November 19, 2012 You are often told that you should prepare several days in advance for tests. But no one ever tells you what you should do each day. Here’s some guidance for preparing for math/science tests. Five ... read more »

November 19, 2012 General education (GEC) tests tend to involve more recall of specific information than math/science/engineering tests. As a result, the preparation strategy for these tests is different from that of your ... read more »

July 13, 2012 A syllabus will be given to you for each class that you are enrolled in. In effect, the syllabus is a contract between you and your professor. The grading system in the course will be exactly what is spelled ... read more »

July 13, 2012 Often students who don’t do well in a course don’t keep track of their grades. When you talk to a student who has a good GPA, they can tell you virtually every grade that they have received in each ... read more »

July 13, 2012 One of the challenges students face is being honest with themselves about what is expected of them to do well in class. The scorecard is an effective way to keep yourself honest. See the attached template ... read more »

July 13, 2012 In just about every class, there will be some form of assignment each day. Often these assignments can have a major influence on your grade. Even if the assignments are only worth 10% of your total grade, ... read more »

July 14, 2015 An artisan who made wonderful brass doors was being interviewed by an architectural publication. The interviewer asked the following question: “When do you know you are done?” The artisan’s response ... read more »

July 14, 2015 Faculty don’t like to admit it, but they are influenced by the look of an assignment, not just the content. Sloppy looking work tends to receive less partial credit. Good looking work tends to be given ... read more »

July 13, 2012 Most of the time students have similar academic goals. These goals usually tend to have something to do with their GPA at the end of the semester. The problem with this goal is that it's hard to translate ... read more »

July 13, 2012 College classes can often have many grade components: quizzes, homework, tests, attendance, bonus points. You can’t tell how you are doing in a class unless you develop a system for recording your grades. ... read more »