Wait, which foot is the "right" one?

We've just finished the first full week of classes and I want to talk a little about starting off on the "right" foot. Why? Because I'm already getting e-mails from professors telling me that some of my students have missed several classes.

I work at a large school...a very, very large school. But that doesn't mean that instructors don't communicate with one another and quite frankly, I hear everything. I already know which of my students are going to have academic troubles down the road, simply because they are missing classes and I can pinpoint which students are heading for heartbreak because they are giving their teachers nothing but attitude.

I get it, I really do. You are experiencing freedom for the first time. No one is telling you that you absolutely MUST go to class. No one is shaking you awake in the mornings or making you breakfast or doing your laundry for you. But you're establishing a pattern that is incredibly dangerous.

Think about your earliest class--chances are it's at 8am. Now, no one likes an 8am class (I personally had an 8am Water Aerobics class my freshman year of college. Early mornings + cold water = Shaun being very bitter and sarcastic. Needless to say, my teacher was not very fond of me.) But that 8am class is STILL later than your earliest high school class! You need to start getting yourself up in the mornings and get to that class. If you want to stay up late, that's fine, but maybe going to bed a little bit earlier the night before you have early classes would be a good idea.

I worked incredibly hard this summer to plan out my students' schedules. Each new student is required to take the freshman English class and I adjusted and finagled until everyone had a truly wonderful teacher (there are 5 of them). These are teachers who understand artists, how they learn, the way they think, and that artists need supportive and engaging teachers. And yet, I have students who are blowing off this class. You can't get a true measure of a course unless you actually GO to it.

You also can't get the true measure of a class if you enter each meeting with the attitude that you are somehow "better" than the material being taught and the person who is teaching it. I have spoken before about the idea that professors don't "hate" students. I stick by that. But you can surely make a bad impression on a professor. Dissenting opinions in the classroom are fine (I encourage them), but you have to be cautious about how you express them. If a professor says something you don't agree with, ask a question! There is a huge difference between saying, "Dr. X, you are totally wrong!" and "Dr. X, I recently read a case study in Bob's Medical Journal which refutes that opinion, could you discuss the differences between these two theories?"

I can't stress this enough; most of you are just beginning your college career. If you knew everything there was to know, you would already have your degree. You're here to LEARN! Why not take every opportunity that presents itself to ask questions and learn more? Use your professors as a resource: figure out what material you've missed and make it up.

You are capable of a lot more than what you've shown so far.

Academic Instincts (Use the Force, Luke)

Now that classes have begun, it's time to talk about something extremely important, especially for new students.  As you enter each new class, your spider senses are going to start tingling.  You may find yourself feeling particularly bad vibes about one class, while another class makes you sit up and pay attention...a huge smile appearing on your face.  These are your academic instincts making their first appearances.  Learn to trust them.

I've always been one to trust my gut instincts about things--I've been told that "theatre people" (and yes, it does have to be said with the dreaded air quotes) are especially sensitive to vibes, mojo, juju, and any other euphemism for the general "feel" of something.  But every student can develop these extrasensory gifts when it comes to their classes, as long as they know what to look for.

Listen to the idle chatter around you.  If you hear more than five students say, "this is the second time I've taken this class.  I hope I pass the damn thing this time!" the hairs on the back of your neck should start to prickle.  Focus in on who is doing the talking.  Do these stellar students look like they've slept in their clothes?  Do they, perhaps, look as if they spend an inordinate amount of their time partying?  This can tell you that you're actually going to have to attend the class and concentrate on the work required.  Remember, there is no such thing as a "blow-off class".

Take a look at the professor.  We often don't realize how much information we acquire from body language.  When the professor walks in the room, is he or she actually looking in the eyes of his or her students?  Or is he/she looking at the ground?  A professor who is actually engaging their students with eye contact from the moment they open the door is something you want...a professor who doesn't even want to look at you, probably not going to be as engaging or exciting in the classroom.

How big is the class?  Yes, large classes are a necessity if you are in a larger university environment.  You're going to have some classes that have more than 300 students in them.  But it is very difficult to have any kind of personal academic relationship with your instructor when you're one of 300 students.  How do you distinguish yourself from the pack?  Who are you going to turn to when you have questions?  If this large class is a requirement, make sure there are lines of communication clearly established in the course syllabus (who can you e-mail if you have a question?  Will the professor actually be available for office hours?)

How many TAs are there?  Do me a favor, if you're in one of those gi-normous classes, count the number of TAs that surround the professor on the first day.  If the TAs are forming an impenetrable wall around your instructor, bombarding him or her with their questions (usually about upcoming thesis projects), the chances are VERY slim that your sorry ass will ever get within twenty feet of the professor.  Approachability is incredibly important, especially in your first year of college.  And, as I've said before, TAs are still learning how to teach...they can do more harm than good (although some of them are lovely).

Take a look at the syllabus.  I can't stress enough how important a syllabus is in determining your future in any given course.  If you remember nothing else, remember this: the syllabus is your contract with the professor (funny, I think I've written that before!)  You need to read and understand what is expected of you.  Some professors will write incredibly detailed syllabi, including honor code, school holidays, weapons policies, religious holidays, emergency procedures, the air-speed velocity of the European swallow, and migratory patterns of the guinea hen (ok, not the last two, but you get the picture).  You should expect to see due dates for major assignments and tests (if these are NOT present on your syllabus, that is a HUGE warning sign that your professor is fairly disorganized...take note.)  Take a look at the work load for the course and consider that work load in comparison to the work load for your other courses.

Listen to the professor lecture.  Is he or she engaging and interesting to listen to?  Or have they learned their teaching style from Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller's Day Off?  Does your professor whip out the laptop and lecture directly from a powerpoint presentation (there is a particularly hideous ring of hell reserved for people who do this.  I have been known to create voodoo dolls of anyone I know who reads off of a powerpoint presentation.  If you have to give a presentation in class, don't even THINK about merely reading a powerpoint.  Bad people do that....seriously, I think Hitler read his presentations from powerpoints).  

If, at the end of one class, or two, you have a weird feeling in the pit of your stomach, run (and I mean RUN...no walking) to your advisor's office.  Some advisors will understand when you say that you have bad juju about a class--I've said it myself and I get it when my students say it to me.  If your advisor is a bit more square-shaped, spell out the situation.  Were you bored out of your skull?  Tell them!  Do you feel like the work load for that one class, on top of your other classes, is going to be too much?  Say that!  You need to understand that your advisor can NOT help you unless you tell us what is going on in your head.  Don't worry about sounding or feeling stupid.  I guarantee that I have said or done far more idiotic things in my life.  My response will always be, "no worries, how can I help?"  If you are specific about what is freaking you out (work load, too big of a class, boring professor), we will do our best to help you through the crisis.

Now that I have lifted a huge metaphorical X-Wing Fighter out of the swamp of ignorance, I'm going to bed (I really have to stop watching Star Wars so much).

Financial Aid...Friend or Foe?

With a new school year about to start, this seems like the perfect time to talk about getting all of your financial ducks in a row. To do that, you've got to make nice with the people in Financial Aid and the Federal Aid process in general.

I will be the first person to tell you that taking out government loans is a convoluted and annoying process (having taken out more than my fair share of loans and currently being in debt up to my eyeballs). But if you have someone walking you through it, and explaining the process to you, things get a lot easier.

Your first step, always, is filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Do your parents make a lot of money? Great! Hazzah and kudos to them! Fill out a FAFSA anyway! You never know what is going to happen in the course of a year and filling out the FAFSA is a great way of covering your ass--and I am a firm believer in ass coverage at all times. To fill out the FAFSA, you will need an internet connection (it is a LOT faster than filling out a paper version), your parent's tax forms, and a PIN number (you can request a PIN number by going to this website: http://www.pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp) You will use your PIN number to sign the FAFSA electronically...again, much faster than printing out the signature page and mailing it to Uncle Sam. The electronic FAFSA can be found here: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

So now you've completed the FAFSA and your school has sent you your Financial Aid Award Letter...you're done, right? Wrong bucko! You have a few more things you need to do to ensure that your money gets where it needs to go (i.e. to pay your bill in a timely manner).

Let's say that you were awarded a $4500 Pell Grant, a $3500 Subsidized Loan, and $4500 in Federal Work-Study. This is a pretty typical award for someone who submitted their FAFSA early (Pell Grants are "need-based" aid, meaning that they are distributed based on income, and are given on a first-come, first-served basis...proof positive that you should get your FAFSA in EARLY!!!)

Your first step is going to be to sign something called the Authorization to Use Federal Title IV Funds. My school (VCU) is a "direct lender" or "Title IV" school (meaning that we don't have to go through banks to distribute federal moneys (like grants and loans). By signing this form, you are telling the school that you give them permission to put your loan and grant funds toward your student bill. A copy of the form can be found here: http://www.vcu.edu/enroll/finaid/forms/AuthorizationForm.pdf

Your next step is going to be to deal with those loans. If you are starting your very first year of college, you have to sign something called a Master Promissory Note (MPN). This basically says that you promise the government you will repay your loans. You only need to sign this once (I promise!) Remember that PIN number you used on your FAFSA? You're going to use it again to sign your MPN. Just log on to this site: https://dlenote.ed.gov/empn/index.jsp There is a menu bar on the left (click on "Complete New MPN for Student Loans") and the site will walk you through the process.

Now, let's say, for the sake of argument, that you've received your tuition statement for the Fall semester and you owe about $8000. You're sitting pretty, right? You were awarded $12,500 in financial aid! Think again. You need to remember a few things about financial aid.
1). Your money is always cut in half (you get half in the Fall and half in the Spring.)
2). You can NEVER apply Federal Work-Study to your bill (I'll explain why in a sec), so the aid being applied to your tuition has now been cut down to $8000.
3). You need to figure in for books ($300-$500 per semester) and you should consider the one-time expense of a computer if it's your first semester of college.

By my calculations, you're going to be at least $4000 short on your tuition bill each semester. But don't lose hope, there are some alternate funding sources you can consider:
1). Parent PLUS loans: These are loans from the government that your parents take out. Because they are from the government, the interest rates are often lower than they would be through a bank. The loans ARE credit based, so this may not be a great option if your parents don't have good credit. The other thing to keep in mind is that your parents will have to start paying on the loans as soon as the second installment is disbursed (in the Spring semester). BUT, if your parents are denied for a Parent PLUS loan, you are eligible for additional Unsubsidized Loans (the difference between Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans? With Subsidized Loans, the government pays the interest while you are in school...with Unsubsidized Loans, the interest just accrues, adding to the total amount you will have to pay back).
2). Alternative Loans: Alternative loans are done through private lenders like Bank of America, Wachovia, or Suntrust. You (the student) take out the loan. These loans are also credit based and the interest rates are usually higher than federal interest rates. Because you are (generally) younger, you will likely not have built up enough of a credit history to take out these loans by yourself--meaning that your parents will have to co-sign on the loan. But the benefit here is that you do not start paying on these loans until 6 months after you graduate! You need to be very careful when looking for alternative loans. Don't get drawn into television ads for companies like Astrive or MyRichUncle.com. These companies charge exhorbitant interest rates (26-29%) and they are NOT worth the convenience!

All right, so now you've figured out how to pay for school, now you need some spending money. You got work-study, right? Well "work-study" means that you actually have to work to get that money. You are allotted a specific amount for the year, you can work until you earn that full amount. If you don't earn all of that by the end of the school year, the money goes back to the government. There are specific jobs on college campuses that are designated as "work-study" jobs. When you get to school, your best bet is to find out how your school advertises these work-study job listings (VCU posts them all on the MyVCU Portal to which all students have access). You have to apply for a job and get hired before you can start earning your work-study money.

And if you have questions about this stuff...ASK someone! Don't let fear or worry over money be the thing that keeps you from enjoying your college experience.