"B"ing Consistent

I finally got all my grades back and I am officially a B student this semester. I guess that's not too bad. I was expecting to get a C in one of my classes (Economics) because I just didn't seem to understand it. At least I am consistent.

That brings me to yet another list. How does one remain consistent as a nontrad when there are other things that demand one's attention? I know these "Ways to Be Consistent" are nothing new and have been mentioned on other blogs, but they are worth repeating.

How to Be a Consistent (Nontrad) Student (on a college campus):
1. Attend class. If you're sick, stay home. If the class only meets once a week, you're missing out on a great deal of information by skipping class.
2. Take copious notes. Very few people can remember what the professor lectures on or what they read about. Notes jog your memory.
3. Read the book. If the whole book is a bore, skim through the chapters the prof covers in class. Take notes on what you've read.
4. Make at least one friend in class in case you are sick and need to get the notes from someone.
5. Let the professor/teacher know who you are. Introduce yourself after class. Take advantage of their office hours.

You only get out of the college experience what you put into it. Most nontrad newbies battle fear. Having three years of this under my belt now, I can confidently tell newbies, "Don't be afraid. Take a deep breath, smile and move forward. You can do this!!"

Memory: Some of the most difficult exams I had to take were not in Computer Science or Statistics (math - yuk), but were in my Contemporary Appalachian Lit class. The class consisted of reading novels and short stories. The exams consisted of identifying quotes from the readings, which character said the quote, what piece the quote was from and who wrote the piece. There were at least 20 readings for each exam. Talk about information overload! It was painful. I got out of there with B. See? Consistency.

Being consistent is a good quality for a student to have - traditional or nontraditional. Being consistent is equated with dependability and stability. Maybe next semester, I'll try for a few more "A"s. Stay tuned . . . .