My First Six Weeks

We are thrilled that you are here at Dalton State College! One of our goals is to help you transition into your college courses as smoothly as possible. Organization is an important key to success in college as your life will be very different from high school.

Keep A Planner

Enter all class times and extracurricular activities. If applicable, enter your work schedule as well.

• Enter the due dates for all assignments, papers, projects, and test/quizzes from your course syllabi (which you should receive on the first day of class).
• Keep your planner handy so that you can enter campus or community events that you would like to attend or even “hang-out” times with your friends. One great example would be to write down an RA program (if applicable) or a Friday night event in the Pope Student Center!

Let’s Talk About You and Me…

One of the best things about college is meeting people with different interests and making life-long friends! You are an important member of our community. We trust that you will continue to build friendships and form relationships across campus throughout the year.

Some things you should do:

• Introduce yourself to your professors. The best times to do this are after class and during their posted office hours.

Meet someone in a different residence building (if applicable).

• Remember if you are living on campus, you are away from home and meeting new people, but don’t forget where you came from. Make sure that you are keeping connected to friends and family from home. Call, write, e-mail, or send an IM or text message and make sure you stay in touch! They will really appreciate it!

Making the Grade

By now you are realizing some of the differences between high school and college. Some of your classes are likely becoming more intense as the coursework increases. In other cases, you may not feel like you have as much work because you don’t have weekly assignments. But, BE CAREFUL- you are accountable for ALL assignment as well as readings. For those classes which assign more reading, why not focus on more intent note-taking? Stop by the Counseling Center, Career and Professional Development, Tutoring and Supplemental Instruction and FYE program. You will also find this information in your Freshman Year Experience course text book.

Don’t forget:

· While in class, sit in the front to help avoid distractions and so that the professor can see you.

• Make sure that you attend all classes! It could be factored into your grade.
• Have a desire to succeed! That is where it all begins.
• Utilize a free tutor! Tutors can be reached by calling Tutoring and Supplemental Instruction at 706-272-4428.
• Talk with class mates and form study groups to help prepare for tests.
• Also, stop by the Counseling Center or Career and Professional Development for some academic counseling and to find out ways to succeed and thrive at college including time management, study habits, and much, much more.

Just Do It!

There are many ways to get involved at Dalton State College. There are many Registered Student Organizations (RSO’s) that you can join. Getting involved makes you an even more valued member of our community. It’s a great way to gain skills that may help you in your future career. Best of all, it’s a great way to meet new friends and find your ‘niche’ here at DSC.

Check out the website for the Office of Student Activities where you can find out about our services, activities, clubs and organizations that you can become a part of or even create! There are a variety of options out there! For example:

• Attend a club meeting that sounds interesting.

· If you could create a club on campus that doesn’t exist, what would it be?

• Show that you care about your community by recycling or volunteering for your community.

A Sound Mind and a Sound Body

By now you have faced, and possibly experienced, many of the challenges and pressures associated with college (academics, meeting new people, developing a support system, and managing time. Remember that if you live on campus you have the support of your Resident Director (RD) and your Resident Assistant (RA) as well as offices on campus.

If you live on or off campus, you may choose to visit Counseling and Career Services in Academic Resources, lower level of Pope Student Center. Remember it is very important to take care of yourself and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you are going through a tough time. Here is some helpful advice:

• Eat healthy by balancing your diet with fruits and vegetables. “An apple a day will get you an ‘A.’”
• Do an activity outdoors a day or take the stairs instead of the elevator.
• If you are going to partake or indulge in drugs and alcohol, KNOW THE RISKS AND CONSEQUENCES!
• Try to get 7-8 hours of sleep a night.
• Go to the Bandy Gymnasium.
• Know what resources are available on campus.
• Schedule an appointment with the Counseling Center.

Congratulations! You have made it through the first five weeks! Just think of all of the changes that you have embraced! Some were easily navigated while others were much more challenging. The important thing is that YOU MADE IT THIS FAR!!! No doubt that you will be able to go even further!

Now that you have successfully completed your first five weeks, it would be a good time to think about the following:

• Evaluate the goals that you set yourself at the beginning of the year.
• Check out your grades for each class.

Set goals for the rest of the semester.

Reflect on the year thus far.

• Think of changes you will make for the remainder of the semester to meet your new goals.

If none of these things seem to work for you, please ask someone for help. After all, we are here to help.