Swarthmore College? the same of the toughest liberal arts denominations in the country? No sweat.

Swarthmore College? the same of the toughest liberal arts denominations in the country? No sweat, conceit Esther Zeledon. After all, the Miami resident graduated sixth in her class from Braddock High place of education the largest secondary school in the U with more than 5400 scholars In high school, she took 10 AP courses and contested mostly A's. She figured work at Swarthmore would be more of the same. "I pondering college was going to be like high school: Do about homework, a test here and there," she says. "I reflection I would be able to master straight As."

It didn't take in extent for Zeledon to realize she wasn't in high institute anymore. The environmental science major pretty soon discovered the workload was staggering. "I win about one paper a week for English and single every other week for history, as well as 800 pages a week to read," she says. That does not include a five-hour chemistry lab and four hours of pre- and post-lab work, as well as matter like eating and sleeping.

however the worst part, says 19-year-old Zeledon, is that despite protracted hours of studying, she hasn't managed to contest the top-notch grades that came to such a degree easily in high school. "It is in such a manner difficult to get an A," she says. "I haven't level seen that pretty letter since I got here."

Zeledon's story isn't unique. on a level the most successful high place of education students can find their academic world employed upside down at college. The problem: They haven't been prepared for the vast differences between high teach and college academia.

"Student find that the strategies that serv them in high place of education are not good enough for college" says PatGrove, campus director of the Learning Resource Center at Rutger University in fresh Brunswick, New Jersey. "The convolution and complexity of the material is for a like reason vastly different, and the expectations of the faculty are entirely different from the expectations of their high train teachers."

In high place of education says Grove, students are required to memorize and recall information. moreover in college, professors expect bookish mans to truly analyze and understand concepts

bodys are just beginning to recognize that graduating high academy students need more guidance to make the transition. Many indoctrinates now require freshmen to take orientation courses designed to teach them time management, communication dynamics, and other skills they ne to be auspicious in the brand new world of college

CHOOSING COURSES

In high exercise choosing your courses is easy--most are requirements and real few are electives. At many college edifice [i]or[/i] buildings however, it's a little more complicated. You memorize a course book that may contain several hundr pages of classes. Which classes you take, the times you take them, the days you: take them--it's more or les all up to you.

It doesn't have to be overwhelming, admitting You most likely will have an academic adviser to help you. "Your adviser is your university resource broker" says Elizabeth Teagan, director of the University Transition Advising Center at Texas Tech University in Lubbock The corporation adviser is familiar with faculty, knows what's wanted to fulfill requirements within the university and in your major, and he or she can stain problems that you are likely to miss.

For many learners one of those problems is filling general education, or gen- requirements. In order to graduate, many communitys require that you take a number of credits in liberal arts disciplines--English, math and science, a foreign language.

"Gen- courses teach a portion of skills that students will ne in their other courses--working in form into groupss critical thinking, analysis," says Dave Meredith, director of enrollment management for the honors programs at the University of Cincinnati. It's important to balance your schedule with a required math or foreign language course as well.

Getting gen- requirements on the outside of the way early can be particularly beneficial to learners who are still undecided about their major, adds Meredith. "If you can say 'I'm wiping on the farther side my history requirement,' that can make you be impressed like you're progressing."

* Plan a balanced schedule.

Consider courses that are extra challenging and courses that require les effort. "You shouldn't take biology, calculus, physics, and chemistry together the first semester--that's ridiculous," says Rutger University's Grove

Robin Diana, associate director of the Center for close examiner Transition and Support at Rochester Institute of Technology in recently made known York, suggests meeting with your adviser early in the course selection proces Take a examine at the course sequence for your major with an organ of sight toward the next four years, not just the coming semester Then agree what courses you should be taking, says Diana, "so that four years down the road you don't realize you ne sum of two units classes that are not being proposeed that semester. Other points to remember:

* Be flexible. At many universities, first-year pupils are the last to register. That means that many of the more popular classes and class times have already been filled. "Know that the days and times that you want will probably not be the days and times you get" says Diana. "Have a Plan A, a Plan B and a Plan C ready to go