A college student story
In his first year at Carnegie Mellon, Jeffrey was not a good student. He failed several courses and almost quit school. However he changed and began to get better grades, his improvement helped him to do well in his last two years. This year he graduates with an excellent grade and get a good job with Google so I ask him to share his experience with my students. Following is his story:
“When I went to CMU, I wished someone had told me that I must go to every class and study hard. I wished that someone had explained to me about career planning and how to set goals for my education. As a first year college student, I enjoyed my new freedom so I often skipped class to play videogames with friends. I did not talk to my professors or my classmates as they were always busy. I rather went out with other students who also skipped class like me to drink beers then played videogames all day. I had no idea on what I wanted to do with my life and I did not ask for help when my grades were bad. I like the freedom in college because there was no one to tell me what to do and I could do what I wanted until I received my grade report. I failed two classes and had the lowest grade in other two. My parents were shock and angry so they gave me an ultimatum: “Study or quit school”. At that time I decided to quit and planned to find a job to support myself. This was when I recognized about the reality of life. Without a good education as a college drop-out, I was "A Nobody". Most of the jobs that I could find were low paid that required no skills. I also learned that these people had to work two jobs but still had difficulty to support themselves. Since I quit school, most of my friends ignored me including ones who often played videogames with me. My girlfriend ended our two years relationship. I spent three months in misery before decided that I must change. I apologized to my parents and returned to CMU and began to take study very seriously.”
“When returned to school, I was behind most people in class so I asked for help. You would be surprised at how many students did not bother to do that. There were so many supports that students did not know and many did not seek help even when they needed it. I went to the school counselor and explained my situation. The counselor advised me to go to tutorial classes. I attended many classes and they were helpful so within few months, I could catch up with all classes. I wanted to say that tutoring was not a thing that you have to be ashamed of. If you need help, you should get help early and frequently before some damages happen. My tutor was a fourth year student who knows computer science very well so I learned a lot from him. By the time I got to my fourth year, I also volunteered to be a tutor for other students and I believe that teaching is one of the best ways of learning.”
“I learned to read materials before each class and came to see the professors after class to ask questions that I did not understand. Many students did not know how to take advantage of the opportunity as they believed that they could learn everything by themselves. Since I often asked questions, many professors knew my name and began to treat me differently as they considered that I was a good student. The more I talked to them, the more they knew me and I build a very good relationship with all professors. I learned that most professors did pay attention to students in class. They might not say anything but they knew who good students were and who were not. They knew who often read materials before class and who did not. They knew who skipped class and who kept sleeping or day dreaming in class etc. Since they knew me well, my grades improved significantly which encourage me to study more. Within a short time, I became the top student in class. I believed that if you put in your efforts, everything would become more easily and by the time I graduated, I received several job offers and I selected Google.”
“As college students, you must set your education goal on what you want to achieve. You must realize your potentials as well as your perceptions. Most of all you must make new friends, especially the ones who have clear direction about education. You must learn to say “NO” to partying, movies, videogames, drinking and all people who participate in those activities. It is NOT easy but you must do it. I learn to plan my weekly schedule and set time to study on my own then later find a study group to study with. I have clear written schedules for everything. I set time to study for exams, reading assignments and events. I review my schedules every week and modify as needed to allow sufficient study time. From the schedule, I prioritize what is most urgent, and set times to accomplish it. I meet another student who shares with me a good study habit: We study intensely for 30 minutes, and then take a 5 minute break to relax, and when return to study, I take another 10 minutes to recall information from the previous 30 minute session before starting in on the next. It work well and my study habit improve significantly. I also learn to study from the general to specific: I start with the general view to understand the materials first, and then learn the details. I also learn that it takes time to absorb all materials so cramming at the last minute before exam NEVER work as you will forget what you learned quickly then you will be panic during the exam.”
“I have been a bad student but I have learned and with some efforts and a lot of helps, I have done well. I think anyone who was in my situation should NEVER give up; it is NOT too late to improve anything. As long as you put your mind into it, you will do well. By the way, I never forget to thank my parents who supported me, my professors and counselors who helped me. Today I share my experience with you as evidence that we all make mistake but as long as we learn from it then it is OK.”
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
