| Heading for college to improve your job skills or train | | | | you need to avoid having to take remedial college |
| for a new position? You are not alone. First time | | | | classes. |
| "nontraditional students" -- those who are not coming | | | | Go to class. |
| directly from high school -- are enrolling in colleges in | | | | Showing up for class is the first step toward your |
| record numbers. | | | | diploma. If you miss a class early in a term, you may |
| Most of those students say they have the skills, | | | | miss directions for something you need to know later. |
| motivation, and desire to succeed in college. Yet | | | | At least your first term, aim to have only "cast or |
| according to the Survey of Entering Student | | | | casket" absences -- those that are unplanned and |
| Engagement released in March, 2010, a third of those | | | | unavoidable. If attending your daughter's soccer games |
| students had already set themselves up for failure in | | | | is a priority for you, don't take a class whose meetings |
| the first three weeks of their college experience. | | | | conflict with scheduled games. |
| You don't have to be one of those college failures. | | | | Do your homework. |
| Here are three ways you can increase the likelihood | | | | It is imperative that you manage your time so that you |
| of getting your college diploma. | | | | get your work done on time. Failure to turn in |
| Deal with deficiencies. | | | | homework or turning it in late marks you as |
| If your placement test or previous academic record | | | | unmotivated or irresponsible. Those are not |
| shows you are not ready to do college level work in a | | | | descriptions you want instructors to associate with |
| core subject like English or math, bring your skills up to | | | | your name. |
| college level before you tackle other college classes. | | | | Many students scramble to get written assignments |
| Taking "Introduction to Accounting" is foolish if you don't | | | | done, but fail to keep up with reading assignments. As |
| have the necessary math skills. Likewise, taking a class | | | | a result, they may find themselves unprepared for final |
| in which your term grade depends solely on two | | | | exams. Keep up with required reading right from your |
| essays is foolish if you are deficient in writing. | | | | first day of class. |
| Instead of waiting until you get to college to begin | | | | Following just these three simple rules will start off on |
| remedial study, look for alternatives that you can do | | | | the right foot. If you run into a problem later, you'll find |
| immediately, such as online tutorials or attending | | | | college instructors will be very willing to work with you |
| community adult education classes. Such alternatives | | | | because you have shown you are serious about your |
| are cheaper than college courses, and they may be all | | | | education. |