Little things like attire, smiles, handshakes, welcoming statements go a long way in creating a positive first impression that are lasting. It's amazing how vivid student's memories are of that first day in class and things you said that first day. It's a very important day for them, so it's critical your impression is positive.

Although we do a lot of "counseling" in this industry, we are not in the Mental Health business. Mental Health professionals deal with much more serious conditions, addictions, etc. that we are not trained to handle. We do however perform more "life coaching" than a traditional higher education as well as academic counseling, but we are not in the Mental Health business by any stretch.

I have the reputation in my program as being theInstructor you love or hate. My students will say they love me because I am fair, firm consistant, honest and will help whenever I can to help them be successful. They will tell other students - You will love her if you are here to learn and succeed but if you are here just to waste time you will not like her. Just being in class is unacceptable in my class. You have to work hard and earn your grade. I have had a 93-99% retention rate for the past three years.

I had the fortune to experience a culture/group of individuals that served as a mentor for me in Graduate School. The entire Department's focus was on learning rather than GPA, modeling behavior, and mentoring new teachers in all of the ways the course describes. Each instructor cared about every student in the program and went above and beyond to prepare us. They also took the time to get to know us an people.

I always call students who fail to show during Week 1. Sometimes, they don't even realize that the new semester as started and they just needed a simple reminder!

I advise my students to make friends with another student peer on the first day of class. I encourage them to exchange phone numbers and email. This way, when one of them doesn't show up to class, they are more likely to ask their student peer about what was missed.

So many of our courses require a textbook. Students often wait until Week 2 or 3 to get ahold of the textbook and this sets the course way back! One solution I have found is to email the students BEFORE the course meets for the first time to set an expectation about timely textbook acquisition.

I have found that it is extraordinarily important to make a great impression on the first week of class. I try to be as enthusiastic, positive, funny, and engaging as possible to ensure that we all get off to a great start. If you lose the respect of your students on the first day of class, it is nearly impossible to get it back.

I found that the way we interact with the students does have an impact on the future of the students. We can help the students with the showing them the right attitude and how they can be more successful.

I found this to be important to see both students and co-workers as customers. I can teach the students to look at this in a different light. If the students look at this as a job and how to handle a customer in the proper mannor, this might help them succeed in the real world.

I have found that when Career Services and Academics work very closely together from the beginning of a student's time with us, we get the best results. A student has a much better sense of what they need to do throughout their entire collegiate experience to be ready for the employment, so that when they get to externship, it is not a surprise.

Creating student retention the first week starts with the bonding process. When students build rapport with others their chances of staying long term is increased. As the saying in the business goes "Students quit schools, they don't quit friends."

At what point can Instructors and Program Directors believe that everything that could be done to retain a student has been done?

A success of a student is the emotional tie that they have the first day. By helping them see the "light" it will instill the motivation to stay with the program. The vision of what is to come after graduation and how successful they can be in their chosen field.

Assessing the structure is what we all intutively do with most things in life. When it comes to students and thier choice of a college and/or class, it is no different, especially if they are paying good money for it. We can expect that students will assess the structure of the first week to see if it is worth staying on board.

Community is key for encouraging success with students. In the community, the faculty plays a huge role in leading the students and modeling by example. Wherein, the other students provide the needed support system. Collectively, they should work in synergy to create a family feel that embodies trust and encourgages having a voice. Ultimately, these pieces contribute to the right community.

Orientation is all about impression. Moreover, a first impression. When a student comes to orientation they are expecting to get connected not only to others in the institution (like instructors and other students), but are looking to get connected to the resources that will help them suceed in their journey. They are ultimately looking to have their expectations (set out by the admissions counselor) met and are there to make sure that they are in line with the descision they made to attend.

I usually have a red flag when a student fails to show for the first class. It seems many students see this day as a waste of time because so much can focus on the mechanics of the class, syllabus and expectations. While this is partially true, a savvy teacher keeps the first day interesting and “hooks” the students. When you get the “no-show” they miss that important interaction. A follow-up and connection to the new studding will be needed to ensure they integrate into the program and this also lets the student know you are watching and actually care about their participation.

Keeping students actively engaged and participating within the class structure to maximize their learning potential. Students “checking out” is a major challenge in career schools when a student is coming into a night class after completing a full days of work and managing the tedious aspects of their personal life. By creating an exciting environment and keeping the students attention will support the overall retention effort of the instructor and school.

In reflecting on the content thus far, I started to see how it really is all about service and servicing our students. For years I have facilitated quality service in what I do and have seen the benefits of having and acquiring long term clients. We, as instructors need to make it about the students and center or classes around thier needs and creatively and passionately communicate the objectives in light of thier specific personalities and learning types, while keeping in mind, thier surrounding influences. Ultimately, retention comes from exceptional service and retention is crucial.