Speaker series aims to help students succeed

Dominic Perez

dperez@foghornnews.com

Why would any student need tips for college success? Most students have it all figured out, right? Well, the truth is that some students don’t, and that is pretty OK.

“It’s OK if you don’t know where you want to be. Eighty percent of students change their majors at least once and the average student changes their major at least three times,” said peer tutor Agustin Bernier, who works in the Student Success Center. Bernier was one of six speakers who were a part of the 2017 Speaker Series, with the topic being “Tips for College Success,” on March 23.

Each of the speakers presented their own advice and strategies for the average college student. Professor Tammy Donaldson had four main points: 1) Use your background knowledge that you’ve learned as long as you’ve been alive; 2) Be diligent by asking questions about anything you are unfamiliar with; 3) Be metacognitive by knowing why you know something; and 4) You should always make connections to things you are interacting with.

“Students really need to pay attention to what they are reading. We read every day on our phones on Facebook or Twitter. Reading is everything and making it a priority to read something beneficial to a student’s goals can have a huge positive impact,” Donaldson said.

Next up was Olivia Modesto from Texas A&M University-Kingsville, who shared her journey from her home in the Philippines to the United States and listed some steps for success.

“Begin by knowing your purpose, then let your purpose determine your priorities. Let your priorities help you establish your own discipline and follow up your discipline with a reward. It is important to give yourself a pat on the back after working toward a goal, then reload yourself to accomplish another goal,” Modesto said.

Linda Eubank works in Stone Writing Center and put her wisdom of perseverance into the picture for all students in attendance.

“Sometimes in college life gets in the way and as easy it is to give up you have to muster some grit to get through those times. You truly have to make a commitment to yourself and even someone else in order to push through the toughest of times. If you have no one to keep you accountable there are staff members here at Del Mar that can help you keep your commitment,” Eubank said.

The crowd gave a huge round of applause after the final speaker, as it seemed every word of wisdom was taken to heart. Be on the lookout for more from the 2017 Speaker Series in the upcoming weeks.

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