Prof Pens Tips for New Students

What started as a bit of helpful advice about college from an academic aunt turned into a self-published book by NC State biology professor Jennifer Landin. “Dr. Landin’s 89 Essential Tips for New College Students” is now available on Amazon.com, as a paperback ($5.99) and as an e-book ($1.99), just in time for the arrival later this month of the Class of 2018 on campuses across the country.

“Last spring, my oldest niece was graduating from high school,” Landin says. “I had begun thinking about a gift for her last fall. Of course, everyone heading off to college needs money, but that wasn’t very personal. So I started writing tips for her.

“After all, I struggled a lot in college and made of ton of mistakes, along with a few accidental smart moves.”

Among the classes Landin teaches – her biological illustration course is one of her department’s most popular classes – is an introductory class for freshmen, which gives her plenty of opportunity to see how students make choices that are both destructive and instructive.

“I see a lot of repeated mistakes,” Landin says. “For example, of the students who struggle with grades in my course, every single person studies by re-reading their notes. They spend hour after boring hour reading, and then perform terribly on the test.

“I show them how to study in 10-minute increments and, from my tracking, their grades go up an average of 11 percent. She offers advice on course selection, test-taking and time and crisis management.

Here are a few of her 89 tips:

8. Challenge your beliefs: In high school, you learned a lot … but it probably wasn’t very controversial. In the “real world,” of course, there’s a boatload of controversy. You will start addressing some of those issues in college. Listen. Question. Keep an open mind.

One big problem is that many college students develop opinions over time that differ from their family’s or community’s views. This scenario can lead students to feel torn between their new world and their old world. It’s a struggle. Only you can decide the best way for you to resolve it. Respecting and seeing the good in each set of views is a good way to start.

42. Your professor wants you to do well:  Many students think the professor’s out to fail students. Not true. Your professor wants you to learn. Your grade reflects what you learn. For a professor, there would be no greater experience than for every student in class to earn an A.

(It’s also much easier to grade tests and projects if students do a great job!)

51. Invest in a timer: Plan a set amount of time to study or work on assignments each day. Setting the timer helps force you to start – and you’ll concentrate more if you’re not constantly looking at the clock.

Oftentimes, once you’re working on a project, you’ll continue even after the buzzer sounds.