Early to bed. Early to rise.

Friday, August 29, 2025

Dedicated students, distinguished colleagues and dear friends,

Happy Friday!

It is happening again! Our campus has come to life after the summer recess and is buzzing with excitement and contagious energy of thousands of students who shuffle between classes on the hour, every hour. You see, I have the terrific advantage of observing the mad foot traffic with meandering skateboarders, rollerbladers and bicycle riders from the vantage point of my second-floor office, and I love it.

Adding to the pleasure is our beautifully groomed campus with its brand new Havener Arrival Complex, which offers the introductory overture that leads into our still-in-the-cleaning-after-construction stage Welcome Center, our year-old Innovation Lab and soon to be our Bioplex – the home of our Medical Engineering and Bio-innovation Center. Complete with our renovated historic Rolla Building, the entire environment offers a full-out seduction to wanting to be a student again!

Of course, hindsight is 20/20, but I admit that, from time to time, I contemplate how I would do things differently if I were to start all over again. Interestingly, I get to live the college life again, albeit vicariously, through my own son, a sophomore engineering student himself to whom I preach, perhaps too much!

To our students, I say that on the second go around, I would try harder to have a better balance of my activities and, more importantly, better time management to avoid cramming for the big exam. A great side benefit? Actual learning that is not achieved by cramming. In other words, study smarter, not necessarily harder. And now, early in the semester, is a great time to develop a study plan with a realistic schedule and set goals. S.M.A.R.T. goals! Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Timely goals. In short, create a carefully crafted, cram-free study plan with milestones and timelines that will serve as your GPS to get you all the way through the finals. 

I would also form a study group — a buddy group that I can rely on to study with. Study groups help members proactively identify areas where they need assistance and encourage them to seek help sooner. Study group members can explain the more challenging subjects, quiz each other and clarify points of confusion. In addition to study group members, your professors, tutors and fellow students, S&T’s academic resourcesinclude advising, coaching, mentorship, peer tutoring and many other services to keep you on track. Emphatically, there is no substitute for getting to know your professors and their expectations, style and frankly, idiosyncrasies. Get to know them and let them know you, your strengths and your challenges, so they can help you.

By now, for my second lap, I know my learning style. At least I think I know my learning style. What is yours? What is your study method? How do you learn best? A 10-minute review of the class lecture before the lecture pays enormous dividends. So does attempting to solve the homework set before the lecture session on that topic. You will know exactly what questions to ask since you have had a preview of the problem set. Did you know that taking short breaks is essential to effective learning? I know that now and would take advantage of my awareness on my second go around.   

Finally, I would try to have a better balance of all aspects of a good life: family, friends, food, fun, exercise and sleep, and oh yes, work! You might have to sleep on it if you want to retain it! So, this time around, I will burn less of the midnight oil in exchange for more of the brighter sunlight in the morning. I will try hard, real hard, to heed Ben Franklin’s advice, “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man (and a woman) healthy, wealthy and wise.”

Warmly,

-Mo. 

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Mohammad Dehghani, PhD
Chancellor
mo@mst.edu | 573-341-4116

206 Parker Hall, 300 West 13th Street, Rolla, MO 65409-0910
chancellor.mst.edu