My Online Classroom: 2012

I know, I know! It's only the 1st of October but I can't help posting this list of TIPS FOR NEWCOMERS! The beginning of a new academic year is always busy but also exciting for both faculty and students. People are making plans for their academic and social life, hoping that this year is going to be the best of all. This may be true for some of you, but I am sure that it is going to be the best academic year for newcomers! A warm welcome to those of you who fall into this category... I mean newcomers.

Newcomers are usually great guys, but sometimes they look really lost. That is why I want to share some TIPS for those of you who are about to start your first semester at our university.

1. Get organized.

The first thing you need to get is an ORGANIZER (those thick hardcover notebooks) and then get ORGANIZED (use a calendar, take down your schedule, contact information, telephone numbers, assignment titles and all the rest);
Check your schedule every day to make sure you are always in the right place (read: "room") at the right time (i.e. five minutes before classes start)!

2. Study on a regular basis.

This sounds really scary but if you want to get high scores, you should do your reading and writing for each class (remember to review all lessons before the Progress Test; this one is somewhere between 20 and 40% of the final score, for all my courses).

3. Make sure you get all the material I provide you with during classes.

i.e., reading lists, grammar and vocabulary exercises, word lists, journal articles, etc. (both soft and hard copies!!!)

4. Attend ALL classes.

A good reason: Class participation is 10% of your final score.

5. Manage your time effectively.

time management is important both during classes and exam periods.

6. Meet deadlines.

failure to do this might be similar to failing the whole course.

7. Take notes while in class.

you are going to need your own notes during the exam period and before that: Qui scribit, bis legit! (Lat. He who writes reads twice)
if you're a computer geek you can bring your device to classes and use note-taking software such as, say Evernote (it's freeware!).

8. Use all the help you can get for your assignments.

use the best information sources you can get, i.e. the library (it's near the Morgue, but it's a nice place after all), the Internet and... your instructor(s).

9. Work all the time you... work.