Remember: "College is a learning environment, it is
not a teaching environment. Your instructors are responsible only for
presenting ideas and
information to you.
In college the responsibility is on the LEARNER not the teacher.
Succeeding in college is your responsibility." Quote from: Time for College by Al
Siebert and
Bernadine Gilpin.
How
to create a study group/study buddy
- look
around the class and find someone or several people who might want to study
together
- schedule
a one hour or longer time to meet to study
- find
a place where you can be comfortable and talk easily with fellow
study buddies
- introduce
yourselves at your first meeting
- talk
about your impressions of your college experience
- take
turns talking so everyone shares equally
- discuss
decisions about returning to school and the challenges you have
faced by making that decision
- talk
about your goals and future plans
- make
sure everyone has "talked" and there is a comfort level for the
group
- exchange
phone numbers
- agree
when and where you will meet again
- Congratulations!
You have formed your first study group! In
future meetings you can focus on course content.
Preparing
for exams
Use three
simple steps and you will be ready for any exam. Remember you
cannot cram at the last minute and expect a passing grade. Many
instructors build on beginning concepts that are tested on throughout
the semester.
1.
Organize
- summarize,
condense, and make sense of all those notes, homework and
old tests
- develop
your own organization system on a chart, outline, map or
whatever works for you
- use
your syllabus as a guide
- put
deadlines and study time on your calendar
IMPORTANT:
don't be overwhelmed by material
2.
Review
- use
memory techniques over the period of time between tests to put the
material into long term memory
- use
flash cards, highlighters, or whatever works best for you
IMPORTANT
to learn the material over several days or weeks
3.
Practice
- make
up practice test questions and test yourself, or work with a study
group/buddy
- study
what you don't know in the practice questions
IMPORTANT
don't review everything, just what you don't know
Time management
- get
a calendar and mark important dates
- refer
to syllabus for class deadlines
- schedule
study time
- schedule
family events
- schedule
leisure time for yourself
- create
"to do" lists for each day
- tackle
tough jobs first
- set
specific goals for each course
- reward
yourself after completing your task(s)
- monitor
your "self talk" and don't beat yourself up
if you don't complete everything
Balancing
work/family/school
- physically
take care of yourself
- eat
a balanced diet
- sleep
7-8 hours per day
- exercise
regularly
- get
to know fellow students because you will learn
you are not alone in your situation
- get
your family's support
- get
to know the FREE resources on campus
- Financial
Aid office
- Counseling
(personal & career)
- academic
advisors
- tutoring
- utilize
resources for financial support
- scholarships
- your
employer
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