College Success Tip #11

Relationships

 

What are Relationships?

Establishing relationships is a part of developing social competency for college students.  Relationships can be established with class mates, new friends, instructors, college staff, counselors, advisors, administrators and anyone else connected to the college.

Why are Relationships important?

It is important to student success for students to establish a rapport and relationships not only with their fellow students in the form of friendships, but also with faculty and college staff who can serve as mentors and advisors as students navigate the college system.

Examples:

One way students can get to know instructors better is to make use of an instructor’s office hours. Instructors are required to be available a number of hours per week for students to visit to follow-up on class discussions and to ask questions material presented in class. Becoming involved with student life and campus activities, including clubs and organizations and student government to name a few, is another good way in which to interact with and develop relationships with college faculty and staff, as well as, fellow students. Building a rapport with college faculty and staff can provide students with an opportunity to seek letters of recommendation for scholarships, employment and transfer to a university.

Internal links to College of the Canyons resources for Relationships:

Student life and campus activities are abundant at College of the Canyons. The Office of Student Development offers a comprehensive program of activities and involvement opportunities for students to participate in student life: http://www.canyons.edu/offices/Student_Services/Student_Life/

External links for Relationships:

I Am Next provides articles about establishing relationships and making friends in college:             http://www.iamnext.com/people/makefriend.html

Upcoming Workshops, Activities or Events for Relationships:

Example:           Student Involvement Week – sponsored by Associated Student Gov’t

                        Monday-Friday, September 8-12, 2008

                        Noon – 2 p.m. each day at various locations on campus

Sources:

1. The Community College Experience by Amy Baldwin (Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2005).

2. Cornerstone: Building on Your Best, 4^th Ed., by Robert M. Sherfield, Rhonda J. Montgomery, and Patricia G. Moody (Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2005).

3. Becoming a Master Student, 10^th Ed., by Dave Ellis (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003).

4.  Study Guides and Strategies, http://www.studygs.net/index.htm.

5. Dartmouth’s Academic Skills Center, http://www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/success/index.html.