Strategies for College Success

1. Strategies for College Success University Learning Center University of Arizona

2. Introduction • The purpose of this course is to expose you to various strategies and techniques that will enable you to become a successful student in the postsecondary environment

3. Course Contents • Section 1: Self-assessment and Self-management • Steps in Successful Goal Setting and Achievement • Learning Styles • Anxiety/Stress Management

4. Course Contents • Section 2: Study Skills Development • Time Management • Memory Techniques • Methods of Reading College Textbooks • Note Taking Strategies • Exam Preparation Tips • Test Taking Strategies • Internet Resources

5. Section 1: Self-assessment and Self-management

6. Lesson 1: Goal Setting and Achievement • What we’ll be covering: • characteristics of goals • how to break down goals • where goal setting can go wrong

7. Goals should be... • Realistic • The goals of winning a marathon after two weeks of training is an unrealistic goal. Use what you’ve accomplished in the past to set a reasonable goal for the future.

8. Goals should be... • Self-chosen • You are much more likely to achieve a goal that you set for yourself than one that has been set for you

9. Goals should be... • Moderately difficult • A goal that is too hard or too easy will decrease your motivation and won’t show you what you’re really capable of accomplishing • Use what you’ve accomplished in the past as a guide

10. Goals should be... • Specific • For example, getting an “A” in Math and a “B” in Geography is a lot more specific than just saying that you would like to get good grades this semester

11. Goals should be... • Measurable • You’re more likely to give up if you can’t see any progress toward your goal • For example, getting an “A” on your midterm is measurable progress toward getting an “A” in the class.

12. Goals should be... • Positive • Say what you do want to accomplish instead of what you don’t want to do. • For example, try “I will attend all classes,” instead of “I won’t skip any classes.”

13. Goals should be... • Flexible • If it looks like you can’t reach your original goal, be flexible and redraw your plan

14. Goals should be... • Associated with a deadline • When do you plan on accomplishing this goal, in a month, day, or year?

15. Goals should be... • Written down • It will serve as a better reminder to keep you motivated

16. Where goal setting can go wrong • When goal setting is disorganized • For example, keep personal and academic goals separate

17. Where goal setting can go wrong • When goals are unrealistic • For example, becoming a company CEO immediately after graduation is an unrealistic goal

18. Where goal setting can go wrong • When you set goals that are ‘beyond’ your control • For example, winning the lottery is definitely beyond your control

19. Where goal setting can go wrong • When goals are vague • For example, “becoming successful” or “becoming a better student” are not clear goals to work toward.

20. Where goal setting can go wrong • When you set too many goals • For example, at any one time you should focus on achieving only three or four goals

21. How to break down and achieve goals • see example

22. Summary • Goals with certain characteristics will enable you to be more successful in goal setting and achievement. • Breaking down large goals into parts will help you to see what steps you will need to complete on the way to accomplishing your goal

23. Homework assignment: Apply what you’ve learned • set an academic or personal goal • select one personal or academic long-term goal and break it down to the steps you will need to achieve in the next year, next 6 months, next month, next week, and tomorrow

24. Lesson 2: Learning Styles • What we’ll be covering: • What is a learning style? • How you develop a learning style? • What’s your learning style? • How information on your learning style can help to improve your learning

25. What is a learning style? • an individuals’ characteristic and preferred way of gathering, interpreting, organizing and thinking about information. Your style includes the type of environments you like to learn in, your preferences for working with others, and the way you perceive information. • no single style of learning has been shown to be better than any other

26. How do you develop a learning style? • learning styles develop over time as a result of an individual’s inherent preferences and experience with his/her environment • they can and do change over time

27. How can information about learning styles improve your learning? • You may be more satisfied and more productive if you are studying with methods compatible with your style. Right now you may be studying with methods incompatible with your style and not know it. • You can experiment with building up less-preferred styles so that you can be equally comfortable with different tasks and in different learning environments.

28. In class assignment: What’s your learning style? • Complete the learning style assessment • View Suggestions for Studying and Learning based on learning style

29. Summary • Your learning style influences the way that you perceive and process information. By knowing your learning style, you can employ methods and strategies to make studying and learning more productive. Without this information, you may make studying and learning more difficult for yourself without even realizing it.

30. Homework assignment: Apply what you’ve learned • Write full description of how you like to learn • Answer the following questions: “How do I learn best?”, What time of day do I learn best?, What kind of environment do I learn best in?, Do I learn better alone or with others? • What study strategies are (or would be) particularly helpful for you? • How will you be changing your study methods now that you are aware of your learning style?

31. Lesson 3: Anxiety/Stress Management • What we’ll cover • What is stress? • What causes stress? • Strategies to reduce stress • Strategies for dealing with stress

32. What is stress? • Stress is the way that you react physically, mentally and emotionally to various conditions, changes and demands in your life. • Many students experience varying levels of stress each semester. • High levels of stress can affect your physical and mental well-being and academic performance.

33. Symptoms of stress • fatigue • insomnia • dissatisfaction • anger • depression • inability to concentrate • headaches • nervous stomach • change in appetite • rapid breathing • rapid heart rate • sweaty palms • irritability • anxiety

34. In-Class Assignment: Reflect on a stressful situation • Write a brief description of a recent situation that caused you stress. Summarize your mental, emotional and physical states at the time.

35. What causes stress? • Anxiety: uneasiness and distress about future uncertainties

36. What causes stress? • Changes in life’s expectations or demands • Ex. Marriage, divorce, pregnancy, illness, bills, increasing demands of a university course load

37. What causes stress? • Disorganization: feeling unprepared and powerless

38. What causes stress? • Physical Constraints • Ex. Physical exhaustion, lack of good exercise and diet strategies

39. What causes stress? • Time constraints: multiple projects and deadlines

40. In-Class Assignment: Self-assessment • Take the anxiety/stress assessment • Use the results of this assessment to pinpoint specific causes of stress in your life. What (if any) control do you have over these areas of your life? • Make a list of things that you can do to lessen your stress.

41. Strategies to reduce stress • Take control- manage your time instead of letting it manage you. Use a to-do list, follow a written plan, set goals and follow through. • Procrastination is a major cause of stress. Make a realistic list of things you need to do each day. Start doing the most important things first. That way, even if you don’t finish the list, you get the most important things done.

42. Strategies to reduce stress • Take a break • Sometimes it is better to get away from the situation for a short time- take a brisk walk, focus on pleasant thoughts. Then, go back to the task feeling refreshed and ready to go tackle whatever it is you have to do.

43. Strategies to reduce stress • Work on your attitude • Put things into perspective- try not to take yourself so seriously. • Think positive- “If you think you will fail, or think you will succeed, you are probably right.” --Henry Ford

44. Strategies to reduce stress • Get help • See your instructor, go to tutoring, and participate in study groups. See how to form a study group. • Keep in touch with friends and family, and develop a support group.

45. Strategies to reduce stress • Physical stress busters • eat right, exercise regularly and get plenty of rest

46. Strategies to reduce stress • Practice, practice, practice • Build your confidence- do extra math problems, practice test-taking at home, rehearse your speech a couple of times before the presentation

47. In-class assignment: Self-reflection • Go back to the stressful incident that you described in the first part of the lesson and list some strategies for dealing with the situation, and some things you could have done to prevent it from being stressful. Also list some ways you can avoid a reoccurrence of such a situation in the future.

48. Strategies for dealing with stress • no one can avoid stress all the time. In a stressful situation, try these tips to help you overcome the effects of stress.

49. Strategies for dealing with stress • Join the crowd • Even though you may think you are the only person in the world who is experiencing stress, the fact is that everyone experiences it sometime.

50. Strategies for dealing with stress • Talk to someone • Find someone you trust, discuss the problems and look for solutions