Understanding academic expectations in college - Understanding expectations: APA and discourse communities - Conforming to standards: APA and the academic environment

APA style and citations for dummies - Joe Giampalmi 2021

Understanding academic expectations in college
Understanding expectations: APA and discourse communities
Conforming to standards: APA and the academic environment

IN THIS CHAPTER

Moving up to higher expectations

Capitalizing on failures

Walking the walk by talking the talk

Walking the walk and receiving your degree

“You have to work your butt off to earn a B,” complained a former student on one of my course evaluations, while expecting an A. Did the student expect to earn a B without working hard? When teachers expect more, students achieve more. Earning an A requires more work than earning a B.

When your professors establish high expectations and provide the tools to achieve them, thank them rather than complain about them. My fear as a professor is that I’ll expect too little from my students, and they’ll achieve it.

College expectations require higher effort than high school expectations. That’s why it’s called higher education. The demands of high expectations justify the value of the college degree and may explain why only approximately one-third of American adults have earned a college degree.

The history of higher education excellence

In 1636, Harvard was established as the first research university in the United States. It was soon followed by seven other private research universities in the Northeast: Princeton, Columbia, Yale, Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Brown, and Cornell. Known as The Ancient Eight and eventually Ivy League schools, they represent academic excellence and rank among the most prestigious universities in the world.

College success also depends on understanding the language of each academic discipline, referred to as the discourse. Familiarizing yourself with APA, another discourse, also requires getting to know the language of the learning community. Not studying a discourse language is like travelling in a foreign country alone and not speaking the language. Studying the language, the discourse, is like living at home and speaking the native language.

In this chapter, I identify academic expectations of college classes, explain the advantages of failure, and explore the importance of discourse communities in the academic setting. It’s time to shift your brain into academic mode and satisfy some of your curiosity.

More than likely, you’re a first-year college student required to write a paper using APA style and citations. You’re encountering the academic expectations that I describe in the following sections. If you’re a high school student, this information will give you a preview of the college expectations in your future.

Understanding academic expectations in college

Your high school teachers told you what to expect in college compared with high school: more papers to write, more books to read, longer study hours to prepare for more challenging tests, and shorter semesters to complete everything. As you’ve learned in your short time in college, your high school teachers were wrong — college expectations are much more challenging than what they described.

As an entry-level college student, you’re adjusting to college life and the academic rigor and expectations of the college classroom. Your first-year writing courses that include APA style and citations represent prerequisite skills that prepare you for your sophomore year and beyond.

Your college success depends on understanding your academic goals (your wants) and your professors’ expectations (your needs), which differ from your high school teachers’ expectations. The next two sections offer a closer examination of those wants and needs.

Figuring out what you want to achieve in college

Looking at the big picture, your degree is just one of your college goals. Expectations of your college experience also include the following:

· Discovering your passion for a major field of interest

· Completing field experiences in your area of study

· Building a network of professional resources

· Earning an entry-level career opportunity

You achieved expert status as a high school student. As a senior you capitalized on the sympathies of teachers, earned almost all A’s, manipulated excused class absences, and justified early dismissals. Your last few months of high school lacked much academic rigor because you had earned your college acceptance. That part of your academic life is over and carries as much value in college as a permanent high school hall pass. You’ll never again sit in an assigned classroom seat.

In high school, most of your learning took place during classes. In college, your most extensive learning takes place outside of classes. Your college professors expect higher levels of reading, writing, thinking, and responding in class.

Your professors aren’t impressed with your academic awards, student-of-the-month recognitions, endless list of activities, or even your high school grades. They’re focused on “Show me the knowledge.” Table 3-1 shows the differences between your high school teachers and your college professors.

TABLE 3-1 Differentiating between high school teachers and college professors

High School Teachers

College Professors

Almost always available

Available during office hours

More approachable

Less approachable

Offer daily verbal reminders

List reminders once in syllabus

Hold students minimally accountable for outside readings

Hold students fully accountability for outside readings

Accept responsibility for cultivating student-teacher relationship

Expect students to accept responsibility for cultivating student-teacher relationship

Offer extra credit for poor or late assignments

Offer no extra credit; accept assignment only on due date

College life abounds with exaggerated stories and unproven beliefs. Here are a few myths and realities about college life.

· Myth: First-year students gain an average of 15 pounds.

· Reality: Research showed that one-fourth of freshmen lose weight and that only 10 percent gain 15 pounds or more. Another study showed that students’ body mass index (BMI) remains constant from freshman year to graduation.

· Myth: Liberal arts degrees lack value in the workplace.

· Reality: A recent study of business executives endorsed the value of a well-rounded education in the arts. More than 90 percent of executives described liberal arts graduates as “very well qualified” for career opportunities.

· Myth: Most college students earn their degrees in four years.

· Reality: More than half of college students earn their degrees in five or six years.

· Myth: College students don’t get homesick because they’re having too much fun.

· Reality: Homesickness is part of college’s normal adjustment. You lived at home for many more years than you will have lived at college. Being homesick occurs during alone time, but you will adjust as you get involved in college life. You’ll learn to enjoy college life, while you continue to appreciate the value of your homelife.

Fulfilling your professors’ expectations: your needs

Your high school teachers specialize in their subject matter and generalize in supporting you as an adult-in-training. Your brain, especially the emotional-responsibility part, requires at least another year or two to fully develop. For example, you may have committed the ultimate high school crime of academic students like you — cutting a day of school. But because you lack the skills of a frequent offender, you probably got caught.

Your college professors specialize in content with the expectation that you appreciate learning. They grade you on test performance of content — no personality points. To fulfill professors’ expectations, achieve your academic goals, and meet the demands of academic life, you’re expected to achieve the following:

Engage in class

The following tips can help you be an engaging student:

· Attend every class. You don’t grow up until you show up.

· Arrive a few minutes early and sit near the front, ready to learn and prepared with readings and assignments completed.

· Dress academically and listen attentively.

· Contribute to class discussions and ask timely questions.

· Make class meaningful by refining notes within 24 hours and connecting ideas to previous content, course readings, and other courses.

Rely on yourself

Part of growing up and adjusting to college includes relying on yourself to figure things out. Do the following to be more self-reliant:

· Ask questions. Faculty and staff choose their careers to help people like you. They are accustomed to seeing new students looking confused.

· Make time to explore your campus to discover what’s available.

· Familiarize yourself with your school’s web page and learning platform. Your school also has a technology center willing to help you with computer problems.

· Prepare yourself to be a resource for other students.

· Rely on self-motivation in the following ways:

· Post signs in your work area, reminding yourself of your short- and long-term goals.

· Post signs in your study area and write inspirational notes to yourself in your textbooks.

The art of asking questions

Your best source of course information comes from answers to questions you ask your professors — before, during, and after class, and during office hours. Ask your questions strategically and in a timely manner. Questions that can be answered quickly before and after class, and by email, include the following:

· “May I use your name for a reference?”

· “Is this an example of the type of artifact you suggest for the project?”

· “May I leave class a few minutes early for a job interview?”

During class, ask questions directly related to topics being discussed. If you consider prefacing a question with, “This is a little off topic, but…,” don’t ask the question at that time. Avoid prefacing questions with, “You’re confusing me…” or “I’m confused…” Prefer language such as, “Could you clarify…” or “Could you further explain…” Also avoid asking questions such as, “Can you tell me everything that’s due and when it’s due?” You have the syllabus to answer that question, but you can also talk with the people at your academic success center about understanding syllabi.

For questions related to your grade, reviewing a paragraph or a project, and a questionable citation, visit your professor during office hours. And if you’re questioning a grade, which you have the right to do, your tone says more than your words.

Finally, avoid asking logistical questions answered in the syllabus such as, “What time are office hours?” or “What’s your email address?” You’re telling your professor you haven’t read the syllabus.

· Absorb the academic energy of campus life that surrounds you — the mass of students migrating between classes to new learning opportunities, impromptu groups discussing classes, students in the dining hall studying while eating, and students reading in creative spaces. Immerse yourself in that community.

Study the syllabus

Your syllabus represents an almost legal document that binds you and your professor to completing course requirements. It lists all important course topics such as required books and materials, assignments and due dates, grading procedure, and office hours. It contains links to university policies regarding attendance, plagiarism, and class conduct, as well as to support resources. It contains your professor’s contact information, such as email, telephone, and office location.

Use the syllabus to identify the exact spelling of your professor’s name and the official course name and number. If the syllabus information requires updating, your professor will usually send you written notification.

If you don’t understand syllabus language, which is a unique writing genre, visit your academic success center and the staff will review your syllabus with you.

Utilize class resources

Don’t underestimate the resources that are immediately available to you: the syllabus (see the previous section), your professor, your learning platform, your own resourcefulness, and your classmates.

The following tips explain how you can use these resources to your advantage:

· Refer to class examples and models whenever your professor provides them. They show your professor’s expectations and represent A-work; otherwise, your professor wouldn’t model them.

· Search learning platforms for handouts your professor may not have identified in class.

· Discuss ideas with your classmates. Ask them for their perspectives on class content.

Utilize office hours

Meeting with professors during office hours is as popular with college students as losing room keys is among first-year students. Professors choose their career to educate students, not to accumulate wealth. They’re required to allocate approximately two walk-in office hours weekly for student availability. Use the opportunity. Walk in, introduce yourself, and ask your question. Your visit reinforces your commitment to your academics and your initiative to learn.

Utilize university resources

You’re surrounded with resources to help you navigate requirements; these support services are included with your tuition. Resources are linked on your school’s webpage, and many are included on your syllabus.

Most campuses provide services such as a writing center, academic success center, student tutoring services, advising center, campus safety facility, health and wellness center, psychological services, and fitness center.

If you have a support need as a college student, most campuses have a service to help you, or they can direct you to the help you need.

Cultivate relationships

At the college level, you accept responsibility for cultivating relationships with faculty, staff, and peers. Your professors teach about 80 students and meet with them about twice a week. You’re taking classes with four or five professors. The math requires you to take the initiative.

Your professors learn your academic identity when you respond in class with perceptive comments, submit exceptional assignments, and ask thoughtful questions. Unfortunately, they’ll also learn your identity when you fall short of expectations, miss class, or neglect assignments. When professors call you by name in class, you know you created an impression.

Cultivate relationships on campus by smiling and being prepared to offer a friendly “Hi.” When in a group of students, initiate conversation with a “Hi, where’re you from?” Researchers have identified “Where’re you from?” as the best conversation starter because everyone is from somewhere.

Communicate

Communicate course issues with your professors before you miss a class or assignment. Email them when you’ll miss class, arrive late, miss an assignment deadline, or experience a family emergency. Your email shows your concern for missing class. Don’t ask if you missed anything and if class included anything important.

Partner with another student to take notes when either of you misses class.

When life circumstances result in you missing a deadline, communicate with your professor as soon as possible prior to the deadline. As much as professors like to say, “No late assignments are accepted,” they’re human and bend rules based on student circumstances.

Exercise

If you’re self-motivated to work out, you understand the benefits of exercise and recognize the advantages of having fitness facilities on campus. College students need exercise to reduce stress and stimulate brain cells. Exercise also boosts energy and reduces health risks.

If you’re not the gym-type, walking can achieve similar benefits. Walk regularly for about an hour at a pace of 15 to 20 minutes per mile.

If you’re beginning a new exercise program, check with your healthcare provider.