How to make your Professor’s Head Spin!

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Dr. Strouse's Educational Philosophy:

• Attend all classes. The lectures are designed to present the material you need to know. If you aren’t there, it is impossible for you to obtain or understand all the information presented.
• Participate! Ask questions! Answer questions!
• Keep abreast of the assignment schedule to know what is coming up.
• Read ahead. Every time the professor begins a “new” topic you will be familiar with the concepts. You may not understand everything, but you will know what to ask.
• Study in blocks of at least two hours. Poor study habits and frequent interruptions will lead to mediocrity.
• Do not procrastinate! Work on assignments as soon as possible—the longer you wait, the less you remember of the in-class discussion. Once you fall behind, it is unlikely that you will be able to catch up. Also, get to work right at the beginning of the semester. You have a great deal to learn.
• Students often discuss course related material and assignments; but do not rely on others’ help. Why?

o (1) Another student may steer you wrong,

o (2) if you do not understand in detail what you have done on the assignments, you will not do well on the exams and will, therefore, not do well in the course,

o (3) it may be construed as cheating.

• Use examples and ideas from the text, lectures, and any assigned readings as examples. Look them over carefully; understand them and then incorporate them into your own assignments by building on or expanding the ideas and examples. If you intend to use or quote an example, idea, or phrase, include the proper citation.
• Plan your efforts carefully. After making a plan, do your assignments in steps. Develop a “sense” of satisfaction about completing each of your planned steps.
• Resist the temptation to write papers or do assignments from scratch at your workstation and then hope that, somehow, everything will come together.
• Be responsible. It is your duty to get as much from every course as you can. “Good Enough” is not your “BEST”—don’t settle for less than your best effort.
• Remember, the professor can explain it TO you—but he can’t understand it FOR you.