13 The Role of A Student

• Be an active learner
• Be an active community member
• Take responsibility for your experience
• Take care of your well-being
• Act with integrity

Let’s take a closer look at each of these.

Be an Active Learner

In order to succeed in college, you need to be an active learner. This means that you need to invest in your education. You are expected to attend classes. This one seems pretty obvious, right? But it can be really easy (especially if the freedom is new to you) to “just skip one class”, which snowballs into more because they feel overwhelmed with trying to catch up on the content and work that was missed. You are expected to:

• Ask Questions. If you don’t understand something during a class or from assigned work, you need to ask your professor. Professors want their students to be successful, and they don’t know what you don’t know, so you need to ask. Put up your hand, send emails, and attend office hours when available.

• Complete readings/pre-work and Assignments. In order to earn grades and receive feedback, you need to submit assignments. Assignments allow professors to check your comprehension and provide you with feedback so you can continue to learn and improve.

• Submit and complete assignments on time. There are usually grade deductions associated with late submissions and some professors will not accept late work at all. Know the policy at the beginning of the term, so you understand the consequence of submitting work late or missing an assessment entirely.

• Be in communication with your class and the college. This will likely look like checking your email daily, logging into myCambrian and Moodle, and checking the other communication channels. Make sure you know where to look and how frequently you are expected to check in with your class.

Be an Active Community Member

Once you begin attending Cambrian, you have become part of the campus community. Whether you are attending online, in person, or a combination, you belong here. While no one is going to force you to get involved, you have a social responsibility to engage with the community to some degree. You are expected to interact with your peers. You may be asked to turn to a peer during class to discuss a concept, to work on a group assignment, or you may want to join a study group with your peers. While you don’t need to change who you are (you may be less inclined to engage with people if you are shy or introverted), you will inevitably be involved in social/academic interactions with peers. There are other ways you can engage in the college community that both benefit your academics and your social life. Cambrian College has peer groups, pub nights, sports, games, residence activities, clubs, and many other opportunities for you to get involved. Your level of involvement in social interaction is up to your comfort, but being involved socially will also help you to feel like you are an active member of the community and provide you with a support system.

Take Responsibility For Your Experience

Your experience is what you make of it. If you choose to go to class, do the bare minimum to pass, and go home, then you are likely not going to feel very connected to the campus, program, professors, or peers. The same goes for your academic experience. You are expected to seek support when you need it, review feedback from your graded assessments (don’t just throw those graded assignments away!), and ultimately make improvements to your work. Think back to your “why” and stay accountable to yourself.

Take Care of Your Well-Being

If you are coming from a previous experience where you are used to teachers or parents reminding you to do things and taking care of you, there is going to be a transition to taking care of yourself. Even if you have been responsible for yourself for a while, the first year of college brings on new challenges. You are expected to advocate for yourself and take care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and socially. It’s up to you to take time when you need it and seek out the support you need.

Act With Integrity

You are expected to act with integrity in all aspects of your experience at the college. This includes treating people well, being an ally, and standing up for those that could use some support. You also want to ensure you are holding yourself to your own values and beliefs. But it also applies to your academics. You are expected to complete your own work, cite sources you use, and ensure you are adhering to the Academic Integrity Policy.