Math Study Skills, 2 nd Edition Allen BassSpring 2016

Motivation is…  what drives you to stay in college.  what makes you study.  the WHY behind your habits, good or bad.  the number-one factor in determining your success in college.

 Learning- Some people just love to learn.  Career- Some people are in college because they know exactly what they want to do for their lifelong career and they know that college-level skills are important for that career.

 Opportunity- Some students are not exactly sure what they want to do after college, but know that they will have many more opportunities if they have a college degree.  Money- Some students know that whatever they decide to do after college, they will make more money if they have a college degree. There is nothing wrong with this. (See the chart on the next slide)

Source: Math Study Skills (p. 17) via

 Now it is your turn to think about what motivates you.  Complete Exercise 7 in your Math Study Skills book (p. 18).  Complete Exercise 8 (p. 19).

 There is a good chance that college will be the best time of your life.  You’ll meet tons of good people and mature in ways you can’t imagine.  Very few, if any, college graduates regret toing to college.  Our planet and particularly our nation NEED people who are educated.

 Perspective:  College will probably take between 4 – 7 years.  Most college graduates will have a career of some sort for up to 50 years!

 Find your mantra. It may help you find something that symbolizes your will to succeed.  It could be:  a poem.  a short phrase.  a song.  a drawing.  a small statue you carry around.  anything!

 Make some friends who want to succeed. Making friends in college is important.  Look for other students who are serious about succeeding in college.

 Help ME help YOU. The author has a Facebook page called “Math Study Skills.”  “Like” it to find extra tips and get some support. (this is not an affiliate of Crafton Hills College)

 Make it a point to think about your future. Think about what you want when you graduate from college.  Some students do not know what career they want and that’s okay.  The more you think about it the more you will realize that college is an important part of getting into your future career.

 Visit a college counselor. Counselors give academic information and advice.  College counselors are great at motivating students to succeed.  They have all the information you could possibly want on classes, transferring, financial aid, etc.  They WANT you to be successful.  CHC Counseling website: s/Counseling s/Counseling

 Use a “To Do” list. Making a list of important activities for the day or the week can make it easier to act on them for several reasons.  Complete Exercise 9 in your Math Study Skills book (p. 21).

 Short-term goals are goals you want to accomplish in the next hour, day, or week.  Examples:  Study hard for 2 hours tonight  Finish this section’s homework by tomorrow.  Make at least a “C+” on next week’s exam.  Study math for at least one hour every day for the next hour.  Put a study group together for this coming weekend.

 Mid-term goals are goals you want to accomplish over the next few weeks or months.  Examples:  Pass my math course with a “B.”  Achieve a 90% average as my overall homework grade.  Have perfect attendance for the rest of the course.  Make an appointment to see a counselor by the end of the semester.

 Long-term goals are goals you set for several months out, the next few years, or even your lifetime.  Examples:  Obtain an AA degree in Nursing in the next three years.  Successfully transfer from a community college to a university within two years.  Graduate with at least a 3.1 grade point average.

 Your goals should be ACHIEVEABLE. Too AmbitiousMore Realistic Make “A”s on ALL my tests from now on. Mat at least a “B” on the next test. Start now and study all day and night until I get this stuff. Study for 2 hours every day for the rest of the week Not miss a single class this semester. Not miss more than one class this semester.

 Your goals should be SPECIFIC. Unclear GoalSpecific Goal Start doing my homework regularly. Start doing homework for at least one hour per day plus more as needed. Get a good education. Get an AA degree in Veterinary Technology. Become a better student. Finish all the exercises in the study skills manual.

 Studies have shown that rewarding yourself for goals you achieve is an important part of the goal setting process.  Pick an appropriate reward for each goal you set.  Something simple like planned free time.  Something big like a road trip.

 Procrastination is the act of replacing high- priority tasks with low-priority activities.  How does procrastination affect you?  Stress  Fear of failure  Boredom  Rebellion  Fatigue

Develop good time- management skills and set realistic but meaningful goals for yourself.