Being A Student

Clarkson University » Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering » Student Handbook

You may have already heard from friends, family members, or guidance counselors that you will experience a different form of education when you enter college; it is not like high school. Now, that does not imply that you should be apprehensive about college, but it does imply that you should keep your eyes open to the new environment and learn to adjust.

Self-reliance
During the next four years you will find yourself gaining more and more self-reliance. But self-reliance does not mean that you have to do everything yourself; it does mean that you ask for help when you need it and stand on your own two feet when you do not. Developing self-reliance should be one of your goals in college.

Professionalism
One adjustment to college is to think of yourself as a student-professional; a student who will be a professional engineer. Like any professional position, there are certain expectations that you must fulfill. The best way to meet these expectations is to keep on top of things; do not let yourself fall behind.

Also, go to classes prepared; have all your work and reading done, and have questions ready. Participate in the discussions, practice the problems the professors assign, and push yourself to do your best. Make the best of every opportunity offered to you. You are building the base for your professional career; build a strong base.

The professors may not always cover in class everything you need to know, so study beyond the lecture. You will find that the professors are more like guides, and you have to be both the teacher as well as the student more than you had to in high school. That is not saying they do not want to help or teach; they are just forcing you to take a stronger part in your education. They are preparing you for the professional world where there are no obvious teachers. While you may feel some courses tax your abilities, the faculty are striving to give you the best opportunities for your career.

Near the end of the semester you will fill out a "course evaluation form" for each of your courses. Your constructive comments regarding the course and the professor are taken seriously. Each professor's salary, tenure, and promotion are influenced by the information on the course evaluation form.

Code of Ethics
Clarkson values personal integrity. Matriculation at Clarkson carries with it the obligation that a student will not claim as his or her own, the work of another, or any work that has not been honestly performed, will not take any examination by improper means, and will not aid and abet another in any dishonesty.