1. MENTORING
ACADEMIC SUCCESS
Workshops for H.E.R.O.E.S.
Hispanics Engaged
in the Retention of Educational Students
Spr i ng 2012
Mentors
Dr. Reynaldo Garay Luciano Salinas
Dean Student Development (Southeast) Counselor (Southeast)
James Corona Ramiro Fonseca
Coord. Career/Transfer Svcs. (Southeast) Minority Male Initiative (System)
Abel Guerrero Geovanni Fuentes
Program Director (System) Faculty/Tutor (Southeast)
Jesus Medel Frank Ortiz
Adjunct Faculty Mexican American Studies (Northeast) Faculty Dept. Chair (Southeast)

2. HEROESWORKSHOP ONE
CAREER INFORMATION
ASSIGNMENT
INSTRUCTION SHEET
Write a one-page discussion paper with your comments describing the value of the
assignment in your life and bring to next meeting for review and discussion. Include the
three reports generated by this assignment.
Step 1.
First go to Career Interest Profiler:
http://www.texascaresonline.com/ip/ipinstruct.asp
When completed, print out the report . Attach this report to your discussion paper.
You will get scores in these six areas: Realistic (R), Investigative (I), Artistic (A), Social (S), Enterprising
(E), and Conventional (C). Identify your highest score because you will be using that “letter” ( ‘A’ from
Artistic in this case) in Step 2 the Career Game.

3. Page 2. HEROES WORKSHOP ONE
Step 2.
Now go to the Career Game:
http://career.missouri.edu/students/majors-careers/skills-interests/career-interest-
game/?menu=student&expand=si
Using your highest score area from your Career Profiler Inventory from Step 1, click on the Letter on the
Umbrella.
Now click on the Click Here in the box next to the Umbrella.
Now click on each of the first five questions for career information about your interests.
When you click on question five, Career Possibilities (Holland Code), several careers will be listed. Print
this page. (One to the printed pages will contain the Career Possibilities which you will use in Step 3
O*NET.)
Step 3.
Now go to O*NET:
http://www.onetonline.org/
From the Career Game’s Career Possibilities, type in your career field in the Occupational Search box on
the top right corner and click on arrow. You will get a full report on that career field. Print this report.
Attach this report to your discussion paper.
After printing the O*NET report, go to the bottom of the report where it provides a national salary
average. Select the state of your choice and click “go”. Now go to the bottom of the state report and
click “select all” on the “Modify Occupational Content” and click on “update”. Now print this state
salary report.Attach this report to your discussion paper.
Take a red pen and circle information you would like to discuss from the Career
Game report, the O*Net report or the state salary report.
Note: After generating your reports on your selected career, you may want to repeat
Step 3 to process other careers you may be interested in through O*Net.)

4. HEROESWORKSHOP TWO
ADVSIING TRANSITION STRATEGIES
ASSIGNMENT
INSTRUCTION SHEET
Write a one-page discussion paper with your comments describing the value of the
assignment in your life and bring to next meeting for review and discussion. Include your
Transfer Plan(s) and your Academic Advisement Report generated by this assignment.
1. HOW TO OBTAIN A UNIVERSITY TRANSFER PLAN
Log on to www.hccs.edu
On the sidebar of the page, Click on “Current Students”
Go to the bottom of Student Support block and Click on “Transferring from HCC”
On the top bar, hold the cursor on “Agreements” and when the dropdown menu
appears, Click on “Traditional 2+2 Transfer Plans”.
Now Click on the university of your choice.
Now select the desired major/degree plan of your choice and print it out. Attach this
report to your discussion paper.
When your transfer plan asks that you select courses from a “list”, use your Academic
Advisement Report to determine these courses.
2. HOW TO OBTAIN YOUR STUDENT ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT REPORT
Log on to the Student System at www.hccs.edu
Click on My Academics
Click on View My Advisement Report and then click on Go (You may have to click on
Go again
after the error message.)
Click on Print the Advisement Report. Attach this report to your discussion paper.
Your report should indicate your Program(“college major”) and your Plan (either the
Associate of Arts, the Associate of Science, the Associate of Applied Science Plan or the
Certificate of Completion).

5. page 2. HEROES WORKSHOP TWO
If either the Program or the Plan is not correct, please make the notation on your AAR
and come by the Counseling Center, so we can update your student file.
Part I is “Academic Core Curriculum Requirements” with subsections “A” through “J”.
Part II is “College Level Elective Requirements” (courses required in college major).
Part III is “Academic Degree Requirements” with ‘residency hours’ and ‘gpa’.
Each part will indicate which courses are needed to complete the degree or certificate.
If you do not get the entire report (4 to 5 pages), then please come by the Counseling
Center because you may need to update either your “student program” or your
“student plan”. If your university transfer courses do not appear in your report,
please email your Campus Counseling Center.
SELECTING CLASSES DURING REGISTRATION
Reminder of the developmental/remedial course selection sequence:
Math 0306 Math 0308 Math 0312 Math 1314
Engl 0300 Engl 0310 Gust 0339 Gust 0341 Gust 0342
Once Engl 0310 and Gust 0342 are completed Engl 1301
Pre-requisites and Co-requisites must be met in order to register for courses.
Courses requiring college level writing and reading requirements means that the
student is eligible to enroll in Engl 1301 by either test scores or by successful
completion of Engl 0310 and Gust 0342.
Use both the academic advisement report and the university
transfer plan to help you select courses for your “major
program” each semester.

6. HEROES WORKSHOP THREE
STRATEGIES FOR MAKING BETTER GRADES
ASSIGNMENT
INSTRUCTION SHEET
Write a one-page discussion paper with your comments describing the value of the
assignment in your life and bring to next meeting for review and discussion. Include the
three reports from #1, #2 and #4 generated by this assignment.
1. Go to Google.com and search for “college success”. Review several “sites”. List three
websites and strategies that you find interesting and that you can incorporate into your
life as a college student. Attach to your discussion paper.
2. Go to Google.com and search for “college survival”. Review several “sites”. List three
websites and strategies that you find interesting and that you can incorporate into your
life as a college student. Attach to your discussion paper.
3. Sit in the front of the class and participate in class discussions. Complete all reading
and assignments before class. Take good notes using only two-thirds of the page. Use
the other third for “review notes later. Get into a study group of no more than 5
students.
4. Schedule 4 hours of study for every 1 hour in class. Use the example study schedule
below to build your own study schedule that fits your life. Attach your schedule to
your discussion paper.
Engl 1301 8:00 am - 9:30 am (MW)
Study: TTH 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm Sat/Sun 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Math 1314 11:00 am - 12:30 pm (MW)
Study: TTH 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Sat/Sun 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Hist 1301 8:00 am - 9:30 am (TTH)
Study: MWF 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Sat/Sun 8:00 am – 9:30 am
Psyc 2301 11:00 am - 12:30 pm (TTH)
Study: MWF 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm Sat/Sun 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
5. Use all the testing time given to you in every class. Be the last one to leave the testing
session. Use 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete your test and the last 15 minutes to
check for mistakes. The difference between a B and an A is one point (89 versus 90).
Finding that one mistake on your tests can help you make better grades immediately.
Try this strategy and discuss your outcomes.
When will you know that you are a “successful” student? When you can go to class knowing
that you can teach the material you were asked to learn.

7. HEROES WORKSHOP FOUR
SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION
ASSIGNMENT
INSTRUCTION SHEET
Write a one-page discussion paper with your comments describing the value of the
assignment in your life and bring to next meeting for review and discussion. Include the
website from #1, #2 and #3 generated by this assignment.
1. Go to Google.com and search for
effective study techniques organizing yourself test taking skills,
college math games time management tips note taking strategies
writing a scholarship essay college educational games making A’s in College
mind mapping free college math videos learning styles
improve my memory improve my math skills
improve my reading skills improve my writing skills
Review several “sites”. List three websites and strategies that you find interesting
and that you can incorporate into your life as a college student. Attach to your
discussion paper.
2. Go to Google.com and search for each of your classes using this approach:
(Example PSCY 2301 General Psychology)
Psyc 2301 Texas Psyc 2301 lecture notes
Psyc 2301 exams Psyc 2301 videos
College General Psychology Texas College General Psychology
Review several “sites”. List three websites and strategies that you find interesting
and that you can incorporate into your life as a college student. Attach to your
discussion paper.
3. Go to Google.com and search for free college videos:
free college math videos free college algebra videos
free college chemistry videos free U.S. History videos
free psychology videos free biology videos
Review several “sites”. List three websites and strategies that you find interesting
and that you can incorporate into your life as a college student. Attach to your
discussion paper.

8. Page 2. HEROES WORKSHOP FOUR
4. Developmental Math videos:
HCC Professor Dr. Douglas Bump: http://sophia.hccs.edu/~douglas.bump/math/
Click on Math 0306 review, or Math 0308 review or Math 0312 review
When you open the review, highlight the problem that will be presented. Try to find
the solution first. Then click on the problem so that you can see what errors you might
have made as they present the solution to the problem.
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT OCW): www.ocw.mit.edu
Over 2000 MIT Courses are on its Open Course Ware. Lecture notes in Powerpoint,
audio and video formats, assignments with solutions, practice and real exams with
answer keys. A very useful resource to help in your college studies. Use is as a side-by-
side tutorial.
6. Free Education for the Planet: www.free-ed.net
The website is organized like a university. Click on directory of courses and study
programs. There are two ways to locate the subject, course, or learning activity: 1.
Search by course names or keywords. 2. Because Free-Ed.Net is organized like a
university, you can search by a specific college (like Education, Engineering, Business,
Math, etc.)
7. Learners TV: www.learnerstv.com
Video Lectures, Video Courses, Science Animations, Lecture Notes, Online Test, Lecture
Presentations. Absolutely free.
8. Khan Academy Video Courses: www.khanacademy.org
Library of over 2000 educational videos on Math, Science, Humanities and others along
with Test Prep and Talks and Interviews.
9. YouTube: www.youtube.com
Enter college course name in search box for course instruction and/or tutorials.