Tips for Success in This Class

Despite Saint Anselm College's ferocious reputation, a large number of you could probably obtain A's. Not only that, I'm convinced that just about everyone at this school is capable of earning at least a B in all of his classes. Many of you, however, fail to perform to this standard. That's because succeeding academically is both easy and difficult. It's easy because almost everyone can make the changes necessary to succeed. It's hard because most of you are unwilling to make those changes. Academic success is not merely a matter of brains or cramming. It's a matter of committing yourself to an intellectual life. In other words, nothing short of changing your lifestyle will produce academic success.

That sounds like weighty stuff. What does it all mean? First, it means you need to live, act, and most important, think like a college student. Kant wrote that enlightenment consisted of leaving behind one's self-imposed immaturity—immaturity being defined as an inability to think for one's self. I'm taking his words out of context, but his ideas in this respect constitute a useful analogy for what I'm talking about. College is about leaving your childhood behind and becoming an adult who can think for himself. Adulthood is not about driving your own car, talking into a cellphone, getting dressed by Abercrombie & Fitch, and then going to your home town on the weekends to be with your parents and your high school friends (that is all so very high school). It is about thinking for yourself and becoming your own person. Thinking for yourself comes from curiosity that leads you to contemplate the new and unfamiliar. That is what college is for. College is not about "finding yourself," drinking beer, making lifelong friends, getting a diploma, or finding a job. Although these things will all probably happen to you in college, they are incidental to the most important thing you can do: learning. And the most important thing you can learn is how to learn. College provides you with that opportunity. Never again will you have four years set aside to do just that. So see a talk, watch a movie on campus, go to an art opening, or attend an event at the Dana Center. Stay on campus during the weekends. Take your boyfriend to a play. Even if he is a Neanderthal and the play is lost on him, he will think you are sophisticated and classy. And you might learn something. Whatever you do, seize the intellectual life that the school offers.

The most important element in this intellectual life, of course, is your classes. Your classes must become a priority. What is a priority? It's the most important thing going on in your life. For four years, your job consists of being a student. If that's the case, you need to spend as much time at this job as most other people spend at theirs. I would guess that the minimum amount of time one ought to devote to schoolwork (not counting classroom time) would come in around 40 hours. Yes, if one includes classroom time, that adds up to more than 50 hours per week. That's a minimum, and I don't think it's all that much when you consider that most people who have an even half-decent job probably work about that much if not more. In any event, you need time to think, read, and write. Contrary to what many students seem to believe, intelligence alone does not produce good grades. Hard-working intelligence—that is, intelligence that has the time to work away at a question—is what produces results.

If you spend that kind of time on schoolwork, you need to spend less time on other activities: drinking, whiffle ball, video games, TV, chatting, cruising the web, goofing off with your lady friend, working at a job, etc. You will have the rest of your life to do such things. You have only four years to go to college. I am not telling you to turn your back on intercollegiate sports, acting, or student government. I am not even telling you to turn your back on fun. These are all parts of college life, and you can still do them if you budget your time wisely. A minimum of 50 hours for academics and 60 hours for sleeping still leaves almost 60 hours for all kinds of other things.

You need to make the most of your 50 hours by spending it efficiently. I have some suggestions below. Some may sound obvious, but reiterating the obvious never did anybody harm.

Interest and Curiosity: Embracing the intellectual life requires that you show some interest and curiosity in your classes. Sure, you may not have a natural affinity for theology, but once you enter a Theology course, why not make a conscious effort to engage the big questions associated with that course? Who knows, you could actually learn something cool, and you might become interested. If you come prepared to work hard and learn something, you will enjoy yourself. On the other hand, if you are determined to dislike a course or cruise through with a minimum of effort, you will suffer through a long and miserable semester.

Initiative: Take some initiative in your own education. If you encounter an obstacle, find a way to surmount it rather than an excuse to succumb to it. One of Aesop's fables concludes with the moral, "God helps those who help themselves," which is just another way of saying that people who help themselves will meet with more success than those who complain, whine, cry, or simply give up.

Attentiveness: Pay attention to the syllabus, to the web site, to your peers, and to me. Schedules and rules can change, so make sure you stay abreast of events. You know the one person who shows up to class not realizing that a paper was due that day? Do you want to be "that guy"?

Discipline and Organization: Discipline and organization are the most underrated elements necessary to success. As Travis Bickle says in "Taxi Driver," "I got to get myself organizized." Keep a calendar/planner so you can stay on top of your assignments and provide yourself with enough time to complete all of them. Have the discipline to budget your time wisely. Everything of value requires time. Give yourself a chance by spending enough time on your assignments. Can I use the word "time" one more time? Yes, I did.

Attendance: Physically occupying a desk in class will not necessarily lead to A's. I've seen students with perfect attendance still pull terrible grades. Although attendance is not sufficient for success, it is still necessary. It is impossible to learn anything or obtain a more than mediocre grade unless one attends class. The following assertion may sound trite, but it remains true: those who come to class enjoy a huge advantage over those who do not. The reasons are obvious (duh!).

Reading: No matter how smart you are, you must read to learn. If you do not read, you will not encounter ideas and perspectives that differ from your own. Your mind will remain insular and undeveloped, and you will have succeeded in defeating the purpose of the liberal arts education for which you have paid so much. At the same time, the skill of reading quickly and for content is an immensely valuable one. If you don't understand the reading the first time, do it again. This is a good habit to form for the rest of your life.

Thinking and Imagination: It is absolutely imperative that you think while you read and write. You should think deeply and for a long time. Do not satisfy yourself with the first idea that comes to mind. That's what most C students do. Not only are their papers superficial, they all sound alike. While trying to get away from the first idea that comes to mind, use your imagination to explore different possibilities. If anything, a liberal arts education ought to teach you to think.

Care: Anybody can conceive of a great idea. Very few show the care necessary to realize that idea elegantly. You can only learn these qualities through practice, patience, and diligence. The more care you show for your work, the more you will achieve. And again, care requires time.

The Last Minutes of Class: The last three minutes of class are when careless and stupid people begin closing their notebooks and binders. Savvy and intelligent students keep listening while taking notes. Why? The last several minutes are when the professor usually summarizes the main points of the lecture/class discussion while making some important comments. Even after class has ended, I always see a couple of students still writing a few last thoughts as everyone else is leaving. It's no coincidence that these are usually the most successful students.

Sleeping: Sleeping? Yes, sleeping. You need your sleep to perform effectively. Set aside time for sleep, just as you would set aside time for schoolwork. A sleepy person is not intellectually primed.

Consultation: If you have ANY questions about the class that the web site or syllabus do not answer, please consult me. Send me an e-mail, come to my office hours, or set up an appointment with me. One of the advantages associated with attending a small, private, liberal arts college is that you have easy access to the faculty. Take advantage of that access to ask the professor for help.

And Finally. . . The Will: Remember what I wrote at the top of this page? Academic success is both easy and hard. It's easy because everyone can do the things I've suggested. The problem, of course, has to do with the hard part: Are you willing to do them?