Improving Learning

Get helpful tips and expert advice on boosting your GPA. This section will provide valuable tips on studying, mentor programs and how to avoid academic probation. Examine the latest trends in student motivation techniques, take a good look at online learning, and find resources to guide you on the path to success.

View the most popular articles in Improving Learning:

Mentoring at Community College: Helping Students Succeed

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Mentoring at Community College: Helping Students Succeed
Learn about mentoring programs at community colleges around the country and the benefits they offer to students.

Community college can be a challenging prospect for new students, whether they are coming right out of high school or after being in the workforce for a number of years. To make the transition smoother, a number of community colleges across the country have established mentoring programs connecting new students with those who already know the ropes. In the past several academic years, more of these programs have been introduced, thanks to grant money and willing mentor participants. We’ll take a look at why mentoring can be a valuable tool in the community college environment and how some schools are using the concept for the benefit of new students.

What is Mentoring?

Mentoring programs work by pairing newcomers with older, more experienced students. Mentors may provide a number of valuable functions, including helping new students with their schedules, providing campus tours and offering information about resources and facilities available on campus. In some cases, mentors might also be faculty members dedicated to helping new students succeed by easing them through the transition between high school or the workforce and a college environment. These programs can be a powerful tool to student success when they are correctly implemented.

For students that need special help when they get to community college, a mentor program can truly be a lifesaver. The mentors that work in these organizations may point new students to the resources and additional assistance they need, whether it is academic, financial or of another

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Why You Should Strive To Be On The Dean's List

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Why You Should Strive To Be On The Dean's List
Making the dean’s list at your community college may earn you scholarships, recognition, and improved job prospects. Learn about effective strategies that can help get you onto the dean’s list.

Nearly every community college and university across the country includes a Dean's List, a roster of students who have performed particularly well during the previous semester or school year. The Dean's List has traditionally been a prestigious honor for which to strive during your years of higher education because it demonstrates a commitment to academic excellence and the ability to rise to the workload, however heavy it might become. Whether you are just entering the hallowed halls of academia or are currently working through your degree program, we have a list of reasons to strive for the dean's list and tips to help you get there.

What is the Dean's List?

According to Wikipedia, the Dean's List is "a category of students in a college or university who achieve high grades during their stay in an academic term or academic year." The term is primarily used in North America, but some European institutions also offer a Dean's List.

Requirements for making the Dean's List vary from institution to institution, but most mandate a specific number of course hours to be taken and a set GPA to be maintained during the term or school year. It is important to inquire with the advisement center or your academic counselor regarding the specific requirements for the Dean's List at your college.

This video offers six tips for getting on and staying on the Dean's List.

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How Your Smartphone Can Help You Earn Better Grades at Community College

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How Your Smartphone Can Help You Earn Better Grades at Community College
Your iPod can stream so much more than simply music! Learn about how you can view your community college lectures on your smartphone, using this small piece of technology to improve your grades and academic experience.

Your smartphone can be a powerful tool to help you earn better grades at community college in several ways:

  1. Time Management: You can use your smartphone to stay organized and manage your time more effectively. There are several apps available that can help you track your schedule, assignments, and deadlines, and set reminders for important tasks.

  2. Note-Taking: Your smartphone can also be a great tool for taking notes in class. Many apps allow you to take handwritten or typed notes, record audio, and even add photos or diagrams to your notes.

  3. Study Resources: There are a variety of educational apps that can help you study more effectively. These can include flashcard apps, quiz apps, and study guides that cover a wide range of subjects.

  4. Research: Your smartphone can also be a great tool for conducting research. You can use search engines and academic databases to find articles, journals, and other resources that can help you with your assignments.

  5. Collaboration: Your smartphone can also help you collaborate with classmates and study groups. You can use messaging apps or video conferencing apps to communicate with classmates, share notes and study materials, and even collaborate on group projects.

Overall, your smartphone can be a powerful tool to help you stay organized, study effectively, and collaborate with others, all of which can help you earn better grades at community college.

Source: ChatGPT

Smartphones in Community Colleges

Community college students often work in addition

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The Benefits of Community College Minority Mentoring Programs

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The Benefits of Community College Minority Mentoring Programs
Learn about how minority mentorship programs at community colleges are improving academic performance and graduation rates, as well as providing a medley of benefits.

While all mentoring programs help improve student performance and graduation rates, some community colleges are finding that minority mentorship programs are even more beneficial. Colleges across the country are celebrating the outstanding results achieved through the collaborative efforts of on-campus minority mentoring programs. As the Education Resources Services Center articulates, “Mentoring is a process that can increase the retention of minority students, with larger numbers graduated and hired for faculty positions.”

To discover the benefits of minority mentoring opportunities, consider what some of the top-performing organizations have been able to achieve with their local community college support.

In their paper, Institutionalizing Mentoring in Community Colleges, Dr. Robin Phelps-Ward and Dr. Amanda O. Latz make the point that "Opportunities for institutionalized mentoring in community colleges have the potential to manifest in the promotion and tenure process, faculty development seminars, student recruitment and admissions procedures, and throughout curriculum development. However, colleges must make a concerted effort to weave and explicitly communicate mentoring as a value through mission and vision statements, strategic goals and outcomes, and even course objectives."

This video reports on the minority mentoring initiative at Montgomery County Community College.

Examining the College Student Spectrum

According to the Community College Review-Journal, diversity among community college student populations is constantly shifting. In fact, recent US Census Bureau reports show that 42.3 percent of African Americans enrolled in college programs

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Should You Declare Academic Bankruptcy?

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Should You Declare Academic Bankruptcy?
Learn about academic bankruptcy, its benefits and disadvantages, and whether this option is right for your GPA and financial aid eligibility.

Americans that have made bad financial decisions can begin the process of fixing their poor financial history by declaring bankruptcy. However, for community college students, did you know that a similar process exists for bad grades? A semester riddled with poor grades can be wiped clean with an academic bankruptcy. While an academic bankruptcy will not magically disappear from your records in seven years as a financial bankruptcy does, there are many advantages to undergoing the process. However, there are also some definite negatives to making this decision.

Pros of Academic Bankruptcy

Although academic bankruptcy may sound like a novel term, it may help you raise your community college GPA. When you declare academic bankruptcy, you essentially erase the grades of one entire semester or quarter. If you’ve gotten good grades during your first two semesters in community college, then had one bad semester due to medical, family, or other issues, that one bad semester can completely ruin your GPA. By declaring that one semester bankrupt, the grades that you received will not be calculated as part of your overall GPA. This can be a good strategy for you to repair and boost your cumulative GPA.

If you have lost your financial aid eligibility because of a cumulative GPA that does not meet the minimum requirements, then declaring academic bankruptcy may help you regain your financial aid more expeditiously. However, because policies vary from college to college, you should discuss

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