students: January 2008 Archives

What do university faculty think about Rate My Professor and what their students are saying about them at that site? Well, the folks at MTVU recently gave a group of faculty members a chance to react - on camera - to comments their students posted about them at RMP. The videos found at "Professors Strike Back" make for compelling drama, entertainment and even a few "stop and think about that" moments.

Even better, two professors from Temple University are among those featured. Terence Oliva, of the Marketing Department, and Laura Shinn, of the Economics Department, share thoughtful comments about Rate My Professor. But I have to say that one of my favorites comes from Professor David Linton at Marymount Manhattan College. I'd like every student to spend 20 seconds to hear what he has to say about college. In short he says, it's not about getting a degree - it's about getting an education. If you approach it as a consumer experience, like buying a car, you are bound to be disappointed.

- Steven Bell, Associate University Librarian

With the spring semester starting soon it may be a good time to share with students, and their instructors, some timely tips for better study habits. The Study Hacks blog recently featured a post titled "Five Bad Study Habits You Should Resolve to Avoid in 2008". Well, it is the time of the year for resolutions. Their five bad habits to eliminate include: (1) studying without a plan; (2) skipping classes; (3) rote review; (4) studying after midnight; and (5) not taking notes while reading. Read the post for more details on how and why to eliminate these bad study habits.

And speaking of staying up late to study (item 4), particularly at exam time, a researcher at St. Lawrence University studied the correlation between student sleep time and their grade-point averages. Students reported that they had pulled at least one all-nighter during a semester and that those who did it regularly had lower GPAs. Sounds like avoiding all-nighters is a good way to begin improving study habits in 2008.

-Steven Bell, Associate University Librarian