Don’t wait: confront problems head-on

For as long as I have been teaching, I have always had students come up to me at the end of the semester trying to find ways not to fail class.

They tell me stories about family, medical, or other issues that prevented them from performing well. My first question to them is, “Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?”

A lot of these problems could have been easily addressed earlier, but by the end of the semester they became so grave that there was little I could do to reverse the damage.

Don’t assume that our professors are out to fail you. They have the job of enabling student success by any means and method possible.

DIFFERENT WAYS TO LEARN

Not everyone learns at the same rate from the same learning methods. Some individuals learn best through lectures, while others prefer hands-on projects or demonstrations. There are literally hundreds of different ways to learn the same subjects.

Alternate projects, although different, may help people learn the material just as well. So if you are struggling with learning, tell the professors early. If they don’t realize that someone is having problems, they can’t address them.

DON’T BE ASHAMED

There are many students who will hide their problems because they believe it is shameful to ask for help. It takes more courage to ask for help than to live with the problem, but it’s worth it.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. The greatest leaders in our society understand this and ask for help to make up for their weaknesses while using their strengths to help the weaknesses of others.

To be truly successful in life, requires mastery of two practices. First, if you are struggling, ask for help. Second, if you don’t know the answer, ask questions. If you can master these two practices, you’ll become a better individual.

MY EXPERIENCE

Learning can also be hampered by physical or learning disabilities. I had difficulty in grade school because I was color blind. The white chalk my teachers used disappeared on the green chalk board, which I saw as light gray. The solution was to switch to a black chalk board on which I could see the writing.

My wife had a terrible time in her undergraduate studies because of her dyslexia. Her struggles affected her grades, but with time and experimentation we learned the styles and techniques that best helped her to learn. Now she has a couple master’s degrees and is working on her doctorate. No one would have thought she’d go so far judging from her earlier grades.

DON’T PUT IT OFF

If you are facing physical or learning disabilities now, CSC will work hard to accommodate your needs. Jerry Cassiday in Student Health Services ([email protected] or 308-432-6232) can help those facing these types of challenges.

So remember, bad news never gets better with time. Don’t wait till the end of the semester, and let our professors help find a solution to problems while they are still small and manageable. Don’t delay and let the situation spiral beyond repair.