College Textbook Blog

Now that you have graduated from high school and are preparing for your first year of college dorm life, you probably have a lot of questions and concerns. You may be facing the first time you’ve ever shared a room with someone to whom you’re not related. What if you don’t get along?

For many, this will be an entirely new experience. Chances are that most other freshman in the dorms will have the same fears and concerns. Take time before school starts to prepare yourself. You can begin by reading articles and talking with others about what to expect and how to handle college dorm life.

It’s natural for some homesickness since you will be in a new environment. You may like that there are no more curfews, no constant reminders to do your homework, no questions about where you’re going, or who you’re going to be with. But you’re on your own for what might be the first time in your life. Who’s cooking your meals, making sure your homework gets done and you get up for class on time, or washing your clothes? The freedom with college life can be both a blessing and a curse.

During the college transition, many students find that the biggest hurdle they face is homesickness. Finding an inexpensive way to keep in touch with family and friends can be a great way to smooth the transition into college dorm life. Use your Internet connections in the dorms, e-mail and instant messaging are two ways you can check in with people at home. In addition, to save on long distance phone bills, use your cell phone or look into available VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services.

Sharing your experiences with people from home can help dismiss feelings of isolation and loneliness. You may actually learn that you’re not missing much. However, if feelings of homesickness and sadness persist as a result of college dorm life, make sure you talk to someone about them. A good place to start with is your dorm’s resident advisor.

Are you looking to save money and purchase cheap textbooks this term? It’s conceivable to acquire cheap schoolbooks for college, you just need to know where to look. This article will encompass the best internet resource to get really cheap textbooks.

For many college students, “cheap textbooks” are inconsistent terms. Coming up with low cost textbooks for college seems to be an unworkable task these days. First of all, when you want to think about the textbooks, there are often offline stores that will give you plenty of options but the best place is online.

There are many ways that you can find that book you need. Something that you want to consider no matter what year you are in school or what type of textbooks you need is: Do I rent or buy the books? Renting can be from the library, or searching Book Deal Finder will provide sites that rent, the lowest-hassle option for cheap textbooks online, and often the best deal available.

To get cheap textbooks, you can always try to old way of going to the off-campus book store and buying used textbooks, but the result may be suspect, writing in the book, highlighted words, pages missing, and will it be the correct version?

Get started finding cheap textbooks for college, just search “book deal finder” to start saving money today. Getting very cheap textbooks isn’t rocket science, you can use BookDealFinder.com, type in the textbooks you need, and choose from the many book seller as they show you the price and shipping arrangements. When you are looking to buy that cheap textbook, make sure that you order the correct book, version & volume.

This is great news for students who want to buy their textbooks, cheap. It is the student’s number one marketplace to buy. You can try to find your books from 20-30 different web sites, but Book Deal Finder does that for you, and presents you the many options. So, now that you have found the source for cheap textbooks, be the cool friend and share BookDealFinder.com with everyone.

Petition - A petition is both the process and the form a student fills out to request consideration of special circumstances. For example, if a student is denied admission, they may petition for admission based on extenuating circumstances.

Prerequisite Courses - A prerequisite course is a course taken in preparation for another course. For example, Accounting 1 is a prerequisite for Accounting 2.

Syllabus - An outline of the important information about a course. Written by the professor or instructor, it usually includes important dates, assignments, expectations and policies specific to that course.

Transcript - The transcript is a permanent academic record of a student at college. It may show courses taken, grades received, academic status and honors received.

Tutors - A tutor is a person, generally another student, who has completed or demonstrated proficiency in a course or subject, and is able to provide instruction to another student. Tutors help students better understand course material and get better grades.

Undergraduate- An undergraduate is a student who is pursuing either a one-, two-, or four-year degree.

Withdrawal - Students may withdraw from courses during a semester, but there are established procedures for doing so. The college catalog generally specifies the procedures. Written approval from a university official is required.

If we missed any terms, please let us know and we will add them!

Fraternities/Sororities (aka- Greek System) - Fraternities (for men) and sororities (for women) are social organizations that are active in various activities. Through a process of mutual selection, called Rush (which takes place during a specified period of time), students may be offered the opportunity to “pledge” a certain fraternity of sorority. Not all colleges have these organizations.

Lab Classes - Laboratory classes require students to perform certain functions in controlled situations that help them test and understand what is being taught in the lecture.

Letter Grades & Grade Point Averages (GPA) - Most colleges use both letter grades and GPAs in determining students’ grades. Grades at most colleges are figured using the following method: A’s are worth 4 points B’s are worth 3 points C’s are worth 2 points D’s are worth 1 point F’s are worth 0 points. Some colleges also use the +/- system to allow more definition between letter grades. To figure a GPA, simply multiply the number of hours a course is worth by the number of points for the letter grade, then add up the totals for each course and divide by the number of credit hours. The result is the grade point average.

Major & Minor - A major is a student’s chosen field of study. It usually requires the successful completion of a specified number of credit hours. A minor is designated as a specific number of credit hours in a secondary field of study.

Non-Credit Courses - These are courses that do not meet the requirements for a certificate of a degree at a given institution. Non-credit courses may serve several purposes like exploring new fields of study, increasing proficiency in a particular subject, or enriching life experiences through specific studies.

Pass or Fail Courses - Pass or fail courses do not earn letter grades or grade points for students. If a student passes a pass or fail course, they receive a “P” (pass) or “S” (satisfactory) on the transcript and the credit hours. If the student does not pass the course, they will receive an “F” (fail) or a “U” (unsatisfactory) on the transcript and no credit hours. The evaluation for the pass/fail course is not figured into the student’s GPA.

CLEP - The College Level Examination Program can be administered to students who want to obtain college credit by taking proficiency tests in selected courses. If the student scores high enough on the test, college credit can be awarded.

College - A college is an institution of higher education that grants degrees and certificates. Often times, there are many colleges that make up a university.

Credit Hours - Courses taken in college are measured in terms of credit hours. To earn one credit hour, a student usually attends a class for one classroom hour per week. Classes are offered in 1 - 5 credit hour increments, and sometimes larger amounts.

Curriculum - A curriculum is composed of those classes prescribed or outlined by an institution for completion of a program of study leading to a degree or certificate.

Enrollment - This is the procedure by which students choose classes each semester. It also includes the assessment and collection of fees. Pre-enrollment is the method by which students select courses well in advance of the official enrollment date of the next term.

Faculty - The faculty is composed of all persons who teach classes or perform research for colleges or universities.

FAFSA -Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The almost universal application for financial aid, including loans, grants, college work-study and other federal and state programs. It is often required before a student can be considered for scholarships as well.

Finals - Exams are given during the last week of classes each quarter or semester. Final exams are given on specified dates that are usually different than the regular class time.

Financial Aid - Aid is made available from grants, scholarships, loans, and part-time employment from federal, state, institutional, and private sources. Awards from these programs may be combined in an “award package” to meet the cost of education. The types and amounts of aid awarded are determined by financial need, available funds, student classification, academic performance, and sometimes the timeliness of application.

The college vocabulary will be very different for you since there will be students from all over the world. We cannot help you the individual dialects, slang, terms or meanings but we might be able to assist with college terms that should be standard and consistent.

Adviser or Counselor - This person will help you select the correct courses, review the course requirements in the field you have selected, and help you with any academic problems you may encounter.

Academic Probation - All colleges require students to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) to remain in school. Any student not maintaining this minimum grade will be placed on probation for a quarter or semester.

Academic Suspension - A student on Academic Probation may be placed on Academic Suspension if he or she fails to maintain the minimum cumulative GPA required. If placed on suspension, he or she will be dismissed from the college for a specified time period.

Associate Degree - The Associate Degree is granted upon completion of a program of at least two years. The Associate Degree requires completion of minimum credit hours and minimum grade point average (GPA) designated by the school.

Audit Class - A student who does not want to receive credit in a course may, with approval of the instructor, audit the course as a visitor to learn if it is interesting.

Bachelor’s Degree - This is the undergraduate degree offered by four-year colleges and universities. The Bachelor of Arts degree requires that a portion of the studies be dedicated to the arts - literature, language, music, etc. The Bachelor of Science degree requires that a portion of the studies be in the sciences - chemistry, biology, math, etc. The minimum credit hour requirement is 120 hours for most schools.

As we stated before, where to go for help and what resources are available are fairly consistent on each campus. The primary resource is the counselor office. Usually students have a counselor assigned to them. After that, they can develop course advisement, degree planning, and identify and address barriers to academic success.

Student’s interaction with the counselor should be one-on-one discussions of the student’s current strategies and developing new strategies.  It could be signing the student up for an upcoming workshop or tutoring session.  It could be specific “school” counseling, like business school or medical school or just career investigation.

It seems that most issues stem from math or English and there are usually many math and writing centers as they are most common resources made. Other resources include tutoring programs, supplemental instruction, workshops on note-taking, test-taking, time or stress management, and many specific studying in groups.

Some of the successful strategies to help students are:

• Begin with the freshman orientation session.
• Seek help at the first sign of trouble and before you fail or need to drop the class.
• Use all study groups & workshops.
• Develop a career strategy so you do not become undecided.
• Not having a major or having the wrong one may contribute to problems.
• Talk to your professors & get to know them because they will help you.
• Get advice from your professors or teacher assistants regarding what is wanted, and how to convey it.
• The professors may also give suggestions as to how and what to study.
• Take a course in one of your weak areas during the summer semester.
• Consider going to a community college to get your direction as it has less demands and fewer students so you get more direct teaching at a lower cost.

Even though most student have an idea of what they’re doing wrong, they may not know how to fix it, but they do know what they should and should not be doing.  Counselors and other professionals who work with college students can help identify and direct students to successful solutions.

One thing that students need to realize is that one test, one midterm grade, the grade in one class, or a semester’s grades do not make or break a college career.  Courses can be re-taken, majors changed, new skills learned, and most important, you learn what your career goals are to become.

Some students do very well with grades in high school, but struggle when they get to college.  What they need are resources to help in these situations and how to seek assistance.

Many have difficulty with the transition from high school to college.  For some students, figuring out how to fix the issues takes a lot longer than for others.  When the difficulties occur they normally fall into two major categories;  first the student has not learned how to study, and secondly they don’t seem to get the subject matter. So what happens?

1. Students become overwhelmed & get behind in a class.
2. Have trouble understanding what the professor wants or expects
3. Stress or anxiety over testing and not understanding why the questions were not covered in class.
4. Lack of focus for studying or not knowing how to study in college
5. Choosing to do other things over studying like partying.
6. Choosing not to do the home work.

Understanding each of these areas can be addressed using college resources that are available on campuses, and using mind mapping strategies for organizing. However, the solutions lie with the student and how they react to the issues.  They must recognize and accept that there is an issue, and then seek to fix it.

Where to go for help and what resources are available are fairly consistent on each campus.  The primary resource is the counselor office. They should speak with the counselor assigned to them and figure out how to get back on track. After that, they can develop course advisement and degree planning, and identify and address barriers to academic success.

Before you decide what to take to college, if you live alone it will be easy to decide, however if you will have a roommate, you need to call them and decide what each of you will bring. There’s nothing worse than having two stereos and no refrigerators.

Here is a partial list of things that come in handy and hopefully you have thought of all but if not, we are happy to help.

Supplies - laundry bag or basket, laundry soap, personal toiletries, bath linens, stain remover, sewing kit, eating utensils, cups and plates, bedding & blankets, backpack, bike and lock, first aid kit, shower bag & flip flops.

Clothes to march the weather – raincoat, boots, swimsuit, shorts, workout clothes, sportswear from your new college, “dress” clothes, blazer , few ties, “helper” clothes to clean up yard or paint the siding, seasonal clothes for weather changes.

Comfort items are most important to keep you focused & feel at home – favorite snacks, room decorations like posters, stuffed animals, family photos, computer games, your worn-in sports equipment, schedule trips home and place them on your calendar.

Electronics to help pass the time - television, stereo, DVD player, microwave, mini-fridge, cell phone, digital camera, I-Pod or MP3 player, computer and peripherals, power strip & extension cords, desk lamp, alarm clocks, and a fan or air conditioner.

In order to get ready for college, the following is a list of things students can do to start getting ready for college.  Something students aren’t really ready for when they become freshman:

• Get a job on campus if you can – make a little extra money, demonstrate your work ethic, and learn to juggle responsibility.  Begin putting money aside for college emergencies or when you need a little extra for entertainment.
• Ask your parents how they handled college and what tips they recommend for you.
• Think about what you like to do and think about careers you might be interested in. If you are not sure, you can research future jobs on the Internet from the government websites. Still not sure, maybe volunteer or get a job doing something you might like.
• Take school seriously.  Work hard, learn as much as you can and do your homework every day.  The better you do in college, the more you learn, the easier it will be to get a job you like.
• Get involved in extracurricular activities that will help you in your studies.  Join clubs related to your interests, participate in sports, music, get active in student council or campus activities.  Companies looking for people to hire, look for those with experience in coordinating events or projects.
• Read, read and read some more!  No matter how much you read, how well or how fast you read now, you should improve in each area.  Read everything that interests you so you become able to read and comprehend material, as the makes it easier to take the tests.
• Develop extracurricular activities and volunteerism as they are highly valued by scholarship committees, and by employers.
• Spend a lot of time on campuses.  Call and visit your counselor often and ask them to guide you through the choosing the appropriate classes. This will help you focus on what you really need to graduate.
• Stay off drugs, stay out of trouble and focus – employers really do care about this stuff.