The Buddy Rule

I'm always trying to think of practical advice. Sure, I could do things like vent and blow off steam in this blog, but that wouldn't help you nearly as much as it would me. So, in that tradition, I present another non-traditional student tip, The Buddy Rule.

1. Your first day (or certainly one of your first) make a buddy in each class. You don't have to overdo it, just simply introduce yourself. Most of us, as non-trads, will be have a lot of outside pressures. Sometimes these pressures will force us to be late, leave early, or miss class together.

2. Encourage an exchange of contact information. If outside pressures strike it's great to have a buddy to be able to call or email. In my experience not every professor is particularly helpful in this department (or they are eager to help...if you can manage to track them down). The ideal buddy is the one who will notice if you're not in class and will take the first step in contacting you. This brings me to my last point.

3. Be the model buddy! This is a common sense rule that goes a long way. Be the buddy that contacts the other with pertinent class information. Encourage a constant dialogue and you'll be in great shape!