Sophia College Readiness Milestone 2

Sophia College Readiness Milestone 2 What does it mean to "be prepared" for class? • Have your friend take notes for you while you are on vacation. • Read the syllabus or other instructions, complete any assign ...

Sophia College Readiness Milestone 2 What does it mean to "be prepared" for class? • Have your friend take notes for you while you are on vacation. • Read the syllabus or other instructions, complete any assignments or readings on time, and bring any necessary materials to class with you, if applicable. • Get 8-10 hours of sleep, eat a complete breakfast, exercise for 30 minutes or more, and take regular breaks from studying. • Stop to get coffee and a bagel for yourself before you attend class, even if it means you will be a few minutes late. Nobody will mind if you sneak in a little later. RATIONALE "Being prepared" for class does, in fact, mean reading the syllabus or other instructions, completing any assignments or readings on time, and bringing any necessary materials to class with you. When you do this, you will be ready to learn and participate in class. CONCEPT The Higher Education Classroom Experience 2 It's the morning, and you've made a list of things you need to do. In what order should they be prioritized? -Go grocery shopping for the week -Catch up on Netflix -Complete reading for history class this afternoon -Get started on your paper for the midterm in one month -Update your lab notebook for next week's biology class • 1. Get started on your paper due in one month 2. Catch up on Netflix 3. Update your lab notebook for next week's biology class 4. Complete reading for history class this afternoon 5. Go grocery shopping for the week • 1. Catch up on Netflix 2. Update your lab notebook for next week's biology class 3. Get started on your paper due in one month 4. Go grocery shopping for the week 5. Complete reading for history class this afternoon 1. Complete reading for history class this afternoon 2. Go grocery shopping for the week 3. Update your lab notebook for next week's biology class 4. Get started on your paper due in one month 5. Catch up on Netflix • 1. Update your lab notebook for next week's biology class 2. Get started on your paper due in one month 3. Go grocery shopping for the week 4. Catch up on Netflix 5. Complete reading for history class this afternoon RATIONALE This is is the best answer because the most important and urgent tasks come first, followed by tasks that are less urgent but important, and finally, the least important and urgent tasks, which are optional. CONCEPT Prioritizing and Planning 3 Which of the following statements is NOT true about distance learning? • It requires self-motivation since you will often be working on your own. • It typically requires access to a computer and a reliable internet connection. • It means you will need to travel to campus to attend class. • It requires you to have excellent written communication skills. RATIONALE Distance learning means that you will not need to go on campus to attend class. Hybrid courses offer some classes in-person, and other coursework may be online. Online learning offers many advantages to students who would not be able to travel to campus or attend courses during regular school hours. CONCEPT Technology in Higher Education 4 You've determined that you are an auditory learner. Select the method you can use to leverage your learning style, even when the course isn't designed for auditory learners. • Allow yourself to move around as you study, and use flashcards. • Draw pictures or diagrams of the concepts you are learning about. • Create a study group with others so you can listen to what others have to say and discuss the course. • Take notes as you read, and then assemble your notes into a written study guide. RATIONALE By creating a study group, you are leveraging your auditory learning style because you can talk and hear what others have to say. CONCEPT Leveraging Your Learning Style 5 A play by Shakespeare in your literature class calls for analytical reading. Which strategy can you use to ensure that you are interpreting Shakespeare's words correctly? • Read closely, and ask yourself questions about why the author wrote as he did. • Take notes in class lectures, and ask your classmates. • Get the audio book, and listen to it in the car. • Skim over each paragraph quickly to get a general sense of what it's about. RATIONALE Reading closely means you read a section of text multiple times to look for themes, figures of speech, or repeated ideas. Once you have uncovered these things, you can ask yourself what you think the author was trying to communicate by writing this way. This is how you read analytically to gain a deeper understanding of what you read. CONCEPT Understanding the Meaning of What You Read 6 Which of the following is true about exam preparation? • All of the activities you do for the course are a way of preparing you for your exams. • You should not need to study or review in preparation for an exam. • You should ask your instructor what will be on the exam. • If you stay up late in the night to review, it increases your chances of success. RATIONALE If you are doing well on all of your assignments, you are actively participating in class, and taking and reviewing your notes, you can be fairly confident that the exam will go well for you. However, you should still take the time to review and study for a bit prior to the exam to ensure you are retaining the information you need. CONCEPT Preparing for Exams 7 Which of the following is NOT a best practice for completing your projects in school? • Having a plan and executing it • Incorporating key concepts from the class • Ignoring critical feedback from others • Reviewing the project requirements RATIONALE Getting feedback on your work can improve your project, so you should not ignore it. CONCEPT Completing Projects 8 Select the best practice for note-taking in class. • Use a computer or cell phone to record the audio so you don't have to take notes and tire out your hand. That way, all you have to do is playback the audio before your final exam. • Listen first, then transcribe every word that your instructor says since it's very important to write down their exact wording. Then add your own connections, comments, and questions. • Listen first, decide what is most important, then write down those things. Organize the concepts. Add your own connections, comments, and questions. • Ask a friend in the class to take notes for you. That way, you can relax more while you are in class and get some of the work done for your other classes. RATIONALE Listening first, deciding what is most important then writing down those things, organizing the concepts, and adding your own connections, comments, and questions are best practices for note-taking. By doing these things, you will be critically engaging with the material as you listen. This is how learning happens during lectures. CONCEPT Lectures in the Classroom 9 You are finishing up a final project for a course that is due at the end of the week. You're feeling very overwhelmed, and you're not sure if you'll be able to complete the project in time for the deadline. What is the best strategy for your success as a student? • Find a similar project on the internet. If you do this, you'll finish the project with plenty of time, and your instructor will never know the difference. • Email your instructor and ask for an extension on the assignment. The syllabus says that late work will not be accepted, but they probably will make an exception for you because you have a good relationship with them. • Take a few minutes to consider exactly how many hours it will take you to finish the project. Then think about your other important goals and responsibilities for the week and exactly how long those tasks take. Stick to only those tasks for the week. • Email your instructor and ask to take an incomplete grade in the course. If you have another term to finish the project, you will be able to complete it. RATIONALE Analyzing how you will spend your time during finals week is the best approach in most cases. During finals week, you will have to very careful about where you spend your time so you can make sure that it is only spent on the things that matter most, like finishing your project and handling your other important personal responsibilities. You'll be surprised what you can accomplish when you work this way! ....................continued................