Taking Charge of Your Learning: A Guide to College Success

Front Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Contents......Page 8
To the Instructor......Page 18
To the Student......Page 24
CHAPTER 1 Becoming a Successful Student......Page 26
What Is a Successful Student?......Page 27
Increase Your Level of Involvement......Page 28
Strategic Learners Possess the Will to Be Successful......Page 29
Three Main Factors Influence Your Motivation......Page 30
Use Strategies to Increase Your Motivation......Page 31
What Kind of Learner Are You?......Page 32
What’s Your Personality Type?......Page 34
WORKSHOP 1-1 Characteristics of Successful Students......Page 36
WORKSHOP 1-2 How Motivated Are You?......Page 38
WORKSHOP 1-3 What’s Your Learning Style?......Page 40
WORKSHOP 1-4 What Would You Do?......Page 44
Clarifying Values......Page 46
CHAPTER 2 Managing Your Time......Page 52
Why Is Time Management Important?......Page 53
Monitor Your Study Time by Keeping a Study Log......Page 54
Complete a Fixed Commitment Calendar......Page 55
Consider How Much Time It Takes You to Do Your Work......Page 58
Create an Assignment Calendar......Page 59
Prepare a Running Task List......Page 60
Make a Daily “To Do” List......Page 61
Create a Good Study Environment......Page 62
Do Your Favorite Assignments as a Reward for Completing the Ones You Don’t Like......Page 63
Avoid the Procrastination Trap......Page 64
WORKSHOP 2-1 Consider Your Use of Time......Page 66
WORKSHOP 2-2 Identify Time Available/Needed for Study......Page 72
WORKSHOP 2-3 Learn to Schedule Your Study Tasks......Page 76
WORKSHOP 2-4 What Would You Do?......Page 80
Setting Goals......Page 82
CHAPTER 3 Taking Lecture Notes......Page 88
What Is Note Taking?......Page 89
Other Benefits of Taking Notes......Page 90
Set Up Your Note Page......Page 91
Use an Effective Note-Taking System......Page 92
Tips for Taking Better Notes......Page 95
How to Edit Your Notes......Page 96
Talk About the Information with Others......Page 98
WORKSHOP 3-1 Practice Taking Lecture Notes......Page 100
WORKSHOP 3-2 Evaluate and Edit Your Lecture Notes......Page 102
WORKSHOP 3-3 Develop Recall Questions......Page 104
WORKSHOP 3-4 What Would You Do?......Page 106
Building Relationships......Page 108
CHAPTER 4 Improving Your Learning and Memory......Page 114
Why Do You Need a Good Memory?......Page 115
Learning Information......Page 116
Forgetting......Page 117
What Are Rehearsal Strategies?......Page 118
Types of Elaboration Strategies......Page 119
Types of Organizational Strategies......Page 122
Why Do They Work?......Page 123
WORKSHOP 4-1 Evaluate Your Memory Strategies......Page 124
WORKSHOP 4-2 Practice Memory Strategies......Page 126
WORKSHOP 4-3 Develop Mnemonics to Aid Recall......Page 128
WORKSHOP 4-4 What Would You Do?......Page 130
Working Collaboratively......Page 132
CHAPTER 5 Reading Your Textbook......Page 138
Become an Active Reader......Page 139
To Prepare Your Text for Later Review......Page 140
Why Does It Work?......Page 141
What Is SQ3R?......Page 142
Adapting SQ3R......Page 143
What Are the Steps in S-RUN-R?......Page 144
Why Does It Work?......Page 145
WORKSHOP 5-1 Evaluate Your Reading Strategies......Page 146
WORKSHOP 5-2 Use S-RUN-R to Increase Comprehension......Page 150
WORKSHOP 5-3 Select the Right Reading/Study System......Page 154
WORKSHOP 5-4 What Would You Do?......Page 156
Celebrating Diversity......Page 158
CHAPTER 6 Marking Your Textbook......Page 162
What Is Text Marking?......Page 163
Read the Paragraph Before Marking......Page 164
Write Questions in the Margin......Page 165
Mark Main Ideas......Page 166
Mark Supporting Details......Page 167
Remark Your Text......Page 168
Recite the Answers to Your Questions......Page 169
WORKSHOP 6-1 Evaluate Your Text-Marking Strategies......Page 170
WORKSHOP 6-2 Practice Marking Your Text......Page 172
WORKSHOP 6-3 Learn to Write Questions in the Margin......Page 176
WORKSHOP 6-4 What Would You Do?......Page 180
Making Wise Decisions......Page 182
CHAPTER 7 Organizing Text Information......Page 188
Take Text Notes to Organize Text Material......Page 189
To Create Graphic Displays......Page 190
Add Recall Questions to Your Notes......Page 192
Why Map?......Page 193
Semantic Webs......Page 194
How to Create a Chart......Page 195
How to Learn the Material......Page 197
WORKSHOP 7-1 Learn to Organize Text Information......Page 198
WORKSHOP 7-2 Practice Creating Headings and Subheadings......Page 202
WORKSHOP 7-3 Practice Mapping and Charting......Page 206
WORKSHOP 7-4 What Would You Do?......Page 212
Exploring Careers......Page 214
CHAPTER 8 Preparing for Exams......Page 220
College Exams Are Different......Page 221
Space Your Study......Page 222
Divide the Material into Chunks......Page 223
Use a Variety of Strategies......Page 224
What Are They?......Page 225
What’s the Role of Preparation Strategies?......Page 226
What’s the Role of Review Strategies?......Page 227
How Do You Make Them?......Page 228
Why Do They Work?......Page 229
How Do You Use Them?......Page 230
Plan the Answers......Page 231
Practice the Answers......Page 232
Write the Answers......Page 233
WORKSHOP 8-1 Write and Critique Study Plans......Page 234
WORKSHOP 8-2 Integrate Material with Study Sheets......Page 238
WORKSHOP 8-3 Predict Essay Questions and Plan Answers......Page 240
WORKSHOP 8-4 What Would You Do?......Page 242
Managing Stress......Page 244
CHAPTER 9 Taking Tests......Page 252
Follow Directions......Page 253
Reduce Test Anxiety......Page 254
Use Strategic Guessing to Pick Up More Points......Page 256
Strategies for True/False Tests......Page 257
Strategies for Multiple-Choice Tests......Page 258
Problem-Solving Strategies......Page 259
Eliminate and Cross Off Alternatives......Page 260
Use a Basic Essay Design......Page 261
Consider the Factors That Influence Your Grade......Page 262
Check Your Work......Page 263
WORKSHOP 9-1 Practice Test-Taking Strategies......Page 264
WORKSHOP 9-2 Practice Writing Essay Answers......Page 270
WORKSHOP 9-3 Critique Essay Answers......Page 272
WORKSHOP 9-4 What Would You Do?......Page 276
Staying Healthy......Page 278
CHAPTER 10 Preparing for Finals......Page 284
What Are Final Exams?......Page 285
Set Priorities for Your Exams......Page 286
Consider All of Your Options......Page 288
Split Your Day to Schedule Your Study......Page 289
Plan Your Study Time Correctly......Page 292
Study Strategies for Comprehensive Finals......Page 293
WORKSHOP 10-1 Set Priorities for Finals......Page 294
WORKSHOP 10-2 Critique Final Exam Study Plans......Page 296
WORKSHOP 10-3 Create Your Own Final Exam Planning Calendar......Page 302
WORKSHOP 10-4 What Would You Do?......Page 306
Credits......Page 308