An Eye on Completion

I've been haunted by that Einstein ring image from my last posting. It's scary to me--like a giant eye somewhere out in the cosmos, watching me as I go through my day. Frankly, it makes the CBS eye look like small potatoes.
Right now, with classes starting at various schools around the country, and at JCCC this Wednesday, the eye could well be peering at you. If it helps, imagine that it's the eye of Chuck Norris. As I recall, the theme song from Walker, Texas Ranger includes the words, "the eyes of the ranger are upon you."
So what is Chuck looking for? It's not whether you'll be voting for Mike Huckabee. That's your business altogether. No, what Chuck's watching is how you fare in this new semester. Every new semester brings with it a bundle of potential and possibility. Hope rises again, like dandelions in my front yard. Everybody intends to earn a 4.0 when the new semester begins. It's only as the semester burns in that those hopes wither away, like the bluegrass in my front yard.
You might ask why those hopes fade for many students. Go ahead, ask.
Various studies, like this one, demonstrate that in recent years, students have been taking longer to complete college degrees and the number who are taking forever--that is, not finishing at all--is rising. We're not talking horrific, scary increases, but it is true that over half of the people who start college, aiming to get a four-year degree, don't have that degree in hand after six years.
Why? That's a question for a different posting, but I'd like to think about you and your success this semester. Over the years, I have noticed several factors that get in the way of student success. Allow me to share my list with you. I'll probably go into more depth on them at a later time.
Students who perform poorly tend to:
Miss a lot of class. This is kind of a no-brainer, but it's true. If you're a sporadic attendee, even if you get all the assignments done, you'll probably lose a letter grade just because you don't pick up important stuff along the way.
Ignore the directions. Good teachers--this one included--take care to give clear directions. Failing to pay attention to those directions won't win you any popularity points.
Rush their assignments. Is it the same thing to spend 6 hours on a paper the night before it's due or to spend 1 hour on each of 6 days? No! Students who cram, do worse than those who spread their work out.
Don't get to know the professor. It's much easier for me to fail a student who is just a name on the grade list. I agonize over the students I know. Get to know the teacher!
Don't get to know other students. It's amazing to me how often students don't know anybody else in their class. You don't have to know everybody. I've seen some of those people in your class, and I wouldn't get to know them if they weren't paying me. But get to know at least a few people. Study with them; talk with them. It'll pay off.
Perhaps these hints will translate into a bit more success this year. By the way, when Chuck Norris took my fiction class, he never missed a point on any of the quizzes. Any time he didn't know the answer, he made the story change to fit his answer.