Making College Oz-some #2

"If I Only Had  A Brain"

We are all familiar with the Scarecrow's quest for a brain. Well, since this is about college, this would be a natural place to talk about academics.  Of course that degree is what it’s all about, but do keep in mind that a lot goes into successfully earning that coveted piece of paper.

In the end, the Scarecrow was ultimately named a "Doctor of Thinkology" or Th.D by the Wizard. It doesn't matter  in which circles that title carries any weight- what matters is that the Scarecrow believed it did and that gave him the confidence to compete and contribute. The Wizard didn't wave a magic wand or inject any specialized knowledge into the Scarecrow's brain. He merely made it official. The Wizard named the frustration the Scarecrow was having by observing he was a "victim of disorganized thinking" and reassured him that he, like a hero, has accomplished something, and the Th.D seals the deal. In fact, as the Wizard is leaving Oz, he appoints the Scarecrow the ruler of Emerald City- making the Scarecrow successful way beyond his humble expectations.

I don't know which institutions if any are offering Th.D's these days, but presumably, you are seeking some certificate or diploma as evidence of your hard work in higher education. So, what DOES that paper mean to you? How important is your major, choice and availability of advisors, coursework, frequency of courses you’re interested in, creative majors, how accessible are the faculty? How about TA's? What might hold you back? Identifying the situations and styles that you thrive in, as well as those you find challenging,  help to keep you on a productive path.

Outside of the classroom, what is your personal learning style & accessibility  of  the faculty? What about the library?  What are the computer resources- are you supposed to bring one? Are you assigned one? Is anyone using common computers? What are the technology expectations for your school and course of study?  How do you study best? group? individual? Where will you study? What is your roommate’s style? What are your study skills and how will you pace your work- do you have a lot of reading? What’s your process for writing? Do your courses require labwork? What academic resources are available to students at your institution?  What are the situations that you find constructive or destructive to your learning?

I know that many students don't feel empowered enough to take the reigns and make a change when they discover a class is completely not what they expected or they are having trouble absorbing the material. Give some thought to what conditions need to be present for you to not only survive, but thrive in collegiate academics. Schools want you to succeed and expect you to be speak up when something is not working towards your success- It's on you to make it work... and YOU know best what that will mean.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nauLgZISozs&feature=related]