Read Your Syllabus and Attend Class
Every instructor will provide you with a syllabus, which is an outline of your class. The syllabus will contain important dates, instructor expectations and instructor contact information. Attendance policies may differ for each class. Your instructor will expect you to be familiar with the syllabus, so please ask if you have any questions! It is critical to attend class. Your instructor will notice and you will be graded for participation.
College Success vs. High School Success
Expect your study time to double or even triple in college. You will have labs, group projects, research papers, and final exams. You will need to balance your academic responsibilities with work, friends, and family. At Sandburg, you have many resources, including instructors, academic advisors, personal counselors and our Tutoring Center. Take advantage of your support systems…everyone needs help sometimes in college!
Get to Know Your Advisor
Your advisor will help you with course selection and completion of your degree or certificate. You must see your advisor to register and when you need to change your schedule. Your advisor is available in-person, by phone, email or Zoom to answer questions about transfer schools, programs and careers.
Learn How to Learn
Time management is key for college students. “Last minute” is never a good idea and will raise your anxiety level. College-level work requires you to develop your critical thinking skills; be prepared to try new study techniques and visit the Tutoring Center to learn new strategies.
Ask Questions
Successful students ask questions. Everyone at Sandburg is committed to helping students succeed. Instructors, advisors and staff welcome and encourage questions.
Get to Know Our Library
The Library offers many resources in addition to books and scholarly articles. It is also home to the Tech Help Center on the Galesburg campus. Get help with Moodle, email and online classes. Librarians can help you with test prep materials and career information. They can also reserve study rooms for you or your study group.
Academic Support = Better Grades
Academic Support benefits all students at Sandburg. Check in with the Academic Support office if you are a student with a disability or if you want to use our free Tutoring Center. Twenty-four hour online tutoring is available through Brainfuse on your mySandburg page.
Get Familiar with Campus Policies
Look for notices and be aware of important campus policies that affect your success at Sandburg. For example, the “No Show, You Go” policy applies to all students at the start of each semester. This policy states that students who fail to attend class for the first four days of the semester will be dropped from classes. Ask an advisor, instructor or staff member if you have questions regarding campus policies.
Financial Aid is Your Friend
Most students rely on financial aid to get through college. The Financial Aid office will keep you up-to-date on eligibility requirements and deadlines. Did you know financial aid-eligible students are required to
keep a 2.0 grade point average, complete 67% of credit hours attempted and complete their degree or program within a maximum timeframe? The staff in the Financial Aid office will help you stay on track.
Dropping a Class?
During the course of your college career, you will have questions about dropping/withdrawing from a class. Always speak with your instructor before dropping a class. Your instructor may have ideas about how you can be successful in the class. If you want to pursue dropping a class, you must speak with your advisor. Please see Page 19 for procedures and FAQs on withdrawing from a class.
Petition to Graduate
Finally, after checking in with your advisor, you will be ready to petition to graduate. If you will have enough credit hours to graduate at the end of the semester, contact the Admission & Records Office at 309.341.5233 or ask your advisor for assistance.
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