10 Questions Parents Should Ask During First Semester

1. Are you going to all your classes?

Skipping classes will adversely affect your student's academic performance.

2. Are you devoting adequate time to your studies?

A good guideline is that at a minimum, your student should study two hours for every hour in class.

3. Are you keeping up with your assignments?

Keeping up to date on assignments is important and will help students out of a painful game of catch-up, and will also improve their grades.

4. If the semester ended today, how would you be doing?

This question may help students reflect on the effort they have given to classes, or the effort that they will need to give to reach their goals.

5. Do you know all the important deadlines on the campus calendar?

The calendar is a great way to know registration deadlines, important dates, and is a good way to map out your semester.

6. Do you need a tutor or academic assistance in any of your classes?

Successful students use the free tutors the college offers, even when they are not struggling. Using a tutor to help pass a class, or excel and get an "A" are both great uses for tutors. You can receive a tutor in almost every subject, from Norwegian to Math.

7. Have you meet with your academic adviser lately?

Concordia students are required to meet with an academic adviser at least once a semester, but academic advisers can help all semester long with tips on how to be academically successful.

8. Do you know where to find your professors outside of class?

Professors will list their office hours on their course syllabus so that students can ask questions that are better addressed outside the classroom. One on one interaction between professor and student like that found during office hours is invaluable.

9. Are you making an effort to get involved on campus?

Concordia has many student organizations, sports (both varsity and intramural), and jobs that students can use to become integrated into college culture. These are great ways for students to make friends, forge connections, and gain more of a vested interest in their college experience.

10. Have you checked your cord.edu e-mail account lately?

All students are given a cord.edu e-mail account that is given information about school emergencies, policies, class information, registration information, basically anything the school wants a student to know is sent to this account, so check it frequently.

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