Four tips to thrive in the classroom

My college experience has not been an easy one. I faced many challenges with course assignments. I wanted to give up many times, often feeling as though I wasn’t smart enough. Or, that my thinking was entirely different from others’, and it is. I don’t easily retain information and my study habits are horrible. When I signed up for college, I felt like I was setting myself up for failure. Once I was enrolled and found that the work was too hard, I didn’t ask for help, for fear of looking stupid.

But after getting my first “A,” I was proud of myself. The fact that I had the ability to excel caused me to stay the course and not give up. I learned a lot of things, based on personal experience and on expert research. Here are four tips if you are hoping to succeed in becoming a successful college student:

1. Adjust your mindset

Many students go into college with a fixed mindset, meaning that they see their intelligence as unchangeable, for better or worse, and that’s it. As such, challenges become threatening and setbacks are viewed as failures. This was the case for first-time Lassen Community College student Deserae James.

“When I enrolled, I didn’t see myself as smart enough to be a successful college student. I constantly self-sabotaged and told myself I would fail,” James said.

A growth mindset can be a way out of this kind of self-defeating thought. A growth mindset allows individuals to see their mistakes as an opportunity to grow. It makes it easier to face challenges head-on. Students with growth mindsets believe that intelligence is something that can be improved through education and effort.

If you are interested in learning more about learning mindsets, check out the book “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol Dweck.”

2. Stay persistent

Being a college student has many challenges as well as rewards. One of the big challenges is staying persistent. The persistent student does not give up easily. They stay on task and develop structure for themselves. Persistence leads to positive outcomes, which in turn can feed persistence.

That’s the case for Feather River Community College graduate Nancy Rodriguez, who told me that “the feeling of accomplishment kept [her] persistent.”

If you want to know more about developing persistence, check out: “Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind: 16 Essential Characteristics for Success,” by Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick.

3. Ask for help

Students are often apprehensive when it comes to asking for help, be it from their peers or their professor. But it’s better to know than not to know, so put yourself out there, like Fresno State student Tamara Bassett.

“Whenever I have questions,” Bassett said, “ I go to my peers. We formed a pretty strong study group and we rely on each other. We help each other.”

If you’d like to know more about overcoming apprehension, check out: “The College Fear Factor: How Students and Professors Misunderstand One Another, “by Rebecca Cox.

4. Look for culturally responsive teaching

English learners and students of color are often denied equal opportunities to develop cognitive skills needed to become independent learners. Culturally responsive teaching is a powerful tool, because it aids dependent learners as they gain the cognitive skills necessary to develop a higher way of thinking.

If you’d like some insight on how teachers can themselves learn to better support poverty-stricken students of color, check out the book “Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students,” by Zaretta L. Hammond.

If you were anything like I was, I encourage you to get out of your fixed mindset and view your apprehensions as opportunities instead of fears. To those reading this article—don’t give up, stay the course!

And if you are interested in signing up for college, the accompanying story will help you get started.