1.2 Setting Yourself Up for Success

Success in college is the theme of this book and course—and you’ll be learning more about everything involved in success in the following chapters. Let’s first define what success really means so that you can get started, right now, on the right foot.

Understand first that no book can “make” you be successful—it can only offer the tools for you to use if you want. In this section, we examine the elements of college success. Are there patterns of success you strive for but aren’t yet reaching? Where might you shore up your support? What strategies can you use to achieve success in your college endeavors?

Defining Success in College

How do you define college success? The definition really depends on you. You might think that “success” is earning an associate’s degree or attending classes in a four-year college. Maybe success is a bachelor’s or master’s degree or a Ph.D. Maybe success means receiving a certificate of completion or finishing skill-based training.

Maybe your definition of success also includes making social connections in college or gaining job experience that can apply to your career later on. Maybe you want to establish a balanced health routine that includes enough sleep and time to exercise throughout the week, while also keeping up with your coursework. Maybe success for you means that you spend time working during college to keep your overall debt load smaller or that you balance your student life with your personal life so you can continue pursuing personal interests or spending time with your family.

Perhaps some common misconceptions are at play. For example, we often hear students say, “I just can’t do it!” or “I’m not good at math,” or “I guess college isn’t for me.” But, these explanations for success or failure aren’t necessarily accurate.

Characteristics of Successful Students

Going to college, and doing well once you’re there, relies heavily on your behaviors for the duration of your time as a student.  Professors and college administrators will expect you to behave in certain ways, without any explicit instructions on their part. For instance, professors will expect you to spend several hours a week working on class concepts (homework, writing, preparing for exams) on your own time. They will not tell you WHEN to spend those hours, but leave it up to you to recognize the need to put in the effort and schedule your time accordingly.

Considerable research into college success reveals that having difficulty in or failing in college courses usually has nothing to do with intellect. More often success depends on how fully a student embraces and masters the following seven strategies:

1. Learn how to listen actively in class and take effective notes (Chapters 6 and 7).
2. Review the text and your reading notes prior to class (Chapter 6 and 7).
3. Participate in class discussion and maybe even join a study group (Chapter #)
4. Go to office hours and ask your instructor questions (Chapter #).
5. Give yourself enough time to research, write, and edit your essays in manageable stages (Chapter 8).
6. Take advantage of online or on-campus academic support resources (Chapter 2).
7. Spend sufficient time studying (Chapters 6 and 7).

So, if you feel you are not smart enough for college, ask yourself if you can implement some of these skills. Overall, students struggle in college, not because of natural intellect or smarts, but because of time management, organization, and lack of quality study time. The good news is that there are ways to combat this, and this course and textbook will help you do just that.

How Grades Play a Role in Shaping Success

You might be thinking of other measures of college success, too—like grades. For instance, you might be unhappy with anything less than an A in a course, although maybe this depends on the difficulty of the subject. As long as you pass with a C, you might be perfectly content. So, if most students believe that passing a class is the minimum requirement for success, and if most students want to be successful in their courses, why aren’t more college students consistently successful in the classroom?

In a recent online discussion at a student-support Web site, a college freshman posted the following concern about how serious they should be about getting good grades:

As a first semester freshman, I really have taken my education seriously. I’ve studied and done my homework nightly and have read all of the assignments. So far, I have all A’s in my classes, including calculus and programming. Now, with a month left to go in the semester, I feel myself slipping a bit on my studies. I blow off readings and homework more to go out at night during the week and I’ve even skipped a few classes to attend major sporting events. I also travel most weekends to visit my girlfriend. Still, I’ve gotten A’s on the exams even with these less extensive study habits, although not as high as before. So, my question really is this. Should I just be content with low A’s and B’s and enjoy myself during college, or should I strive to achieve all A’s?

How would you answer this student’s question, given what you know and sense about college life? Grades do matter to your success, right? Or . . . do they? The answer depends on who you ask and what your college and career goals are.

To help you answer, take this quick self-assessment about your college goals and beyond. Think about your answer, yes or no, to the following questions.

I Want to Be able to . . .

• Change my major during my college years (Yes/No)
• Have good relationships with my professors (Yes/No)
• Be eligible for financial aid (Yes/No)
• Be eligible for scholarships (Yes/No)
• Get awards (Yes/No)
• Be a resident assistant (RA) in my dorm (Yes/No)
• Get reductions on my car insurance (Yes/No)
• Prove to my employer that I can work hard (Yes/No)
• Get a master’s degree (Yes/No)

You may be surprised to learn that each reason on this list directly relates to your grades—even changing your major. For example, colleges typically have a minimum GPA requirement to switch majors. Consider these additional factors:

• Undergraduate grades have been shown to have a positive impact on getting full-time employment in your career in a position appropriate to your degree (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005).
• Grades also have been shown to have a positive net impact on your occupational status and earnings (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005).
• Getting good grades, particularly in the first year of college, is important to your academic success throughout your college years (National Postsecondary Education Cooperative, 2006).
• Grades are probably the best predictors of your persistence, your ability to graduate, and your prospects for enrolling in graduate school (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005).

You stand to gain immeasurably when you get good grades. The best attitude to take toward grades in college is simply to do the best you can do. You don’t need to kill yourself, but if you’re not going to make an effort then there’s not much reason to be there in the first place. Almost everything in this book—from time management to study skills to social skills and staying healthy—will contribute to your overall success and, yes, to getting better grades.

If you have special concerns about grades, such as feeling unprepared in certain classes and at risk of failing, talk with your academic advisor. If a class requires more preparation than you have done in past courses and experience, you might be urged to drop that class and take another—or to seek extra help. Your advisor can help you work through any individual issues related to doing well and getting the best grade you can.

Can You Challenge a Grade?

Yes and no. College instructors are very careful about how they assign grades, which are based on clear-cut standards often stated in the course syllabus. The likelihood of an instructor changing your grade if you challenge it is very low. On the other hand, we’re all human—mistakes can occur, and if you truly feel a test or other score was miscalculated, you can ask your instructor to review the grade. Just be sure to be polite and respectful and aware that a grade review could also lead to a lower grade than initially given.

Most situations in which students want to challenge a grade, however, result from a misunderstanding regarding the expectations of the grading scale or standards used. Students may simply feel they deserve a higher grade because they think they understand the material well or spent a lot of time studying or doing the assignment. The instructor’s grade, however, is based on your actual responses on a test, a paper or other assignment. The instructor is grading not what they think is in your head or the amount of effort you put forth, but the work you actually submitted.

If you are concerned that your grade does not accurately reflect your understanding, you should still talk with your instructor—but your goal should be not to argue for a grade change but to gain a better understanding of the course’s expectations so that you’ll do better next time. Instructors do respect students who want to improve. Visit your instructor during office hours or ask for an appointment and prepare questions ahead of time to help you better understand how your performance can improve and better indicate how well you understand the material.

A major aspect of college for some students is learning how to accept criticism. Your college instructors hold you to high standards and expect you to have the maturity to understand that a lower grade is not a personal attack on you and not a statement that you’re not smart enough to do the work. Since none of us is perfect, we can all improve in almost everything we do—and the first step in that direction is accepting the evaluation of our work. If you receive a grade lower than you think you have earned, take the responsibility to learn what you need to do to earn a higher grade next time.

Understanding Your Grade-Point Average (GPA)

Grades may not be the be-all and end-all in college life but, you should pay close attention to your Grade-Point Average (GPA) as it may be important to achieving your future goals. GPA is often an important criterion when applying for scholarships, specialized academic programs, internships, and transferring to a college or university.

A grade-point average is a number representing the average value of the accumulated final grades earned in courses over time. More commonly called a GPA, a student’s grade point average is calculated by adding up all accumulated final grades and dividing that figure by the number of credit hours awarded. This calculation results in a mathematical mean—or average—of all final grades. The most common form of GPA is based on a 0 to 4.0 scale (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, and F = 0), with a 4.0 representing a “perfect” GPA—or a student having earned straight As in every course.

When you finish your course, your instructor submits a letter grade of A, B, C, D or F that will then appear on your transcript. You can use this online College GPA Calculator to determine your GPA based on your grades and the number of credit hours for each course. You can check your official grades in your student account on your school’s website by viewing your Unofficial Transcript.

The following are two examples of term GPAs. Please note how the number of credit hours of a course affects the points earned. For example, the first student has four courses that are each three credit hours, for a total of 12 credit hours. The second student is also taking four courses with two courses that are each three credit hours (PSY 101 and SOC 204) and two courses that are four credit hours (BI 104 and MATH 111z), for a total of 14 credit hours. Despite having the same number of A, B, and C grades the second student’s GPA is more than a .5 point lower than the first student taking 12 credits. The more credits a course is worth, the more impact your final letter grade will have on your GPA.

Each instructor has their own grading criteria for what constitutes an A, B, C, D, and F in their courses. Check your syllabus carefully to find this information. Some instructors issue an A for a grade average of 90% or higher while others will issue an A for an 88% or a 92% or higher.  Other instructors may use a point system to determine final grades. For example, 450 out of 500 points is an A, etc. Be sure to read the syllabus for each course you are taking every term carefully so you understand how your final grade for each course is determined.

In addition to letter grades, there are also Incompletes, Withdrawals, and Pass/Fail. Students may request an Incomplete (I) due to extenuating circumstances that prevented them from completing the course work per the schedule. It is at the discretion of the instructor to determine whether to approve or deny the request. As a general rule, students must have been in good academic standing in the course prior to the request of an Incomplete. Students who receive an Incomplete will need to fulfill the requirements of the Incomplete contract as determined by agreement between the instructor and the student. If an Incomplete is not completed and resolved with a letter grade by the deadline, the I will automatically convert to an F or another designated grade after the deadline.

Students have the option of a Course Withdrawal, resulting in a W on their transcript. Students should consult their instructor and always check with an advisor before withdrawing as there are potential consequences that may affect academic standing, financial aid, military benefits, etc.

Lastly, some courses offer a Pass/Fail grading option. This is only available for a course if the college catalog specifies this option. If a given course permits two options of a letter grade or pass/fail grade, the student must declare the pass/fail option by a designated deadline. Students may not change the pass/fail to a grade after that time. A passing grade is defined as the equivalent of a “C” grade or better and is not used when calculating GPA. Students should not choose the pass/fail option for courses that are part of their major. Check with your advisor for specific information.

Academic Honesty for Success

At most educational institutions, “academic honesty” means demonstrating and upholding the highest integrity and honesty in all the academic work that you do. In short, it means doing your own work and not cheating, and not presenting the work of others as your own.

The following are some common forms of academic dishonesty prohibited by most academic institutions:

Cheating

Cheating can take the form of cheat sheets, looking over someone’s shoulder during an exam, or any forbidden sharing of information between students regarding an exam or exercise. Many elaborate methods of cheating have been developed over the years—storing information in graphing calculators, checking cell phones during bathroom breaks, using apps like Chegg to complete your homework or a take-home exam, using online solutions, and now AI programs like Chat GPT.  Cheating differs from most other forms of academic dishonesty, in that people can engage in it without benefiting themselves academically at all. For example, a student who illicitly telegraphed answers to a friend during a test would be cheating, even though the student’s own work is in no way affected.

Deception

Deception is providing false information to an instructor concerning an academic assignment. Examples of this include taking more time on a take-home test that is allowed, giving a dishonest excuse when asking for a deadline extension, or falsely claiming to have submitted work.

Fabrication

Fabrication is the falsification of data, information, or citations in an academic assignment. This includes making up citations to back up arguments or inventing quotations. Fabrication is most common in the natural sciences, where students sometimes falsify data to make experiments “work” or false claims are made about the research performed.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism, is defined as “the practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own” (Oxford English Dictionary) In an academic setting, it is seen as the adoption or reproduction of original intellectual creations (such as concepts, ideas, methods, pieces of information or expressions, etc.) of another author (whether an individual, group, or organization), or your own work, without proper acknowledgment. This can range from borrowing a particular phrase or sentence to paraphrasing someone else’s original idea without citing it. Today, in our networked digital world, the most common form of plagiarism is copying and pasting online material without crediting the source.

Common Forms of Plagiarism

The Plagiarism Spectrum 2.0 provides a list of twelve common forms of plagiarism. They are ordered from least to most severe. (TurnItIn, 2021).

1. Inadvertent Plagiarism: Unknowingly paraphrasing another’s work or forgetting to properly cite work or quote a source.
2. Student Collusion: Working with other students on an assignment when it is meant to be an individual assessment.
3. Paraphrase Plagiarism: Rephrasing a source’s ideas without proper citation.
4. Word-for-Word Plagiarism: Submitting a word-for-word copy of someone else’s work as your own.
5. Computer Code Plagiarism: Using or adapting another creator’s source code without proper attribution.
6. Self-Plagiarism: Using significant portions of your own previous work without citing yourself.
7. Source-Based Plagiarism: Work that contains citations to non-existent work or inaccurate sources.
8. Mosaic Plagiarism: Work that combines copied content from multiple different sources without citations.
9. Manual Text Modification: Manipulating text by changing key words or phrases but using the essential content from the source to evade plagiarism detection software.
10. Software-Based Text Modification: Using a software tool (text spinner, translation engine, etc.) to modify content written by someone else to evade plagiarism detection.
11. Data Plagiarism: Creating or making up false data or improperly appropriating data from another study without citing it.
12. Contract Cheating: Using a third party service to complete an assignment for you (PaperHelp, etc.)

A recent development in plagiarism is using AI programs, such as ChatGPT to write papers or otherwise complete assignments.

As a college student, you are now a member of a scholarly community that values other people’s ideas. In fact, you will routinely be asked to reference and discuss other people’s thoughts and writing in the course of producing your own work. That’s why it’s so important to understand what plagiarism is and the steps you can take to avoid it.

Avoiding Plagiarism

Below are some useful guidelines to help you avoid plagiarism and show academic honesty in your work:

• Quotes: If you quote another work directly in your work, cite your source.
• Paraphrase: If put someone else’s idea into your own words, you still need to cite the author.
• Visual Materials: If you cite statistics, graphs, or charts from a study, cite the source. Keep in mind that if you didn’t do the original research, then you need to credit the person(s) or institution, etc. that did.

The easiest way to make sure you don’t accidentally plagiarize someone else’s work is by taking careful notes as you research. If you are doing research on the Web, be sure to copy and paste the links into your notes so can keep track of the sites you’re visiting. Be sure to list all the sources you consult.

There are many handy online tools to help you create and track references as you go. For example, you can try using Scribbr Citation Generator. Additionally, keeping careful notes will not only help you avoid inadvertent plagiarism; it will also help you if you need to return to a source later (to check or get more information). If you use citation tools, be sure to check the accuracy of the citations before you submit your assignment, with sites like Purdue OWL which provides detailed guidance of citations and references in several  formatting styles like MLA and APA.

Lastly, if you’re in doubt about whether something constitutes plagiarism, cite the source or leave the material out. Better still, ask for help. Most colleges have a writing center, a tutoring center, and a library where students can get help with their writing. Taking the time to seek advice is better than getting in trouble for not attributing your sources. Be honest about your ideas, and give credit where it’s due.

Consequences of Plagiarism

In the academic world, plagiarism by students is usually considered a very serious offense that can result in punishments such as a failing grade on a particular assignment, the entire course, or even being expelled from the institution. Individual instructors and courses may have their own policies regarding academic honesty and plagiarism; statements of these can usually be found in the course syllabus or online course description.

What Leads to Academic Dishonesty?

When you’re starting off in school, you might be convinced that you would never plagiarize. While it’s helpful to value and identify with academic integrity, it doesn’t hurt to consider common scenarios that lead students to cheat so you can recognize and defuse them if you encounter them during your time in school.

Running Out of Time

Let’s say it’s the night before a big paper is due and you haven’t started it. An assignment that would have been manageable had you spaced it out over a few weeks now seems completely impossible. You truly feel that you have run out of time. You may feel tempted to try to use other people’s work to piece together a paper to submit on time.

If you’ve left your paper until the last minute, you will be better off submitting subpar work or asking for an extension than you would be risking your academic career by plagiarizing your paper.

Peer Pressure

Another situation that might lead you to academic dishonesty is peer pressure. Maybe instead of you, it’s your best friend who left her paper until the last minute, and they ask you to write it for them because they’re too stressed and tired to do it themself. It can be very hard to say no.

Writing an assignment for a peer will not help them learn the course materials in their classes, may lead to more requests that you continue to do their assignments for them, and you would also be risking your academic career by helping your friend cheat.

Pressure to Perform

Another roadblock to academic integrity can be the pressure to perform academically. Students can face an immense amount of pressure to achieve high grades, whether it’s to keep their academic-based scholarships, to ensure they pass a class they are close to failing, or to please their parents or other people who are invested in their academic performance.

If you are feeling crunched by academic pressure to achieve high grades or simply pass your classes, but are having trouble making the grades you want, you should seek out academic support as early as possible instead of using other people’s work as your own. Perhaps there’s a reason your grades have dipped. Seeking help and support for mental or physical health issues or issues outside of school that are affecting your performance is far preferable to plagiarizing to pass a single assignment.

Not Understanding the Definition of Plagiarism

Finally, students may plagiarize because they do not understand that what they are doing is plagiarism.

Become familiar with your school’s definition of plagiarism, and the expectations for academic integrity that are set in your courses. Plagiarizing unknowingly and being confronted for it is very stressful, and it can be really hard for instructors to know whether or not you plagiarized on purpose.

Remember, submitting other people’s work as your own or doing other students’ assignments for them does not contribute to your overall goals at school of learning the course material and demonstrating your knowledge. No matter how dire a situation might seem, be it turning in an assignment on time, or achieving a high enough grade to pass a class, there are other ways of dealing with these situations that do not require plagiarism.

College Resources for Success

To be successful in college, you need to be fully informed and make wise decisions about the courses you register for, college policies, and additional resources. Always remember that your college wants you to succeed. That means that if you are having any difficulties or have any questions whose answers you are unsure about, there are college resources available to help you get assistance or find answers. This is true of both academic and personal issues that could potentially disrupt your college experience. Never hesitate to go looking for help or information—but realize that usually you have to take the first step.

The college catalog has already been mentioned as a great source of many kinds of information. You should know where to find it online.

The college’s Web site is the second place to look for help. Students are often surprised to see how much information is available online, including information about college programs, offices, special assistance programs, and so on, as well as helpful information such as studying tips, personal health, financial help, and other resources. Take some time to explore the Student Resources on your college’s Web site and learn what is available—this could save you a lot of time in the future if you experience any difficulty.

In addition, many colleges have offices or individuals that can help in a variety of ways. Following are some of the resources your college may have. Learn more about your college’s resources online or by visiting the office of student services or the dean of students.

• Academic Advising office: This office helps you choose courses and plan your program or degree. You should have a personal meeting at least once every term.
• Counseling or Wellness office: This office helps with personal problems, including health, stress management, interpersonal issues, and so on.
• Financial Aid office: If you are presently receiving financial aid or may qualify for assistance, you should know this office well.
• Tutoring, Skill, and/or Success centers: The title of this resource varies among colleges, but most have special places where students can go for additional help for their courses. There may be a separate math center, writing center, or general study skills center.
• Computer labs: Before almost all students became skilled in computer use and had their own computers, colleges built labs where students could use campus computers and receive training or help resolving technical problems. Many campuses still maintain computer centers to assist students with technical issues.
• Student Health clinic: In addition to providing some basic medical care and making referrals, most college student health centers also help with issues such as diet and exercise counseling, birth control services, and preventive health care.
• Career Guidance or Placement office: This center can help you find a student job or internship, plan for your career after graduation, and receive career counseling.
• Accessibility/Disability Services office: This office may provide various services to help students with disabilities adapt within the college environment.
• Housing office: This office not only controls campus residential housing but often assists students to find off-campus private accommodations.
• Diversity office: This office promotes cultural awareness on campus, runs special programs, and assists diverse students with adjusting to campus culture.
• Office of Student Affairs or Student organizations: Participating in a group of like-minded students often supports academic success.
• Athletic center: Most colleges have exercise equipment, pools, courts and tracks, and other resources open to all students. Take advantage of this to improve or maintain your personal health, which promotes academic success.
• Other specialized offices for student populations: These may include an office supporting students who speak English as a second language, adult students returning to college, international students, religious students, students with children (possibly a child-care center), veterans of the armed services, students preparing for certain types of careers, and so on.
• Your instructors: It never hurts to ask your instructor if they know of any additional college resources you haven’t yet discovered. There may be a brand new program on campus, or a certain department may offer a service not widely promoted through the college Web site.

Everyone needs help at some time—you should never feel embarrassed or ashamed to seek help. Remember that a part of your tuition and fees are going to these offices, and you have every right to take advantage of them.