Here are some reflections on what students have done in the past to finish the year in “A” territory.
1. Read everything that is assigned. Do all readings carefully and completely.
2. Take notes on all assigned readings. Take notes in a notebook or annotate the text thoroughly – whatever works for you. See me to discuss note-taking and reading strategies. One of our goals is to help you find the style of learning and studying that works for you.
3. Take notes during class discussion. Class notes should supplement your reading notes. They should fill in things you may have missed when completing the reading. They could also be the result of “a-ha” moments when you make a connection or reach a deeper understanding of a key theme or topic.
4. Participate daily in class discussion. This may seem to conflict with point #3. Asking you to process while listening and speaking and taking notes is, admittedly, not always effective for all students. However, if you are focused on the task at hand and are prepared when you come to class, you can learn to juggle these tasks. No one can do all of them at once. Our brains don’t work that way. However, if you are prepared for class and have done the necessary grunt work, you can use class time to clarify and deepen your understanding of the material.
5. Do not procrastinate.
6. Meet deadlines and use your planner.
7. Write drafts of essays. I do not accept rewrites. However, I will read and comment on as many drafts as you want to write. Once the due date arrives, you own the submitted product. You will never have fewer than two weekends between when a paper is assigned and when it is due. I will accept and read drafts up to 48 hours before they are due. Email them to me as PDF's and I will send them via return email within 24 hours.
8. Know the syllabus. Read it carefully and be familiar with class policies. Saying you did not know about late penalties or class expectations is not acceptable. This is your course to manage. I can help you learn to do that but cannot and will not do it for you.
9. See me for “extra help” – a terrible term but one we use nonetheless. The most successful students check in regularly. They go over notes and talk about strategies for studying. They review material for upcoming exams. They review study guides they made for exams. They go over drafts of essays. They review past exams and essays. Extra help is not just for students struggling with the material. In fact, those students are, in many cases, the least likely to come for extra help. My teaching schedule is on my website. I check my email frequently. Make an appointment or stop in. An unannounced stop runs the risk of finding me working with other students or out of my room attending to other duties. However, it is very rare that I cannot make an agreed upon time to meet.
10. Don’t look for shortcuts. All assignments are designed to help you learn to think like a historian and teach you about the past. I do not assign work just to so you have something to do. If you are not sure how an assignment addresses the larger goals of the course (a. to learn to think historically b. to learn about and understand the past c. to prepare you for intellectual life at the university level), ask me. If you have somehow convinced yourself that an assignment is not important, you are wrong and there will be a price to pay down the road.
