[Sciencewoman]

This is free advice, right from a professor. It makes me sound grumpy, but these are the things I drilled into my daughter before she went to college last year:

1. Get the books. Have them ready. Make a good first impression. Professors don't want to hear a whiney "they're taking too long to get here...I can't do the first assignment!" or worse "I ordered a cheap copy on line and it's the wrong edition!" I've heard these, and I don't have sympathy. Buy used at the college bookstore, and have them ready. E-books are good, too, but they haven't hit the textbook market as widely. Selling real textbooks is too lucrative.

2. Go to class. All the time. We can tell when you're skipping and when you're legitimately absent. What I really find troubling is when people give me a vague "death in the family" or "serious illness in the family" or "other sensitive medical issue" excuse with no details. No professor is going to be rude and ask you to prove this. Naughty students know this, and they think they've gotten away with it. No...they've just raised suspicions. When it's real, students readily share the details up front in the first contact.

3. Defying all odds, printers have a strange habit of malfunctioning right when a paper is due! E-mail a copy as proof, if this really happens to you. Or, use the computer lab printer. If you don't, I'm suspicious that it's not done.

4. Talk to your parents. Be honest. Talk to your professors. If you need help, let them know. Don't wait. Lots of freshmen have trouble adjusting, and it can come at any time. For some people, it's right away. For others, it happens later. College counseling centers are busy places. Get tutoring help if you need it.

5. Set strict limits on how much time you can spend on your phone, Facebook, etc. These are time vacuums. Don't ever text in class. We can tell. Don't be off-task on your lap top. We can tell. If you're going to use a lap top in class, sit in a spot where classmates can see your lap top (the texters and surfers sit in the back row, and along the walls).

Do:
Smile. Be engaged in class. Sit where you can easily make eye contact with the professor. Manage your time. Plan ahead with your work load. Put business before pleasure. If you join a sorority, make friends with a nice older sister who can give you some guidance and advice. Go to bed at a reasonable hour and take care of yourself.