Coming into my freshman year at Pitt, I was more concerned with the social aspects of college… Coming into my freshman year at Pitt, I was more concerned with the social aspects of college rather than academics. Unlike my parents, who were constantly asking me questions about what classes I would be taking and other academic-related topics, my mind was on the 2006 Pitt football season, going to parties and getting out of my house, rather than wondering how to succeed in a territory so unfamiliar to me.

Although I will not deny that college is truly an experience that you must learn through both your failures and triumphs, it never hurts to get a little help, a concept you will definitely need to remember throughout your four years at Pitt. Accordingly, I have put together a few tips for succeeding in the classroom at Pitt.

First, build a relationship with your professors and advisers. Coming into college might be viewed as the ultimate rite of passage from childhood to adulthood, but it is nevertheless an experience that is initially unfamiliar to all.

When I first came to Pitt, I thought I knew exactly which classes I wanted to take and exactly what I wanted to major and minor in. I thought I knew the exact path I would take over my four years at Pitt. Oh, how wrong I was. As a freshman, you will surely begin to define what your interests are and maybe, and more importantly, figure out what you don’t like. Balancing this relationship is incredibly difficult but fortunately one you do not have to resolve alone.

Both your academic advisers and professors are there to help you figure out what your interests are and how to effectively chase those interests. The University requires students to meet with an academic adviser twice a semester, but I encourage you, as freshman, to develop a strong relationship with your adviser. By going and talking to your adviser and sharing your interests and non-interests with them, they will be able to more easily develop a plan for your academic future at Pitt.

And incidentally, you will be able to determine what your interests are and what you would like to pursue, both academically and professionally.

Upon entering Pitt, I was a political science and philosophy major. Although there is nothing wrong with either one of those majors – both programs are very strong here at Pitt – I now find myself, after just completing my sophomore year, on a completely different track as an urban studies and communication major. By going to different professors’ office hours and talking with professors after class, I was able to have more thorough discussions about the topics of the courses and their related majors.

Although it might be intimidating at first – at least it was for me – virtually all professors are more concerned with seeing their students succeed than anything else. Building relationships with professors enabled me to develop my interests further, particularly in the urban studies and communication majors, and allowed me to determine what I wanted to pursue over my remaining years at Pitt and beyond.

Last, and maybe most importantly, become an active and involved student in the classroom.

Often in the large lecture classes you will find that very few people volunteer. I will admit that in the large lecture classes I have taken, I did not volunteer often during my freshman year. But volunteering and being an involved student in the classroom is one of the most important things you can do. It not only familiarizes your face with the professor, something that will definitely benefit your grade when it comes time for professors to distribute grades, but it also aids your overall education.

In the classes that I did not participate in and relied more heavily on the readings and assignments, I found myself gaining less out of the actual class itself and not enjoying the class. In the classes where I was engaged, I gained much more out of the courses and did not need to rely on lecture notes, readings and other assignments as much in order to do well and enjoy them.

Before I came to college, both my grandfather and my father told me that the reason “you go to college is to learn how to think.” In order to stimulate your mind, challenge your preconceived beliefs and get the most out of the educational experience at Pitt, it is so important that you engage yourself in the classroom and build relationships with your professors and advisers.

Ultimately, a piece of paper that says the University of Pittsburgh on it and your name won’t get you, or help you keep, a job. It is the intellect demonstrated at that position that will help your career. Going to class, doing the work and basically just “getting by” might be the path that will help some get the grades, but the value of the class will be lost.

E-mail Shane at [email protected].