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what do i need to know about college classes?
I'm starting college at Marshall University (a mid-sized university in West Virginia, where I live) a week from today. I've been to the campus a bunch of times and know my way around, and I know the professors won't baby you and make you do your work like high school teachers do. I'm jsut wondering what classes are like. How are they setup? DO they give out handouts? Is there homework, besides studying?
Also, what kind of school supplies should I get? For high school, I got 1" binders for each class and put looseleaf or a 3- or 5- subject notebook in them. Should I follow this same method for college? I'm taking 16 hours, which is five classes and an "Introduction to the University" class, which only lasts 8 weeks.
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Want to answer more questions in the Work & School category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Colleges & Universities?
The couple of Doctors I know all took A-Level Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
If you look at the university level courses you want to take, it should say if there are any compulsory courses/grades you need.
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
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Word of the wise: Just because the professor doesn't "force" you to come to class or do your work, does not mean that it won't bite you in the ass! Usually at the first day of class the prof. will give you a Syllabus. Any textbooks or other recommended materials will be on there. But otherwise, you are independent now. It is up to you to ultimately decide what you need. If they don't say anything, but they say you will be taking a lot of notes...well, then you might want to think about getting a larger notebook, highlighters, etc. I'd recommend just taking the classes for a week and THEN deciding what you feel is best. Maybe one prof. gives you tons of handouts. Well then a hole-puncher and binder might be well advised! =D Happy school year to you. :D
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Continue with what works for you as far as supplies go. There's no reason to dive into a totally new style of organization -- in fact, it'll just make it harder to adapt to college life. You will be taking a lot of notes in your classes, and receiving lots of handouts most likely. Many teachers I've had give out gigantic packets for reading supplements, so you may even want some hole-punched folders to put within your binders.
Also, professors will give you the entire syllabus for the semester. I don't know of a single professor that doesn't. That way you know what all you'll be expected to do, though that also means they'll be less inclined to remind you. So keep track of this. You may even consider typing it up onto a word document just in case.
Homework typically consists of readings. Trust me when I say pop quizzes are going to happen, especially over assigned readings. A lot of homework will be papers (2-3 page, sometimes 5). At this point many professors assume that you'll do anything supplemental (ie math problems, worksheet type exercises) as a part of your studying. So it's safe to assume doing them for grades is a thing of your past.
Ratemyprofessors.com ([Link](Mouse over link to see full location)) is a great resource. You can view reviews of the professors at your school, written by students themselves.
Of course take it all with a grain of salt -- negative could be due to low, albeit well-deserved, grades.
Now, I am a student at a private college in New England, and I don't have experience at any other school. So I've based my answer on my own school. But what I've written seems to be my friends' (at other schools) own experiences as well. You may want to talk to your counselor or adviser for anything specific to your school.
I hope this helps!
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