College Success Strategies

The concise and affordable Penguin Academic Edition of College Success Strategiesteaches students the skills and strategies that will enable them to be lifelong learners capable of knowing how to approach new and challenging material in college and beyond.

Jodi Patrick Holschuh is an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas State University. For more than fifteen years, Jodi has been involved in helping students make the transition from high school to college learning. An award-winning teacher, Jodi teaches courses to help students learn effective and efficient study habits as well as courses for graduate students and instructors on how to teach reading and learning at the college level. She has presented many conference papers both nationally and internationally and has written many articles, book chapters, and books on the topic of helping students learn in college. Her research interests include students' beliefs about learning, making the transition from high school to college learning, strategies for academic success, and motivation. When she is not writing, teaching, or researching, Jodi loves rediscovering the world as her son and daughter learn new things. She also loves to read good books and travel to new places.

 

Sherrie Nist-Olejnik is a professor emeritus at the University of Georgia. Prior to retiring, she was the director of the Division of Academic Enhancement at the University of Georgia. Before becoming director, she taught reading and studying courses to college students in the same division. Dr. Nist received both her master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Florida. It was as a graduate student that she first became interested in how students learn, particularly concerning the factors that seem to influence a smooth transition from high school to college, and the academic struggles that first-year students seem to face. Sherrie has published more than eighty articles, textbooks, textbook chapters, and other professional pieces all related to how college students learn and study. She has presented the results of her research in more than 100 national and international professional meetings, and she has received honors and awards for her contributions to both teaching and research. She continues to be active in her field by writing books and consulting. Sherrie loves traveling, cooking, and, of course, reading and learning new things.  

Preface  xv

CHAPTER 1         Now That You’re Here  2

Self-Assessment  2

How Does College Differ from High School?  3

What Special Situations Can You Expect to Encounter Sooner or Later?  8

Real College Wanda  11

Add to Your Portfolio   11

CHAPTER 2         Active Learning: What’s in It for You?  13

Self-Assessment  13

What Do Active Learners Do?  14

Benefits of Active Learning  17

Four Factors That Influence Active Learning  19

Factor 1: Characteristics of the Learner   19

Factor 2: The Tasks   20

Factor 3: The Texts   21

Factor 4: The Learning Strategies   21

The Holistic Nature of Active Learning  21

Real College Malcolm  22

Add to Your Portfolio   23

CHAPTER 3         How You Learn  24

Self-Assessment  24

The Role of Memory: Two Theories  25

The Parts Theory   25

The Levels of Processing Theory   27

Stretching Your Memory  28

The Role of Learning Styles  30

Using Your Senses to Learn  31

Real College Leo  33

Add to Your Portfolio   33

CHAPTER 4         Professors, Task, and You 46

Self-Assessment  46

What is a Professor?

What Is a Task?  47

Part One: The Type of Activity   48

Part Two: The Level of Thinking   49

How Can You Get Information About the Task?  51

Real College Tina   55

Add to Your Portfolio   56

CHAPTER 5         Getting Organized: Managing Yourself and Your Time  58

Self-Assessment  58

Managing Yourself  59

Managing Your Time  61

Creating a Schedule You Can Live With  62

Timely Tips for Following Your Schedule   63

Planning for Midterms and Finals  67

Real College Janice 68

Add to Your Portfolio   69

CHAPTER 6         Academic Energy: Motivation for Learning, Attitudes, and Interests  70

Self-Assessment  70

What Influences Motivation?  71

What Motivates People?  72

Getting Motivated Through Goal Setting  73

Staying Motivated  75

Changing Attitudes and Interests  77

Types of Academic Attitudes   79

Maintaining a Positive Attitude  80

The Role of Interests  82

Real College Martin  83

Add to Your Portfolio   83

CHAPTER 7         Just What Do You Believe, Anyway?  85

Self-Assessment  85

Assessing Your Personal Theory  87

The Five Components of Beliefs That Influence Learning  87

Component 1: Certainty of Knowledge   88

Component 2: Simple Knowledge   89

Component 3: Responsibility for Learning   90

Component 4: Speed of Learning   90

Component 5: The Role of Ability   91

Changing Your Beliefs  92

Evaluating Internet Information  93

Real College Patrick and Friends  94

Add to Your Portfolio   95

CHAPTER 8         Dealing with Stress  96

Self-Assessment  96

Sources of Stress  98

Strategies for Reducing Stress  99

Academic Stress: Anxieties  100

Public Speaking Anxiety   101

W riting Anxiety   102

Mathematics Anxiety   103

General Test Anxiety   104

Three Important Tips for Reducing Academic Stress  106

Real College Andrea 107

Add to Your Portfolio   108

CHAPTER 9         Strategic Reading  110

Self-Assessment  110

Gearing Up for Reading   111

Staying Active During Reading   115

Put Away Your Highlighters   115

Make a Note of It   115

What Is Annotation?  115

W hy Annotate Your Text?   117

How Do You Annotate?   117

W hat Type of Information Should You Annotate?   119

Studying Your Annotations   120

Some Common Concerns About Annotation   121

Real College Hillary 122

Add to Your Portfolio   123

CHAPTER 10       Take Note! Lectures: A Different Kind of Text  124

Self-Assessment   124

The Importance and Characteristics of Good Lecture Notes   125

Taking Good Lecture Notes   129

General Note-Taking Guidelines   131

Getting Ready to Take Notes   132

Staying Active During Note Taking   132

Format and Organization   132

Active Listening   133

Being Flexible: Four Methods of Note Taking   135

Method 1: Split-Page (Cornell) Notes   135

Method 2: Parallel Notes   137

Method 3: Discussion Columns   138

Method 4: The T-Method   138

Note-Taking Myths   139

Real College Chad  141

Add to Your Portfolio   142

CHAPTER 11       Rehearsal and Review Strategies  143

Self-Assessment   143

Rehearsing   144

W hy Is Rehearsal Important?   144

W ritten and Oral Rehearsal Strategies   145

Components of Good Rehearsal Strategies   145

W ritten Rehearsal Strategies   146

Oral Rehearsal Strategies   152

Reviewing   154

Making a Specific Study Plan   155

Forming Study Groups   157

Improving Your Memory Through Reviewing   158

Real College Conrad  160

Add to Your Portfolio   160

CHAPTER 12       Strategies for Social Science  162

Self-Assessment   162

Characteristics of Social Science Courses   163

Figuring Out the Task   163

Reading Social Science Textbooks   164

Gearing Up for Reading   165

W hat and How to Annotate During Reading   166

Taking Notes in Social Science Courses   169

Studying in Social Science Courses   171

CARDS   172

Question/Answer Strategy   172

Real College Frank  174

Add to Your Portfolio   175

CHAPTER 13       Strategies for the Humanities  176

Self-Assessment   176

Characteristics of Humanities Courses   177

Figuring Out the Task   177

Reading Humanities Textbooks   178

Gearing Up for Reading   179

What and How to Annotate During Reading   180

Taking Notes in Humanities Courses   184

Studying in Humanities Courses   188

Time Lines   188

Question/Answer Strategy   189

Compare/Contrast Charting   189

Real College Harry 190

Add to Your Portfolio   191

CHAPTER 14       Strategies for Science and Mathematics  192

Self-Assessment   192

Science Courses   193

Characteristics of Science Courses   193

Figuring Out the Task   193

Reading Science Textbooks   194

Gearing Up for Reading   195

W hat and How to Annotate During Reading   195

Taking Notes in Science Courses   197

Strategies for Science Courses   199

Mathematics Courses  202

Mathematics Textbooks   202

Study Strategies for Mathematics Courses   202

Real College Stacy 204

Add to Your Portfolio   204

XC

CHAPTER 15 Using Technology To Learn

Technology in College Classes

Online Courses

Using Technology To Study

Reading On Computer

Note Taking on Computer

REAL COLLEGE Leah

Add to your portfolio

 

CHAPTER 16       Preparing for Objective Exams  206

Self-Assessment   206

General Test-Preparation Strategies   207

Objective Exams   209

Preparing for Objective Exams   209

Taking Objective Exams   214

Real College Teddy 215

Add to Your Portfolio   216

CHAPTER 17       Preparing for and Taking Essay and Specialty Exams  217

Self-Assessment   217

Essay Exams   218

PORPE   218

Taking Essay Exams   223

Time Allotted for Writing   223

Structuring Your Essay   223

Evaluation Guidelines   225

A Word About Identification Items   225

Specialized Exams   226

Problem-Solving Exams   226

Open-Book Exams   228

Take-Home Exams   228

Real College Iris 229

Add to Your Portfolio   229

Appendix A: “Cognition and Intelligence” from Essentials of Psychology Third Edition   230

Appendix B: “The Nation Divides: The Vietnam War and Social Conflict, 1964—1971” from Created Equal, A Social and Political History of .the United States   251

Credits  269

Index  271

Additional Titles of Interest  281