Two seniors give some great advice on how to succeed academically at Hope! Read below to see their suggestions!
Drew is a rising senior from Westfield, Indiana. Drew is studying Economics and Business, and plans to go on to work in private banking. Outside of the classroom, he is involved with Greek life, the AEI Executive Council, Baker Scholars, and is on the cross country and track team. Drew’s favorite thing about Hope is the people that make the community so special.
The adjustment to college academics is one of the hardest parts of your first year. The biggest challenge for me was leaving a well-structured high school routine where we were in the classroom for most of the day and then had small amounts of homework. College flips that schedule where far less of your time is actually in the classroom and the rest of your day is available to do what you please. The challenge in this is learning to manage time responsibly to get your work done while still having time to enjoy all the other things going on on campus.
It is important to take your academics seriously, but it is also critical to take advantage of the social and extracurricular activities at Hope. My tips are to find friends to study with that hold you accountable and keep the grind enjoyable as well as to take advantage of all the academic resources that Hope has to offer. Hope students and faculty are always willing to help and will be there for you to make sure your college experience is fun and formative.
Shelby Harper is a rising senior from Cincinnati, Ohio majoring in engineering with an emphasis in electrical engineering and a minor in mathematics. She has been involved in residential life as an RA for two years, works as a TA in the engineering department, and is a tutor for the Academic Success Center (ASC). She has two cats at home, plays the ukulele, and is very passionate about coffee. Shelby is spending the Fall 2020 semester in Athens, Greece before graduating in December of 2020. Shelby hopes to go to graduate school to get a PhD in electrical engineering and work as a professor someday.
Starting your first college classes is incredibly daunting. They are certainly different from high school classes, but there are many things you can do to make it feel more manageable. Although not procrastinating is much easier said than done when there’s so much to get involved in at Hope, it truly does make your academic life much easier!
Some wisdom I received once is to treat college like a full-time job. Again, this is easier said than done, but working from 9 to 5 (yes, that includes getting up early if you don’t have morning classes) will offer you so much more free time to be with people and to do the things you enjoy! This is especially applicable at Hope where there are so many amazing things to do socially.
Along with all the social activities Hope offers, there are also many academic resources in place to help you succeed in your classes. Take advantage of help sessions if they’re available. These are run by teaching assistants who have previously taken the class and are there for homework help and questions. In addition, don’t be afraid to ask professors for help! My professors have been some of the most incredible people I have gotten to know, and they have so much wisdom to share about things from a career path in your field of study to even life in general.
Be willing to invest in your schoolwork and feel thankful for the opportunity to work toward something you love! Everyone at Hope wants you to succeed and you are so capable!