Tips for New Students
If I Only Knew About…Academic Tips for New Students at USD
By Professors Leeva Chung & Susannah Stern, Communications Studies
Classes and Professors:
If I Only Knew...
• to talk to juniors and seniors about classes and professors they enjoyed
• that it is not impossible to add a class that is full during registration
• that I am allowed to take a up to three classes on a pass/fail basis during my time at USD, but that I should use this option sparingly
• I should take the time to explore different majors before committing to one; changing majors halfway is harder than it looks
• waiting 2 years after high school to get back into a foreign language is really difficult
• I would have gotten so much more out of class by speaking up, despite being shy, embarrassed and/or feeling awkward
• to take the 7:45am class if it’s the only way to get the professor I want
• to let my professors know if I was having a problem outside of class so they could understand if I was late, tired, or absent
• that professors don’t give grades; we earn them
• office hours are for us, for students! Office hours are the times that professors are in their offices, ready for you to drop in without an appointment. Most professors are really excited that students care enough about their class to come in and talk about the class or your performance
Exams and Grades:
If I Only Knew...
• not to spend all my time copying notes from my book or class so that I end up with no time to actually study for the actual exam
• to carve out actual time to get work done, and that way I don’t feel guilty going out and having fun afterwards.
• to start studying at least one week before my exam so that if I have questions there is still time to get help.
• that there was nothing wrong with taking a mental break from studying.
• how helpful it would be involved with a regular study group
• the best way to study with other people is to pick the right people
• worrying about my grade was a lot less worthwhile than focusing on my improvement
College Life at USD:
If I Only Knew...
• networking is important, even as a freshman
• I would really regret going to only one football game
• to take advantage of career services; they really know how to help, even with internships
• to get involved in activities that interest me right away (e.g., intramural sports, campus paper, clubs)
• to keep doing my fun hobbies/extracurricular stuff that made me feel good about myself
• to pay attention to the flyers and announcements about the amazing guest speakers, lectures, and films on campus…and actually made the effort to attend
• how to do research in the library, rather than trying to find everything on the Internet
• that education and learning is…fun!
• more about services on campus, such as counseling and tutoring to deal with stress, anxiety, and personal issues