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Ask Deanie
| Archives Deanie Kepler's previously published columns |
SMU Parent Liaison Deanie Kepler offers advice on helping your student. |
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Where Has The Semester Gone?
Question: Yipes – it's almost April! What do I do now?
Answer: All students should make an appointment with their academic advisor to discuss classes for next year. Academic advisors are one of the key resources here on campus. I discourage parents from trying to help their student navigate through this very important activity. I know you are just trying to help your student, but that is what their advisor is for. There is no way that you as a parent can know all the “ins and outs” of what is required, what is offered and what the prerequisites for various classes are. Encourage your student to do due diligence before meeting the advisor, but nothing can substitute for a face to face meeting and discussion. Top priority for your student after Spring Break (if they haven’t already done so) – make an appointment with their academic advisor!
Secondly, even if your student has gone in and talked with all of his/her professors, it’s time to do it again. Topics to cover might include big tests coming up, assigned papers and possible topics, the final exam, and even information about different classes for the summer or next semester. Your student can check the posted office hours for a professor and make an appointment. Professors have office hours as a convenience for the students – if they didn’t want to talk to the students during office hours, they wouldn’t have posted hours. Smart students take advantage of this opportunity!
Third, encourage your student to attend every class from now until the end of the semester. By May, this commitment will have paid off. Your student can also visit the Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center (A-LEC) at least once a week to stay current in each class. They can make an appointment with someone who can help them map out a strategy for the rest of the semester that includes time for study, play, and jobs or internships. Contact Pat Feldman, assistant director of the A-LEC, or the learning enhancement assistant in the residence hall. Have them focus on academics -- finals will be here before they know it! The Learning Enhancement Center also has tips on how to "Study Harder -- Not Longer," multiple-choice test taking, how to build study time into a busy day and a myriad of other one hour classes students need.
Finally, your student should consider the ways his or her lifestyle impacts schoolwork, and make necessary changes:
- Curb the social life, especially during the week.
- Get plenty of sleep, eat a balanced diet and participate in some form of physical activity. The Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports is state of the art – ask your students if they have been over there.
- It’s not too late to get involved in an activity that will carry over into next year. Contact the Department of Student Life. They can help students become involved in at least one out-of-classroom activity – this is very important. The more connected a student is to the University, the better they will do in the classroom.
Question for Deanie? Ask Deanie at gkepler@smu.edu or 214-768-4797.
