"Studenting" Behaviors That Are Essential to College Success

          In this Chronicle of Higher Education article, Emily Isaacs (Montclair State University) says too many students are arriving in college without certain proficiencies. ”The absence of those skills does not reflect on the individual’s capacity for creativity, critical thinking, or even advanced reading, writing, and problem-solving,” says Isaacs. “It doesn’t necessarily mean the student is incapable of the intellectual rigor of a college education. But their absence does make learning and college success very difficult.” 

          During the pandemic, many instructors dialed back their expectations, but now that in-person instruction is back, Isaacs says it’s time to raise the bar. She urges her colleagues to explicitly address “studenting skills,” and hopes K-12 educators, especially in high schools, will do the same. Students shouldn’t have to guess what their instructors want, which is especially important for students who enter school with any kind of disadvantage. “I see explicit instruction in writing skills, along with challenging content and assignments, as an inclusive pedagogical approach,” says Isaacs, “leveling the playing field and enabling students who are unfamiliar with the implicit rules of the ‘culture of power’ to succeed.” 

          Here’s her list of studenting skills; note their reciprocal nature, with students and instructors both having agency and responsibility: 

• Attending regularly – “Make attendance matter,” says Isaacs. “If students can learn everything they need to know without coming to class, why would they show up?” 
• Being engaged in class – Teachers need to build in active student involvement and be clear about cellphones and earbuds put away and students contributing without being called on. 
• Being savvy about study skills – These include annotating readings and using the retrieval effect and spaced review to commit important information to memory. 
• Doing homework – Out-of-class assignments need to be meaningful; if students need help managing their time, they should be pointed to counseling resources and online tools. 
• Completing assignments on time – Policies for late work and personal emergencies should be explicit up front, says Isaacs. “Students should experience consequences for late work early in the semester so they learn from their mistakes while recovery is still possible.” 
• Resisting digital distractions – Many students need to learn strategies like Pomodoro work/break scheduling, deleting certain apps, finding quiet places to work, and putting their phones out of immediate reach while they’re studying. 
• No more Lone Ranger – Students should take advantage of all available help to maintain balance and achieve – office hours, study groups, tutoring, online resources. 
• Staying healthy – Psychological distress is a real issue. Students need support coming to terms with their mental state, keeping their lives in balance, and getting counseling when they need it. 

“Teaching Students to Be Students” by Emily Isaacs in The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 12, 2024 (Vol. 70, #16, pp. 54-55); Isaacs can be reached at isaacse@montclair.edu.

Please Note: This summary is reprinted with permission from issue #1032 of The Marshall Memo, an excellent resource for educators.