Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life On Course Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life Chapter 1 GETTING ON COURSE TO YOUR SUCCESS

FOCUS QUESTIONS TAKING THE FIRST STEP What does “success” mean to you? When you achieve your greatest success… what will you have, what will you be doing, and what kind of person will you be? Consider asking students to spend two minutes jotting down their initial answers to these questions. 2

THE POWER OF CHOICE: THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS Success in college—and, in life—depends on the quality of the choices we make. This course is about making wise choices that promote success as you define it. Let's take a look at the eight "choices of successful students."

CHOICES OF SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS 1. 2. 3. 4. 4

CHOICES OF SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS 5. 6. 7. 8. 5

Five Suggestions for Creating a Meaningful ON COURSE JOURNAL Copy directions. Be spontaneous. Be honest. Be creative. Dive deep!

SELF ASSESSMENT: WHY? What is the purpose of the Self-Assessment? To assess your strengths and weaknesses in the eight "choices of successful students." What is the value of this information? As you develop the “choices of successful students,” you make wiser choices and, thus, achieve more of your desired outcomes and experiences.

MAKING YOUR SELF-ASSESSMENT SCORE VALID Do NOT try to figure out the "best" response for each item. The best response is an honest one! Remember, the purpose of this self-assessment is to give you an accurate picture of where you are today on each of the eight choices.

SELF-ASSESSMENT: PREDICTING YOUR SCORES Before you begin the Self-Assessment… Review the eight Choices of Successful Students (see the inside front cover). On which of these eight choices do you think you will score highest? Why? On which of these eight choices do you think you will score lowest? Why?

QUICK REVIEW: EIGHT CHOICES OF SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS Personal Responsibility Self-Motivation Self-Management Interdependence Self-Awareness Lifelong Learning Emotional Intelligence Belief in Yourself

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Jalayna Onaga As you read Jalayna's story, what statements reveal her weaknesses in the Eight Choices? For example, "And I never asked anyone for help" shows her weakness when it comes to choosing Interdependence. Realizing what she truly wanted for herself allowed Jalayna to make a strong commitment to being successful in college. What do you really want and how will a college education help you achieve it?

BECOMING AN ACTIVE LEARNER FOCUS QUESTIONS How does the human brain learn? How can you use this knowledge to develop a highly effective system for learning? Consider asking students to spend two minutes jotting down their initial answers to these questions. 12

THREE PRINCIPLES OF DEEP AND LASTING LEARNING Prior Learning: Relate new information to previously learned information. Quality of Processing: Use numerous and varied deep processing strategies. Quantity of Processing: Use frequent practice sessions of sufficient length distributed over time.

Quantity of Processing QUICK REVIEW What principle of Deep and Lasting Learning is reflected in each of these examples? Remembering what I learned in my tennis class, I decided to try using topspin in racquetball. After each class, I organize my notes, creating outlines or graphic organizers to help me remember the important points. In math, I do at least fifty practice problems of each type! Prior Learning Quality of Processing Quantity of Processing

DEEP AND LASTING LEARNING Following is an anecdote about learning. As you read it, look for application of the three Principles of Deep and Lasting Learning: Prior Learning Quality of Processing Quantity of Processing

DEEP AND LASTING LEARNING One of the most exciting times of my life was the summer I learned to ride a motorcycle. My friend Dean had a brand new Honda 50. I'd previously learned how to operate a clutch and shift gears by driving our tractor on the farm. I paid eager attention to every detail that Dean told me. I had him demonstrate each part of the process and then I practiced each step after he showed me. It took me a little while to get used to operating the clutch and throttle with opposite hands and then shifting gears and using the brake with opposite feet, but I practiced every day for at least an hour. Within a few weeks, I was riding around the pasture, having the thrill of my life!! It was so much more fun than driving an old Ford tractor!

DEEP AND LASTING LEARNING One of the most exciting times of my life was the summer I learned to ride a motorcycle. My friend Dean had a brand new Honda 50. I'd previously learned how to operate a clutch and shift gears by driving our tractor on the farm. I paid eager attention to every detail that Dean told me. I had him demonstrate each part of the process and then I practiced each step after he showed me. It took me a little while to get used to operating the clutch and throttle with opposite hands and then shifting gears and using the brake with opposite feet, but I practiced every day for at least an hour. Within a few weeks, I was riding around the pasture, having the thrill of my life!! It was so much more fun than driving an old Ford tractor! What application of prior learning do you see in this story?

DEEP AND LASTING LEARNING One of the most exciting times of my life was the summer I learned to ride a motorcycle. My friend Dean had a brand new Honda 50. I'd previously learned how to operate a clutch and shift gears by driving our tractor on the farm. I paid eager attention to every detail that Dean told me. I had him demonstrate each part of the process and then I practiced each step after he showed me. It took me a little while to get used to operating the clutch and throttle with opposite hands and then shifting gears and using the brake with opposite feet, but I practiced every day for at least an hour. Within a few weeks, I was riding around the pasture, having the thrill of my life!! It was so much more fun than driving an old Ford tractor! What application of quality processing do you see in the story?

DEEP AND LASTING LEARNING One of the most exciting times of my life was the summer I learned to ride a motorcycle. My friend Dean had a brand new Honda 50. I'd previously learned how to operate a clutch and shift gears by driving our tractor on the farm. I paid eager attention to every detail that Dean told me. I had him demonstrate each part of the process and then I practiced each step after he showed me. It took me a little while to get used to operating the clutch and throttle with opposite hands and then shifting gears and using the brake with opposite feet, but I practiced every day for at least an hour. Within a few weeks, I was riding around the pasture, having the thrill of my life!! It was so much more fun than driving an old Ford tractor! What application of quantity of processing do you see in the story?

BECOMING AN ACTIVE LEARNER How could you apply the three principles of deep and lasting learning to a course that you are now taking? Be specific.

THE CORE LEARNING SYSTEM Imagine this ambitious goal: You decide to produce and direct a Broadway show, and you plan for it to be a huge hit. So, you collect all of your actors, and you get everything organized—props, costumes, sets, the whole deal. Now, you start rehearsals and watch very carefully, evaluating everything—delivery, blocking, lighting. Then, you realize something exciting: "This show is going to be a big hit!" Take another look at this little story. You'll see how you naturally applied the four strategies of the Core Learning System.

THE CORE LEARNING SYSTEM Imagine this ambitious goal: You decide to produce and direct a Broadway show, and you plan for it to be a huge hit. So, you collect all of your actors, and you get everything organized—props, costumes, sets, the whole deal. Now, you start rehearsals and watch very carefully, evaluating everything—delivery, blocking, lighting. Then, you realize something exciting: "This show is going to be a big hit!"

BECOMING AN EXPERT 1. Divide into Home Groups of four. 2. Each person choose to become the group's expert for one of the four components of the CORE Learning System: Collect, Organize, Rehearse, Evaluate. 3. Leave your home group and join others who have chosen to become an expert on the same CORE component that you did. 4. Read and discuss with your Expert Group the section in On Course relating to your CORE component. Your goal is to be able to teach it to members of your home group. 5. Return to your Home Group, and each expert teach the others about the CORE component you have been learning.

The next slide provides the answers… JOURNAL REVIEW This chapter offers five suggestion for creating a meaningful On Course journal. List as many as you can. The next slide provides the answers…

This list is repeated on the inside back cover of On Course. How many suggestions for creating a meaningful On Course journal did you recall? Copy directions. Be spontaneous. Be honest. Be creative. Dive deep! Instructors: if you wish, you can pause after each image to allow time for students to identify each related suggestion before clicking for the words to appear. This list is repeated on the inside back cover of On Course. 25

ON COURSE PRINCIPLES AT WORK Identify each of the following as a "Hard Skill" or "Soft Skill." Properly mixing epoxy tooth filling material Identifying bacteria cultures Working well in teams Planning work time in order to get everything done on schedule Effectively applying tax laws to help a client avoid an IRS audit Setting work-related goals Hard Skill Hard Skill Soft Skill Soft Skill Hard Skill Soft Skill

APPLYING THE CONCEPT A career specialist once said, “Having hard skills gets you hired; lacking soft skills gets you fired.” In your work experience, what evidence have you seen that supports this statement? Explain what happened.

BELIEVING IN YOURSELF: DEVELOP SELF-ACCEPTANCE FOCUS QUESTIONS Why is high self-esteem so important to success? What can you do to raise your self-esteem? Consider asking students to spend two minutes jotting down their initial answers to these questions. 28

SELF-ESTEEM Psychologist Nathaniel Brandon said, “Self-Esteem is the reputation we have with ourselves.” How do you think the “reputation we have with ourselves” is formed?

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Phyllis Honore What did Phyllis need to accept about herself before she could make positive choices? How did that acceptance help her get on course to her success in college? Choose one key quotation from Phyllis's story that provides an insight into being a success in college and in life. Be prepared to explain your choice.

WISE CHOICES IN COLLEGE If you were going to spend a number of years in a foreign country, what would you do to prepare for a great experience? What does this suggest about preparing yourself for a great experience in the strange and mysterious country called "Higher Education?"

REVIEW: THREE PRINCIPLES OF DEEP AND LASTING LEARNING Which principle relates new information to previously learned information? Prior Learning Which principle uses numerous and varied deep processing strategies? Quality of Processing Which principle uses frequent practice sessions of sufficient length distributed over time? Quantity of Processing

REVIEW: CORE LEARNING SYSTEM List and define each of the four components of the CORE Learning System: Collect- collect information/skills Organize- organize information so that it makes sense to you Rehearse- practice to strengthen neural networks and improve skills Evaluate- assess the effectiveness of your learning

KEY CHOICES FOR GETTING ON COURSE TO YOUR SUCCESS Developing Self- Acceptance Becoming an Active Learner Taking the First Step: Self Assessment

TICKET OUT Which of the eight choices of successful students do you think has the most potential to help you get on course to achieving your desired outcomes and experiences? Why? Have students show you their answers in their journals or have them write their responses on a small note card and hand those to you at the door. 35

End Chapter One