KEYS TO COLLEGE SUCCESS AcademicAdvisement Room 3117

Keys to Your Success  Increase your Knowledge of the College and its Services/Resources  Learn to take Notes Effectively  Use Study Strategies  Learn Exam Strategies  Learn how to Deal with Professors & Tough Classes  Stay Healthy

College Services & Resources  Attend the College Orientation session handbook.pdf handbook.pdf  Check out the College’s Webpage  Get a Campus Map  Get an Academic Calendar/Planner

College Services & Resources  Check out the College Catalog atalog _tcm pdf atalog _tcm pdf  Know the Student’s Rights & Responsibilities ts_and_responsibilities.pdf ts_and_responsibilities.pdf

Learn to take Notes Effectively  Take Clear,Concise Notes  Sit near to the front of the class  Be a good Listener  Ask questions  Rewrite your own study notes with lecture notes into a single set of notes.

Use Study Strategies  Time management  Do not study for more than 2 hours at a time  Try to study during daylight hours  Prioritize, Learn to say no!  Use memory strategies

Learn Exam Strategies  Prepare  Learn the exam format  Review course outline, notes  Review previous test  Summarize highlights on single sheet

Objective Exams  Scan the exam to determine types of questions asked.  Always read & follow directions!  Determine the exam’s scoring rules and use them.  If wrong answers are penalized, don’t guess, unless you can reduce the choices to two.  Answer easy question first.  Mark difficult questions and return to them later.

True-False questions  Pick out key words or group of words on which the truth of falsity of a statement hinges.  If any clause in a statement is false, the statement is false.

Multiple-Choice questions  Multiple-choice questions are essentially true-false questions arranged in groups.  Usually only one alternative is totally correct.  Eliminate obvious false choices.  Of the remainder, pick the alternative that answers most fully all aspects of the question.

Essay questions  Plan your time.  Read through the entire exam first.  Follow directions carefully and make sure to number the questions correctly.  Pay attention to key words: List, Describe, Compare & Contrast and Outline.  Your opening statement summarizes what you are going to say.  What follows should support your opening statement.  Your conclusion should show how your body text supported your opening statement.

Learn how to Deal with Professors & Tough Classes  See your professors during there office hours.  Get feedback from other students on which professors to avoid.  Make sure the professor knows your name.  Problems with faculty should be handled honestly and clamly.

Stay Healthy  Stay away from Fast foods and candy bars.  Gallons of coffee and Sodas are not the way to survive finals.  Sleep and Study in Small Shifts.  Exercise often during exam weeks.  Pasta, peanut butter, cereals, yogurt and fresh fruit will provide natural and sustained energy.  Make time to relax.

TIPS FOR FRESHMAN I WISH SOMEONE HAD TOLD ME...  Class attendance really does correlate with your grade. GO TO CLASS  COMMUNICATION IS KEY- especially when dealing with professors and advisors.  BE ON TIME TO CLASS. Walking in late distracts both the professor and other students

 DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP  COLLEGE IS NOT A CONTEST. You don't have to compete with anyone else for your grade. Learn at your own pace and don't feel inferior if you don't understand something the first time around.  SUPPORT SYSTEMS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR SURVIVAL. Make friends. Talk to everyone.

 READ WHAT YOU ARE GIVEN! Read your mail!  Don't take policy advice from other students, check with offices on campus  JOIN IN ALL THE ACTIVITIES YOU CAN.  DON'T BE INTIMIDATED BY THE FACULTY AND STAFF.

 Get a copy of your school's code of ethics ( honor code). A simple mistake could cost your degree.  MAINTAIN A POSITIVE ATTITUDE, be a good listener, stick to your own convictions, and strive past your dreams.  ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT IS CRITICAL! See your advisor on a regular basis to make sure you are on track with your academic program, courses, etc.  PAY ATTENTION TO DEADLINES! If you miss one, it could cost you not just money, but grades as well (ex. drop/add, fee payment, course withdrawal).

 SAVE ALL COLLEGE PAPERWORK. You may need to defend a course selection when you apply for graduation or you may need to prove you dropped a class.  SAVE EVERY GRADE REPORT. Computers have been known to lose grades, courses, credits, etc.  Periodically ask for an unofficial copy of your transcript.  BE SURE YOUR RECORDS MATCH THE REGISTRAR'S

Keys on Being a Successful Student  Know the Course Syllabus  Know the Grading System  Know your Instructors  Attend Class  Do the Homework  Be Organized  Behave Like a College Student  Honesty is the Best Policy  Ask for Help  Learning Takes Time

Know the Course Syllabus  In each class, you will receive a syllabus for the course. The syllabus contains:  The teacher’s name and office hours  Grading criteria for the class  Dates for important assignments  The attendance policy  Required textbooks, the course outline, and more.  Keep your syllabus and read it often throughout the semester.  Keep other handouts that your teachers give you.

Know the Grading System Early in the semester, find the answers to these kinds of questions:  What factors will the teacher use to give me a final grade in this class? In other words, what grading criteria is used for this class?  How much do quizzes and tests count toward my final grade? How many quizzes and tests will we have? What is the teacher’s policy for making up a test or quiz that I miss?  How will homework affect my grade? What is the teacher’s policy on accepting late work?  Does attendance count toward my grade?  Is there an exit competency that I must meet in this class? In other words, do I have to get a grade of 2.5 or 3.0 in order to meet the prerequisite for another class I need to take?

Know your Instructors  Your teacher’s name, phone number, and office location are on your class syllabus.  During the semester, you may need to go to the Department of Language Skills to leave a homework assignment for your teacher. It is very difficult to get a message or an assignment to the right teacher if you do not know the name of your teacher.  You must learn the names of your teachers.  All teachers are required to have office hours every week. Check your teacher’s syllabus for the days and times he or she has office hours.  You do not need an appointment to go to your teacher’s office at this time. This is a good time to ask questions and get further explanations of ideas discussed in class.

Attendance  Your instructors expect you to attend all class sessions.  Most instructors understand that emergencies sometimes happen; if you have an emergency, please contact your instructor as soon as possible.  You must complete assignments that you miss when you are absent. It is your responsibility to find out what the assignment was and do it!  The instructor can drop you from the class if you miss more than four (4) class meetings in a 4-credit class, or six (6) class meetings in a 6-credit class.  After the 6th week of the semester, the student may be dropped from class and receive a “W” as a grade if the student has been doing passing work. If the student has not been doing passing work, the student will receive a grade of 0.0.

Do the Homework  Be sure you know how homework will be graded.  Don’t be afraid to ask your teacher if you do not understand how to do an assignment. Go to your teacher’s office hours, call, or send an .  DO NOT do homework during class time!  Do your own work. Do not copy homework from someone else. You will not learn by doing that!  Plan to spend 1 to 2 hours doing homework or reading for a class for every hour you spend in the class. For example, you should plan to spend 4 to 8 hours a week doing homework for a 4 credit class.  You may need to work fewer hours at your job if you are taking two or three classes.

Be Organized  Use a notebook with dividers and pockets. Keep notes for each class in a separate section of the notebook.  Keep a list of all homework assignments that each teacher gives in each class.  Have your homework ready to hand in at the beginning of class. Be sure your name, the date, and the class are at the top. Put it in the pocket of your folder.  Talk to your teacher about ways to stay organized.  Staying organized will help you be more successful in the class because you will not lose assignments or forget to do them.

Know What Kind of Behavior is Expected at College Students are expected to behave in the classroom in a way that promotes a good learning environment. Your teacher may give you some rules for classroom behavior with the syllabus. Here are some general rules for behavior in the classroom:  Arrive on time. Parking is very difficult at the beginning of the semester, so please give yourself enough time to find a parking space.  Speak English in the classroom from the time you enter until you leave.  Turn off your cell phone during class.  Do not interrupt the teacher or other students while they are speaking. If you have something to say in a discussion, raise your hand and wait for the teacher to recognize you.  Do not do homework during class time.  Show respect for your teacher, yourself and other students by paying attention in class and participating in class discussions.

Honesty is the Best Policy Students are expected to be honest in their work. Cheating is dishonest. Another word for this is plagiarism. The following behaviors are considered cheating:  Copying a classmate’s homework.  Copying from a classmate during a test or quiz.  Using answers for tests or quizzes that you have received from another student.  Using papers written by another student, or downloading a paper from the internet, and turning it in as your own writing.  Consequences for Cheating or Plagiarism include:  Receive a failing grade on the assignment, paper, quiz, or test.  Receive a failing grade in the class and be withdrawn from the class.  Be expelled.  The consequences will be decided by your instructor, the department, and the College division.

Understand that Learning Takes Time  Hours of study and reading are necessary for faster learning.  Making mistakes is a normal part of the learning process. Your teachers can help you to learn faster if you are honest about your own work. Do your best work, and learn from your mistakes!  Be patient with yourself! Improving your English language skills takes time and practice. To make faster progress, speak English as much as possible during the day.  If you start to feel discouraged, talk to your teacher, a tutor, or a counselor or advisor. Don’t quit or give up!  Stay motivated! Keep your goals in mind and steadily work toward them. You can do it!

Graduation is Success