To get into the fall spirit, we recently asked some members of our college’s amazing Dean’s Office leadership team to share what inspired them to work in academia and some of their top tips for academic success.
This is a part of our ongoing annual top tips for success series, which in previous years has also featured great tips from our Career Connections team, from our Instructor Coaches team, from our Student Success team, and more.
“As a kid I never dreamt that I’d go to college or work at one,” Raines said. “The college experience completely transformed me and my view of the world.”
“I majored in English and mathematics, and my professors in both fields supported and challenged me. As a result of their efforts and other key mentors, my life and that of my entire family has been changed for the better.”
By his junior year, Raines knew he wanted to in turn spend his life “supporting and inspiring other students like me.” Since then, he has helped thousands of students make the most of their college experience.
Here is some of his top advice:
Your experience with the core curriculum – much of it offered through our Fulbright College – will introduce you to the pinnacles of human knowledge and expression. You might decide to major in a science or business, the humanities or the arts, but always challenge yourself. Stretch your mind!
Take a minor or a second major in an area completely different from your main course of study. Even though I am a mathematician, my degree in English literature has been a huge benefit, personally and professionally. A second major or minor will stand out. More importantly, it will transform the way you think.
You have so much available to you while you’re at the U of A – brilliant lecturers, artists, scientists, and scholars. You will never again have this opportunity. Your education, what you take away from it, is entirely in your own hands. And that is truly amazing.
“When I graduated high school, my plans certainly did not involve college,” he said. “I was a first-generation student, so initially academic pursuits were not something on my radar.”
McNabb said his fourth-grade teacher was the one who convinced him to go to a local community college and that following an academic career path after that “was a wonderful choice, as I greatly enjoy teaching and working with students.”
“The pursuit of my academic career was largely inspired by the wonderful mentors who took an interest in my life and provided guidance that will always be appreciated,” he added.
Here is some of his top advice:
Number one, go to class! Showing up is half the battle.
I have a study strategy I tell all my students. Download any lecture slides and practice lecturing yourself out loud about every slide in detail. Keep going like this this until you can give the whole lecture beginning to end without stopping to look at notes. It may sound crazy, but the repetition moves information from short-term to long-term memory and it is amazing how many nuances you pick up each time. Plus, in a weird way it is fun. I use the same strategy when I teach.
Consider your education as your “Job.” If you spend five days per week devoted to the job, when the weekend comes you can have time for other things you enjoy. There may be occasional weekend overtime studying, but in general this strategy will lead to success. Basically, work hard, then play hard.
“I wanted to ‘make the world a better place,’ if you will pardon the cliché,” she said, and Morimoto soon found that for her, the field of sociology was an excellent match for this aspiration.
“In the substantive discipline of sociology, through teaching and research, I am able to use my strengths while also taking incremental steps to realize a kinder and more just social world,” she added.
Here is some of her top advice:
Talk to your professors! Go to office hours, even if just to introduce yourself and say hello. You will get much more out of a class if you know the person teaching it. You will not click with all of the faculty, but you will with some. And from those relationships, you can get valuable mentoring.
College success is about the experience – not just what happens in the classroom or in your social life. It is about learning to address challenges, learning new skills, talking to people who are different from you and who have different perspectives.
Think of your college experience as one of wholistic growth. Get involved in things that interest you, ask for support when you need it, make friends, learn within and beyond the classroom.
“I was inspired to pursue this work, in part, because of the exceptional educators in my life,” he said. “Teachers helped to foster in me a commitment to inquiry, an appreciation for difference, and the courage to be both critical and nimble in thought. These same qualities were at the center my work as an art teacher.”
“Over time, I became interested in how art educators, me included, had been taught to think about and approach art teaching,” he added. “Eventually, with the support of many wonderful colleagues, I found in academia the possibilities I desired to practice these same commitments, but in new and exciting ways. This remains true today.”
Here is some of his top advice:
Give yourself permission to ask for help.
Then, reach out to the many people and explore the many resources and services on campus available to help you, which will be important to your success and well-being.
Also, the U of A is a dynamic community, with people whose lives and histories are different from your own, and whose interests, goals, and expertise – academic and otherwise – can meaningfully contribute to how you think about, relate to, and participate in the world. Hold space for these differences.
For Associate Dean Stephanie Schulte, being curious about how the world works and wanting to know more is what drove her into a career in higher education.
“I love learning and innovation, so I decided to study an area that is dynamic: communication technology,” she said.
“I also have a deep respect for the expertise of researchers and for those who have dedicated their lives to the production and dissemination of knowledge, so working on a college campus alongside those scholars and having the opportunity to teach and learn from students myself is a dream job,” she added.
Here is some of her top advice:
Know yourself: Have an honest look at what you do well and what skills you can work on. What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are your short- and long-term goals? How can you keep both in mind as you move forward? Check in with yourself at regular intervals to make sure you’re caring for yourself and progressing toward your goals.
Set yourself up for success: Have a plan in place to capitalize on your strengths and address your weaknesses. If notetaking is a strength but time management is not, connect to resources to help develop time management skills. Consider finding a fellow student with oppositive skills to collaborate, keep each other on track, and share strategies with one another.
Ask for help: In my experience, students often wait too long to ask for help when they are struggling. Early interventions are key! Campus has so many resources available (i.e., departmental, college, and campus-wide academic help, advising, financial, and mental health services).
As a straight-A first-generation student, she loved learning and hoped to travel the world. “But it was discovering music at age 13 that truly shaped my future,” she said.
“I knew that pursuing degrees in music was essential to legitimizing my passion, to reaching the highest peaks in my field,” she added.
When Uribe earned her doctorate, she was a single mom with two kids, so her children “became the driving force behind my pursuit of higher education, ultimately fueling the person I am today.”
Here is some of her top advice:
I invite our students to embrace the university experience as a window to the universe. This is a unique opportunity to open the curtains and let the light in – both literally and metaphorically. Take in everything that university life offers: make new friends, explore who you are, and discover what truly resonates with you.
Seek balance in your studies and personal life, and be open-minded and open-hearted to new ideas, experiences, and perspectives. By fully engaged with your environment and stay curious, you’ll not only succeed academically but also grow as an individual.
Building and nurturing relationships is paramount to student success. Finding your people and creating meaningful connections can open countless doors. Engage with your professors, talk to your roommates, and build friendships. The connections you make now will play a crucial role in your growth and success.
Additionally, the Fulbright College Advising Center is always there to help with any questions concerning courses and academic plans.
And, visiting fulbright.uark.edu or connecting on the college’s Facebook, Twitter / X, Instagram, or LinkedIn profiles, as well as subscribing to the Fulbright Review can help you stay up to date on all things Fulbright College.