Academic Advising

Zero to Success in 100 Days

A Week-By-Week To-Do List for Fall 2012

Week 0

The terms at Linfield College move very quickly. Fourteen weeks of classes and you find yourself facing finals week. Successful students are those who stay on top of all of the little details. Here's a list you can follow to enhance your chances of success. You can find an academic calendar with specific deadlines for each term at the Registrar's web page. At this site, you can also find a complete list of Linfield's academic offerings and priority registration schedule for each term.

Week Zero (Before the term starts)

Print out your class schedule from WebAdvisor. Make note of where each class meets and the name of your instructors. You may find it helpful to visualize your day by writing your classes into a Weekly Schedule.
Review the required texts for each class before they start.
Find all of your classrooms, so you know where you are going the first day of classes.
Buy a planner – write down known responsibilities (class times, work schedule, recurring activities and meetings). Keep your planner with you and use it! You'll find it to be a really helpful time management tool, but if you leave it in your room and never pick it up, it won't work for you. If you don't want a physical copy, there are lots of apps that will work on your mobile devices.

Week One

Check to make sure your Linfield email account is active and working. It is a primary mode of communication for your professors and the college administration. Make sure you check this account regularly and respond in a professional manner.
Check Blackboard to see if any of your classes are using Blackboard tools as part of the class. Use your CatNet user name and password to log in to Blackboard. If one or more of your classes are not listed on Blackboard, email your professors so that you can access your class pages.
After you attend day one of each of your classes, make sure you purchase all assigned books.
Go to all your classes. Don’t buy into the myth that the first class isn’t important. Every class is important, especially at Linfield where there are such small classes and many professors know you.
At the first class, you will likely get a syllabus. Review this document thoroughly and write in your planner when assignments are due and tests are scheduled.
Establish a regular reading and study schedule for all of your classes. If you don’t know how to do this, you should visit with your advisor or stop by Learning Support Services (LSS) in Walker 126 or the Office of Academic Advising in Walker 124 for help.
Learn your professors' names and office hours.
If you make schedule changes, do so as soon as you can this week, so you do not have to make up a lot of missed class time. After the second day of class, you will need your advisor’s signature on the add/drop form. Go to the Registrar’s Office in Melrose, Room 012, for add/drop forms and details on the add/drop process.

Week Two

You’ve gone to every class, right? If you haven’t already, try sitting in the front of the classroom to minimize distractions.
By now you should be checking your email account on a daily basis. If not, it is time to start.
Check Blackboard on a daily basis. This week, look for classes and materials not posted last week.
Check out Academic Advising's Facebook page for updates on important dates and events.
Get contact information from at least one other student in each of your classes. Not only do you have a resource if you ever have to miss class, but the two of you could connect with other students to form a study group.
If you are considering dropping or adding a class during the second week, it is a good idea to consult with your advisor and make a final decision.
The second week is the last week to enroll in a course. The last day to add a class to your Spring schedule is Friday, February 22.

Week Three

How are you keeping up on your reading? Are you struggling at all with note taking? Any issues in keeping up with your homework? Don’t let small problems early in the term become big problems later in the term! Visit the Learning Support Services (LSS) in Walker 126 to get help if you need it.
Identify a question or concern you have about each class after the first few weeks and make it a point to visit your professor during office hours this week. It is a good way for you to get to know them, and more importantly a good way for them to put your face to your name on their roster. It also shows them you care about your learning.
Is your schedule set? The deadline to drop a class without it showing up on your transcript is Friday, March 1.

Week Four

More than 25% of the semester has passed! Review your syllabi and start your preparation for midterms. You should also get a start on projects or papers that might be due later in the term.
Have you had an exam or quiz? These provide you a chance to do a critical evaluation of yourself and your term thus far. Being a full-time student, in terms of time investment (class time, reading, studying, and project time), equates to a full-time job. Are you performing the way you want? If not, visit your advisor or the LSS to strategize on how you can do better.

Week Five

Don’t be surprised if your first midterms are happening this week or next week. In fact, you may even have multiple midterms in a single day. Scheduling your studying in advance helps you minimize your stress on days and weeks where you may have more than one exam.
It is important for all students to balance their academic lives with meaningful activities outside of the classroom. How are you spending your time when you are not in class or studying? Have you joined any clubs or organizations? Are you meeting new people and are you getting experiences that your classes don’t offer? You can learn about all of the available student activities at Linfield by visiting College Activities.

Week Six

During week three, we recommended a visit to your professor during office hours. It is good to do that again this week. Possible topics of discussion could again include concepts you don’t understand or questions you have, but by this time, you may have graded material from the class. It would be good to review that graded material face-to-face with the professor.

If your class has a second midterm, it is probably happening this week or after Spring Break. Are you prepared? Consider what worked or didn’t work on your first exam and how you might improve your performance on this exam.
In perparation for registration next month, stop by the Cashier's window and clear your account. Also, check Webadvisor to make sure you do not have any holds on your account that would prevent you from registering for classes.
Check in with your advisor about scheduling a meeting to discuss registration for next term. Some advisors may have sign ups on their door, ask you to email them with avaliable times, and others may have you sign up for appointments online. Advising appointments will fill up fast, make sure to sign up early so you have time to plan your schedule and prepare for registration.
Do you have plans for Spring Break? Now is the time to chat with your family and make travel arrangements if needed. Spring Break is March 25-29.

Week Seven

SPRING BREAK

Week Eight

Look Back. This is a good time for self-assessment. Are you sticking to your study plans? Are you caught up on readings? How are those papers and projects coming? Are you getting enough exercise and sleep? Are there any habits you want to adjust going into the last weeks of the term?
Have you had your registration appointment with your faculty advisor? If not, when is it?

Week Nine

2013 Spring Registration is this week, April 8-12. Remember you have to see your advisor prior to registration. You can check WebAdvisor to make sure you have been cleared to register. To check your registration date and time go to the Registrar’s web page for the registration schedule.
Remember: If the classes you want are closed, put yourself on the waiting list and talk with the professor.

Week Ten

The deadline to withdraw from a class (with a “w” on the transcript) is Friday, April 19. Are you thinking about dropping a class? Talk with your advisor and see the Registrar’s Office for more information.
How are you doing academically? If you feel as if you are struggling, now is the time to get a progress report from your professors and make sure will be able to pass your classes. Meet with your faculty advisor and plan for how you will be successful for the last month of this term.

Week Eleven

Stop by Walker 124 and meet with Career Development to chat about your summer break plans. Do you have a job lined up or will you complete an internship? Will you be on campus working a job during that time? Stop by the Human Resources office to check on any new campus employment opportunities. Staff in the Office of Career Development can also help you draft a resume and practice interview techniques.

Week Twelve

How are you getting home for the summer? Do you need to make flight arrangements? Want to carpool with someone? Check Student News for carpool posts. Information about finals week shuttles to the airport.

Week Thirteen

Is your schedule set for Fall 2013? WebAdvisor is still open and you are able to make changes to your schedule without signatures from your advisors as long as classes open.

Week Fourteen

As you did with your midterms, develop a study schedule for your final exams. Plan ahead for how you might negotiate the stress of having more than one exam on one day. Learning Support Services is an excellent resource for time management and study plans. Stop by Walker 126 for assistance.

Week Fifteen

Look Forward: Get yourself ready for finals. If you haven’t done so already, write down the time and location of all of your finals. This information should be on your syllabus, and you can also find it by going to the Registrar's page. Regardless, you should confirm the information with your instructor to make sure nothing has changed.
Final labs, papers, and projects are often due this week.
Last day of classes, Wednesday, May 22.
Reading day, Thursday, May 23. No classes.
First day of finals, Friday, May 24.

Finals Week and Beyond

Finals continue: Tuesday - Thursday, May 28-30.
Prepare yourself to handle the logistics of finals. Your professor may require you to purchase a blue book or a scantron form from the bookstore. Make sure you have that along with pens, pencils, and anything else you might need for the exam.
Show up to your finals 5-10 minutes early to give yourself a chance to get settled and relaxed before your exam.
As your instructors finish their grading, they will post your final grades to WebAdvisor. All grades are due the Friday after finals week. Your term GPA will be calculated and your cumulative GPA will be updated online, make sure you look at your grades.
Good students will always seek clarity on a grade if it was lower than expected. Many instructors use the grade book function of Blackboard, so you can see how you were graded on each assignment. If you have questions, follow up with your instructors as soon as you can to get clarity on your grades.
College housing closes Sunday, June 2.