Study Skills for college students

1. How to Succeed in College Without Trying Without Trying was just to get your attention.

2. BORING

3. WHY DO SOMETHING THAT IS BORING? It is the right thing to do To avoid a negative consequence Doing the boring task will get you something you want

4. KNOW YOUR ENEMY STUDY SKILLS ASSESSMENT

5. ANSWER KEY TIME MANAGEMENT – 1, 2, 3 CONCENTRATION – 4, 5, 6 NOTE TAKING – 7, 8, 9 READING COMPREHENSION – 10, 11, 16 READING SPEED – 12, 17, 18 WRITING SKILLS – 19, 20, 21 STUDY STRATEGIES – 13, 14 15

7. Your goal provides you with direction.

10. What are your current grades?

11. Are these the grade you want to get?

12. How well do you know the material?

13. Are you up to date in all of your reading?

14. Are you having any difficulty learning the material?

16. Diet

17. Exercise

18. Managing feelings

19. Making connections

21. If you do not sleep at night, you will sleep sometime.

22. DietBrain food

23. Not Brain Food

24. Exercise

25. No Exercise – No Energy

26. Manage Feelings

27. Get Involved

28. HOW TO KNOW YOUR PROFESSOR Read your syllabus carefully Listen closely in class Speak with your professor Ask questions

29. Know your professor Course Policies: Assignments: In this course, as in the working world, you must turn in your assignments on time. All projects are due at the beginning of class on the dates given on the syllabus. Assignments turned in late will normally be penalized one letter grade unless you have made other arrangements with me in advance.

30. Know your professor Appearance: All work must be neatly typed, using standard margins and spacing. I require all documents to be in 12 point, Times New Roman font. Whether it is a letter, a memo, or a report, your communication should exhibit appropriate format. In general, letters and memos should be single-spaced with a blank line between paragraphs and reports should be double-spaced.All rough drafts must be typed.

31. Know your professor Grammar, Spelling, Proofreading: At work, even a single error in spelling, grammar, or proofreading can jeopardize the effectiveness of some communications—depending on the rhetorical situation. My grading will reflect the great seriousness with which these matters are viewed in the working world.

32. Know your professor Back-up Copies: Always prepare two copies of each major assignment. I will grade one copy and hand it back; the other copy will be for your own safe-keeping. Every student is expected to save all work in progress and every document written in this class, whether independent or collaborative, on some type of storage devise.

33. Know your professor Attendance and Preparation: I expect you to attend every class and to have your textbook and all works in progress with you. If you have unexcused absences, your class grade may be docked up to one full grade. Excused absences must be arranged in advance and all missed work must be made up. In the case of an emergency, you must send me an email detailing the date(s) and reason for your absence.

34. Know you professor Conferences: I strongly encourage you to see me when you have questions about an assignment, when you would like to try out some ideas before a draft is due, or when you have questions about a comment on a draft. You should also see me for help with particular writing problems, to resolve differences about grades, or to suggest ways to improve the course.

35. Know you professor When grading your assignments, I will ask one overriding question, “Does it work?” That is, would your communication have the intended effect on the reader you are addressing in the world outside the classroom. I will, of course, recognize the difference between a competent performance (a “C”) and good and excellent performances (“B” and “A”). A competent performance is one that stands a reasonable chance of succeeding; an excellent performance is one that seems assured not only of success but also of winning praise.

36. Know you professor All documents will receive a grade from A-F. Major projects receiving a grade of a B- or lower, may be revised once after meeting with the instructor. The maximum grade for a rewritten paper is a B.

37. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT THIS PROFESSOR? Stickler for timelines – Hand in everything in on time Attend every class. Notify the professor when you are going to miss class. Neatness counts – Type everything Focus on the details.

38. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT THIS PROFESSOR? No excuses – Admit your mistakes Meet with the professor even if you find the professor a little scary. Establish a relationship with the professor because the professor’s grading is subjective. Do it the professor’s way!

39. STRATEGIES FOR SUCCEEDING Schedule effectively Use learning strategies that work Know how to prepare for tests Learn how to manage your personal obstacles to learning

42. FOLLOWING YOUR SCHEDULE Set a specific time to start Have visual reminders Tell someone when you plan to start “Just get started”

44. Make good use of this information.

45. If you did not start on time, work on your initiation skills.

47. EFFECTIVE LEARNING STRATEGIES

48. IDENTIFY AN AREA THAT YOU USE EXCLUSIVELY FOR STUDYING If you consistently study in the same area, you will train your brain to focus on academic material when you are in that area. If you want to take a break, leave the area that you use for studying. Consider studying in the library because it is conducive to completing academic work.

49. Beds are for sleeping; they are not for studying.

51. Do you study better alone or in a group?

52. Who in your class knows the material well?

53. Would you be comfortable meeting with your professor?

55. Make multiple connections among the concepts you are learning--for example, how are they similar or different, and how can the concepts be grouped?

56. Teach the material to someone who is not in your class.

59. Number different aspects of the concepts.

61. Under each main idea, write down important details or facts.

62. List key concepts and vocabulary and generate a definition for each one.

64. 9 symptoms

65. Diagnosis requires 6 symptoms

66. Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type

67. 6 hyperactive symptoms

68. 3 impulsive symptoms

69. Diagnosis requires 6 symptoms

71. Can you write down all of the symptoms? Inattentive _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ Hyperactive/Impulsive _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

73. Review your study guide with your professor.

74. Ask your professor to explain the format of the exam.

76. Assemble all of your handouts and notes.

77. Are you missing any important information?

79. If your textbook has a web site, GO TO THAT WEB SITE AND TAKE PRACTICE TESTS THAT YOU FIND.

81. Illegal cheat sheetNot a good idea

82. A LEGAL CHEAT SHEET Turn the test over Recreate your study guide Draw any charts or graphs you may need. Write out memory strategies Make lists you memorized What does a Legal Cheat Sheet look like?

83. What a legal cheat sheet for Abnormal Psychology looks like

84. KNOW THE OBSTACLES YOU FACE AND HOW TO MANAGE THEM Feeling overwhelmed Use relaxation techniques Focus on one task at a time Get help from Counseling Services Trying to be perfect Set realistic expectations Lower your expectations

86. Turn off your cell phone and Instant Messenger.

87. Reward yourself for staying focused.

88. Keep a pad and pencil with you when studying so you can write down other thoughts you want to remember that pop into your mind.

89. Vary your study activities and topics.

91. Tell your friends what you are trying to accomplish. Ask for their help.

92. Stay away from distracting people.

94. Ask yourself how material could be useful to you in the future

95. Talk to your professor about the material

97. WEB SITES General Information http://www.studygs.net http://ced.ncsu.edu/onlinetools/ http://www.bucks.edu/~specpop/studyskills.htm Chemistry http://www.chemistrylecturenotes.com/ Scheduling http://www.lib.umn.edu/help/calculator/ Essay Tests General http://www1.csbsju.edu/academicadvising/help/essayexm.htm

99. Contact information Alan Babcock aub15@psu.edu 948-6025