• Take advantage of Supplemental Instruction! Attendance is not required but highly recommended. If you want to ask questions (and are shy about asking them in a large class) or need extra help this is a great time to get individual attention.

• Take good notes. Do not ask the question "Do I have to write this down?" Free workshops are available on campus on how to take good notes. You can also bring your notes to my office for review.

• Use the webpage!  Use the glossary!  Make suggestions for additions to the glossary.

• Meet other students in class. Exchange phone numbers. Have someone get handouts for you if you must miss class.

• Save your (3) allowed absences for car breakdowns, sickness, doctor visits, funerals, emergencies, or unavoidable incidents. If you are in theater, music, or sports you will need to save your absences for those events.

• Attend every class in order to have a complete set of notes in order to prepare for the tests. Getting notes from a classmate is very different from attending class yourself. If you must miss a class, immediately get notes from more than 1 person. Make arrangements ahead of time if possible.

• Ask for clarification if you become confused in lecture. If I fail to see your hand, call out "QUESTION!" to get my attention.

• Old tests are on blackboard. Use them to prepare for lecture and study for tests.

• Review your notes within 24 hours after each class. Read the textbook .

• Start studying for tests at least 1 week ahead of time. Find a quiet place to study with few distractions (i.e., roommate, TV, radio).

• If you need help, ask for it! Come to my office and discuss the areas where you are having difficulty. Be prepared with specific questions, I will be happy to help you.

• If you score poorly on a test (< 70%) and want to improve your grade, see me immediately. When you come to see me, bring your test and your notes. I can help you early in the semester, but I cannot do much for people who are failing the course and wait until later in the semester to ask about improving their grades.

• GET HELP! Tutoring is free and Academic Advising offers Student Success Workshops. The students who attend these workshops report that they are very helpful. Free tutoring is available for anyone from the Learning Assistance Center (334-3878). Special Support Services provides free tutors to qualifying students (334-7533). Be sure and ask for a tutor that is qualified to tutor Conservation Biology (most biology majors do not qualify).

Student Academic Services

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