Introduction
Enhancing Academic Success
Selecting A Major
Student/Parent Contact
Personal Possessions
Arrival On Campus/Visits
First Year Academic Credit Load
Monitoring Academic Progress
Academic Advising
Faculty Expectations Of Students In The Classroom
Summary

College experiences exert a forceful influence on students. They will have educational experiences entirely different from those they encountered previously, and will find the competition and stimulation to be far more intense. It is important that families and students understand the expectations of this new learning environment.

Families should be aware that attending college is an important lifetime event for their son or daughter, an opportunity to continue the "growing up" process of a maturing adolescent. A student recently quoted in our campus newspaper described what she thought the college experience should be:

"College is a time for a person to find out who they really are. College is a time that's meant to be for establishing your priorities and values. It's a time to test and try these values."

Post-secondary education requires a major commitment not only by students, but also by their families. The first task is selecting the "right" university that "fits" the student academically, socially and financially. The second critical taskis for family and friends to provide emotional support from the freshman year through the process of graduating and finding employment in his or her chosen field.

The faculty and staff in the College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources believe that the more family members know about higher education, the better the quality of the student support system.

This pamphlet was prepared by the College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources Advising Committee to help families of students enrolling in the College to prepare for their son's or daughter's adventure into post-secondary education.

We believe that the assistance of knowledgeable and supportive families, combined with a helpful and caring campus environment, can increase the probability of student graduation.

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Enhancing Academic Success

Evidence indicates that the transition from high school to college is easier when everyone involved freely expresses the expectations and concerns they may have for the future. Families vary greatly, and so do the emotions experienced during this major event in life.

The following list of topics may be helpful for you and your student to discuss as he or she prepares for college. The topics include critical activities in helping students to cope with college life. During family discussions, other topics will certainly surface.

• Attending NDSU orientation activities held prior to the start of classes.
• Attending and participating in classes.
• Feeling free to ask for academic and personal assistance.
• Managing time, including study time (schedule, at a minimum, two hours of study time per day for each lecture course).
• Completing assignments on time.
• Getting to know professors and advisers.
• Joining course (subject) study groups.
• Working at a job no more than 20 hours a week if registered for 15-16 credit hours. (If the student must work more hours, reducing the number of credits may be appropriate.)
• Taking advantage of campus facilities and resources such as the library and computer clusters.
• Living in a residence hall.
• Participating in co-curricular activities and becoming involved with university-sponsored events.
• Attending university-sponsored forums and lectures.
• Making friends.

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Selecting A Major

Students may ask others for advice, but the final decision about which major to pursue rests with the student. Do not be surprised or discouraged if your son or daughter changes majors one or more times or takes more than four years to graduate. It is not uncommon for students to change majors. Before making the change, the student should consult with resource people available on campus, including counselors and academic advisers, and gather accurate information about the newly selected field.

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Student/Parent Contact

Communication between student and family is often smoother if they share expectations of how often family/student interaction should occur. Should contact be weekly or monthly? By letter, phone, e-mail or some other means? Who should originate the communication process? As in all areas of discussion, flexibility is important. Situations and opportunities may change, but feelings are less likely to be hurt if some agreement has been reached before the student leaves for college.

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Personal Possessions

It is often a good idea to check with the future roommate before finalizing plans for what to bring to college. Many students do not try to take everything to campus the first week. They wait to see how much they will need. Remember, space in a residence hall room is limited. Basic requirements include clothing for the first semester (August-December), personal items, electronic devices and items to personalize the room. A personal computer may be handy, but the university has computer clusters available for student use.

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Arrival On Campus/Visits

Will family members and friends accompany the student in his or her move to campus? How involved should family members be in the move? This is a family decision; however, the wishes of the student are very important to the final decision. Will the family visit during the semester? If so, how often? Is the student planning to periodically return home? If so, when and how often?

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First Year Academic Credit Load

Most full-time students enroll for 12-16 academic credits in their first semester of college. The number of credits is balanced by the requirements of the major, the capability of the student and the student's financial needs. It is important to be sure that the combination of classes and work does not overload the student. Academic advisers can be helpful sources of information in this regard. The credit load can be adjusted following the first semester.

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Monitoring Academic Progress

Families often are uncomfortable asking students about their academic progress, and students are sometimes reluctant to provide this information. Federal law prevents the university from providing grades to families, unless the student requests that grades be forwarded to his or her parents. Discussing this issue in advance may help to reduce possible tensions.

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Academic Advising

Each student entering the College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources is assigned a faculty academic adviser. The adviser will help guide the student to achieve intellectual, educational and professional goals. For a student to receive full benefit of the student/adviser relationship, early and frequent contact with the adviser is recommended.

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Faculty Expectations Of Students In The Classroom

While North Dakota State University and the College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources encompass many types of teaching and learning opportunities and styles, most NDSU instructors share similar expectations of students that are important for improving learning:

• investing the necessary time and effort to prepare for class;
• participating in all class activities;
• being courteous and supportive to fellow students and teachers;
• meeting time deadlines for completing all class assignments;
• applying what they learn in class to their outside lives, and bringing their experiences to class.

Full-time students must realize that mastering their education is a full-time job.

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Summary

Graduation from the university requires several significant responsibilities:

• active communication between the student and family, friends and faculty;
• a sound financial plan;
• a sincere desire and sustained efforts by the student to graduate;
• selection of a college and major (career path) that are appropriate for the student;
• an understanding by the student that although the faculty, administrators and staff are available and willing to provide assistance to students who need support, the student must ask for that assistance.

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