracy Harrington-Atkinson, mother of six, lives in the Midwest with her husband. She is a teacher, having taught elementary school to higher education, holding degrees in elementary education, a master’s in higher education and continued on to a PhD in curriculum design. She has published several titles, including Calais: The Annals of the Hidden, Lemosa: The Annals of the Hidden, Book Two, Rachel’s 8 and Securing Your Tent. She is currently working on a non-fiction text exploring the attributes of self-directed learners: The Five Characteristics of Self-directed Learners.