By Carmina Tiscareño
New Media Editor
Not meeting deadlines is one of many common mistakes students might make during a semester. An article on profkrg.com titled “12 Ways to Tick off Your Professor” said it is unfair for one student to have more time to work on an assignment or project than their classmates. Not only is it unfair to the other students, but also to the professors, because their grading plans get changed.
Throughout the years, professors have seen students make common mistakes that can be easily avoided. The start of a new year brings a new semester and a fresh start to make professors happy by avoiding behaviors that drive them up the wall. Professors do not hand out syllabi to make the semester a nightmare. They want to see students do well in their courses, according to an article on USA Today College.
An English professor at Brookhaven College, Hazel Carlos, said she sees lack of communication as a common mistake students make. Carlos said she recommends students communicate with professors if they are having trouble understanding course content. She also said that “more is expected from students at [the college] level, and it takes students a while to understand that.”
Speech communications professor Kent Polk said: “A mistake I see is that students don’t realize that politeness and courtesy go a long way. If those students would realize that their professor isn’t the enemy and if they would adopt a more positive attitude, they would have a much better college experience.”
Carlos and Kent said they advise students never to ask professors, “Did we do anything today?” because that answer is obviously “yes.” Carlos also said extra credit does not make up for major projects that were missed – a common mistake students make as well.
Another mistake students make is not attending class. Most students learn best through participation and class discussions, according to an article on mcgraw-hill.com.
Biology professor Philip Shelp said, “With freedom comes responsibility, and the college environment gives students plenty of free time, but students do not know how to budget their time.”
Polk said he recommends students plan out their weeks and balance school, home and work. He said when balancing gets tough, school is the first thing that gets sacrificed. The article in McGraw-Hill said keeping a to-do list or investing in a weekly (or monthly) planner helps with time management to stay on top of assignments.
