aed. INNOVATION ABSTRACTS ¥2

IGP
os CAN Published by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development
a With support from the WK. Kellogg Foundation and Sid Wo Richardson Foundation

CS

 

 

 

DISCUSSING WITH STUDENTS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL STUDENTING

Many new students do not know what a good college student is or what a good college student does.
They understand good and bad grades in a general way, and they sense that they should attend classes; but
that is where their knowledge begins and ends.

Most teachers know what a good student is—and is not. For one thing, a good student is not necessarily
the most intelligent individual in a class.

Guided by this optimistic precept, I discuss the following list of characteristics of good students at the
beginning of the semester. I supply my inexperienced students with a description of what a hard-working
student does; I tell them what teachers like to see. By learning about these characteristics, students may
better understand the day-to-day and class-to-class behavior of successful students. The idea is to provide
inexperienced students with guidelines they can follow which will help them get down to the business of
serious, successful studenting.

What Are the Characteristics of Successful Students?

1. Not surprisingly, they attend classes—regularly. Moreover, they are on time. If they miss a session,
they feel obligated to let the instructor know why, and their excuses seem legitimate and reasonable.
They make sure they get all assignments they missed and understand specifically what was covered in
class.

2. They take advantage of extra credit opportunities if they are offered: They demonstrate that they care
about their grades and are willing to work to improve them. They often do the optional (and
frequently challenging) assignments that many students pass up, such as giving a five-minute
presentation that substitutes for an essay.

3. Successful students speak in class, even if their attempts are a bit clumsy and difficult. They ask the
questions that the instructor knows many in the class are bound to have, provided they are listening.

4. They see the instructor before or after class about grades, comments made on their papers, and
upcoming tests. Sometimes they just want to ask a question or make a comment relative to the class
discussion.

5. Successful students turn in assignments that look neat and sharp. They take the time to produce a
final product that looks good, a reflection of a caring attitude and pride in their work.

6. They are attentive in class. They don’t chat, read, or stare out windows. In other words, they are
polite and graceful, even if they get a little bored.

7. Almost all work and assignments are turned in, even if every one of them is not brilliant. Successful
students seem driven to complete all work.

8. The most successful students may well end up at the instructor's office door at least once during the
semester: They’ll go out of their way to find the instructor and engage him/her in meaningful
conversation.

By discussing these characteristics and others with inexperienced students, instructors can point them
toward success. It makes sense to provide new students with models and guidelines for the demanding task
of doing well in school.

David Shults
Instructor of English

For further information, contact the author at Mohave Community College, Mohave Valley Campus, 3250
Highway 95, Riviera, AZ 86442.

 

G Community College Leadership Program, The University of Texas at Austin, EDB 348, Austin, Texas 78712