Goal Setting

A goal is a result we intend to reach mostly through our own actions.

It all begins with setting goals and thinking about priorities.

Goals also vary in terms of time.

• Short-term goals focus on today and the next few days and perhaps weeks.
• Midterm goals involve plans for this school year and the time you plan to remain in college.
• Long-term goals may begin with graduating college and everything you want to happen thereafter.

Write out your goals.

• Goals should be realistic. It’s good to dream and to challenge yourself, but your goals should relate to your personal strengths and abilities.
• Goals should be specific. Don’t write, “I will become a great musician;” instead, write, “I will finish my music degree and be employed in a symphony orchestra.”
• Goals should have a time frame. You won’t feel very motivated if your goal is vaguely “to finish college someday.” If you’re realistic and specific in your goals, you should also be able to project a time frame for reaching the goal.
• You should really want to reach the goal. We’re willing to work hard to reach goals we really care about, but we’re likely to give up when we encounter obstacles if we don’t feel strongly about a goal. If you’re doing something only because your parents or someone else wants you to, then it’s not your own personal goal — and you may have some more thinking to do about your life.

Attitude

Everything people do and how they do it starts with attitude.

Here are some characteristics associated with a positive attitude:

• Enthusiasm for and enjoyment of daily activities
• Acceptance of responsibility for one’s actions and feeling good about success
• Generally upbeat mood and positive emotions, cheerfulness with others, and satisfaction with oneself
• Motivation to get the job done
• Flexibility to make changes when needed
• Ability to make productive, effective use of time

And here are some characteristics associated with a negative attitude:

• Frequent complaining
• Blaming others for anything that goes wrong
• Often experiencing negative emotions: anger, frustration, resentment
• Lack of motivation for work or studies
• Hesitant to change or seek improvement
• Unproductive use of time, procrastination

Stay Focused and Motivated

Plan ahead

Here are some other tips for staying focused and motivated:

• If you’re not feeling motivated, think about the results of your goals, not just the goals themselves. If just thinking about finishing college doesn’t sound all that exciting, then think instead about the great, high paying career that comes afterward and the things you can do with that income. [caption id="attachment_333" align="alignright" width="300"] Image by rawpixel from Pixabay[/caption]
• Remember your successes, even small successes. As you begin a project or approach studying for a test, think about your past success on a different project or test. Remember how good it feels to succeed. Know you can succeed again.
• Get the important things done first. Stay focused, motivated and concentrate on the things that matter most. You’re about to sit down to read a chapter in a book you’re not much enjoying, and you suddenly notice some clothing piled up on a chair. “I really should clean up this place,” you think. “And I’d better get my laundry done before I run out of things to wear.” Don’t try to fool yourself into feeling you’re accomplishing something by doing laundry rather than studying. Stay focused!
• If you just can’t focus in on what you should be doing because the task seems too big and daunting, break the task into smaller, manageable pieces. Don’t start out thinking, “I need to study the next four hours,” but think, “I’ll spend the next thirty minutes going through my class notes from the last three weeks and figure out what topics I need to spend more time on.” It’s a lot easier to stay focused when you’re sitting down for thirty minutes at a time.
• Imitate successful people. Does a friend always seem better able to stick with studying or work until they get it done? What are they doing that you’re not? We all learn from observing others, and we can speed up that process by deliberately using the same strategies we see working with others. Visualize yourself studying in the same way and getting that same high grade on the test or paper.
• Separate yourself from unsuccessful people. This is the flip side of imitating successful people. If a roommate or a friend is always putting off things until the last minute or is distracted with other interests and activities, tell yourself how different you are. When you hear other students complaining about how hard a class is or bragging about not studying or attending class, visualize yourself as not being like them at all.
• Reward yourself when you complete a significant task - but only when you are done. Some people seem able to stay focused only when there’s a reward waiting.

Priorities

1. Top priority
2. Middle priority
3. Lowest priority

Self-Management

Academic Integrity - The Honest Truth

• You don’t learn as much. Cheating may get you the right answer on a particular exam question, but it won’t teach you how to apply knowledge in the world after school, nor will it give you a foundation of knowledge for learning more advanced material. When you cheat, you cheat yourself out of opportunities.
• You risk failing the course or even expulsion from school. Ignorance of the rules is seldom considered a valid defense.
• Cheating causes stress. Fear of getting caught will cause you stress and anxiety; this will get in the way of performing well with the information you do know.
• You’re throwing away your money and time. Getting a college education is a big investment of money and effort. You’re simply not getting your full value when you cheat, because you don’t learn as much.
• You are trashing your integrity. Cheating once and getting away with it makes it easier to cheat again, and the more you cheat, the more comfortable you will feel with giving up your integrity in other areas of life—with perhaps even more serious consequences.
• Cheating lowers your self-esteem. If you cheat, you are telling yourself that you are simply not smart enough to handle learning. It also robs you of the feeling of satisfaction from genuine success.

Problem Solving: When Setbacks Happen

• A financial crisis
• An illness or injury
• A crisis involving family members or loved ones
• Stress related to frequently feeling you don’t have enough time
• Stress related to relationship problems

• You can take steps to stay healthy.
• You can take control of your finances and avoid most financial problems common among college students.
• You can learn how to build successful social relationships and get along better with your professors, with other students, and in personal relationships.
• You can learn time management techniques to ensure you use your time effectively for studying.
• You can learn to do well in your classes with effective reading, notetaking, test-taking, and writing skills for classes.

1. Stay motivated and focused. Don’t let frustration, anxiety, or other negative emotions make the problem worse than it already is.
2. Analyze the problem to consider all possible solutions. An unexpected financial setback doesn’t automatically mean you have to drop out of school - not when alternatives such as student loans, less expensive living arrangements, or other possible solutions may be available. Failing a midterm exam doesn’t automatically mean you’re going to fail the course - not when you make the effort to determine what went wrong, work with your professor and others on an improved study plan, and use better strategies to prepare for the next test.
3. Seek help when you need to. None of us gets through life alone, and it’s not a sign of weakness to see your academic advisor or a college counsellor if you have a problem.
4. When you’ve developed a plan for resolving the problem, work to follow through. If it will take a while before the problem is completely solved, track your progress in smaller steps so that you can see you really are succeeding. Every day will move you one step closer to putting it behind you.

1. Be honest with yourself: how did you contribute to the problem? Sometimes it’s obvious: a student who drank heavily at a party the night before a big test failed the exam because he was so hung over he couldn’t think straight. Sometimes the source of the problem is not as obvious but may become clearer the more you think about it. Another student did a lot of partying during the term but studied all day before the big test and was well rested and clearheaded at test time but still did poorly; he may not yet have learned good study skills. Another student has frequent colds and other mild illnesses that keep him from doing his best: how much better would he feel if he ate well, got plenty of exercise, and slept enough every night? If you don’t honestly explore the factors that led to the problem, it’s more likely to happen again.
2. Take responsibility for your life and your role in what happens to you. Earlier we talked about people with negative attitudes, who are always blaming others, fate, or “the system” for their problems. It’s no coincidence that they keep on having problems. Unless you want to keep having problems, don’t keep blaming others.
3. Taking responsibility doesn’t mean being down on yourself. Failing at something doesn’t mean you are a failure. We all fail at something, sometime. Adjust your attitude so you’re ready to get back on track and feel happy that you’ll never make that mistake again!
4. Make a plan. You might still have a problem on that next big test if you don’t make an effective study plan and stick to it. You may need to change your behavior in some way, such as learning time management strategies.

Making Decisions

Contributing to Decision Making

What Diversity Really Means

Types of Diversity

Diversity Thought Activity

• Be honest with yourself: what did you just imagine these people looked like?
• Why do think you might have associated this particular mental picture with the emotion of feeling frightened?

• You hesitate. Would you have hesitated if this person had the same cultural background as you? What makes this situation different?
• As you hesitate, you overhear them conversing in a language other than English. Be honest with yourself: how does that make you feel now?

• Are you surprised or shocked? What is your first reaction?
• Do you anticipate any more difficulty making conversation with your date than with anyone else whom you have just met?
• Should your friends have told you in advance? Why or why not?
• If they had told you, would that have made any difference?

• Did your mental image in the first scenario involve a negative stereotype? What images in the media or society might have contributed to that response?
• The second and third scenarios involve simple situations in which you couldn’t help but note some difference between you and another person. What might you feel in such situations in real life?
• Again, there is no “right” answer, and an awareness of differences is normal and natural even if it may cause some discomfort at first. On the other hand, if you have had significant experiences with diverse others, you might have read these scenarios and simply wondered, “So what? What’s the big deal?” It’s worthwhile thinking about what that means.

The Benefits of Diversity

A word about multiculturalism

Getting Along With Others

Interdependence

Recognize the Value of Social Interaction

• A growing understanding of diverse other people, how they think, and what they feel that will serve you well throughout your life and in your future career
• A heightened sense of your own identity, especially as you interact with others with different personalities and from different backgrounds
• Emotional comfort from friendship with someone who understands you and with whom you can talk about your problems, joys, hopes, and fears
• An opportunity to grow with wider intellectual and emotional horizons, college often offers an opportunity to be stimulated and excited by new relationships and interactions with people who will challenge your thinking and help you become your best. Still, it can be difficult to get started with new relationships in college.

Making New Friends

1. Keep all doors open for meeting new people. Try to sit with different people at meals so you can get to know them better. Study in a common area or lounge where you’ll be among others.
2. Be open in your interests. Don’t limit yourself to people who share only certain interests. Meeting people by studying together is an excellent way to get to know people with different interests.
3. Don’t try to get involved in everything going on around you. Committing to too many activities or joining too many social groups will spread your time too thin, and you may not spend enough time with anyone to get to know them.
4. Let others see who you really are. Let people get to know the things you’re interested in, your real passions. People who really know you are more likely to become good friends.
5. Make an effort to get to know others, too. Show some interest. Don’t talk just about your interests—ask them about theirs. Show others that you’re interested, that you think they’re worth spending time with, and that you really do want to get to know them.
6. Once a friendship has started, be a good friend. Respect your friends for what they are and don’t criticize them or talk about them behind their back. Give emotional support when your friends need it and accept their support as well when you need it.

Are You Shy?

Managing Conflicts

Conflicts among people who are interacting are natural. People have many differences in opinions, ideas, emotions, and behaviors, and these differences sometimes cause conflicts. So how can such conflicts be resolved? Two things are necessary for conflict resolution that does not leave one or more of the people involved feeling negative about the outcome: attitude and communication. A conflict cannot be resolved satisfactorily unless all people involved have the right attitude: [caption id="attachment_341" align="alignright" width="300"] Image by geralt on Pixabay.[/caption]

• Respect the opinions and behaviors of others. Accept that people are not all alike and learn to celebrate your differences. Most situations do not involve a single right or wrong answer.
• Be open minded. Just because at first you are sure that that you are right, do not close the door to other possibilities. Look at the other’s point of view. Be open to change—even when that means accepting constructive criticism.
• Calm down. You can’t work together to resolve a conflict while you’re still feeling strong emotions. Agree with the other to wait until you’re both able to discuss it without strong emotions.
• Recognize the value of compromise. Even if you disagree after calmly talking over an issue, accept that as a human reality and understand that a compromise may be necessary in order to get along with others.

With the right attitude, you can then work together to resolve the issue. This process depends on good communication:

• Listen. Don’t simply argue for your position, but listen carefully to what the other says. Pay attention to their body language as you try to understand their point of view and ask questions to ensure that you do. Paraphrase what you think you hear to give the other a chance to correct any misunderstanding.
• Use “I statements” rather than “you statements.” Explain your point of view about the situation in a way that does not put the other person on the defensive and evoke emotions that make resolution more difficult. Don’t blame the other for the problem, that would just get emotions flowing again.

In most cases, when the people involved have a good attitude and are open to compromise, conflicts can be resolved successfully. Yet sometimes there seems to be no resolution. Sometimes the other person may simply be difficult and refuse to even try to work out a solution. Regrettably, not everyone on or off campus is mature enough to be open to other perspectives. With some interpersonal conflicts, you may simply have to decide not to see that person anymore or find other ways to avoid the conflict in the future. But remember, most conflicts can be solved among adults, and it’s seldom a good solution to run away from a problem that will continue to surface and keep you from being happy with your life.

Steps to follow

In any friendship or relationship, conflict will eventually happen. This is just natural because people are different. If a conflict is ignored, or the partners just argue without resolving it, it may simmer and continue to cause tension, eventually weakening the relationship. It’s better to take steps to resolve it. Conflict resolution is a process of understanding what’s really going on and then finding a solution. The same general steps of conflict resolution can work to solve a relationship conflict or a conflict between any people or groups because of a disagreement about anything. Following are the general principles of conflict resolution:

• Allow things to cool off. It’s difficult to resolve a conflict while either party is still emotional. Wait a few minutes or agree to talk about it later.
• Using “I statements” rather than “you statements,” each party explains what bothers him or her about the cause of the conflict. “You statements” put the other person on the defensive and evoke emotions that make resolution more difficult.
• Listen carefully to what the other person says. Then restate the message in your own words to give the other a chance to clarify their thoughts and feelings. Each party should listen to the other and restate the other’s message to ensure the real issue is out on the table for discussion.
• Accept responsibility for your role in the conflict, instead of blaming the other.
• Brainstorm together to find a solution that satisfies both of you. Some compromise is usually needed, but that is usually not difficult to reach when you’re calm and are working together on a solution.
• Apologize, thank, and forgive. After reaching a resolution, emotional closure is needed to restore your relationship and end on a positive, affirming note. When appropriate, apologize for your past anger or arguing. Thank the other for being willing to compromise to resolve the conflict. In your mind, forgive the person for past misunderstandings and actions so that you do not carry any grudge into the future.

Dealing With Harassment

Although college campuses are for the most part safe, secure, and friendly places where social and intellectual interaction is generally mature and responsible, harassment can occur in any setting. Harassment is a general term referring to behavior that is intended to disturb or threaten another person in some way, often psychologically. Typically the person or people doing the harassment target their victim because of a difference in race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, sex, age, sexual orientation, or disability. [caption id="attachment_342" align="alignleft" width="300"] Image by John Hain from Pixabay[/caption] Acts of harassment may be verbal, physical, psychological, or any other behavior intended to disturb another person. Bullying behavior, name-calling, belittling, gesturing obscenely, stalking, mobbing—any action intended to torment or deliberately make another person uncomfortable or feel humiliated is harassment. Harassment may also be intended to manipulate a targeted person to act in some specific way. Sexual harassment is a special term referring to persistent, unwanted sexual behaviors or advances. Harassment of any type, at any time, of any person, is wrong and unacceptable. You will know it if you are harassed, and you should know also that it is your basic right to be free of harassment and that all colleges lay out strict policies against all forms of harassment. Here’s what you should do if you are being harassed:

1. Tell the person to stop the behavior or if you feel at any risk of harm, get out of the situation immediately.
2. Document the incident, particularly with ongoing harassment. Keep notes of the details. Tell someone you trust about the situation.
3. Report the harassment to the appropriate college authority. If you are unsure which to go to, go to the Campus Hearing Officer.

Take a Stand against Prejudice and Hate

Unfortunately prejudice and hate still exist in Canada, even on college campuses. In addition to racial prejudice, some people are also prejudiced against women, people with disabilities, older adults, gays and lesbians — virtually all groups that can be characterized as “different.” But it is not enough for only college administrators to fight prejudice and hate — this is a responsibility for all good citizens who take seriously the shared Canadian value of equality for all people. So what can you as a college student do? [caption id="attachment_343" align="alignright" width="300"] Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay[/caption] Decide that it does matter. Prejudice threatens us all, not just the particular group being discriminated against in a specific incident. Don’t stand on the sidelines or think it’s up to the people who may be victimized by prejudice or hate to do something about it. We can all do something. Talk with others. Communication has great value on campuses. Let others know how you feel about any acts of prejudice or hatred that you witness. The more everyone openly condemns such behavior, the less likely it is to reappear in the future. This applies even if you hear another student telling a racist joke or putting down the opposite sex—speak up and tell the person you find such statements offensive. You don’t want that person to think you agree with them. Speaking up can be difficult to do, but it can be done tactfully. Be a good citizen. People can and do learn what is acceptable in a diverse environment. Report incidents you observe. If you happen to see someone spray-painting a hateful slogan, for example, be a good citizen and report it to the campus security or the police. Support student groups working for change. Canada has a great tradition of college students banding together to help solve social problems. Show your support for groups and activities that celebrate diversity and condemn prejudice. Even if you are a shy, quiet person, your attendance at a parade or gathering lends support. Once you become aware of such student activities on campus, you’ll find many ways you can help take a stand. Celebrate diversity. In many ways, you can learn more about diversity through campus programs and activities. The more all students participate, the closer the campus will come to being free of prejudice and hate. Be a role model in how you act and what you say in relation to diversity, and you may have more effect on others than you realize.

The Importance Of Going To Class

• Miss a class and you’ll miss something, even if you never know it. Even if a friend gives you notes for the class, they cannot contain everything said or shown by the professor, written on the board for emphasis, questioned or commented on by other students. What you miss might affect your grade or your enthusiasm for the course. [caption id="attachment_291" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo by Antenna on Unsplash[/caption]
• While some students may say that you don’t have to go to every class to do well on a test; that is very often a myth. Do you want to take that risk?
• Your final grade often reflects how you think about course concepts, and you will think more often and more clearly when engaged in class discussions and hearing the comments of other students. You can’t get this by borrowing class notes from a friend.
• Research shows there is a correlation between absences from class and lower grades. It may be that missing classes causes lower grades or that students with lower grades miss more classes. Either way, missing classes and lower grades can be intertwined in a downward spiral of achievement.
• Your professor will note your absences—even in a large class. In addition to making a poor impression, you reduce your opportunities for future interactions. You might not ask a question the next class because of the potential embarrassment of the professor saying that was covered in the last class, which you apparently missed. Nothing is more insulting to a professor than when you skip a class and then show up to ask, “Did I miss anything important?”
• You might be tempted to skip a class because the professor is “boring,” but it’s more likely that you found the class boring because you weren’t very attentive or didn’t appreciate how the professor was teaching.
• You paid a lot of money for your tuition. Get your money’s worth!

Professor's Teaching Style versus Your Learning Strengths

• Capitalize on your learning strengths. For example, you could use a visual style of note taking, such as concept maps, while listening to the lecture. If the professor does not give examples for abstract ideas in the lecture, see if you can supply examples in your own thoughts as you listen.
• Form a study group with other students. A variety of students will likely involve a variety of learning strengths, and when going over course material with other students, such as when studying for a test, you can gain what they have learned through their styles while you contribute what you have learned through yours.
• Use ancillary study materials. Many textbooks point students to online resource centers or you can search the internet for additional learning materials. Such ancillary materials usually offer an opportunity to review course material in ways that may better fit your learning strengths.
• Communicate with your professor to bridge the gap between their teaching style and your learning strengths. If the professor is speaking in abstractions and general ideas you don’t understand, ask the professor for an example.

The Value of Interaction in Class

Participating in Class - Preparing

Participating in Class - Communicating

Questions in Class

• Raise your hand and make eye contact, but don’t call out or wave your hand all around trying to catch their attention.
• Before speaking, take a moment to gather your thoughts and take a deep breath. Don’t just blurt it out—speak calmly and clearly.

• Be honest and admit it if you don’t know the answer or are not sure. Don’t try to fake it or make excuses. With a question that involves a reasoned opinion more than a fact, it’s fine to explain why you haven’t decided yet, such as when weighing two opposing ideas or actions; your comment may stimulate further discussion.
• Organize your thoughts to give a sufficient answer. Professors seldom want a yes or no answer. Give your answer and provide reasons or evidence in support.

• Don’t ever feel a question is “stupid.” If you have been paying attention in class and have done the reading and you still don’t understand something, you have every right to ask.
• Ask at the appropriate time. Don’t interrupt the professor or jump ahead and ask a question about something the professor may be starting to explain. Wait for a natural pause and a good moment to ask. On the other hand, unless the professor asks students to hold all question until the end of class, don’t let too much time go by, or you may forget the question or its relevance to the topic.
• Don’t ask just because you weren’t paying attention. If you drift off during the first half of class and then realize in the second half that you don’t really understand what the professor is talking about now, don’t ask a question about something that was already covered.
• Don’t ask a question that is really a complaint. You may be thinking, “Why would so-and-so believe that? That’s just crazy!” Take a moment to think about what you might gain from asking the question. It’s better to say, “I’m having some difficulty understanding what so-and-so is saying here. What evidence did he use to argue for that position?”
• Avoid dominating a discussion. It may be appropriate in some cases to make a follow-up comment after the professor answers your question, but don’t try to turn the class into a one-on-one conversation between you and the professor.

Online Courses

• Make sure you have the technology. If you’re not comfortable reading and writing on a computer, don’t rush into an online course. If you have limited access to a computer or high-speed Internet connection, or have to arrange your schedule to use a computer elsewhere, you may have difficulty with the course.
• Accept that you’ll have to motivate yourself and take responsibility for your learning. It’s actually harder for some people to sit down at the computer on their own than to show up at a set time. Be sure you have enough time in your week for all course activities and try to schedule regular times online and for assignments. Evaluate the course requirements carefully before signing up.
• Work on your writing skills. If you are not comfortable writing, you may want to defer taking online courses until you have had more experience with college-level writing. When communicating with the professor of an online course, follow the guidelines for effective e-mail outlined elsewhere in this text.
• Use critical thinking skills. Most online courses involve assignments requiring problem solving and critical thinking. It’s not as simple as watching video lectures and taking multiple-choice tests. You need to actively engage with the course material.
• Take the initiative to ask questions and seek help. Remember, your professor can’t see you to know if you’re confused or feeling frustrated understanding a lecture or reading. You must take the first step to communicate your questions.
• Be patient. When you ask a question or seek help with an assignment, you have to wait for a reply from your professor. You may need to continue with a reading or writing assignment before you receive a reply. If the professor is online at scheduled times for direct contact, take advantage of those times for immediate feedback and answers.
• Use any opportunity to interact with other students in the course. If you can interact with other students online, do it. Ask questions of other students and monitor their communications. If you know another person taking the same course, try to synchronize your schedules so that you can study together and talk over assignments. Students who feel they are part of a learning community always do better than those who feel isolated and on their own.

Student Services and Campus Services

Student Services

Campus Services

• Application to a program
• Admissions information
• Registration to a program or to part-time studies
• Student fees and billings
• Academic grades
• Academic transcripts
• Education tax receipts (T2202As)
• Letters of enrollment
• Convocation
• General information

Talking With Your Professors

• Talking with professors helps you feel more comfortable in college and more connected to the campus. Students who talk to their professors are less likely to become disillusioned and drop out.
• Talking with professors is a valuable way to learn about an academic field or a career.
• You may need a reference or letter of recommendation for a job or internship application. Getting to know some of your professors puts you in an ideal position to ask for a letter of recommendation or a reference in the future when you need one.
• Because professors are often well connected within their field, they may know of a job, internship, or research possibility you otherwise may not learn about. A professor who knows you is a valuable part of your network. Networking is very important for future job searches and other opportunities. In fact, most jobs are found through networking, not through classified ads or online job postings.
• Think about what it truly means to be educated: how one thinks, understands society and the world, and responds to problems and new situations. Much of this learning occurs outside the classroom. Talking with your highly educated professors can be among your most meaningful experiences in college.

Guidelines for Communicating with Professors

• Prepare before going to the professor’s office. Go over your notes on readings and lectures and write down your specific questions. You’ll feel more comfortable, and the professor will appreciate your being organized.
• Don’t forget to introduce yourself. Especially near the beginning of the term, don’t assume your professor has learned everyone’s names yet and don’t make him or her have to ask you.
• Respect the professor’s time. In addition to teaching, college professors sit on committees, do research and other professional work, and have personal lives. Don’t show up two minutes before the end of an office hour and expect the professor to stay late to talk with you.
• Realize that the professor will recognize you from class — even in a large lecture hall. If you spent a lecture class joking around with friends in the back row, don’t think you can show up during office hours to find out what you missed while you weren’t paying attention.
• Don’t try to fool a professor. Insincere praise or making excuses for not doing an assignment won’t make it in college. To earn your professor’s respect, come to class prepared, do the work, participate genuinely in class, and show respect—and the professor will be happy to see you when you come to office hours or need some extra help.
• Try to see things from the professor’s point of view. Imagine that you spent a couple of hours preparing PowerPoint slides and a class lecture on something you find very stimulating and exciting. Standing in front of a full room, you are gratified to see faces smiling and heads nodding as people understand what you’re saying - they really get it! And then a student after class asks, “Is this going to be on the test?” How would you feel?
• Be professional when talking to a professor. You can be cordial and friendly, but keep it professional and on an adult level. Come to office hours prepared with your questions - not just to chat or joke around. Be prepared to accept criticism in a professional way, without taking it personally or complaining.
• Use your best communication skills. Learn the difference between assertive communication and passive or aggressive communication.

Tips for Success: Talking with Professors

• When you have a question, ask it sooner rather than later.
• Be prepared and plan your questions and comments in advance.
• Be respectful but personable and communicate professionally.
• Be open minded and ready to learn. Avoid whining and complaining.
• There is no such thing as a “stupid question.”

Resolving a Problem with Your Professor

• First go over the requirements for the paper or test and the professor’s comments. Be sure you actually have a reason for discussing the grade — not just that you didn’t do well. Be prepared with specific points you want to go over.
• Make an appointment with your professor during office hours or another time. Don’t try to talk about this before or after class or with e-mail or the telephone.
• Begin by politely explaining that you thought you did better on the assignment or test (not simply that you think you deserve a better grade) and that you’d like to go over it to better understand the result.
• Allow the professor to explain their comments on the assignment or grading of the test. Don’t complain or whine; instead, show your appreciation for the explanation. Raise any specific questions or make comments at this time. For example, you might say, “I really thought I was being clear here when I wrote.…”
• Use good listening skills. Whatever you do, don’t argue!
• Ask the professor for advice on what you might do on the next assignment or when preparing for the next test. You may be offered some individual help or receive good study advice, and your professor will respect your willingness to make the effort as long as it’s clear that you’re more interested in learning than simply getting the grade.

Controlling Anger over Grades

• Being upset about a grade is good because it shows you care and that you have passion about your education. But anger prevents clear thinking, so rein it in first.
• Since anger involves bodily reactions, physical actions can help you control anger: try some deep breathing first.
• Try putting yourself in your professor’s shoes and seeing the situation from their point of view. Try to understand how grading is not a personal issue of “liking” you — that they are really doing something for your educational benefit.
• It’s not your life that’s being graded. Things outside your control can result in not doing well on a test or assignment, but the professor can grade only on what you actually did on that test or assignment — not what you could have done or are capable of doing. Understanding this can help you accept what happened and not take a grade personally.

E-mail Best Practices

Getting Started with E-mail

• If you don’t have your own computer, find out where on-campus computers are available for student use, such as at the library or student computer lab.
• Use your college e-mail for all communications with college staff and faculty.
• Give your e-mail address to professors who request it and to other students with whom you study or maintain contact. E-mail is a good way to contact another student if you miss a class.
• Once you begin using e-mail, remember to check it regularly for messages.

Be sure to use good e-mail etiquette when writing to professors.

Follow these guidelines:

• Use the subject line to label your message effectively at a glance. “May I make an appointment?” says something; “In your office?” doesn’t.
• Address e-mail messages as you do a letter. Include your full name if it’s not easily recognizable in your e-mail account.
• Get to your point quickly and concisely. Don’t make the reader scroll down a long e-mail to see what it is you want to say.
• Because e-mail is a written communication, it does not express emotion the way a voice message does. Don’t attempt to be funny, ironic, or sarcastic, Write as you would in a paper for class. In a large lecture class or an online course, your e-mail voice may be the primary way your professor knows you, and emotionally charged messages can be confusing or give a poor impression.
• Don’t use capital letters to emphasize. All caps look like SHOUTING.
• Avoid abbreviations, nonstandard spelling, slang, and emoticons like smiley faces. These do not convey a professional tone.
• Don’t make demands or state expectations such as “I’ll expect to hear from you soon” or “If I haven’t heard by 4 p.m., I’ll assume you’ll accept my paper late.”
• When you reply to a message, leave the original message within yours. Your reader may need to recall what he or she said in the original message.
• Be polite. End the message with a “Thank you” or something similar.
• Proofread your message before sending it.
• With any important message to a work supervisor or professor, it’s a good idea to wait and review the message later before sending it. You may have expressed an emotion or thought that you will think better about later. Many problems have resulted when people sent messages too quickly without thinking.

• Everyone needs their own space. This may seem simple, but everyone needs some physical area, regardless of size, that is really their own—even if it’s only a small part of a shared space. Within your own space, you generally feel more secure and in control.
• Physical space reinforces habits. For example, using your bed primarily for sleeping makes it easier to fall asleep there than elsewhere and also makes it not a good place to try to stay awake and alert for studying.
• Different places create different moods. While this may seem obvious, students don’t always use places to their best advantage. One place may be bright and full of energy, with happy students passing through and enjoying themselves—a place that puts you in a good mood. But that may actually make it more difficult to concentrate on your studying. Yet the opposite—a totally quiet, austere place devoid of color, sound,  and pleasant decorations—can be just as unproductive if it makes you associate studying with something unpleasant. Everyone needs to discover what space works best for them—and then let that space reinforce good study habits.

Use Space to Your Advantage and to Avoid Distractions

• Choose a place you can associate with studying. Make sure it’s not a place already associated with other activities (eating, watching television, sleeping, etc.). Over time, the more often you study in this space, the stronger will be its association with studying, so that eventually you’ll be completely focused as soon as you reach that place and begin.
• Your study area should be available whenever you need it. If you want to use your home, apartment, or dorm room but you never know if another person may be there and possibly distract you, then it’s probably better to look for another place, such as a study lounge or an area in the library. Look for locations open at the hours when you may be studying. You may also need two study spaces—one in or near where you live, another on campus. Maybe you study best at home but have an hour free between two classes, and the library is too far away to use for only an hour? Look for a convenient empty classroom.
• Your study space should meet your study needs. An open desk or table surface usually works best for writing, and you’ll tire quickly if you try to write notes sitting in an easy chair (which might also make you sleepy). You need good light for reading, to avoid tiring from eyestrain. If you use a laptop for writing notes or reading and researching, you need a power outlet so you don’t have to stop when your battery runs out.
• Your study space should meet your psychological needs. Some students may need total silence with absolutely no visual distractions; they may find a perfect study carrel hidden away in the library. Other students may be unable to concentrate for long without looking up from reading and momentarily letting their eyes move over a pleasant scene. Some students may find it easier to stay motivated when surrounded by other students also studying; they may find an open space in the library or a study lounge with many tables spread out over an area. Experiment to find the setting that works best for you—and remember that the more often you use this same space, the more comfortable and effective your studying will become.
• You may need the support of others to maintain your study space. Students living at home, whether with a spouse and children or with their parents, often need the support of family members to maintain an effective study space. The kitchen table probably isn’t best if others pass by frequently. Be creative, if necessary, and set up a card table in a quiet corner of your bedroom or elsewhere to avoid interruptions. Put a “do not disturb” sign on your door.
• Keep your space organized and free of distractions. You want to prevent sudden impulses to neaten up the area (when you should be studying), do laundry, wash dishes, and so on. Unplug a nearby telephone, turn off your cell phone, and use your computer only as needed for studying. If your e-mail or message program pops up a notice every time an e-mail or message arrives, turn off your Wi-Fi or detach the network cable to prevent those intrusions.
• Plan for breaks. Everyone needs to take a break occasionally when studying. Think about the space you’re in and how to use it when you need a break. If in your home, stop and do a few exercises to get your blood flowing. If in the library, take a walk up a couple flights of stairs and around the stacks before returning to your study area.
• Prepare for human interruptions. Even if you hide in the library to study, there’s a chance a friend may happen by. At home with family members or in a dorm room or common space, the odds increase greatly. Have a plan ready in case someone pops in and asks you to join them in some fun activity. Know when you plan to finish your studying so that you can make a plan for later—or for tomorrow at a set time.

Studying While Living with Others

Time Management

• Determining how much time you need to spend studying
• Knowing how much time you actually have for studying and increasing that time if needed
• Being aware of the times of day you are at your best and most focused
• Using effective long- and short-term study strategies
• Scheduling study activities in realistic segments
• Using a system to plan ahead and set priorities
• Staying motivated to follow your plan and avoid procrastination

Where Should Your Time Go?

1. Hours attending class
2. Study hours (2 times the number of class hours plus 5 or more hours extra)
3. Work, internships, and fixed volunteer time
4. Fixed life activities (sleeping, eating, hygiene, chores, transportation, etc.)
5. Discretionary activities

Where Does Your Time Go?

• Sleeping
• Eating (including preparing food)
• Personal hygiene (i.e., bathing, etc.)
• Working (employment)
• Volunteer service or internship
• Chores, cleaning, errands, shopping, etc.
• Attending class
• Studying, reading, and researching (outside of class)
• Transportation to work or school
• Getting to classes (walking, biking, etc.)
• Organized group activities (clubs, church services, etc.)
• Time with friends (include television, video games, etc.)
• Attending events (movies, parties, etc.)
• Time alone (include television, video games, surfing the Web, etc.)
• Exercise or sports activities
• Reading for fun or other interests done alone
• Talking on phone, e-mail, Facebook, etc.
• Other—specify: ________________________

Think about your time analysis in Time Activity. People who estimate too high often feel they don’t have enough time. They may have time anxiety and often feel frustrated. People at the other extreme, who often can’t account for how they use all their time, may have a more relaxed attitude. They may not actually have any more free time, but they may be wasting more time than they want to admit with less important things. Yet they still may complain about how much time they spend studying, as if there’s a shortage of time.

People also differ in how they respond to schedule changes. Some go with the flow and accept changes easily, while others function well only when following a planned schedule and may become upset if that schedule changes. If you do not react well to an unexpected disruption in your schedule, plan extra time for catching up if something throws you off. This is all part of understanding your time personality.

Another aspect of your time personality involves time of day. If you need to concentrate, such as when writing a class paper, are you more alert and focused in the morning, afternoon, or evening? Do you concentrate best when you look forward to a relaxing activity later on, or do you study better when you’ve finished all other activities? Do you function well if you get up early—or stay up late—to accomplish a task? How does that affect the rest of your day or the next day? Understanding this will help you better plan your study periods.

While you may not be able to change your “time personality,” you can learn to manage your time more successfully. The key is to be realistic. How accurate is the number of hours you wrote down in Time Activity? The best way to know how you spend your time is to record what you do all day in a time log, every day for a week, and then add that up. Make simple chart of the hours in a day and carry it with you. Every so often, fill in what you have been doing. Do this for a week before adding up the times; then enter the total hours in the categories in Time Activity. You might be surprised that you spend a lot more time than you thought just hanging out with friends—or surfing the Web or playing around with Facebook or any of the many other things people do. You might find that you study well early in the morning even though you thought you are a night person, or vice versa. You might learn how long you can continue at a specific task before needing a break.

Time Management Strategies

• Use a calendar planner, weekly schedule and daily to-do list. At the beginning of each semester, log important due dates for assignments and tests on a four month calendar. This will give you an overview of the semester and identify particularly busy weeks. Next prepare your ideal weekly schedule with class times and study periods for each day and on the weekends. Add work and other fixed activities after classes and study periods. Consult your calendar and weekly schedule to help determine the tasks you need to complete each day to create a to-do list and consider what study periods you have available that day.  For each study period, plan out your activities based on due dates for assignments, preparation needed for next classes and general study to prepare for tests and exams.
• Prepare to be successful. When planning ahead for studying, think yourself into the right mood. Focus on the positive. “When I get these chapters read tonight, I’ll be ahead in studying for the next test, and I’ll also have plenty of time tomorrow to do X.” Visualize yourself studying well!
• Use your best—and most appropriate—time of day. Different tasks require different mental skills. Some kinds of studying you may be able to start first thing in the morning as you wake, while others need your most alert moments at another time.
• Break up large projects into small pieces. Whether it’s writing a paper for class, studying for a final exam, or reading a long assignment or full book, students often feel daunted at the beginning of a large project. It’s easier to get going if you break it up into stages that you schedule at separate times—and then begin with the first section that requires only an hour or two.
• Do the most important studying first. When two or more things require your attention, do the more crucial one first. If something happens and you can’t complete everything, you’ll suffer less if the most crucial work is done.
• If you have trouble getting started, do an easier task first. Like large tasks, complex or difficult ones can be daunting. If you can’t get going, switch to an easier task you can accomplish quickly. That will give you momentum, and often you feel more confident tackling the difficult task after being successful in the first one.
• If you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed because you have too much to do, revisit your time planner. Sometimes it’s hard to get started if you keep thinking about other things you need to get done.
• Review your schedule for the next few days and make sure everything important is scheduled, then relax and concentrate on the task at hand.
• If you’re really floundering, talk to someone. Maybe you just don’t understand what you should be doing. Talk with your professor or another student in the class to get back on track.
• Take a break. We all need breaks to help us concentrate without becoming fatigued and burned out. As a general rule, a short break every hour or so is effective in helping recharge your study energy. Get up and move around to get your blood flowing, clear your thoughts, and work off stress.
• Use unscheduled times to work ahead. You’ve scheduled that hundred pages of reading for later today, but you have the textbook with you as you’re waiting for the bus. Start reading now, or flip through the chapter to get a sense of what you’ll be reading later. Either way, you’ll save time later. You may be amazed how much studying you can get done during down times throughout the day. Keep your momentum. Prevent distractions, such as multitasking, that will only slow you down. Check for messages, for example, only at scheduled break times.
• Reward yourself. It’s not easy to sit still for hours of studying. When you successfully complete the task, you should feel good and deserve a small reward. A healthy snack, a quick video game session, or social activity can help you feel even better about your successful use of time.
• Just say no. Always tell others nearby when you’re studying, to reduce the chances of being interrupted. Still, interruptions happen, and if you are in a situation where you are frequently interrupted by a family member, spouse, roommate, or friend, it helps to have your “no” prepared in advance: “No, I really have to be ready for this test” or “That’s a great idea, but let’s do it tomorrow—I just can’t today.” You shouldn’t feel bad about saying no—especially if you told that person in advance that you needed to study.
• Have a life. Never schedule your day or week so full of work and study that you have no time at all for yourself, your family and friends, and your larger life.

The Distractions of Technology

• Stay away from multitasking whenever you have something important to do, like studying.
• If it’s already a habit for you, don’t let it become worse.
• Manipulate your study space to prevent the temptations altogether. Turn your computer off or shut down e-mail and messaging programs if you need the computer for studying.
• Turn your cell phone off.  If you just tell yourself not to answer it but still glance at it each time to see who sent or left a message, you’re still losing your studying momentum and have to start over again.

Health and Wellness

• Cardiovascular issues such as heart attacks and strokes (the numbers one and three causes of death)
• Some cancers
• Diabetes (currently reaching epidemic proportions)
• Lung diseases related to smoking
• Injuries related to substance abuse

• More energy
• Better ability to focus on your studies
• Less stress, feeling more resilient and able to handle day-to-day stress
• Less time lost to colds, flu, infections, and other illnesses
• More restful sleep

Eating Well: It’s Not So Difficult

If You Need to Lose Weight

• Check your body mass index (BMI) to see the normal weight range for your height.
• Set your goals and make a plan you can live with. Start by avoiding snacks and fast foods.
• Try to choose foods that meet the guidelines listed above.
• Stay active and try to exercise frequently.
• Keep a daily food journal and write down what you eat. Simply writing it down helps people.
• Be more aware of your habits, and more motivated to eat better.
• Visit Health Services on campus and ask for more information about weight loss programs.

Tips for Success: Nutrition

• Eat a variety of foods every day.
• Take a multivitamin every day.
• Take an apple or banana with you for a snack in case you get hungry between meals.
• Avoid fried foods.
• Avoid high-sugar foods. After the rush comes a crash that can make you drowsy, and you’ll have trouble paying attention in class. Watch out for sugary cereals—try other types with less sugar and more fiber.
• If you have a soft drink habit, experiment with flavored seltzer and other zero- or low-calorie drinks.
• Eat when you’re hungry, not when you’re bored or just because others are eating.
• If you find yourself in a fast food restaurant, try a salad.
• Watch portion sizes and never “supersize it”!

Exercise

Does Exercise Really Matter?

• Improved fitness for the whole body, not just the muscles
• Greater cardiovascular fitness and reduced disease risk
• Increased physical endurance
• Stronger immune system, providing more resistance to disease
• Lower cholesterol levels, reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease
• Lowered risk of developing diabetes
• Weight maintenance or loss

• Stress reduction
• Improved mood, with less anxiety and depression
• Improved ability to focus mentally
• Better sleep
• Feeling better about oneself

How Much Exercise and What Kind?

Campus Activities Can Help

Sleep

The Importance of a Good Night's Sleep

• Improves your mood during the day
• Improves your memory and learning abilities
• Gives you more energy
• Strengthens your immune system
• Promotes wellness of body, mind, and spirit

• Affects mental health and contributes to stress and feelings of anxiety, depression, and general unhappiness
• Causes sleepiness, difficulty paying attention in class, and ineffective studying
• Weakens the immune system, making it more likely to catch colds and other infections
• Increases the risk of accidents (such as while driving)
• Contributes to weight gain

How much Sleep is enough?

How to Get More and Better Sleep

• Having a drink or two helps me get to sleep better. False: Although you may seem to fall asleep more quickly, alcohol makes sleep less restful, and you’re more likely to awake in the night.
• Exercise before bedtime is good for sleeping. False: Exercise wakes up your body, and it may be some time before you unwind and relax. Exercise earlier in the day, however, is beneficial for sleep.
• It helps to fall asleep after watching television or surfing the Web in bed. False: Rather than helping you unwind, these activities can engage your mind and make it more difficult to get to sleep.

Facts about Sleep

• Avoid nicotine, which can keep you awake—yet another reason to stop smoking.
• Avoid caffeine for six to eight hours before bed. Caffeine remains in the body for three to five hours on the average, much longer for some people. Remember that many soft drinks contain caffeine.
• Don’t eat in the two to three hours before bed. Avoid alcohol before bedtime.
• Don’t nap during the day. Napping is the least productive form of rest and often makes you less alert. It may also prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep.
• Exercise earlier in the day (at least several hours before bedtime).
• Try to get to bed and wake about the same time every day—your body likes a routine.
• Make sure the environment is conducive to sleep: dark, quiet, comfortable, and cool.
• Use your bed only for sleeping, not for studying, watching television, or other activities. Going to bed will become associated with going to sleep.
• Establish a presleep winding-down routine, such as taking a hot bath, listening to soothing music, or reading (not a textbook). If you can’t fall asleep after ten to fifteen minutes in bed, it’s better to get up and do something else rather than lie there fitfully for hours. Do something you find restful (or boring). Read, or listen to a recorded book. Go back to bed when you’re sleepy.

Substance Use and Abuse

Smoking and Tobacco: Why Start, and Why Is It So Hard to Stop?

Tips for Stopping Smoking

1. S = Set a quit date.
2. T = Tell family, friends, and coworkers that you plan to quit.
3. A = Anticipate and plan for the challenges you’ll face while quitting.
4. R = Remove cigarettes and other tobacco products from your home, car, and work.
5. T = Talk to your doctor about getting help to quit.

If You Feel You Need Help

What’s the Big Deal about Alcohol?

How Much Alcohol Is Too Much?

If You Feel You Need Help

Prescription and Illegal Drugs

If You Feel You Need Help

Sexual Health

Sexual Values and Decisions

What’s “Safe Sex”?

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

• Know that only abstinence is 100 percent safe. Protective devices can fail even when used correctly, although the risk is small. Understand the risks of not always using protection.
• Talk with your partner in advance about your sexual histories and health. Agree that regardless of how sure you both are about not having an STI, you will use protection because you cannot be certain even if you have no symptoms.
• Avoid sexual activity with casual acquaintances whose sexual history you do not know and with whom you have not talked about health issues. Sexual activity is safest with a single partner in a long-term relationship.
• Use a latex condom for all sexual activity. A male condom is about 98 percent effective when used correctly, and a female condom about 95 percent effective when used correctly. With both, incorrect use increases the risk. If you are unsure how to use a condom correctly and safely, do some private online reading.
• If you are sexually active with multiple partners, see your health-care provider twice a year for an STI screening even if you are not experiencing symptoms.

Preventing Unwanted Pregnancy

Sexual Assault and Date Rape

• Strangers
• Acquaintances
• Dating partners

• Go with a friend and don’t let someone separate you from your friend.
• Agree to stick together and help each other if it looks like things are getting out of hand. If your friend has too much to drink, don’t leave her or him alone.
• Plan to leave together and stick to the plan. Be especially alert if you become separated from your friend, even if you are only going off alone to look for the bathroom. You may be followed.
• Be cautious if someone is pressuring you to drink heavily.
• Trust your instincts if someone seems to be coming on too aggressively.
• Get back to your friends. Know where you are and have a plan to get home if you have to leave abruptly.

• Make it clear that you have limits on sexual activity. If there is any question that your date may not understand your limits, talk about your values and limits.
• If your date initiates unwanted sexual activity of any sort, do not resist passively. The other may misinterpret passive behavior as consent.
• Be careful if your date is drinking heavily or using drugs. Avoid drinking yourself, or drink very moderately.
• Stay in public places where there are other people. Do not invite your date to your home before your relationship is well established.
• Trust your instincts if your date seems to be coming on too strong. End the date if necessary.

Date Rape Drugs

• Don’t put your drink down where someone else may get to it. If your drink is out of your sight for even a moment, don’t finish it.
• Never accept an open drink. Don’t accept a mixed drink that you did not see mixed from pure ingredients.
• Never drink anything from a punch bowl, even if it’s nonalcoholic. You can’t know what may have been added into the punch.
• If you experience unexpected physical symptoms that may be the result of something you drank or ate, get to an emergency room and ask to be tested.

Emotional Health

Emotions Can Be Problematic

Anxiety

1. Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by chronic anxiety, exaggerated worry and tension, even when there is little or nothing to provoke it.
2. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions), repetitive behaviors (compulsions), or both.
3. Panic disorder is characterized by unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms.
4. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened.
5. Social phobia (or social anxiety disorder) is a persistent, intense, and chronic fear of being watched and judged by others and being embarrassed or humiliated by one’s own actions.

Loneliness

Depression

• Feeling overwhelmed by pressures to study, work, and meet other obligations
• Not having enough time (or money) to do the things you want to do
• Experiencing problems in a relationship, friendship, or work situation
• Feeling overweight, unhealthy, or not in control of oneself
• Feeling that your new life as a student lacks some of the positive dimensions of your former life
• Not having enough excitement in your life

• Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” feelings
• Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
• Irritability or restlessness
• Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex
• Fatigue and decreased energy
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
• Insomnia, early morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
• Overeating or appetite loss
• Thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts
• Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems

Stress

What Causes Stress?

• Serious illness or injury
• Serious illness, injury, or death of a family member or loved one
• Losing a job or sudden financial catastrophe
• Unwanted pregnancy
• Divorce or ending a long-term relationship (including parents’ divorce)
• Being arrested or convicted of a crime
• Being put on academic probation or suspended

• Anxiety about not having enough time for classes, job, studies, and social life
• Worries about grades, an upcoming test, or an assignment
• Money concerns
• Conflict with a roommate, someone at work, or family member
• Anxiety or doubts about one’s future or difficulty choosing a major or career
• Frequent colds, allergy attacks, other continuing health issues
• Concerns about one’s appearance, weight, eating habits, and so on.
• Relationship tensions, poor social life, loneliness
• Time-consuming hassles such as a broken-down car or the need to find a new apartment

Thought Exercise

What’s Wrong with Stress?

• Weakened immune system, making you more likely to catch a cold and to suffer from any illness longer
• More frequent digestive system problems, including constipation or diarrhea, ulcers, and indigestion
• Elevated blood pressure
• Increased risk of diabetes
• Muscle and back pain
• More frequent headaches, fatigue, and insomnia
• Greater risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular problems over the long term

• Difficulty thinking clearly or concentrating
• Poor memory
• More frequent negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, frustration, powerlessness, resentment, or nervousness—and a general negative outlook on life
• Greater difficulty dealing with others because of irritability, anger, or avoidance

Unhealthy Responses to Stress

1. Drinking alcohol
2. Drinking lots of coffee
3. Sleeping a lot
4. Eating too much
5. Eating too little
6. Smoking or drugs
7. Having arguments
8. Sitting around depressed
9. Watching television or surfing the Web
10. Complaining to friends
11. Exercising, jogging, biking
12. Practicing yoga or tai chi
13. Meditating
14. Using relaxation techniques
15. Talking with an professor or counsellor

Coping with Stress

• Deep breathing. Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight. Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose, filling your lungs completely. Exhale slowly and smoothly through your mouth. Concentrate on your breathing and feel your chest expanding and relaxing. After five to ten minutes, you will feel more relaxed and focused.
• Progressive muscle relaxation. With this technique, you slowly tense and then relax the body’s major muscle groups. The sensations and mental concentration produce a calming state.
• Meditation. Taking many forms, meditation may involve focusing on your breathing, a specific visual image, or a certain thought, while clearing the mind of negative energy. Many podcasts are available to help you find a form of meditation that works best for you.
• Yoga or tai chi. Yoga, tai chi, and other exercises that focus on body position and slow, gradual movements are popular techniques for relaxation and stress reduction. You can learn these techniques through a class, online or from a DVD.
• Music and relaxation CDs and MP3s. Many different relaxation techniques have been developed for audio training. Simply play the recording and relax as you are guided through the techniques.
• Massage. Regular massages are a way to relax both body and mind. If you can’t afford a weekly massage but enjoy its effects, a local massage therapy school may offer more affordable massage from students and beginning practitioners.

Tips for Success: Stress

• Pay attention to, rather than ignore, things that cause you stress and change what you can.
• Accept what you can’t change and resolve to make new habits that will help you cope.
• Get regular exercise and enough sleep.
• Evaluate your priorities, work on managing your time, and schedule restful activities in your daily life. Students who feel in control of their lives report feeling much less stress than those who feel that circumstances control them.
• Slow down and focus on one thing at a time—don’t check for e-mail or text messages every few minutes! Know when to say no to distractions.
• Break old habits involving caffeine, alcohol, and other substances.
• Remember your long-range goals and don’t obsess over short-term difficulties.
• Make time to enjoy being with friends.
• Explore new activities and hobbies that you enjoy.
• Find a relaxation technique that works for you and practice regularly.
• Get help if you’re having a hard time coping with emotional stress.

What is Good2Talk?

• If you are living away from home for the first time, you may have less experience setting and sticking to a budget and handling money in general.
• Because you need more time for studying and other aspects of college life, you may have less time to work and make money.
• Even if you receive financial support from your family, your funds are not unlimited, and you’ll need to learn to live within a budget.

• Because you need more time for studying and college, you likely have less time to work and make money.
• You will have many new expenses including tuition and fees, books and supplies, and so on.
• You are more likely to have to juggle a budget that may include a family, mortgage, and other established expenses.

• set financial goals
• consider jobs and making money
• learn how to spend less and manage a budget
• avoid credit card debt
• determine how best to finance your college expenses

Setting your Financial goals and Budget

What Are Your Financial Goals?

• Is it important for you to graduate from college with minimal debt?
• What are your priorities for summers and other “free time”? Working to earn money? Taking nonpaying internships or volunteering to gain experience in your field? Enjoying social activities and time with friends?
• How important is it to you to live in a nice place, or drive a nice car, or wear nice clothes, or eat in nice restaurants? How important in comparison to your educational goals?

Make More or Spend Less?

The College Budget

• Having money or not having money doesn’t define who you are. Your real friends will think no less of you if you make your own lunch and eat it between classes or take the bus to campus rather than drive a new car. You are valued more by others for who you are as a person, not for what things you have.
• You don’t have to spend as much as your friends to be one of the group. Some people always have more money than others and spend more. Resist any feeling that your friends who are big spenders are the norm. Don’t feel you have to go along with whatever expensive activities they propose just so you fit in.
• A positive attitude leads to success. Learn to relax and not get stressed out about money. If you need to make changes in how you spend money, view this as an exciting accomplishment, not a depressing fact. Feel good about staying on a budget and being smart about how you spend your money.
• Be realistic about what you can accomplish. Most students have financial problems, and they don’t just go away by waving a magic wand of good intentions. If your budget reveals you don’t have enough money even while working and carefully controlling your spending, you may still need a student loan or larger changes in your lifestyle to get by. That’s OK—there are ways to deal with that. But if you unrealistically set your sights so high about spending less and saving a lot, you may become depressed or discouraged if you don’t meet your goals. Before you can make an effective budget, you need to look at what you’re spending money on now and consider what’s essential and what’s optional.

• Room and board or rent/mortgage, utilities, and groceries
• College tuition, fees, textbooks, supplies
• Transportation
• Insurance (health insurance, car insurance, etc.)
• Dependent care if needed
• Essential personal items (some clothing, hygiene items, etc.)

• Be aware of what you’re spending. Carry a small notebook and write down everything—everything— you spend for a month. You’ll see your habits and be able to make a better budget to take control.
• Look for alternatives. If you buy a lot of bottled water, for example, you may feel healthier than people who drink soft drinks or coffee, but you may be spending hundreds of dollars a year on something that is virtually free! Carry your own refillable water bottle and save the money.
• Plan ahead to avoid impulse spending. If you have a healthy snack in your backpack, it’s much easier to not put a dollar in a vending machine when you’re hungry on the way to class. Make a list before going grocery shopping and stick to it. Shopping without a list usually results in buying all sorts of unneeded (and expensive) things that catch your eye in the store.
• Be smart. Shop around, compare prices, and buy in bulk. Stopping to think a minute before spending is often all it takes.

Managing a Budget

1. Listing all your sources of income on a monthly basis.
2. Calculating all your expenditures on a monthly basis.
3. Making adjustments in your budget (and lifestyle if needed) to ensure the money isn’t going out faster than it’s coming in.

Balancing Your Budget

What If Your Budget Doesn’t Work?

What If You Get in Financial Trouble?

Saving for the Future

Working While in College

A Job Can Help or Hurt

• Experience for your résumé
• Contacts for your later job search network
• Employment references for your résumé

• What kinds of people will you be interacting with? Other students, professors, researchers? Interacting with others in the world of college can broaden your college experience, help motivate you to study, and help you feel part of a shared experience. You may work with or meet people who in the future can refer you to employers in your field. On the other hand, working in a business far from campus, for example, may offer a steady paycheck but can separate you from the academic community and detract from a positive college experience.
• Is the job flexible enough to meet a college student’s needs? Will you be able to change your work hours during final exam week or when a special project is due? A rigid work schedule may cause difficulty at times when you really need to focus on your classes.
• What will you be able to say about your work in your future résumé? Does it involve any skills—including people skills or financial or managerial responsibilities—that your employer can someday praise you for? Will working this job help you get a different, better job next year? These factors can make a job ideal for college students, but in the real world many students will have to work less than-ideal jobs. Working at a fast food restaurant or overnight shipping company may not seem very glamorous or offer the benefits described previously, but it may be the only job available at present. Don’t despair—things can always change. Make the money you need to get by in college but don’t become complacent and stop looking for more meaningful work. Keep your eyes and ears open for other possibilities. Visit the campus student employment office frequently (or check online) for new postings. Talk to other students. At the same time, even with a dull job, do your best and keep a good attitude. Remember that your boss or supervisor may someday be a work reference who can help (or hurt) your chances of getting a job you really want.

Student Jobs

Balancing the Job You Have with Your Ideal Job

• Acknowledge that sacrifice and compromise may be needed.
• Reduce your expenses, if you can, so you can cut back on the number of hours you work. This may mean temporarily giving up some things you enjoy in order to reach your goals.
• If you cannot cut your expenses and work hours and simply do not have the time to do well in your classes, you may have to cut back on how many classes you take per term. Try everything else first, but know that it’s better to succeed a little at a time than to push too hard and risk not succeeding. If you do have to cut back, keep a positive attitude: you’re still working toward your future ideal. If you ever feel the temptation to quit, see your college counsellor to explore all your options.

Credit Cards

• In an emergency, you may need funds you cannot obtain otherwise.
• You generally need a credit card for travel, for hotels, and other needs.
• Often it’s less expensive to make significant purchases online, and to do that you usually need a credit card. (Many ATM debit cards also function like a credit card for online purchases.)
• If you are young, responsible use of a credit card is a good way to start building a credit rating—but only if you use the credit card responsibly and always make sufficient payments on time.

Setting Limits

Avoiding Debt

• • Pay with cash when you can. Use your budget as a guide for how much cash to carry with you. A good way is to plan how much you’ll need for a week (lunches, parking meters, snacks or drinks between classes) and start the week with that amount from an ATM. Carrying that exact amount helps you stay informed of how you’re doing on your budget and keeps you from “accidentally” spending too much on a whim.
  • When possible, use a debit card instead of a credit card. A debit card is taken just like a credit card in most places, so you can use it instead of cash, but remember that a purchase is subtracted immediately from your account. Don’t risk overdraft fees by using a debit card when you don’t have the balance to back it up.
  • Record a debit card purchase in your checkbook register as soon as possible.
  • Make it a priority to pay your balance in full every month. If you can’t pay it all, pay as much as you can—and then remember that balance will still be there, so try not to use the card at all during the next month.
  • Don’t get cash advances on your credit card. With most cards, you begin paying interest from that moment forward—so there will still be an interest charge even if you pay the bill in full at the end of the month. Cash advance interest rates are often considerably higher than purchase rates.
  • Don’t use more than one credit card. Multiple cards make it too easy to misuse them and lose track of your total debt.
  • Get and keep receipts for all credit card purchases. Don’t throw them away because you’ll see the charges on your monthly statement.
  • Write the amounts down in your spending budget. You also need the receipts in case your monthly statement has an error.

Identity Security

• Never put in the trash any document with personal or financial information (e.g., your social insurance number, credit card number). Shred it first.
• Carefully review bank statements, credit card bills, and the like when you receive them. If the balance seems incorrect or you do not recognize charges, contact the bank or credit card company immediately.
• Never give your social insurance number, credit card number, or other sensitive data when requested by telephone or e-mail. Many schemes are used to try to trick people to reveal this information, but legitimate companies do not make such requests.
• Do not use online banking or make online purchases with a credit card using a public computer or an unsecured Wi-Fi connection. Your data can be picked up by others lurking within the Wi-Fi signal range.

Campus Groups

• Organized groups and activities speed your transition into your new life. New students can be overwhelmed by their studies and every aspect of a new life, and they may be slow to build a new life. Rather than waiting for it to come along on its own, you can immediately begin broadening your social contacts and experiences by joining groups that share your interests.
• Organized groups and activities help you experience a much greater variety of social life than you might otherwise. New students often tend to interact more with other students their own age and with similar backgrounds—this is just natural. But if you simply go with the flow and don’t actively reach out, you are much less likely to meet and interact with others from the broader campus diversity: students who are older and may have a perspective you may otherwise miss, upper-level students who have much to share from their years on campus, and students of diverse heritage or culture with whom you might otherwise be slow to interact.
• Organized groups and activities help you gain new skills, whether technical, physical, intellectual, or social. Such skills may find their way into your résumé when you next seek a job or your application for a scholarship or other future educational opportunity. Employers and others like to see well-rounded students with a range of proficiencies and experiences.
• Organized groups and activities are fun and a great way to stay healthy and relieve stress. Exercise and physical activity are essential for health and well-being, and many organized activities offer a good way to keep moving.

Participating in Groups and Activities

• Browse the college and student government Web sites, where you’re likely to find links to pages for student clubs and organizations.
• Watch for club fairs, open houses, and similar activities on campus. Talk with the representatives from any group in which you may be interested.
• Look for notices on bulletin boards around campus. Student groups really do want new students to join, so they usually try to post information where you can find it.
• Consider other forms of involvement and roles beyond clubs. Gain leadership experience by running for office in student government or applying for a residence hall support position.
• If your campus doesn’t have a group focused on a particular activity you enjoy yourself, think about starting a new club.

Communication Skills

Here are some guidelines for how to listen effectively:

Here are additional guidelines for effective speaking:

Balancing Schoolwork and Social Life

When and How to Say No

• Don’t join too many organizations or clubs. Most advisors suggest that two or three regular activities are the maximum that most students can handle.
• Work on your time management skills. Plan ahead for study time when you don’t have schedule conflicts. If you have a rich social life, study in the library or places where you won’t be tempted by additional social interaction with a roommate, family member, or others passing by.
• Don’t be afraid to say no. You may be active in a club and have plenty of time for routine activities, but someone may ask you to spend extra time organizing an upcoming event just when you have a major paper deadline coming up. Sometimes you have to remember the main reason you’re in college and just say you can’t do it because you have to get your work done.
• If you really can’t resolve your time conflicts, seek help. Talk with your program coordinator or a college counsellor. They’ll help you get back on track.

Four Steps to Learning

1. Prepare
2. Absorb
3. Capture
4. Review

Using your Memory

How Memory Works

Short-term Memory

Long-term Memory

Tips for moving information from short-term to long-term memory

• Make a deliberate decision to remember the specific data. “I need to remember Richard’s name” creates stronger links than just wishing you had a better memory for names.
• Link the information to your everyday life. Ask yourself, “Why is it important that I remember this material?”—and answer it.
• Link the information to other information you already have “stored,” especially the key themes of the course, and you will recall the data more easily. Ask yourself how this is related to other information you have. Look for ways to tie items together.
• Mentally group similar individual items into “buckets.” By doing this, you are creating links, for example, among terms to be memorized.
• Use visual imagery. Picture the concept vividly in your mind. Make those images big, bold, and colorful—even silly!
• Break information down into manageable “chunks.”
• Work from general information to the specific. People usually learn best when they get the big picture first, and then look at the details.
• Eliminate distractions.
• Test your memory often. Try to write down everything you know about a specific subject, from memory. Then go back and check your notes and textbook to see how you did.

1. Preparing
2. Reading
3. Capturing the key ideas
4. Reviewing

• Pace yourself. Figure out how much time you have to complete the assignment. Divide the assignment into smaller blocks rather than trying to read the entire assignment in one sitting.
• Schedule your reading. Set aside blocks of time, preferably at the time of the day when you are most alert, to do your reading assignments.
• Read your most difficult assignments early in your reading time, when you are freshest.
• Get yourself in the right space. Choose to read in a quiet, well-lit space. Your chair should be comfortable but provide good support.
• Avoid distractions. Active reading takes place in your short-term memory. Every time you move from task to task, you have to “reboot” your short-term memory and you lose the continuity of active reading.
• Avoid reading fatigue. Work for about fifty minutes, and then give yourself a break for five to ten minutes. Put down the book, walk around, get a snack, stretch, or do some deep knee bends. Short physical activity will do wonders to help you feel refreshed.
• Make your reading interesting. Try connecting the material you are reading with your class lectures or with other chapters. Ask yourself where you disagree with the author. Approach finding answers to your questions like an investigative reporter. Carry on a mental conversation with the author.

1. Preparing
2. Reading
3. Capturing the key ideas
4. Reviewing

Preparing to Read

Reading

Capturing the key ideas

Reviewing what you read

Additional Reading Tips:

• Pace yourself. Figure out how much time you have to complete the reading assignment. Divide the assignment into smaller blocks rather than trying to read the entire assignment in one sitting.
• Schedule your reading. Set aside blocks of time, preferably at the time of the day when you are most alert, to do your reading assignments.
• Read your most difficult assignments early in your reading time, when you are freshest.
• Get yourself in the right space. Choose to read in a quiet, well-lit space. Your chair should be comfortable but provide good support.
• Avoid distractions. Active reading takes place in your short-term memory. Every time you move from task to task, you have to “reboot” your short-term memory and you lose the continuity of active reading.
• Avoid reading fatigue. Work for about fifty minutes, and then give yourself a break for five to ten minutes. Put down the book, walk around, get a snack, stretch, or do some deep knee bends. Short physical activity will do wonders to help you feel refreshed.
• Make your reading interesting. Try connecting the material you are reading with your class lectures or with other chapters. Ask yourself where you disagree with the author. Approach finding answers to your questions like an investigative reporter. Carry on a mental conversation with the author.

• supports your listening efforts,
• allows you to test your understanding of the material,
• helps you remember the material better when you write key ideas down,
• gives you a sense of what the professor thinks is important,
• creates your “ultimate study guide.”

Styles of Notetaking

Lists

Outlines

Concept Maps

Cornell Method

General Tips on Notetaking

1. Be prepared. Make sure you have the tools you need to do the job.
2. Write on only one side of the paper. This will allow you to integrate your reading notes with your class notes.
3. Label, number, and date all notes at the top of each page. This will help you keep organized.
4. When using a laptop, position it such that you can see the professor and white board right over your screen. This will keep the professor in your field of vision even if you have to glance at your screen or keyboard from time to time. Make sure your focus remains with the professor and not on your laptop.
5. Don’t try to capture everything that is said. Listen for the big ideas and write them down. Make sure you can recognize the professor’s emphasis cues and write down all ideas and keywords the professor emphasizes.
6. Copy anything the professor writes on the board. It’s likely to be important.
7. Leave space between ideas. This allows you to add additional notes later.
8. Use signals and abbreviations. Which ones you use is up to you, but be consistent so you will know exactly what you mean by “att.” when you review your notes.
9. Review your notes as soon after class as possible, the same day is best. This is the secret to making your notes work! Review the notes to call out the key ideas and organize facts. Fill in any gaps in your notes and clean up or redraw hastily drawn diagrams.
10. Write a summary of the main ideas of the class in your own words. This process is a great aid to recall.

The Writing Process

How Can I Make the Process Work for Me?

1. Preparing before drafting, sometimes called prewriting
2. Writing the draft
3. Revising and editing

Preparing

• Understand the requirements of the assignment.
• Conduct your research.
• Brainstorm ideas for your assignment based on the requirements, your course materials and your research.
• Outline your paper structure and note where your research will help to develope your ideas.

Writing the draft

Revising and Editing

Revising

• Making organizational changes like the reordering of paragraphs (don’t forget that new transitions will be needed when you move paragraphs)
• Clarifying the thesis or adjustments between the thesis and supporting points that follow
• Cutting material that is unnecessary or irrelevant
• Adding new points to strengthen or clarify the presentation

Editing

• Careful spell-checking. This includes checking the spelling of names.
• Attention to sentence-level issues. Be especially attentive to sentence boundaries, subject-verb agreement, punctuation, and pronoun referents.
• You can also attend, at this stage, to matters of style.

Understanding Your First Assignment

Assignment Terms

Assignment Questions

Outlines and Marking Schemes

Plagiarism—and How to Avoid It

• The Modern Language Association (MLA) system of citation is widely used but is most commonly adopted in humanities courses, particularly literature courses.
• The American Psychological Association (APA) system of citation is most common in the social sciences.
• The Chicago Manual of Style is widely used but perhaps most commonly in history courses.

How to use past tests to improve your future results

Three step process

Step 1: Evaluating your test results

• When you receive your test back, sit quietly and take a close look at it.
• What questions did you get wrong? What kind of mistakes were they? Do you see a pattern?
• What questions did you get right? What were your strengths? What can you learn from the professor’s comments?
• Now think of the way in which you prepared for the exam. Were you prepared for the exam? Did you study the right material? What surprised you?
• Did you read the entire test before starting? Did your time allocation work well, or were you short of time on certain parts of the exam?

Step 2: Correcting Your Mistakes

• For multiple-choice questions, write out the question stem with the correct answer to form a single correct sentence or phrase.
• For true-or-false questions, write the full statement if it is true; if it is false, reword it in such a way that it is true (such as by inserting the word “not”). Then write the new statement.
• For math and science questions involving calculations, redo the entire solution with the calculations written out fully.
• You need not rewrite an entire essay question if you did not do well, but you should create a new outline for what would be a correct answer. Make sure you incorporate any ideas triggered by your professor’s comments.
• When you have rewritten all your answers, read them all out loud before incorporating your new answers in your notes.

Step 3: Integrating Your Test into Your Study Guide

Exam Errors and How to Correct Them

Preparation / Content Errors

• Incorporate weekly review sessions.
• Practice predicting possible questions.
• Go to all classes, labs, and review sessions.

Focus Errors or Carelessness

• Read the entire test before starting.
• Slow down during the test.
• Read carefully and think before answering.
• Check your work.

If You Don’t Get Your Test Back

Effective Studying

Studying Every Day

• Gather your learning materials. Take time to merge your class notes with your reading notes. How do they complement each other? Stop and think. What do the notes tell you about your material? What aspects of the material are you unsure about? Do you need to reread a part of your text? Write down any questions you have for your professor and pay a visit during office hours. It is better to clear up any misconceptions and get your questions answered soon after you are exposed to the material, rather than to wait, for two reasons: (1) the question or doubt is fresh in your mind and you won’t forget about it and (2) professors usually build their lessons on material already presented. If you don’t take these steps now, you are setting yourself up for problems later in the course.
• Apply or visualize. What does this material mean to you? How will you use this new knowledge? Try to find a way to apply it in your own life or thoughts. If you can’t use the knowledge right away, visualize yourself using the knowledge to solve a problem or visualize yourself teaching the material to other students.
• Cement your knowledge. If you use the two-column notetaking method, cover up the right side of your notes with a piece of paper, leaving the questions in the left column exposed. Test yourself by trying to answer your questions without referring to your notes. How did you do? If you are unsure about anything, look up the answer and write it down right away. Don’t let a wrong answer be the last thing you wrote on a subject, because you will most likely continue to remember the wrong answer.

Studying in Course Units

Studying before the Exam

• What has the professor said about what is included on the exam?
• Has the professor said anything about what types of questions will be included?
• If you were the professor, what questions would you ask on an exam?

More Tips for Success

• Schedule a consistent study-review time for each course at least once a week, in addition to your class and assignment time. Keep to that schedule as rigorously as you do your class schedule. Use your study time to go through the steps outlined earlier; this is not meant to be a substitute for your assignment time.
• Get yourself in the right space. Choose to study in a quiet, well-lit space. Your chair should be comfortable but provide good support. Remember that libraries were designed for reading and should be your first option.
• Minimize distractions. Turn off your cell phone and get away from social media, television, other nearby activities, and chatty friends or roommates. All of these can cut into the effectiveness of your study efforts. Multitasking and studying don’t mix.
• If you will be studying for a long time, take short breaks at least once an hour. Get up, stretch, breathe deeply, and then get back to work. (If you keep up with your daily assignments and schedule weekly review sessions for yourself—and keep them—there should be almost no need for long study sessions.)

Group Studying

Picking Group Members

• Think small. Limit your study group to no more than three or four people. A larger group would limit each student’s participation and make scheduling of regular study sessions a real problem.
• Go for quality. Look for students who are doing well in the course, who ask questions, and who participate in class discussions. Don’t make friendship the primary consideration for who should be in your group. Meet up with your friends instead during “social time”—study time is all about learning.
• Look for complementary skills and learning strengths. Complementary skills make for a good study group because your weaknesses will be countered by another student’s strengths. When a subject requires a combination of various skills, strengths in each of those skills is helpful (e.g., a group with one student who is really good at physics and another at math would be perfect for an engineering technology course). Finally, a variety of learning strengths is helpful because each of you pick up differing signals and emphases from the professor that you can share with each other, so you will not likely miss important points.

How to conduct a group study session

1. Assign a moderator, and rotate the role of moderator or discussion leader. This helps ensure “ownership” of the group is spread equally across all members and ensures active participation and careful preparation.
2. Define an agenda and objectives. Give your study sessions focus so that you don’t get sidetracked. Based on requests and comments from the group, the moderator should develop the agenda and start each session by summarizing what the group expects to cover and then keep the group to task.
3. Assign follow-up work. If there is any work that needs to be done between meetings, make sure that all team members know specifically what is expected of them and agree to do the work.
4. Include some of the following items on your agenda:

• Review and discuss class and assignment notes since your last meeting.
• Discuss assigned readings.
• Quiz each other on class material.
• “Reteach” aspects of the material team participants are unsure of.
• Brainstorm possible test questions and responses.
• Review quiz and test results and correct misunderstandings.
• Critique each other’s ideas for paper themes and approaches.
• Define questions to ask the professor.

• They help us measure our progress toward mastery of a particular skill.
• They are not a representation of how smart, talented, or skilled we are but rather are a measurement only of what we know about a specific subject at a specific point in time.
• They are extraordinary learning opportunities.

Types of Tests

Paper tests

Open-book tests

Take-home tests

Online tests

The Secrets of the Q and A’s

Multiple-Choice Questions

1. Read each question carefully and try to answer it in your head before reading the answer options. Then consider all the options.
2. Eliminate first the options that are clearly incorrect.
3. Read the questions and one of the options as a sentence and turn it into a True/False question.
4. Look for clue words that hint that certain option answers might be correct or incorrect.
5. Ensure the option you choose best matches what the question is asking.

True-or-False Questions

Short Answer Questions

Essay Questions

• Careful planning is critical to answering essay questions effectively. Note how many essay questions you have to answer and how difficult each question seems. Then allocate your time accordingly.
• Read the question carefully and underline or circle keywords. Watch for words that describe the professor’s expectations for your response.
• If time allows, organize your thoughts by creating a quick outline for your essay. This helps ensure that you don’t leave out key points, and if you run out of time, it may pick up a few points for your grade. Jot down specific information you might want to use, such as names, dates, and places.
• Introduce your essay answer, but get right to the point. Remember that the professor will be grading dozens of papers and avoid “filler” text that does not add value to your answer.
• Write in direct and concise statements.
• Write neatly and watch your grammar and spelling. Allow time to proofread your essay. You want your professor to want to read your essay, not dread it. Remember that grading essays is largely subjective, and a favorable impression can lead to more favorable grading.
• Be sure to answer all parts of the question. Essay questions often have more than one part. Remember, too, that essay questions often have multiple acceptable answers.

Strategies for Math Tests

Do the following before the test:

• Attend all classes and complete all assignments. Pay special attention to working on all assigned problems. After reviewing problems in class, take careful notes about what you did incorrectly. Repeat the problem and do a similar one as soon as possible. It is important that the last solution to a problem in your mind is a correct solution. [caption id="attachment_396" align="alignright" width="300"] Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay[/caption]
• Think about how each problem solution might be applied in a real-world situation. This helps make even the most complex solutions relevant and easier to learn.
• In your study group, take turns presenting solutions to problems and observing and correcting everyone’s work.
• If you are having difficulty with a concept, get help right away. Remember that math especially builds new material on previous material, so if you are having trouble with a concept now, you are likely to have trouble going forward. Make an appointment with your professor. Don’t be shy about asking for a tutor—tutoring is not just for students needing remedial help; many successful students seek them out, too.

Do the following during the test:

1. Read the problem through twice: the first time to get the full concept of the question, and the second time to draw out pertinent information. After you read through the problem the first time, ask yourself, “What is this problem about?” and “What is the answer likely to look like?” The second time through, consider these questions: “What facts do I have available?” “What do I know?” “What measurable units must the answer be in?” Think about the operations and formulas you will need to use. Try to estimate a ballpark answer.
2. Compute your answer. First, eliminate as many unknowns as possible. You may need to use a separate formula for each unknown. Use algebraic formulas as far as you can before plugging in actual numbers; that will make it easier to cancel and combine factors. Remember that you may need two or more tries before you come up with the answer.
3. Check your work. Start by comparing your actual answer to the estimate you made when you first read the problem. Does your final answer sound likely? Check your arithmetic by opposite operations: use multiplication to check division and addition to check subtraction, and so on. You should consider using these three steps whenever you are working with any math problems, not just when you get problems on tests.

Strategies for Science Tests

• Before the test, review your lab notes as well as your class notes and assignments. Many test questions build upon lab experience, so pay close attention to your notes, assignments, and labs. Practice describing the experimental process.
• Read the question carefully. What does the professor expect you to do? Prove a hypothesis? Describe an experiment? Summarize research? Underline the words that state the objective of the question.
• Look carefully at all the diagrams given with the question. What do they illustrate? Why are they included with the question? Are there elements on the diagram you are expected to label?
• Many science questions are based on the scientific method and experimental model. When you read the test question, identify the hypothesis the problem is proposing; be prepared to describe an experimental structure to prove a hypothesis. When you check your work, make sure the hypothesis, experimental steps, and a summary of results (or expected results) are clear. Some of these elements may be part of the question, while others you may need to provide in your answer.

Test Anxiety

Thought Activity: Testing Your Test Anxiety

There are steps you should take if you find that stress is getting in your way:

Test Taking Tips

Before the test:

1. Learn as much as you can about the test.
2. Try to foresee the questions likely to be on the test.
3. Don’t be tempted to stay up late cramming.
4. The night before, get some exercise, watch what you eat and get a good nights rest.
5. Get to the test site early with all your tools

During the test:

1. When you receive your test, scan the entire test first. Evaluate the importance of each section.Then create a time allocation plan.
2. Write it down. Take a couple minutes to write down key facts, dates, principles, statistics, and formulas on a piece of scratch paper or in the margin of the test paper.
3. Read the directions carefully.
4. Do the easy questions first.
5. Keep an eye on the time. Keep as close to your plan as possible.
6. Check your work. Ensuring that you have complete answers according to the directions; then look for other common mistakes.

Effective Brainstorming in a Group

• Decide who should moderate the session. That person may participate, but his main role is to keep the discussion flowing.
• Define the problem to be discussed and the time you will allow to consider it.
• Write all ideas down on a board or flip chart for all participants to see.
• Encourage everyone to speak.
• Do not allow criticism of ideas. All ideas are good during a brainstorm. Suspend disbelief until after the session. Remember a wildly impossible idea may trigger a creative and feasible solution to a problem.

Group Writing Projects

Follow these guidelines:

• You will have a fuller life and a better understanding of the world around you.
• You will gain decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• You will meet many interesting and diverse people and have a richer social life.
• You will gain self-confidence.
• You will gain learning skills that can continue for a lifetime.
• You will make wiser decisions about lifestyle issues and live healthier.
• You will make wiser economic decisions the rest of your life.
• You will be better equipped to deal with other people, organizations, government agencies, and all the hassles of daily life.
• You will feel more a part of your community, the larger culture, and history.

Your Past Educational Experience

• Time management is more important in college because of varying class and work schedules and other time commitments.
• College professors seldom seek you out to offer extra help if you’re falling behind. You are on your own and expected to do the work, meet deadlines, and so on, without someone looking over your shoulder.
• There may be no attendance policy for classes. You are expected to be mature enough to come to class without fear of penalties.
• Many classes are large, making it easy to feel lost in a crowd.
• Many professors, especially in large classes, teach by lecture—which can be difficult for those whose high school teachers interacted a great deal with students.
• College courses require more study time and require you to work on your own.
• Your social and personal life in college may be less supervised. Younger students may experience a sudden increase in freedom to do what they want.
• You will meet more people from more diverse backgrounds in college.
• All of these differences, along with a change in living situation for many students, can lead to emotional changes—both positive and negative.

Welcome to A Guide for Successful Students

• have goals
• take responsibility
• embrace a diverse community
• go to class
• ask for help
• get it together
• take control of their health
• practice mental wellness
• understand their finances
• get involved
• learn independently

1. You can certainly start reading from the beginning and continue right through the end. Of course, we think everything in this Guide is useful and thrilling.
2. OR you can start by scanning the Contents list with a critical eye. Consider your current state of skills, attitudes and behaviours and use the Content list as a check list. Do you already do the things that successful students do? If so, you can take that as a confirmation that you are on the right track. If not, or if not enough, slow down and read that section or subsection. Once you are aware of what is within this Guide, you can come back and read or re-read a section when you need a new idea or a reminder.

• Develop a new workshop or enhance an exisiting workshop with a relevant section of the Guide and provide access to the Guide to your participants.
• Recommend the Guide or a particular section to students during face-to-face consultation for further reading.
• Assistive Technologists could use the Guide when training students on text-to-speech software.
• Learning Strategists could use sections, particularly Successful students learn independently and Successful students get it together when training students on appropriate medigating techniques.
• English and writing tutors could use the section in Successful student learn independently - Writing with their tutees.

1. Successful students have goals
   1. Introduction to successful students have goals
   2. Goal setting
   3. Attitude
   4. Priorities
2. Successful students take responsibility
   1. Self-management
   2. Academic integrity – the honest truth
   3. Problem solving: when setbacks happen
   4. Making decisions
   5. Contributing to decision making
3. Successful students embrace a diverse community
   1. Why successful students embrace diversity
   2. What diversity really means
   3. Diversity thought activity
   4. The benefits of diversity
   5. Getting along with others
4. Successful students go to class
   1. The importance of going to class
   2. Professor’s teaching style versus your
   3. Learning style
   4. The value of interaction in class
   5. Participating in class – preparing
   6. Participating in class – communicating
   7. Questions in class
5. Successful students ask for help
   1. Student services and campus services
   2. Talking with your professors
   3. Resolving a problem with your professor
6. Successful students get it together
   1. Organizing your space
   2. Studying while living with others
   3. Time management
   4. Time management strategies
   5. The distractions of technology
7. Successful students get involved
   1. Campus groups
   2. Participating in groups and activities
   3. Communication skills
   4. Balancing schoolwork and social life
   5. When and how to say no
8. Successful students take control of their health
   1. Where are you now?
   2. Health and wellness
   3. Exercise
   4. Sleep
   5. Substance use and abuse
   6. Sexual health
9. Success students practice mental wellness
   1. Emotional health
   2. Stress
   3. What’s wrong with stress?
   4. Coping with stress
   5. Tips for success: stress
   6. What is good2talk?
10. Successful students understand their finances
    1. Managing your finances
    2. The college budget
    3. What if your budget doesn’t work?
    4. Working while in college
    5. Credit cards
    6. Identity security
11. And #11 successful students learn independently
    1. Learning
       1. The learning cycle
       2. Using your memory
    2. Reading
       1. Reading to learn
    3. Notetaking
       1. Styles of notetaking
       2. Taking notes in class
    4. Writing
       1. The importance of writing
       2. The writing process
       3. Understanding your first assignment
       4. Outlines and marking schemes
       5. Plagiarism—and how to avoid it
    5. Studying
       1. Learning from past tests
       2. Effective studying
       3. Group studying
    6. Tests
       1. Preparing for and taking tests
       2. Types of tests
       3. The secrets of the Q and A’s
       4. Strategies for math tests
       5. Strategies for science tests
       6. Test anxiety
       7. Test taking tips
    7. Group work
       1. Working in a group
       2. Effective brainstorming in a group
       3. Group writing projects