| In order to be successful in college, students must be | | | | and effort choosing a college, only to find out it doesn't |
| aware of the forthcoming changes in roles and | | | | offer a major you're interested in. |
| responsibilities prior to making the transition. Here are | | | | * Take as many challenging college-prep courses as |
| some vital tips for success: | | | | possible. Beside this conditioning your thinking skills, |
| * The most important determinant of college success | | | | colleges look favorably upon students who "stretch" |
| is determination. Intelligence is not as significant a factor | | | | themselves. |
| as one might expect. | | | | * Try to have a goal in mind when entering college. |
| * It is important for students to be able to articulate | | | | Research shows that "goal-oriented" students have |
| their disability and where it affects their learning. They | | | | more reason to persevere. |
| will need to share this information with the head of | | | | * Be sure to check a college's SAT and ACT |
| disability services, their tutors, and, if they choose, their | | | | requirements before applying. |
| instructors | | | | * Any college you attend will require you to take a |
| * Know whether you are a visual, auditory, tactile | | | | placement test before registering. Practice your basic |
| learner, or a combination. Having this information | | | | skills (math and English) with interactive websites. |
| enables you to study using your strongest channels. If | | | | There are scads of sites in game format and others |
| you don't know how you learn best, ask a counselor | | | | that provide answers and thorough explanations. Many |
| to administer a learning styles inventory. You want to | | | | colleges do not allow calculators for the math |
| have this information prior to entering college. | | | | placement exam, so you'll need to practice basic math |
| * Identify your strengths and surround yourself with | | | | skills that go back to elementary school. There are |
| people and activities where you can put them to use. | | | | plenty of practice placement exams, such as |
| * Shore up your weaknesses by accessing tutor, | | | | Accuplacer, online. |
| asking questions, etc. The more up-front preparation | | | | College is a rite of passage; you are entering an arena |
| you do now, the easier college will be. | | | | with different expectations. If you are serious about |
| * When choosing a college, know how your strengths | | | | succeeding, prepare well in advance; by the time you |
| and interests coincide. This will give you a sense of | | | | get to college, you can hit the ground running. |
| possible majors. You don't want to spend lots of time | | | | |