I just finished my first year of online college here at the University of Michigan. I am hoping to give you some good tips to have a successful transition into college life. Online classes actually made me be more responsible for my own education and I gained a lot more than previous semesters.
Go to office hours
Many people may not know what office hours are: It is a time the professor reserved specifically for students to come to talk to them. During that time, you can introduce yourself, get your questions about academics answered, or also talk to them about your career path and future plan, listen to their advice, or some of your special circumstances. And remember they want you to go there, because a lot of students don't go.
I would familiarize myself with all my professors and GSIs during office hours. Knowing what they think and say about your homework/projects can give you a chance to make changes and secure a good grade.
In the beginning of the last semester, I went to one of my EECS 203 IA’s office hours when the queue was empty, and I introduced myself to him and we talked about plans and stuff in general. We got to know each other pretty well and later in the semester I would just go to him for questions as a friend, and when his normal office hour time doesn’t work for me he would offer me other times that work for him via email.
Sometimes IAs and professors would discuss recent updates and make changes to teaching plans accordingly . When you communicate your struggles with them often, your feedback would not only benefit yourself, but also the entire class.
Attend Live lectures
It is very easy to push to watch recorded lectures until the end of the semester. Although recorded lectures allow me to pause and take notes, I find it hard to keep up with the lectures once I am one lecture behind. To solve this problem, I strictly forced myself to attend the lecture live and interact with the professor. If I didn’t understand something entirely, I would go back and watch the recording.
Form Study Groups
I like to study in groups for many reasons. Everyone has their own areas of expertise, and everyone has something they are unfamiliar with. So working together and helping each other out is a perfect way to prepare for tests/exams.
Many departments within the university provide you the opportunity to match study group members based on availability weekly and subject interests. Some of the courses will even assign each group a GSI to monitor the session and answer questions!
Know your professor beforehand
In the US, each professor has a different teaching style. It is pretty important to find a teaching style that suits you, including how homework is graded, how much lecturing the professor does, how the projects are paced. To view this, ratemyprofessor.com is a good resource, and if you cannot find your professor, ninjacourses.com is also a good source. Usually the better the rating is, the smoother the class may go for you.
Networking
Because of the unique nature of US courses, you most likely won’t see most of your classmates in the future classes. So it is recommended to go to networking events and club activities, be proactive and make connections with people in different industries. It is a good way to learn about local cultures and may benefit you in the future.
Search for Internships
For many students, specifically for those majoring in STEM, having internship experience is very important. No matter what grade you are in, do internships if you have time. Internships do not only build your resume up for future recruits or grad applications, but also provide you an opportunity to get your foot in the door and learn about the industry in depth. Real workplace practice can be very different from what you learn in class. You also gain experience working in a team, pressure control, time management, and more. And being able to apply what you learned to real life situations allows you to understand the material even deeper.
Those are all my advice regarding transition into the US academic life and being successful in studying. Of course, everyone has their particular way that fits them the most, and what works for me may not work for everyone. There’s no definite right or wrong, finding your specific way is crucial. Hope you have an easy transition and stay strong!!!
Written by Jinxuan (Sunny) Pan
Summer Orientation Peer Advisor
Undergraduate Student
China
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