NDSU students report getting serious about prepping for class
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Kristopher Kohlgraf knows an important part to success in college is preparation. His major is demanding, but rewarding, especially because he’s ready for his classes.
Kohlgraf, an architecture major, is about to begin his third year. He’s figured out a routine that leads to success.
“Time management is key. I make sure I have enough time for friends and schoolwork,” said Kohlgraf.
He goes to class during the day and spends time at night working on studio projects, so that he’s ready for class the next day.
“That way professors can see what I did the night before and I can get input on my designs,” Kohlgraf said.
NDSU students spend an average of 13 to 16 hours a week preparing for class.
Preparation contributes to success
Kohlgraf and other NDSU students think preparing for class is important. NDSU’s STEPS to Success research found that NDSU students spend an average of 13 to 16 hours a week preparing for class.
“NDSU has shown me that it’s a challenging and rigorous field that I’m going in to, but that I’ll have the ability to keep up in my future career,” said Kohlgraf.
His advice to other students is to get involved in areas that interest them and also to be prepared for each class.
“It’s important to have everything done so you can talk to professors and ask questions,” Kohlgraf said. “It’s a time to show them you’re paying attention and growing intellectually.”
The architecture program at NDSU is a five-year professional course of study leading to a master of architecture degree. Kohlgraf is interested in various architecture career paths including education architecture – designing buildings for college campuses – and architectural law.
NDSU’s STEPS to Success program
NDSU’s STEPS to Success campaign highlights the actual attitudes and behaviors held by the majority of NDSU students, like Kohlgraf, and gives tips on how to achieve success in college. The initiative’s goal is to reduce misperception, which is important because when students know what the actual norm is, many of them adjust what they do to be more in line with what their peers are doing.
The STEPS to Success team gathered information from a large sample of NDSU undergraduates in spring 2016, asking both about their own academic behaviors and attitudes and their perceptions about other students’ academic behaviors and attitudes.
