Learning Inside & Outside the Classroom

A great advantage your student has on campus this year is that he can learn both in and out of the classroom. This comprehensive take on learning will help him juggle tasks, get involved on campus and learn in a variety of ways. They include:

• Classroom Knowledge. Lecture notes, class discussions, textbooks and projects will help students dig into specific subject matter. Don't be surprised if your student is excited about anthropology or astronomy next time you talk!
  
  You Can... Ask your student what she's learning. It'll be great to hear her excitement plus, by sharing the knowledge with you, it's helping her clinch it in her own brain even more, too.
  
  
• Service Experience. By participating in class-based service learning projects and out-of-class community service initiatives, your student is learning about giving back and engaging with the community.
  
  You Can... Role model community involvement and the value of giving back. Also, talk with your student about the people he's meeting through his community service.
  
  
• Campus Leadership. Getting involved with the biology club, student government or the campus radio station can enhance students' sense of belonging because they really feel a part of something. Plus, they're learning how to follow, how to lead, how to work with a wide variety of people, and how to be part of a team.
  
  You Can... Stay in touch with your student about what her group(s) is up to. Is there a program happening this weekend? Has she been working on a particular project? Ask her all about it.
  
  
• Assisting a Professor. Sometimes students have an opportunity to get involved with a research project. If your student decides to do this, he'll enhance his classroom learning through practical experience.
  
  You Can... Try to understand the research your student is involved in, even if you feel like it's "over your head." By explaining things to you in layperson terms, he will be in a beneficial teaching role.

Your student is surrounded by learning opportunities in and out of class. The combination is unbeatable!

Involvement & Academics Go Hand-in-Hand
Research says that students who get involved on campus will likely do better academically, too. In and out of class involvements complement one another!