1.2: 1.2 College Culture

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Not all of us have had the same high school experiences. Some of you may have attended a traditional “brick and mortar” building, while others may have attended a cyber school. Some of you still may be attending high school and are dual-enrolled in college, while others may have been out of high school for many years. No matter your current path, one thing remains the same for everyone: college is much different from high school.

In college, you are treated as an adult, and higher expectations will be placed on you. You will be expected to manage how you use time appropriately and complete all your work by the assigned deadlines. Being able to meet these expectations requires organization and good self (time) management plus motivation and self-ownership, constantly setting goals and taking the steps necessary to meet those goals.

In college, you will often hear the term “syllabus.” A syllabus is essentially your contract and roadmap for the course. The syllabus should explain the policies and procedures of the course (attendance policy, grading policy, etc.), and students are responsible for being aware of all the information contained in the syllabus. A good practice is to read over your entire syllabus in the first week of each course. We will expand more on this topic later in the chapter.

Some of you may be taking online (virtual) courses, face-to-face courses, remote courses (with Zoom or similar software) or a combination of all of these modalities. Virtual courses at HACC differ from face-to-face courses in that they do not meet synchronously in a common physical location. Virtual classes are a great option for many students due to allowing a lot of scheduling flexibility. Students with full-time jobs and children may find online or remote classes easier to fit into their schedules rather than having to come to a physical campus location. Online classes can be wonderful because they do allow for flexibility, but online classes also require more self-motivation as you do not have a physically-present reminder of expectations.

One of the biggest keys to being successful in college is communication between you and your instructors. When you do not understand something, when you have questions or when you miss class, you must communicate with the instructor. When you miss class, you are responsible for reaching out to the instructor to get the work you missed. We suggest when you miss class, reach out to your instructor as soon as possible to discuss what you missed. This communication demonstrates to the instructor that you want to do well and you care about the course plus you may have the opportunity to make up work you missed so you stay on track - a win-win situation!

PRO TIP:

When I was in college, I was too shy and nervous to ask for help when I really needed it. Whether it was for a class assignment or help to decide my major, I would have rather figured it out on my own. This is one of the main reasons why I now work with college students. I want students to know and use all that is available because resources and services are there to help. I think it is great for students to have their go-to person on campus. It can be a faculty, an advisor, or the nice person who helped in the Welcome Center. There are many people on campus who are ready to help. Having that one person to feel comfortable to ask questions can be valuable. The college website is also a great resource for information. College events and opportunities like transfer events, professional and alumni panel discussions, career research resources and scholarships are posted to the website with information on how to get involved and participate. Try to search the website or the college portal for questions about financial aid, registration and course selection and most times, the answer is right there. Now, there are many services online like tutoring or library resources that can be accessed at any time. Taking the time to learn about the college, the offices, programs, services and resources will be so beneficial to get you to where you want to go.

-Ricole Jayman, Director, Coordinated Support Network, Student Affairs