Midterm grades are important since they allow you to evaluate your study habits and make midcourse adjustments where needed. If you have been monitoring your own academic progress, you should be able to successfully predict your midterm grades. Learning to monitor your own progress is important since ideally you would have already adjusted your study habits if you're doing poorly in a course. You use TruView to see your midterm grades. To see your midterm grades, click on the "View my midterm grades" link in the "My Academic Records" box on the Student Tab in TruView.

If you are unhappy with your progress in a class, you should discuss your academic performance with your instructor. You want to have a face-to-face meeting, so do not use the telephone or email to discuss your grade. Visit with your instructor during office hours or arrange a specific appointment. Consult your course syllabus to learn your instructor's office hours or how to make an appointment.

When you visit your instructor, take personal responsibility for your performance by using the first person pronoun, "I." For example, if you are completely surprised by the grade and don't understand its calculation, you might start the conversation with "I am a little confused by my midterm grade; can you explain to me its calculation? What assignments were included in the grade?" If you are doing poorly and want to improve your grade, you might ask, "I am not doing as well in this class as I would like and I need to change my approach to learning the material. Can you help me identify more effective study strategies for the class?"

Remember that your midterms grades are not your final grades. Your midterm grade may have been based on as little as 25% of the assignments that will go into your final grade. Your final grade can be quite different from your midterm grade. Hence, you still have an opportunity to change your final grade in either direction.

The last day to drop a course and receive a W on your transcript is Thursday, November 3. Before dropping a course, you should speak with the instructor and your academic advisor.

Finally, go to class! You should attend every class except when you're sick and contagious. Your instructors and classmates will appreciate you not sharing your germs.

Cold and flu sufferers commonly misperceive antibiotics as an effective treatments for their illnesses. Unfortunately, antibiotics neither prevent nor treat these illnesses. The best approach to cold and flu viruses is prevention. The influenza vaccination has been up to 90% effective in preventing flu in young healthy adults. For a nominal $15 fee, the Student Health Center administers flu shots each fall. Keep on the lookout for information on when you can get your flu shot.

Colds and other viruses are best prevented by keeping your stress level manageable, not smoking, eating a nutritious diet and adequate sleep, and practicing routine infection control measures. To prevent colds, carefully wash your hands and don't share food, towels, and handkerchiefs. Avoid touching your face, use disposable tissues, and dispose of them properly.

While tutoring is not available for every course, some tutoring is available to all students for selected courses and subjects. The Residential College Program website contains a list of all available tutoring at http://rcp.truman.edu/tutoring_available.htm. In addition, don't forget about writing assistance available at the Writing Center http://writingcenter.truman.edu/