No student can make the most of college without making good choices, he notes. And some of the most reliable sources of advice may be students themselves, Mr. Light suggests. The best of those small classes, students say, are those in which the professor engenders constructive arguments, creating assignments that pit groups of students against each other on opposing sides of an issue. As for homework, students who study together in small groups outside class say they gain the biggest benefits. Students, on the other hand, find that collaborative work outside the classroom helps them engage with the material and really learn it.
Writing is the skill that students say they care most about improving.
They like working closely with a professor, writing instructor, or a group of fellow students who meet to offer critiques of one another's work. But, in a response that the author found surprising, students say they generally would hold off on emphasizing writing skills until their junior or senior year. Perhaps the most important lesson for professors to learn is that they too often underestimate their influence on students. Most students can quickly name a professor who shaped the way they think about themselves, their lives, and the world around them. Making the Most of College includes discussions about residential life and ethnic and racial diversity on the campus, and suggestions for good advising.