This document provides practical advice from professors and librarians to help students succeed academically in college. It offers tips on communication, such as using formal language in emails to professors. Students are encouraged to utilize library resources, ask for help from librarians who are trained to assist with research. Additional advice includes attending class, taking notes, and reading the syllabus carefully. Critical thinking is emphasized as an important skill to develop.

1. Pearls of Wisdom:
Practical Advice from Professors and Librarians for
Academic Success in College
Compiled by Buffy Hamilton
The Unquiet Library
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November 2012

2. Communication
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3. People using the wrong title (unfortunately professors vary tremendously in their
preferred mode of address, but “find out what people want to be called and call
them that" is a good general life lesson). When in doubt, use “Dr.” as your default
choice.
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4. Students using text-speak in emails and not recognizing that different
modes of speech are appropriate for different contexts, and that
professional email (which student/professor email is) requires more
formal discourse.
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5. Get a "professional" email address
(no "sweetthing245@gmail.com) for
dealing with faculty.
Treat emails to faculty like formal
correspondence; be respectful and
think before sending.
Do visit the professor during office
hours to seek for clarification or
discuss ideas about assignments (to
make sure you are on the right track.)
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6. Consider what you want your online
presence to look like when you meet
new friends in college:
what is your digital footprint?
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7. Learn to negotiate and advocate for yourself - as an adult/near-
adult, you need to stop letting your parents get between you
and your teachers/employers/etc. Far too many professors find
themselves getting e-mail from parents explaining why [name]
didn't get a good grade or do the homework! CC image from
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8. No one is born
knowing how to do
everything in college—
ask for help (librarians
are great for this!)
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9. Ask for help/clarification if you don't have a clue what your
assignment sheet says; FOLLOW directions (this one is
becoming painful).
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10. Librarians and Academic
Success
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11. Do not spend more than 30
minutes searching for
articles—
find your librarian
for help
(usually they
have an online
chat you
can use).
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12. Librarians are usually available in every discipline/subject area and
invite student contact; most have LibGuides or other pathfinders for
every subject area.
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13. Know that
librarians have
advanced
degrees in
information
seeking and
expertise in
research. Utilize
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14. Take a moment to be
considerate/see things
from someone else's
perspective --
requesting help is a
fantastic and much-
welcomed idea, but
requesting hours' worth
of help at midnight is
not.
Perspective Keep in mind that your
professors, librarians, etc.
and Time want to help you but also
have lots of other work to
Management do.
You need to do your own
legwork in advance if at
all possible, keep your
requests within reason,
and ask early enough that
it's actually possible for
people to help you.
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15. Let librarians help you understand the differences between
research databases and search engines and when it is
appropriate to use each.
Search
Database
Engine

16. Colleges hire librarians solely
to help students find the
information they need,
whether for an assignment or
personal curiosity. Librarians
love to help!
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17. Make friends with a librarian at your school your first
semester, and you're good for the next four years!
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18. Ask for
help.
Do not
suffer
in
silence!
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19. Take advantage of library
resources---human, print,
electronic—and utilize them.
Don’t be afraid to approach the
reference desk in the library—
you are not bothering anyone
and librarians want to help.
Visit the library f2f if you can
and/or explore the library
website if online.
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20. Do not write a DON'T wait Know and
paper and until the last schedule
then right minute before appointments
before it's due the library or visit during
begin closes to get the librarian’s
searching for help with an and/or
"source" to assignment. professor’s
add to it. office hours.
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21. Try to have 2-3 ideas for
research topics and librarians
can help you figure out which
ones have more resources
and will be more
researchable.
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22. A note for teachers in schools without a fully
certified school librarian: Many freshman
have little to no experience with
databases/finding scholarly articles
(especially in small and rural schools).
Perhaps a few classes on this, with examples
of school databases (if you have them, which
some don't have), public library databases
and college examples would be useful.
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23. Academics: Practical Advice
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24. Go to class--even if everyone else you
know is skipping.
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25. Read and reread their syllabus. Look for
answers to questions in the syllabus first.
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26. The ability to think
differently and to
write well is a most
important skill.
Consider taking a The knowledge that
course in Philosophy one learns more
to broaden and from his/her
deepen your mistakes than
thinking. successes.
Coursework
and Critical
Thinking

27. The days of reading and reporting are over. Add
your own voice and perspective. A well
founded and thoroughly thought out argument is
the goal, not another book report.
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28. You need to have an informed opinion and that requires reading. It is amazing how
many political science papers I get that are just based on someone's voice and
perspective. "Iran shouldn't have the bomb!" OK, why? "Because I believe it is so!"
Gugh.
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29. Think
Listen
Contribute
DO THESE OFTEN AND
REPEAT.

30. In college you should be ready to
probe an idea and not be as
concerned about the right answer.
There's rarely a single right
answer. You are free to take
ideas and connect them
in a way that no one
has ever done before!

31. Question, question, question--who is doing the
telling and why?
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32. Take your learning to the streets. Visit a museum, take a side
trip, check out an ethnic community different than yours.
It's not all in books!
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33. Before registering for classes, ask other students
Other Tips for Academic
who they think are the most engaging professors
and then try to get into those classes. Be
discriminating in shaping your education.
Success Don’t let one bad grade defeat you; do not give
up.
Don’t rely on one method of communication with
instructors/classmates.
Become familiar with the course delivery
platform (even when the class meets face to
face, there may be an online Learning
Management System).

34. Don't ask how long a
paper should be. If the
professor/instructor has
expectations, he/she will
share them. If you can
answer the question or
complete the assignment
cogently in a five page paper,
then do it.
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35. CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/aliedwards/2441663229/sizes/o/

36. Thank You To These Academic Librarians and
Educators for Their Contributions To This Document
• Andromeda Yelton
• Amanda Clay Powers
• R. David Lankes
• Max Macias
• Andrea Gillespie Stanfield
• Paula Barnett-Ellis
• Lynda Kellam
• Kathryn Venditti
• Carolyn Foote
• Peter Coyl
• Laura Pearle
• Patricia Buermann-Post
• Alison Miller
• Russell Palmer
• Courtney Young
• Andrew Shuping
• Alicia Tapia
• Jeff Brackett
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