Zero to Success in 100 Days

A week-by-week to-do list for spring

The terms at Linfield University move very quickly. Fourteen weeks of classes and you find yourself facing finals week. Successful students are those who stay on top of the little details. Here's a list you can follow to enhance your chances of success. You can find an academic calendar with specific deadlines for each term at the registrar's site. At this site, you can also find a complete list of Linfield's academic offerings and priority registration schedule for each term.

Week Zero (Before the semester starts)

Manage your class schedule on WebAdvisor. You may find it helpful to visualize your day by writing your classes into a Weekly Schedule.
Review the required texts for each class before they start.
Find your classrooms, so you know where you are going the first day of classes. Note that classrooms sometimes have last minute changes, so be sure to double check the locations on your first day.
Use organizational tools such as planners or calendars. Record information such as class times, work schedule, recurring activities and meetings. Keep it with you and use it! You'll find it to be a really helpful time management tool. There are plenty of hard copy and digital options to choose from.

Week One

Check Blackboard to see if any of your classes are using Blackboard tools as part of the class. Use your CatNet user name and password to log in to Blackboard.
After you attend day one of each of your classes, make sure you purchase all assigned books.
Go to all your classes. Every class is important, especially at Linfield where there are such small classes and many professors know you.
At the first class, you will likely get a syllabus. Review this document thoroughly and record dates for assignments, tests, and field trips.
Establish a regular reading and study schedule for all of your classes. If you don’t know how to do this, you should visit with your advisor or stop by Learning Support Services (LSS) in Melrose 020 for help.
Learn your professors' names and office hours.
If you make schedule changes, do so as soon as you can. It can be difficult to jump into a new class and make up missed class time. After the second day of class, you will need your advisor’s signature on an add/drop form. Go to the Registrar’s Office in Student Central in Melrose for add/drop forms and details on the add/drop process.

Week Two

You’ve gone to every class, right? If you haven’t already, try sitting in front of the classroom to minimize distractions.
By now you should be checking your email account on a daily basis. If not, it is time to start.
Check Blackboard on a daily basis. This week, look for classes and materials not posted last week.
Get contact information from at least one other student in each of your classes. Not only do you have a resource if you ever have to miss class, but the two of you could connect with other students to form a study group.
If you are considering dropping or adding a class during the second week, it is a good idea to consult with your advisor and make a final decision.
The second week is the last week to enroll in a course. The last day to add a class to your Spring schedule is Friday, January 29 (McMinnville), and Friday, February 12 (Online and Continuing Education).

Week Three

How are you keeping up on your reading? Are you struggling at all with note-taking? Any issues in keeping up with your homework? Don’t let small problems early in the term become big problems later in the term! Visit the Learning Support Services (LSS) in Melrose 020 to get help if you need it.
Identify a question or concern you have about each class after the first few weeks and make it a point to visit your professor during office hours this week. It is a good way for you to get to know them, and more importantly a good way for them to put your face to your name on their roster. It also shows them you care about your learning.
Is your schedule set? The deadline to drop a class without it showing up on your transcript is Friday, February 5 (McMinnville) and Friday, February 19 (OCE).

Week Four

Have you had an exam or quiz? These provide you a chance to do a critical evaluation of yourself and your term thus far. Being a full-time student, in terms of time investment (class time, reading, studying, and project time), equates to a full-time job. Are you performing the way you want? If not, visit your advisor or Learning Support Services to strategize on how you can do better.

Week Five

More than 25% of the semester has passed! Review your syllabi and start your preparation for midterms. You should also get a start on projects or papers that might be due later in the term.
It is important for all students to balance their academic lives with meaningful activities outside of the classroom. How are you spending your time when you are not in class or studying? Have you joined any clubs or organizations? Are you meeting new people and are you getting experiences that your classes don’t offer? You can learn about all of the available student activities at Linfield by visiting the Office of Student Activities.

Week Six

During week three, we recommended a visit to your professor during office hours. It is good to do that again this week. Possible topics of discussion could again include concepts you don’t understand or questions you have, but by this time, you may have graded material from the class. It would be good to review that graded material face-to-face with the professor.
Don’t be surprised if your first midterms are happening this week or next. You may even have multiple midterms in a single day. Scheduling your studying in advance helps you minimize your stress on days and weeks where you may have more than one exam.
In preparation for registration in April, stop by Student Accounts in Student Central in Melrose and clear your account. Also, check WebAdvisor to make sure you do not have any holds on your account that would prevent you from registering for classes.

Weeks Seven and Eight

If your class has a second midterm, it is probably happening around now. Are you prepared? Consider what worked or didn’t work on your first exam and how you might improve your performance on this exam.
Look back. This is a good time for self-assessment. Are you sticking to your study plans? Are you caught up on readings? How are those papers and projects coming? Are you getting enough exercise and sleep? Are there any habits you want to adjust going into the last weeks of the term?
Check-in with your faculty advisor about scheduling a meeting to discuss registration for next term. Some advisors may have sign-ups on their door, ask you to email them with available times, and others may have you sign up for appointments online. Advising appointments will fill up fast, make sure to sign up early so you have time to plan your schedule and prepare for registration.

Week Nine

How are you doing academically? If you feel as if you are struggling, now is the time to get a progress report from your professors and make sure will be able to pass your classes. Meet with your faculty advisor and plan for how you will be successful for the last month of this semester.

Week Ten

The deadline to withdraw from a class (with a “w” on the transcript) is Friday, March 26 (McMinnville) and Friday, April 2 (OCE). Are you thinking about dropping a class? Talk with your advisor and see the Registrar’s Office website for more information.

Week Eleven

Have you had your registration appointment with your faculty advisor? If not, when is it? Registration begins next week and your advisor must approve your schedule before you are eligible for registration.
Consider contacting Career Development to chat about your summer break plans. Do you have a job lined up or will you complete an internship? Will you be on campus working a job during that time? Staff in Career Development can also help you draft a resume and practice interview techniques.

Week Twelve

Fall 2021 Registration opens this week, April 5 - 8, 2021. Remember you have to see your advisor prior to registration. You can check WebAdvisor to make sure you have been cleared to register. Be sure to check your registration time on the registration schedule.

Week Thirteen

Is your schedule set for Fall 2021? WebAdvisor is still open and you are able to make changes to your schedule without signatures from your advisors as long as classes are open.
As you did with your midterms, develop a study schedule for your final exams. Plan ahead for how you might negotiate the stress of having more than one exam on one day. Learning Support Services is an excellent resource for time management and study plans. Stop by Melrose 020 for assistance.

Week Fourteen

Look Forward: Get yourself ready for finals week, which begins next week. If you haven’t done so already, write down the time and location of all of your finals. This information should be on your syllabus, and you can also find it on the registrar's website. Regardless, you should confirm the information with your instructor to make sure nothing has changed.
Prepare yourself to handle the logistics of finals. Your professor may require you to purchase a blue book or a scantron form from the bookstore. Make sure you have that along with pens, pencils, and anything else you might need for the exam. If your exam is going to be proctored remotely, make sure you know what to expect for logging in, etc.
Final labs, papers, and projects are often due this week.

Finals Week and Beyond

Finals: April 27 - 30, 2021
Show up to your finals 5-10 minutes early to give yourself a chance to get settled and relaxed before your exam.
As your instructors finish their grading, they will post your final grades to WebAdvisor.
Many instructors use the grade book function of Blackboard, so you can see how you were graded on each assignment. If you have questions, follow up with your instructors as soon as you can to get clarity on your grades.

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK - START AGAIN NEXT SEMESTER!