Advice from the Academic Support Center
for Success in College

Welcome to our new freshman and transfer students! We are pleased and honored that you have selected The University of Mississippi for your college education and pledge to give you the best instruction, guidance and opportunities for personal and professional growth available. Here are a few of the things faculty want you to understand so that you can best take advantage of what we have to offer and get the most out of your college education.

first Go to your classes. All of them. Every time they meet. For those of you going to college for the first time, you are leaving behind the life where your parents made sure you were up and out the door every day, and where attendance was mandatory in all your high-school classes. You are now going to have more freedom—and responsibility—in managing your life.

You will find that your university schedule includes some days with far fewer class hours and/or days with what may initially seem like a lot of time between classes. If you are a full-time student, you need to consider college your full-time job and wisely use your time outside the classroom to go over notes, read, study and prepare assignments.

In college, unlike high school or even community college, your schedule will vary from day to day.

And, unlike high school, attendance policies at Ole Miss are decided by individual instructors. Given this increased flexibility and freedom, some students are lax about attending some classes, particularly larger, lecture-style classes. This is a BIG mistake.

There is a strong correlation between missing classes and poor academic performance, especially during the freshman year. This may seem obvious to you, but apparently it is not obvious to everyone. Every year we meet a number of students who believe they will prove to be the exception. They’re not. Further, habitually missing classes can foster a lack of engagement between a student and his or her academic life at the university. Students who are successful their first year are active participants in the academic and cultural aspects of college life.

second Nobody does this alone. Speak with your instructors about any questions you have about course content, test preparation or difficulty with material. Make an appointment or drop by to see your instructor during posted office hours. Take advantage of tutoring and help sessions that some departments offer for particular classes (see www.olemiss.edu/academics/tutors.html). Take advantage of the student support resources on our campus: the Academic Support Center, the Career Center, the University Counseling Center, the Office of Financial Aid, the Office of the Registrar, the Office of Student Disability Services, the Office of International Programs, the Psychological Services Center, the Student Health Center, the Office of Student Housing and Residence Life, the IT Helpdesk (academic computing), the University Writing Center and many others (see www.olemiss.edu/depts/asc/StuSupRes.html).

third Your university education is about much more than job preparation. Regardless of what your academic major is or what you intend to pursue as a profession, the primary focus of your undergraduate curriculum is the development of critical-thinking skills. What is “critical thinking” anyway?

We understand critical thinking to be purposeful, self-regulatory judgment that results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation and inference. … Critical thinking is essential as a tool of inquiry … [and] is a liberating force in education and a powerful resource in one’s personal and civic life. The ideal critical thinker is habitually inquisitive, well-informed, trustful of reason, open-minded, flexible, fair-minded in evaluation, honest in facing personal biases, prudent in making judgments, willing to reconsider, clear about issues, orderly in complex matters, diligent in seeking relevant information, reasonable in the selection of criteria, focused in inquiry, and persistent in seeking results which are as precise as the subject and the circumstances of inquiry permit. (from the Delphi Report, the 1990 American Philosophical Association expert consensus statement)

Think of your academic courses, even those oriented to a specific professional knowledge and skill set, as being vehicles for development of this attribute. Fields of knowledge and professions are constantly changing. While mastery of content and requisite skills is crucial, don’t expect to be “trained” for everything you will need to know to have a successful and productive life. Learning how to learn—by engaging in critical thinking—will prepare you for a lifetime of personal and professional growth.

one last word You are naturally concerned about decisions you will be making as you embark on your academic journey. What we want you to understand is that, while decisions about what to select as a major, what classes to take and so on, are important, life is not found in or “solved” only through easily identifiable, “pivotal” moments. What you can—and must—do regarding those “big decisions” is to make the best choices you can at the given time and in the given circumstance. What will determine real success is how you live day to day and what you do with your opportunities. Making this or that choice about major or courses or career does not ensure a satisfying and productive life. Doing the best you can, really applying yourself, is what can lead to your success in college and thereafter. Through consistent application of this principle, the “big decisions” find their proper context. Gather information. Think. Make informed decisions. And remember that we’re here to help.