J. Kelly Robison
Academic success generally depends on three factors: organizing your time, reading, and attendance. In history, as in most other disciplines, learning is your responsibility, and what you read and how you read largely determines what you learn. Instructors may help you organize your newly acquired knowledge and may stimulate your interests or guide you to new fields of learning. In the end, however, the job of learning is yours and yours alone. It is a difficult job, made more difficult if you arrive on campus with a mediocre high school education, ineffective study habits, poor learning skills, or worse, a lack of commitment to intellectual life. Remember that the life of the mind, however difficult and tedious at times, provides much pleasure once you have mastered certain basic skills and that this form of pleasure, unlike some others, accumulates over your lifetime.
The primary cause of failure in any course is the failure to complete all assignments, take all exams, or complete all parts of each exam. Among the secondary causes are the failure to study seriously, the lack of study skills, or the inability to communicate what has been learned. Take note and act accordingly. If you have specific problems with the course, consult the professor during office hours.
Study Skills - Time Management