College is an exciting and uncertain time in one’s life. The thought of living away from home, starting over and figuring out career goals can seem daunting to incoming students who are used to the structure and safety of high school. One Mississippi State University professor has created a guide to help mitigate some of these nerves.
“The Insider’s Guide to Mississippi State University,” a guidebook written by psychology professor Thomas Carskadon, has been given to hundreds of students in his general psychology class over the last decade.
Carskadon, better known to his students as “Dr. C,” came up with the idea to write “The Insider’s Guide” with the help of university president Mark Keenum in the summer of 2014. The guide teaches students about the history of MSU, gives tips for success and lists valuable student resources. Since Carskadon has taught at MSU for fifty-two years, he is the perfect “insider” to prepare new bulldogs.
Many first learn about “The Insider’s Guide” when they take Carskadon’s general psychology class. He assigns “The Insider’s Guide” as course material, but he also shares the resource with anyone who asks for a copy by emailing him at [email protected].
Carskadon considered three tips from the guide the most important pieces of advice for freshmen who want to achieve academic success: manage your time, treat college as a full-time job and ask for help.
Of these three, he particularly emphasized time management.
“If you do practice time management, just ask yourself what is it I have to do and when am I going to get it done,” Carskadon said.
He explained that students who plan ahead actually have more time to meet other students and pursue opportunities outside of class because they budget their time for schoolwork strategically.
“You’re going to have a lot of extra time because you know when each thing is going to get done,” Carskadon said.
When asked about treating college as a full-time job, Carskadon that students should expect to devote many hours to coursework and take that responsibility seriously, like a job.
With regards to academic resources, there are many listed in “The Insider’s Guide,” but a few stand out to Carskadon more than others. Carskadon focuses on The Writing Center, The Speaking Center and The Center for Academic Excellence, which he says offers free tutoring services and can help students with any course.
The Writing Center, in particular, is a great resource for freshmen to utilize, as many courses require students to write papers. Likewise, since most freshmen are required to take a public speaking course, the Speaking Center helps students practice speeches and in-class presentations, which are a common component of many college classes.
“When you do the speech for real, for a grade, you have already tried it out. You practiced it. You have improved it, and you are going to do better,” Carskadon said.
“The Insider’s Guide” also emphasizes the importance of professionalism in and out of the classroom. Carskadon highlighted the importance of attending classes. He stated that 70% of his general psychology students who had six or more absences failed his course, while only 5% received As.
He also recommended that students sit in the front and turn off their phones, as this increases student engagement and retention of material learned in class. Calling professors by their correct title, such as “Dr.” if they have a PhD and knowing how to write professional emails are important skills for students, too, according to Carskadon.
For students who have previously read “The Insider’s Guide” and taken general psychology with Carskadon, the lessons they learned have made a difference in their experience at MSU.
Rose Doyle, a junior history major, stated that she learned much about the university’s history from “The Insider’s Guide” and has used that knowledge in her role as the Vice President of the Shackouls Honors Ambassadors in connecting with prospective students.
“Probably one of the most important things that I took away from ‘The Insider’s Guide’ was the rich history of our university,” Doyle said.
Jake Rice, a junior electrical engineering major, also read “The Insider’s Guide” for Carskadon’s class. Rice claimed his understanding of MSU history has made him more appreciative and inspired him to help other freshmen adjust to college.
“An important lesson I got out of it was not to take Mississippi State for granted,” Rice said.
