Preparing for the Transition from High School to College Academics

Plan the Work and Work the Plan

College-level classes do not meet every day, students are not in class all day, and courses only last a single semester. When looking at a schedule of college classes, there will be large blocks of “open” time across the week. This is not free time. Students are expected to spend 2 hours working outside of class for every one hour of class credit. For example, a 4-credit class will meet for 4 hours per week and then require 8 hours per week of outside-of-class work (e.g., completing homework, preparing for exams, writing papers). Thus, the blocks of “open” time are quickly filled with preparing for class. Creating a weekly calendar of class meetings and class preparation time, along with time to eat, sleep, exercise, participate in student activities and sports, and work, helps students be realistic about how many hours are available each week and how they will spend their time.

Planning also includes adding assignments and due dates to a calendar. During the first week of the semester, students will receive a syllabus for each class. This document outlines class expectations including learning outcomes, reading materials, class activities, and a calendar of due dates. College instructors expect students to know the information from the syllabus. Thus, just like planning for course preparation time each week, students should use a calendar (an iPad is great for this) to track due dates for assignments, papers, and exams across all of their classes and refer to this often as they decide how to use the class-preparation time they have set aside each week.

The Science of Learning

One of the strongest predictors of successful learning is metacognition – knowing what you know or being aware of your level of understanding. This is important because poor metacognition leads to overconfidence, which impacts study effort. Students base their study behavior on how well they think they know material and their beliefs about how they learn. The more accurate your beliefs, the more effectively you will learn. Students can improve their metacognition by checking their own learning as they are studying – create a practice exam; explain the material to a friend, classmate, or their dog; answer study questions without looking at an example, notes, or the internet. 

What you think about while studying also impacts learning. Making connections to existing knowledge and thinking about how the content is personally relevant requires deep processing.  Deep processing is required for learning. Skimming course materials and re-reading involve shallow processing and do not result in lasting learning. Note that flashcards, often encouraged in high school, emphasize learning isolated facts and shallow processing. It is better to create a detailed outline or concept map that connects course content in meaningful ways. The amount of time spent studying or intention to learn are not directly related to performance. HOW you study is much more important than how long you study. Note-taking by hand (either in a notebook or using an iPad with an Apple Pencil) encourages deep processing, resulting in better learning. Using a laptop encourages verbatim note-taking with little attention to content while learning. Thus, whenever possible, take notes by hand.

Supporting Your Student

You can help your student prepare for success in college by instilling good habits in high school. Encourage your student to create and manage their own schedule. Using an electronic calendar, reminder apps, or a paper planner are all effective. Ask your student what they are learning and how this learning is connected to what they want to study in college or pursue as a career. This will help students get in the habit of making their learning personally relevant. Talk to them about metacognition, how this impacts learning, and how to improve their understanding of their own learning.

All students face academic challenges during their time in college. They will encounter ideas that are new and expectations that are challenging. When this happens to your student, first let them know that this is perfectly normal. Then, remind them of the support systems in place at Capital to help them be successful. This includes the Office of Academic Success, the Advising Office, and their academic advisor.

Finally, a word about office hours. College instructors set aside time each week when they will be available to meet with students. These “office hours” or “drop-in hours” are noted on the class syllabus. Students should absolutely take advantage of these opportunities to get clarification on course content, share concerns about the class, or just check in. These times are explicitly set aside for students. Faculty want their students to be successful and are here to help!

About Dr. Stephanie Gray Wilson

Dr. Stephanie Gray Wilson is a cognitive psychologist with a particular interest in habit formation/habit change, language processing, and the fallibility of memory. In partnership with students, she has recently investigated the connection between personality characteristics and strategies for successful habit change. In the psychology department lab, Dr. Wilson oversees the use of the eye tracker, advanced technology that measures gaze duration and eye movement patterns as an individual looks at a visual object, like a picture, video or page of text. Students have used this equipment to examine memory errors and the processing of facial expressions by victims of childhood abuse. When teaching, Dr. Wilson applies cognitive psychology principles to the design of her courses, using evidence-based methods to improve student learning and retention.