Success starts now!

If you’re down on your luck and struggling to pass classes, regaining your academic focus is easier said than done.

But don’t lose hope: Starting this term, MHCC is requiring a brand-new, two-credit course called “College Success” (HD100B) to get lagging students back on their feet and on the road to success.

Already, nearly 200 students are enrolled in one of more than a dozen HD100B class sections.

The class is mandatory for probationary students with low grades and fewer than 45 credits earned, to provide the skills needed to manage a successful academic career.

Skills taught include time management; financial literacy and budgeting; emotional intelligence; finding motivation to succeed; educational planning and goal setting; understanding college expectations; and, designing habits for academic success.

Besides honing the necessary skills, the class aims to dig deeper into the core, by strengthening each student’s ability to make connections with their peers and instructors.

Included are engagement strategies from the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Center.

“Research shows that making connections with faculty and peers is key for struggling students,” says Lauren Smith, AVID Center coordinator at Mt. Hood.

The college success course is not optional for students placed on academic probation, but those students shouldn’t let that intimidate them, advisers said.

They should treat the class as a lifeline, a way to keep from falling into academic suspension.

“It is hard for many to ask for help, and we, at Mt. Hood Community College, feel it is our responsibility to do whatever we can to be sure our students have the skills and confidence needed to succeed,” said Nancy Fisser, coordinator of the College Success program.

With recent statistics showing that half of students under probation did not return for additional classes, and those that did continued to slide in academic performance, there’s a demonstrated need for the new course, advisers said.

Students who wish to learn more about the College success course may contact Fisser at [email protected]. They also may find FAQs on the MHCC website, listed under the “For current students” and then “Academic Support” tabs.