Practicing College Learning Strategies , Fifth Edition

Front Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 6
Copyright......Page 7
Contents......Page 8
Preface......Page 16
Survival Kit: Things You Need to Know RIGHT NOW!......Page 24
Musts for the First Day of Class......Page 25
Ten General Survival Tips to Keep You Afloat......Page 26
Evaluating Your Classroom Savvy......Page 27
Survival Tips for Taking Notes and Reading Assignments......Page 28
Taking the Test......Page 29
A Dozen Reasons to Review a Returned Test......Page 30
E-mail Etiquette......Page 31
Survival Tips for On-line Courses......Page 32
Modeling the Learning Process: Your Map for Learning How to Learn......Page 33
The Big 3: Posture, Neck and Shoulder Muscles, and Breath Support......Page 34
Assignment Log......Page 36
1 Applying the Principles of Time Management......Page 37
Exercise 1.1: Beginning Steps in Time Management......Page 38
Scheduling: The Road Map or GPS for Time Management......Page 39
Benefits of Scheduling......Page 40
Principles of Scheduling......Page 41
Exercise 1.3: Time Log Analysis......Page 42
Planning a Master Schedule......Page 44
Exercise 1.4: Master Schedule Worksheet......Page 45
Putting Your Master Schedule into Practice......Page 46
Exercise 1.5. Master Schedule Follow-up......Page 47
Exercise 1.6: Master Schedule......Page 49
To-Do List......Page 50
Time Wasters: Plan Your Attack......Page 51
Exercise 1.7: My Plan for Time Wasters......Page 52
Critical Thinking About Prioritizing Exercise......Page 53
Summary......Page 54
Parallel Parking......Page 56
Your Student Tip for This Chapter......Page 58
2 Critical Thinking......Page 59
The Necessity of Critical Thinking......Page 60
The Process of Decision Making......Page 61
Exercise 2.2: Decisions About Grades......Page 63
Exercise 2.3: Thinking About Thinking......Page 64
Exercise 2.4: Fact or Opinion?......Page 65
Levels of Learning: Bloom's Taxonomy......Page 66
Exercise 2.5: Levels of Learning......Page 68
Exercise 2.6: Asking and Predicting Questions......Page 69
Making Connections......Page 71
Summary......Page 72
Case Study: What's Your Advice?......Page 74
Parallel Parking......Page 75
Your Student Tip for This Chapter......Page 76
3 Setting Goals......Page 77
Why Have Goals?......Page 78
Exercise 3.1: What Does It Take to Make You Happy?......Page 79
Exercise 3.2: Locus of Control......Page 80
Exercise 3.3: Why Are You Here?......Page 81
Exercise 3.4: Dreaming......Page 82
35-Minute Brainstorming Activity......Page 83
Exercise 3.5: Brainstorm Follow-up......Page 85
Exercise 3.6: Practice Writing Useful Goals......Page 86
Achieving Goals......Page 88
Making Connections......Page 89
Examining Goals for Problem Classes......Page 90
Modeling the Learning Process......Page 92
Summary......Page 93
Parallel Parking......Page 94
Your Student Tip for This Chapter......Page 96
4 Memory Principles......Page 97
Basic Information About the Brain: Providing Background for Memory Principles......Page 99
Making It Concrete......Page 101
Intent to Remember......Page 104
Basic Background......Page 105
Exercise 4.1: Making an Effort......Page 106
Meaningful Organization......Page 107
Exercise 4.2: Controlling the Amount and Form of Information......Page 108
Recitation......Page 110
Association......Page 111
Exercise 4.3: Strengthening Neural Connections......Page 112
Consolidation......Page 114
Exercise 4.4: Consolidation......Page 115
Exercise 4.5 Putting Memory Principles to Use......Page 116
How Memory Works: Putting Principles in Perspective......Page 118
Stage One: Getting Information into the Brain—Reception into Short-Term Memory......Page 120
Factors That Influence Reception......Page 121
Short-Term Memory......Page 122
Organization......Page 123
Rehearsal......Page 124
Long-Term Memory......Page 125
Stage Three: Retrieving from Long-Term Memory......Page 126
Exercise 4.6: Applying Memory Principles in Retrieval......Page 127
Summary......Page 129
Parallel Parking......Page 131
Your Student Tip for This Chapter......Page 132
Processing Information: Going Beyond Memory......Page 133
Four Essential Functions for Learning......Page 135
Essential Functions of Learning and the Question in the Margin System......Page 136
Exercise 5.1: Modeling the Learning Process (Reflecting)......Page 137
Listening Skills......Page 139
Exercise 5.2: Obstacles to Listening......Page 140
Exercise 5.3: Improving Your Listening......Page 141
Exercise 5.4: Why Take Notes?......Page 142
Using the Question in the Margin System for Lectures......Page 143
Six Steps......Page 144
Exercise 5.5: Note Taking......Page 145
Making Connections......Page 147
Making Connections, Continued......Page 149
Making It Concrete......Page 150
Exercise 5.6: Practice Notes......Page 151
Exercise 5.7: Question in the Margin System......Page 152
Exercise 5.8: More Practice Using the Question in the Margin System......Page 153
Summary Sheet for Question in the Margin: Lecture Notes......Page 154
Exercise 5.9: Memory Principles Used in the Question in the Margin System......Page 155
Summary......Page 158
Case Study: What's Your Advice?......Page 159
Your Student Tip for This Chapter......Page 160
Using the Question in the Margin System for Textbooks......Page 161
Controlling the Amount and Form of Information......Page 163
Making Connections......Page 165
Exercise 6.3: Practice Using the Question in the Margin System for Textbooks......Page 166
Visual......Page 167
Summary Sheet for Question in the Margin: Textbooks......Page 168
Summary for Both Lecture and Textbook Question in the Margin......Page 169
Exercise 6.4: Do You Understand How the Question in the Margin System Works?......Page 170
Mapping......Page 172
Exercise 6.5: Practice with Mapping......Page 174
Internal Distractions......Page 177
External Distractions......Page 178
Exercise 6.9: Discovering the Best Place for You to Study......Page 179
Exercise 6.10: Study Habits Analysis......Page 180
Summary......Page 181
Parallel Parking......Page 183
Your Student Tip for This Chapter......Page 184
What Are Learning Styles?......Page 185
Sensory Modes of Learning: Input Preference......Page 187
Exercise 7.2: Sensory Modality Inventory......Page 188
The Visual Learner......Page 191
Exercise 7.3: Sensory Mode Reflection......Page 192
Differences Between Left and Right Hemispheres......Page 193
Exercise 7.4: How Does Your Brain Process Information?......Page 194
Linear Versus Holistic Processing......Page 196
Sequential Versus Random Processing......Page 197
Verbal Versus Nonverbal Processing......Page 198
Temporal Versus Nontemporal Processing......Page 199
Exercise 7.5: Left Brain–Right Brain Reflection......Page 200
Multiple Intelligences: Response Preference......Page 201
Eight Kinds of Intelligence......Page 202
Exercise 7.6: Multiple Intelligences......Page 203
Exercise 7.7: Determining Your MI Strengths......Page 204
Using Multiple Intelligences to Make Decisions......Page 205
Making Connections......Page 207
Social Learning Preference: Alone or in Groups......Page 208
Exercise 7.8: Social Inventory: Study First Alone or in a Group?......Page 209
Exercise 7.9: Your Learning Profile......Page 210
Summary......Page 211
Parallel Parking......Page 213
Your Student Tip for This Chapter......Page 214
8 Test-Taking Strategies......Page 215
Exercise 8.1: Preparing for Tests......Page 217
Exercise 8.2: Self-Analysis: Preparing for Tests......Page 218
Preview the Test......Page 220
Exercise 8.3: Budgeting Your Time......Page 221
Exercise 8.4: Following Directions......Page 222
Strategies for True/False Tests......Page 223
Exercise 8 6: Practice with Double Negatives......Page 224
Exercise 8.8: Practice with True/False Tests......Page 227
Strategies for Multiple-Choice Tests......Page 228
Exercise 8.9: Practice with Multiple-Choice Questions......Page 229
Exercise 8.10: Practice with Fill-in Questions......Page 231
Making Connections......Page 232
Exercise 8.12: Summary for Objective Test Strategies......Page 233
Exercise 8.13: Possible Test Questions Dealing with Test-Taking Strategies......Page 234
Strategies for Essay Tests......Page 235
Direction Words......Page 236
Exercise 8.14: Applying the Direction Words......Page 238
Exercise 8.15: Practice with Direction Words......Page 239
Exercise 8.16: Practice with Topic Sentences and Direction Words......Page 240
Exercise 8.17: Practice with Evaluating Answers to Essay Questions......Page 241
Final Exams......Page 244
Summary......Page 246
Case Study: What's Your Advice?......Page 248
Parallel Parking......Page 249
Your Student Tip for This Chapter......Page 250
Stress: What Is It?......Page 251
Analyzing Your Stress......Page 253
Exercise 9.1: Developing a Plan of Action......Page 254
Coping Strategies for Alleviating Stress Symptoms......Page 255
Exercise 9.2: Using the Strategies for Alleviating Stress......Page 257
Exercise 9.3: Analyzing Lifestyle Habits......Page 258
Modeling the Learning Process......Page 259
Case Study: What's Your Advice?......Page 260
Parallel Parking......Page 261
Your Student Tip for This Chapter......Page 262
10 College Essentials and College Etiquette......Page 263
Exercise 10.1: Using Your College Catalog......Page 265
General Education, or Core Curriculum, Courses......Page 266
Exercise 10.2: Using Your Student Handbook......Page 267
Exercise 10.3: Using Your Schedule Book......Page 268
Student Services......Page 269
Higher Education......Page 270
Critical Thinking About Higher Education......Page 271
Exercise 10.5: Double Checking Your Classroom Savvy......Page 272
Student Power......Page 273
How to Calculate Your GPA......Page 274
Exercise 10.6: Grade Point Average Practice......Page 275
Registering for a New Term......Page 276
Making Connections......Page 277
Summary......Page 278
Case Study: What's Your Advice?......Page 279
Your Student Tip for This Chapter......Page 280
Using the Resources in the Library......Page 281
Step 1: Identifying and Finding Background Information on Your Topic......Page 283
Step 3: Use Indexes and Databases to Find Periodical Articles......Page 284
Step 4: Finding Internet Resources......Page 285
Exercise 11.1: Using Your Library Catalog......Page 286
Exercise 11.3: Finding Books About Your Topic......Page 288
Exercise 11.4: Practice Using Periodicals......Page 289
Exercise 11.5: Practice Using Subject-Specific Databases......Page 291
Exercise 11.6: Practice Using Newspaper Sources......Page 292
Exercise 11.7: Practice Using the Internet for Research......Page 293
Making Connections......Page 294
Exercise 11.8: Choosing a Database......Page 295
Exercise 11.9: Quick, Reliable References......Page 296
Biographical Resources......Page 298
Exercise 11.11: Practicing What You Have Learned......Page 299
Summary......Page 301
Parallel Parking......Page 302
Your Student Tip for This Chapter......Page 303
Appendix A: Principles of Studying Math......Page 304
Appendix B: Jensen's Equation for Optimal Learning......Page 314
Bibliography......Page 315
Index......Page 316