Last updated: 10/10/01
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Having a Good College Experience

Making the Most of College, published in 2001, describes the results of a fifteen-year study of factors in leading to a satisfying and valuable experience as a college student. The subjects were Harvard students, so the results apply to University students as well. The results are summarized below, taken in turn from a summary in the "Education Life" section of the New York Times for 4/8/01. Choose your own mix. Here is a brief summary of the factors:

  1. Meet the faculty. Get to know one faculty member every semester, and have them learn about you. Ask for more detailed feedback about your work. Don't deny, cover up or hide academic problems - get help. An example is: don't ask, "Why didn't I get a better grade on this essay," but instead say, "Please point out the paragraphs where my argument failed." Students who took this approach were the most satisfied in the study.
  2. Take a mix of courses. Many students decide to get required courses out of the way first, to have free time for electives later. Students who follow this course are not as satisfied as those who take a mix of required and elective courses throughout.
  3. Study in groups. Feedback from others leads to better understanding of course material.
  4. Write many times. Courses with many shorter papers offer a better chance for learning from early problems.
  5. Study another language. Language courses typically involve in-class performance and small-group detailed feedback. Students who take language classes report higher levels of satisfaction.
  6. Grades and understanding improve when studying and work are done in larger blocks of time, rather than squeezed into many separate slots.
  7. Join the community. Do something to join the campus community. What happens outside of class is just as important, and sometimes more so, than the academic aspects. The exception is intercollgiate athletics; high-level college sports have an overall negative effect on grades, but these athletes are still happier on campus than their fellow students.