Ten Strategies for Your Academic Success / Professor Sujung Kim, Religious Studies *Buddhism*

On Doing Well in All of Your Classes

1. At the beginning of your semester, read your syllabus very carefully. Identify major deadlines and do backwards planning. This way, you will stay on top of your schedule and will have more free time.
2. Create a good habit of reviewing study material on a regular basis. You will save a lot of time and energy in this way.
3. When you take notes, use pen and paper, not your laptop or phone. You will be more focused and remember better.
4. Often your peers in a class can teach you as much as can your professor. So respect them and be friends with them. You will learn from them more than you think.
5. Learning happens elsewhere. Go to talks and other academic events. You will learn more than what you learn from the classroom.

On Doing Well in the Courses that I Teach:
Intro to Religion; Buddhism; East Asian Religions; Buddhism and Film; Modern Buddhism

1. Be motivated throughout the semester. I value students’ continuous efforts more than anything else. Convince me that you’re doing your best throughout the semester.
2. Be open minded. We learn foreign concepts, beliefs, and practices throughout the semester. Try to understand and analyze objectively before you form your own opinions.
3. Be critical. Also, challenge conventional thinking. Being critical and criticizing are two different things. Do not take everything at face value, including what I say in the classroom.
4. The best way to learn is to ask. Thoughtful questions are possible through a careful reading. When you do your reading, take notes and come up with questions at the end. Any questions related to course materials are welcomed in my class.
5. The best way to get to know me and to be more excited about the course materials is to come and talk to me. Use office hours effectively and strategically.

 January 2020