Fundamentals of College Study

Getting Started

• 8/28 • 8/30 • 9/4 • 9/11 • 9/18 • 9/25 • 10/2 • 10/9 • 10/16

Schedule

Getting Acquainted Student Fair Academic Preparation Academic Success Alcohol and Campus Issues Health and Welfare Diversity Financial Management Student Legacy

Getting Started

• Getting to know one another • Syllabus • Class Policy • Activities/Assignments • Grading

Objective and Goals

• To make your transition into the Salisbury University family a smooth one.

• To gain some insight into what is required of you to be successful here and in your future career.

• To openly discuss the challenges you will face, the stress you may feel, and some of the opportunities you have to grow intellectually.

Class Policy

• Attendance is required.

• All assignments must be turned in to pass.

• Class participation is expected.

Activities and Assignments

• Attend at least three Student Activity Fair stations on 8/30 in Red Square(or Wicomico Room if raining).

• Schedule online with Career Services and attend a Career Development/Program Planning workshop.

• Vision statement and educational goals

Course Grade

• Pas or Fail • To pass you must attend every session and turn in all assignments • If you fail, you will be required to take the class next semester.

What are the Major Transition Issues a New Student Faces?

• Learning to manage time • Missing family and friends • Having to make your own decisions • Having to do everything for yourself • Managing money • Managing the stress of it all

Let us talk about stress.

True or False • We bring it upon ourselves?

• Cramming relieves stress?

• Partying the night before relaxes me so I can do better tomorrow?

• Missing class reduces stress?

• Thinking about your hot date tonight during class helps you learn better?

• Putting things off today reduces future stress?

Seriously, how can we handle stress?

• Be prepared • Have a positive attitude • Get off of this attitude that I hate this subject. Be adult and learn it • Keep up to date-do not fall behind • Avoid cramming– do not procrastinate • Work with someone or a group. But be a participant and not a leach.

• Be able to say no • Be proud of yourself

Truths or Myths

• Professors are ogres • Professors are here to make your life miserable • Professors are unfair, uncaring, and just plain mean • Professors do not care if you learn or not • Professors never help.

Truths or Myths (continued)

• Making attendance mandatory is totally unfair. Businesses do not care if you show up or not.

• Committing to excellence is a waste of time. Businesses do not care if you can do anything of quality • Bad study habits equal good work habits • Success depends upon not what I know but what I can get away with.

Success in taking Tests

• Attend classes • Read the text • Take notes and listen to the Professor • Use some note taking system (Cornell’s or Leonard’s or your own.) • Meet with the Professor to talk about areas of concern • Make up and take your own test • Form a study group

What is a future employer interested in about you?

• Can you communicate.

• Are you dependable.

• Do you do quality work.

• Are you a team player.

• Can you work under stress.

• Do you have leadership potential.

• Are you willing to do anything to get the job done.

Ask yourself this question

• Would you hire yourself?

A Freebee

• College Experience equals career experience. Build a portfolio of: – Reports – Significant achievements – Attendance records – Extra curricula activities – Leadership roles – Internships

Some basic questions for you to ponder.

• Where does your education fit into your plan for the future?

• Do you have a plan?

• What is the first step in preparing a plan for the future?

Success in Business

• All successful business have a written vision of what it is they wish to become or be seen as.

• They all derive a set of specific objectives and goals that they believe will, if followed, achieve the vision.

Vision Composition

• Visions typically include some of the following: – Career/business objective – Run of the mill or top of the line quality – Ethical, honest and moral reputation – Participant in the community in which they reside – Specialist or Generalist

A Vision Statement

• All successful company’s and professionals have a clear, written Vision that articulates what they wish to be and how they would like to be viewed by all they come in contact with.

• A Vision Statement becomes the focus of all of your resources.

You should Consider Strongly Writing One • Need not be lengthy • Something you truly believe in • Something that will help you establish your priorities • Something that will help you control your finite resources.

Week 1 Assignments

• Written paper due 9/4. • A. One page double spaced. Subject is “What do you expect to be the biggest problem in your transition to college and how will you deal with the problem.” • B. Written Vision statement and a set of goals and objectives for the coming year that will help you begin to achieve to your vision

Academic Preparation

Active Learning and Critical Thinking

What does it take to get the most out of University life?

• Active participation in studies and other school activities?

• Control of your resources? • FOCUS! FOCUS! FOCUS!

Education should now be the most important focal point. • You should be prepared to be an ACTIVE LEARNER.

• Active learning develops not only domain expertise, but also helps develop the characteristics businesses look for and your Vision mandates.

Major Transition Issues

• Time Management • Balancing Diverse Interests

How can we get control of these issues?

• List some of the things you do now or possibly could do to take control of the issues?

• What are the possible consequences if you do not take control?

Things you can do?

• Communicate your vision. • Prepare an overall schedule for achieving your vision.

• Prepare a shorter term POA&M.

• Prioritize- Schedule higher priorities first, fill in with lesser priorities

For your education

• Schedule enough time for study and homework (Rule of thumb is 2hr/credit/week.) • Get into a routine.

• Schedule in break time during study time.

• Develop good study habits

Executing the Plan

• If it does not support your vision don’t schedule it. Do not do it.

• If you are a worrier, set aside 5 minutes to go worry and then forget about and get back on plan.

What are the consequences if you don’t follow the plan.

• Higher risk of poor grades • Higher risk of lower on job performance • Higher risk of family repercussions

The SQ3R Method

• S - stands for SURVEY • Q - stands for QUESTION • R - stands for READ • R - stands for RECITE • R - stands for REVIEW

Survey

• Gives you the big picture. • First look at the headings and subheadings and summaries

Question

• Turn the headings and subheadings into questions.

• Write questions in the margin

Read

• When you read the text or other resource, try to find the answer to your questions.

• Under line or highlight the answers.

• Look for connectivity between what you are trying to learn now and previous material.

Review

• Read and reread until you understand.

• Write down question or areas that you do not get to discuss with the instructor.

• Take chapter tests.

• Ask your study group to quiz you.

Recite

• Verbalize the material you have read.

• When not reading ask your self what were the major points. • Answer the questions without looking at the book until you have to look.

Note Taking Methods

• Preparing for class- SQ3R Method • During Class- 1) Cornell Method 2) Leonard Method

Objectives

• Understand what Active Learning is.

• Why is it important to do?

• How do you do it?

• When do you do it?

• Where do you do it?

• How is it different from Passive Learning • Where does Critical Thinking fit in?

What is Active Learning

• Doing whatever is necessary to fully understand the subject material at each stage of your development.

• Being the principal person in charge of your learning. • Being proactive before, during, and after class.

Active Learning Actions

• Exercising Critical Thinking and Reflection • Preparation • Following through to find answers • Engagement before, during, and after class.

• Seeking help when you do not understand.

• Active listening

Good Active Learning Habits

• Take notes and organize ASAP after class.

• Highlight what you believe to be really important • Participate in study groups • Read and study the text before class.

• Compare text with Professor notes. • Do homework as scheduled.

• Do not procrastinate • Follow a plan • Exercise self discipline

What is Passive Learning

• Attending Class most of the time • Taking Notes haphazardly • Listening most of the time • Doing Homework but maybe not all • Stopping when the going gets tough.

Passive Vs Active Learning

• In active learning, the professor is a facilitator. You are the prime mover and responsible for how much you learn.

• In passive learning, the professor is still a facilitator. He is a resource among many available to you to learn if you choose. Passive learners assume incorrectly that the professor will do it all for them.

The Short of it

• Active Learners take advantage of all available resources to help them learn.

• Active Learners take control of their own learning.

What are some of the Resources Active Learners Use?

• The professor, of course.

• The textbook, of course.

• The internet for research (Google) • Library • Dictionary • Mentors, Tutors and Lab Help.

• Study Groups and other Collaboration

What is Critical Thinking?

• An intellectually disciplined process of actively conceptualizing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to help achieve a real understanding of issues. • It is a mode of thinking that is proactive, observant, and reflective.

• It is a thought process driven by a desire to understand.

An important Equation

5 W’s + 1H = Critical Thinking = Knowledge

The 5W’s and 1H

• What is it I am supposed to know?

• Why is it important for me to know it?

• Where do I obtain the necessary resources to learn it?

• When will I apply it?

• Who was involved?

• How do you apply it?

What does a Critical Thinker do?

• Raise vital questions and formulates them clearly • Gathers and assesses relevant information to help answer the questions • Looks at issues from all angles.

• Is open minded when seeking the best solution or understanding.

• Is willing to give up preconceived ideas.

Managing Time

• List all of your interfaces and the nature of each interface, e.g., family, job, school, friends, yourself, etc.

• Prioritize each interface.

• Allocate time to each according to the their priority.

• Lay out a plan.

Academic Success

Self Assessment Learning Styles Test Taking

What does achieving success require? • A clear vision.

• A plan to make it happen.

• The fortitude to follow the plan.

Note Taking

Active learners know how to take notes when they study and when they are in class.

Do you?

Keys To Learning Success

• Prepare for class by reading the material and taking notes of what is read.

• Listening in class and taking notes of what you hear and see.

• Reviewing notes ASAP after the class.

• Comparing, organizing,& expanding notes.

The Cornell Note Taking System • Draw a 2 ½ inch margin down the left side of a blank page creating a cue column. • Take notes only to the right.

• After class write in the cue column questions, key words and phrases that relate to the right side.

• Write a summary at the bottom of the page

The Leonard Note Taking System • Take notes on one side of a 5 x 7 card.

• Write study questions and key words and phrases on the other side.

Tips for note taking

• Omit vowels • Use the first part of a word • Use standard symbols • Create your own symbols • Highlight, circle, underline, etc.

A good learning Strategy

• Read the text before class. It is easier to listen to material you are familiar with.

• Sit up front or in the middle. It is easier to maintain eye contact with the instructor.

• Listen well at the beginning to learn the major objectives for the class.

• Take good notes. They are the record of the major points discussed in class.

Strategy (continued)

• Indenting notes helps organize topics and subtopics.

• Statistics show that you can not remember everything discussed in class. Take notes.

• Use abbreviations.

• Write neatly. If you can not read them, you cannot use them.

Strategy(continued)

• Edit and expand your shorthand notes ASAP after the class. The earlier the better.

• Study and review as often as you can. Include in your time management schedule.

Short and Long Term Memory

• Short term memory is when information is entered into the brain. Reading and Listening.

• Long term memory is when you store information into the brain through questioning, reviewing, reading and rereading.

Knowing your Brain

• Left Side Right Side • Logical Intuitive • Linear Non-linear • Mathematical Visual • Analytical Creative • Reasoning Sub-conscious

Where do you fit?

• If you are logical, mathematical, etc, then you are most likely left hemisphere dominant in your learning.

• If you are intuitive, visual, and creative, then you are most likely right side dominant.

• It is not important that you know whether you are left or right side dominant, but how you learn.

Building a Hierarchy

• When you Survey a text and build a set of notes you are building what is called a hierarchy. • A hierarchy is a relationship between the main ideas (paragraph headings) and supporting details (indented information).

A Good Study Strategy

• A strategy used by effective learners is called “Divided Practice”.

• Divided Practice means that if you break your study time up into short blocks of time, with rest periods in between, you will give your memory time to absorb and not overload its capacity.

What is Your Learning Style?

• Are you a Visual Learner?

• Are you a Auditory Learner?

• Are you a Kinesthetic Learner?

Visual Learners

• Create mind maps, flow charts, and diagrams.

• Use colors • Rewrite notes using different colors

Auditory Learners

• Talk to themselves • Tape Lectures • Work in study groups

Kinesthetic Learners

• Use their hands • Create flash cards • Type into laptops • Like to go to the board

Test Taking

• Requires preparation • Test taking routine • Follow-up

Good Preparation Requires

• Devising a study plan • Managing your time (into chunks) • Partner or participate in study groups • Study handouts and quizzes • Study homework • Prepare sample tests • Review notes

During the test requires

• Previewing the questions • Reading the directions • Do what you know first • Use all allotted time • Try to answer every question • Look for partial credit

Test Follow-up

• Look up answers to questions in doubt.

• Study test results good and bad.

• Retake the test

• Objective

Kinds of Tests

• Subjective

• True/False

Objective Tests

• Matching • Multiple Choice • Fill ins

Subjective Tests

• Essays • Designed to get you to recall, organize and present in a coherent manner information and knowledge.

Answering True/False Questions • All parts must be true • Make an educated guess • Qualifying words like all, always, etc., tend to be false • Qualifying words like frequent, often, etc., tend to be true • Cross out the double negatives and answer the remaining question.

Multiple Choice Questions

• Eliminate the 100% qualifiers • Chose “All of the Above” • Chose between similar looking options • Discard silly, off the wall options • Chose the most inclusive answer

Fill ins

• Think of key words and definitions • “a” is followed by a consonant • “an” is followed by a vowel • Write something to show some knowledge. Hope for partial credit.

Essay Questions

• Think about what it is you want to say and conclusions to be shown. • Say it. Organize your thoughts.

• Conclude by summarizing what you said and conclusions reached

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Student Activities

Importance of Internships, Volunteerism, and Apprenticeships • Develop your domain expertise • Provide insight into related career opportunities • Provide direct experience for resumes • A source for references

Important Salisbury Values

• Honesty and Integrity – No cheating – No plagarism • Diversity – Open-mindedness to diverse opinions and ideas – Celebrating and embracing the diversity of all students, faculty and staff.