1. Prof. Wayne’s Top Ten Tips for Course Success: Process Concerns
Myth: “I passed at my CCC, so I can pass at CSUN”
Reality: 1) 300- and 400-level courses are harder. 2) Compared to a 2-year institution, CSUN is quantitatively and qualitatively more difficult.
Myth: “I can fix my low grade at the end of class”
Reality: Strategically and statistically, this is very hard (but yes, you constantly improve—so try to improve faster than your colleagues).
Myth: “I don’t need to write well”
Reality: For a number of reasons, this just isn’t true. Good academic writing is, in effect, good intellectual thinking. In contemporary work life, professional, managerial, and executive persuasion matters more than ever.
Myth: “I can always just ask a student colleague for help”
Reality: Perhaps, occasionally; but never on tests. And you can’t always just “look it up” or “search for it” either. Separating value from trash on the Internet remains non-trivial (and will remain so in the foreseeable future).
Myth: “I’m a MGT major; this class, therefore, is a breeze”
Reality: MGT students need to earn a “C” or better in MGT. And a C- is not a C.

2. Prof. Wayne’s Top Ten Tips for Course Success: Content Concerns
Myth: “Management is a soft course”
Reality: The soft stuff (inter-personal skills) is the hard stuff (technical skills). It’s just you don’t know that now (but you will sooner than later).
Myth: “Leadership is only for senior executives (top mgt.)”
Reality: One builds an “executive perspective” on a continuous basis. In fact, one needs that perspective before one can be a senior executive.
Myth: “Management isn’t scientific”
Reality: The study of MGT & Org. Behavior is both systematic and scientific. We’ll combine the values of both art and science for organizational success.
Myth: “Only Products (‘Goods and Services’) matter”
Reality: Early-stage ventures occasionally create products first, and then firms second. But most often, existing firms create products. Either way, people create the products and the firms. We’ll focus chiefly on the organizations.
Myth: “Human Resources is easy—just fire the weak ones”
Reality: This is a last resort. 1) It might be illegal, unethical, or just plain hard. 2) It is very expensive to hire replacement talent higher up in the firm.

3. Prof. Wayne’s Top Ten Tips for Course Success: Understanding pass/fail rates in Large classes
When one studies the issue in depth, what is the pass rate (i.e., “ABCs”) in, say, MGT 360? Or conversely, what is the fail rate (i.e., the “DUFs”, or 100% minus the pass rate)? And in Business, a “C-” is just as bad as a “fail” for some students.
The pass rate for small sections (~40 students) is about 95% or 38 (i.e., 95% of 40 = 38). Or conversely, the fail rate is 5% or 2 (i.e., 5% of 40 = 2).
If the fail rate was the same for the large sections as it was for the small sections, the fail rate would be 5% or 8 (i.e., 5% of 160 = 8).
However, the pass rate for large sections (~160 students) is about 85% or 136 (i.e., 85% of 160 = 136). Or conversely, the fail rate is 15% or 24 (i.e., 15% of 160 = 24).
Note that the fail rate does not stay the same; the fail rate, unfortunately, increases. To be very clear: holding nearly everything else constant, increasing the class size by four increases the fail rate by twelve (i.e., from 8 to 24).
Lesson: It’s easier to fail (i.e., not pass) in a large section than in a small section.
Remedy: Students need to focus and work harder in large lecture hall classes.

4. Prof. Wayne’s Top Ten Tips for Course Success: Avoiding “DUFs”
“F/UW”
Issue: These students either don’t take the final, or more often, do little or no work after the mid-term, but don’t drop. This grade sticks with you unless and until you repeat the course (something you don’t want to do) and earn a higher grade (something that can be hard to do)
Remedy: Drop early. CSUN has student-initiated (and University-initiated) drops, but not instructor-initiated drops (like many CCCs).
“D-/D”
Issue: These students are missing much work throughout the class. Each missed assignment counts as a zero (i.e., an “F”) in your overall grade.
Remedy: Always turn in all assignments even if you don’t feel it’s your best work. Don’t miss the mid-term or final exam. And of course, always attend every class.
“D+/C-”
Issue: These students earn C’s/D’s on most of their work, but moreover, the work doesn’t improve throughout the semester. That is, the level of performance at the end of class is very nearly identical to the level of performance at the beginning of class.
Remedy: Strive to perform well early, but regardless, strive to continuously improve on each type of class work deliverable as best as you can.