Richard J Light wrote a book called "Making the Most of College:
Students Speak their Minds" HUP $25
Newsweek wrote up a page on this Harvard Grad School of Education
professor's findings (June 11, 2001 p62).
Here are some extracts:
Advice.
Students need advice. "How do we know which is the right XXXX course
to choose? How much time to spend on homework?"
Schmoozing.
Students should try to get to know at least one faculty member each
semester. Even if they succeed only half the time, four years later
they will know eight people who can write a reference.
Picking Classes.
Parents give poor academic advice on picking courses.
Happy students pick some small specialist classes right out of the box.
Managing Time.
"Every day has three halves: morning afternoon and evening. And if I can
devote any one of these three blocks of time to getting my academic work
done, I consider that day a success." Light endorses this undergraduate's
idea of spending appreciable time in one block on study, and not
snacking on study.
Extracurriculars.
Finally, students who get involved in extracurricular activities get
the opportunity to connect academics with their personal life.
[I find it unfortunate that the example chosen - perhaps not unexpected for
a Harvard student - is that of a high school ballet dancer, who repeatedly
gets foot bone stress fractures - noticed other dancers were breaking bones
too, and decides to become an orthopedic surgeon. Duh! ]
brian whatcott <inet@intellisys.net> Altus OK
Eureka!