GO TO CLASS!!

I have just posted my grades for the fall semester and, unfortunately, lowered the grades for about 20% of the students in my classes – the highest percentage ever!  There were three ways students should have predicted this:

·       I announced it at the first class,

·       It is printed in my syllabus, and

·       At the beginning of every class I obviously take and record attendance.

Given that the class in Introduction to Critical Reading and Thinking, students should have critically thought about these three pieces of information and figured out that attendance was important!

As you are looking forward to the next semester, one major tip is to GO TO CLASS!  This should not be a daily choice.  You always go to class; you do not start the day deciding whether or not to do so.

One problem is that, when you miss class, it is difficult to go to the next class.  You missed the transition from class to class and feel slightly out of step with the rest of the students. This is important whether or not the professor takes attendance.  Except for a rare instance, you cannot pass a class if you do not attend!

Professors take attendance in a variety of ways.  My classes are between 25 and 30 students and I work to learn everyone’s name, so I have index cards that I sort into piles (present or not) at the beginning of each class and then transfer that information to an attendance record.  Others have an attendance sheet the students sign at the beginning of each or selected classes, have students log on to a digital program, submit some in-class work, simply run down the names on the class list, or some other system. 

As you are wrapping up this semester and looking forward to the next, if you are not happy with your final grades think about this one crucial part – how was your attendance?  If not good, start now to change your thinking about attendance for the next semester.

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on upper right link.

Leading up to Final Exams

My students and I are back from Thanksgiving break and heading into the last two weeks of classes and final exams.  The time will go fast and there is lots to do.  Some things students have to consider are:

·         When and where are your finals?

·         Do you have any back-to-back or several in one day?  If a professor teaches more than one section of the course he or she may be willing to let you take the exam with a different section.

·         Is each final cumulative or just on the final unit of the course?

·         Do you have all of the information you need?

·         What is your current grade in each course?  If it is right on the edge of either a higher or lower grade, you need to put extra effort into that class.

·         Make sure you are not missing any work from each course.

Many institutions had an entire week off, and it is often difficult to get back into the academic routine.  One thing you can do is review your goals for the semester in order to get a little extra motivation.  It is also helpful to attend some fun holiday activities sponsored by the college or university, but not too many.

This time period goes extremely quickly, so it is important to focus and work hard.  At this point easing off on your studies or pushing a little harder can make a difference in your grades.

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.  It is a great Christmas gift for a high school senior!

Managing Your Studying Over Thanksgiving Break

One of my pet peeves when our daughters were in college was that professors would give an assignment on the last day of class before break or schedule a test the first day of class after the break.  It is really hard to work over break but, even if you do not have any exams or assignments, it is important to keep up with your studying.

At my institution our Thanksgiving break is one week and then we come back for two weeks of classes and one week of finals.  It is too long to not even think about your studies for nine days (Saturday – following Sunday).

Here are some ideas to hopefully ensure you either get the work done or do not lose ground in your studying:

• Plan ahead for two or three times when you will study or work on projects.  If you have some specific times set aside you will enjoy relaxing even more.
• Tell someone else your plans so that you are more committed.
• Write the times in your planner or, even better, on the family calendar.
• Go to someplace more “academic” – your local library or Starbucks, coffee shop
• If you are going to work at home, pick an environment where you will be more focused – maybe the dining room table if you do not have a desk in your room. 
• Make sure you have some specific ideas about what you will do – make review chart, read textbook, test yourself.

AND – remember to pack carefully when you return to school and don’t leave anything important behind!  (This happens all the time!!)

Enjoy your break!

*****

First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

Students' Nonacademic Concerns

This semester my students seem to be having more problems than in the past.  These problems include sickness, more serious medical issues, family emergencies, funerals and emotional problems.   Unfortunately, these problems often occur without warning and not at the most convenient times.  One thing that is vitally important is that the student keeps their professors informed.   Personal details do not need to be shared, but it is important that the professor knows the general reason behind the absence.  An offer to bring in a medical excuse or obituary is a good idea. 

While there is no preparation for these disruptions, here are some strategies:

• Do not get behind in your work.
• Do not miss any classes if you do not have to.
• When you return, contact each professor and determine what you have to make up.  Write this down!
• Make specific plans with the professor to make up what you missed.  Write this down also and be sure to keep the appointment or deadline!
• Ask for help from classmates to get missed lecture notes or to go over what happened in class.

There issues are upsetting and disrupting to your academics.  Don’t let upsetting or negative feeling go on too long.   It is important to remember that there is help available on every campus. Visit the Counseling Center or Health Center.  Just taking to someone is effective and important.  Remember that everyone on campus wants you to succeed and is willing to help.

Fall break is coming!  Next blog will look at how to manage your time so you spend some time with your studies over break (trust me – this is not easy to do!!).

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and wordassociation.com.  Click on the upper right link.

How to spread your learning out over time

In the last blog I discussed how your learning has to spaced out over time. Well how do you do that?  Here are some ideas:

·       Review your notes after every class and start to learn them with various strategies, especially self-testing.

·       Go to any out-of-class help available such as tutoring, Supplemental Instruction or professor-led sessions.

·       Make study cards and carry them with you.  If you have a few extra minutes, go through several cards.

·       If there is a subject you are really struggling with, take about 15 extra minutes every day (above and beyond your regular studying) and work with study cards.

·       Start to prepare for an exam about one week before the date.  Gather all of your material, divide into sections and study one section in-depth every day.  Also review the previous sections you studied the previous days.

·       Go to every class – that goes without saying but it has to be mentioned!!

Next week I will tell you about some of my students’ struggles and suggestions.   Keep working!

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies  and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

The Last Three Requirements for Learning – Recitation, Repetition and Timing

In the last blog we looked at different ways to add variety to your learning through various senses (visual, auditory and touch/movement).  There are three more things to consider that are vitally important:

 Repetition
Learning does not happen after just one exposure to the material – it takes many!  You already know this – before auto dial on our cell phones, how often did you have to dial someone’s number before you could remember it?  And now, because you do not have to repeatedly dial the number you probably don’t know anyone’s from memory!  Adding repetition is easy:

·         Review your notes after every class. 
·         Periodically review all the notes that will be on the test. 
·         Use different strategies as you study.
·         Make study cards for the most difficult information and review them 20 minutes almost every day. 
·         Go to tutoring.
·         Go to all of your classes. 

Timing – It takes repetition spaced out over time for the information to get firmly in your long- term memory.  Again:

·         Review your notes after every class. 
·         Start to actively study about a week before an exam.
·         Take advantage of any review opportunity offered by your professor.
·         Go to tutoring or Supplemental Instruction sessions.

Recitation – this is “restating the information in your own words from memory.”  You must practice getting the information out of your long-term memory just like you will have to do on the exam.  So rereading is not enough – you have to actively test yourself.  How? 

·         Study cards (look at front, think about the information on the back, check yourself, keep going over the ones you missed, tomorrow do it again). 
·         When you are reviewing your notes, cover the page you just read and see what you can remember.  Check yourself and do it again if nor correct or complete. 
·         Join a study group and quiz each other. 
·         Make practice tests and share with friends. 
·         Make a study guide and then cover the information and recall.

These strategies really are quite easy and logical.  All you need is to manage your time and your priorities so that you do them!  Sounds easy, but sometimes it is hard.  Next week we will look at how to make sure you are doing the important things that will lead you to success!

*****

First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

Adding Variety to Your Study Routine

Last week’s blog discussed the uses and benefits of study cards as an effective study strategy.  One key to learning is to do a variety of things with the information you want to learn so that you know it in a variety of settings and circumstances.  One of those is study cards, but there are many others.  In my classes I have students brainstorm and think about various ways to study that involve sight, sound and movement.  The more senses you involve the better you will know the material.  Here are some of their favorite ideas:

Sight

·         Add color – use different color pens, highlight you notes

·         Pictures/movies - watch movies about the subject, watch Kahn Academy so see a different person explaining a concept, draw or look at pictures

·         Diagram or chart out the information in a different format

Sound

·         Go to Supplemental Instruction or tutoring and hear someone else explain a concept

·         Form a study group and explain the information to each other

·         Read your book/notes out loud

·         Sing your notes to a rap beat (I had a student who did this and she was very successful!)

·         Talk through something you are struggling with to someone who knows nothing about the subject.

Movement (this can be large or small muscle)

·         Study cards because you can manipulate them

·         Drawing charts and graphs – small muscle

·         Record your notes and listen to them while exercising

·         Study notes in a different location than normal

·         Find a spare classroom and diagram the information on the white or chalk board

The idea is to interact with the information in a variety of ways in order to get it firmly implanted in your memory.   An added benefit is that the variety helps break up the studying and can be fun!  Next week we will look at the importance of repetition and studying over time.

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

One Effective Study Strategy - Study Cards

Students in my classes are preparing for mid-term exams.  I asked them exactly what they did when they sat down to study and all I saw were blank stares.  A few students volunteered that they read the textbook and reread their notes, but that was it. 

When you study you need to use a variety of active strategies.  Just reading and rereading is not enough!  One strategy that is perfect is flash cards or study cards.  There are multiple reasons why they are so effective:

·         You rethink the material as you are making them.

·         They involve actually writing the material again.

·         If you like color you can color-code the cards.

·         You can be creative.  One student in an Art History class pasted pictures of the artwork on the front of the card and the information she needed to know on the back.

·         You can mix them up to be sure you are learning the information in different orders.  This is important as the exam questions may not be in the same order as the lecture notes.

·         You use movement by manipulating them, shuffling them, reordering them, etc.

·         They are portable, you can study them when you have a few extra minutes where ever you are.

·         You use the cards to test yourself and practice remembering the information.   This is critical – this is when the actual learning happens.  

When studying from the cards, don’t just read the front and read the back.  Use them as a self-test. Read the front, think about the answer and then check yourself.  Put the ones you know in one pile and the ones you do not know in another.  Keep going through the ones you don’t know until you can get them all.  Then, tomorrow, do it again.

You can also try Quizlet, an app that lets you make cards on your smart phone.  The program will shuffle the cards for you to vary the order and make various quizzes to test your learning.

The next two blogs will have more information about studying and learning.  Next week will be other strategies you can use when studying and the following one will be about the importance of repetition and spacing your studying over time.

*****

First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

Making the Best Use of Your Time

My freshman students said that one thing that surprised them about college was the large amount of “free time” they had.   Given that they are spending only about 15 – 16 hours a week in class that is understandable.  The danger is that, with so much time, students won’t do anything because it is too easy to put off whatever you do not want to do.

The general rule of thumb is that you should be studying about 2 hours outside of class for every hour in class.  If that is the case, your 15 credit load suddenly has become 45 hours of work – equal to a full time job!

Here are some ways to make the best use of your time:

·         Get into the habit of studying first before you do anything else.  Go to the Library after class.  Review the notes from class that day and start to learn them.

·         Keep a master calendar where you record every major exam, project, paper, etc.  That way you can look ahead and start early to prepare or complete the project.

·         Set early, false deadlines for projects and papers.  There is always a last-minute problem such as no printer ink, no money to pay for printing, etc.

·         Work ahead on reading assignments.  Different times during the semester you will feel swamped, so it is nice to have a cushion.

·         Start to study for exams about a week prior to the date.

·         Consider getting a part-time job or volunteering in your field.  Having more to do will make you manage your time better and either one will give your resume a boost.

Remember that as the semester progresses you will have more work and more material to learn.  Don’t get lulled into a false sense of security at the beginning when you seem to have so much time on your hands.

Next week – what to do when you sit down to “study.”

*****

First Semester Success: Learning Strategies  and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

Surprises During the First Three Weeks of College

During this third week of classes I asked my freshman students what was the most surprising thing they had found during their first weeks in college.  Here are their answers:

• How much free time they had.  This was expressed by all three classes!
• How much information they were expected to go on line and get themselves.
• How fast the classes move.
• People are more diverse than at home.
• It is harder to make friends than they thought it would be. 
• Their priorities have changed – they are much more focused on their academics than in high school and are a much more serious student. 
• They are motivated to study.   They are partying and wasting time much less than they thought they would.
• The professors are nice, but sometimes make things difficult for the students.

I thought this was an interesting list and was pleased with the thoughtfulness and dedication of my students to their academics.

Regarding making friends, I suggested the students look into some organizations where they can meet people with similar interests.  I also cautioned them not to commit to a friendship too quickly just because they are looking for friends.  They have a lot of potential and they want friends who will enhance that, not tempt them down the wrong path!

The next blog will tackle the number one issue – the large amount of time when not in class and how to wisely manage it.
*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

Advise for Freshmen from Upperclassmen

In the spring of each semester I work with upper-class students who are on academic probation for a variety of reasons.  At the end of our work together I always ask them what advice they would give to a freshman just starting their academic journey.  Here are the most common responses:

·       Go to class.

·       Don’t party too much.

·       Keep your priorities straight.

·       Review your notes after class.

·       Manage your time.

·       Actually study.  (One of my favorites!)

It seems pretty simple, but all of these are crucial decisions.  It is important to get into good habits at the very beginning of the semester and these are great guidelines!   Enjoy the semester and your success!

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

Challenges for College Freshmen - Part 6 of 6

One major change in college compared to high school is the amount of reading you are expected to master.  You are expected to learn the information you are reading on your own, it often is not repeated in class. Multiple other blogs have addressed how to read and learn, but a brief overview is to:

1. Preview what you are reading.  Look at the entire selection and see what the topic is, how it is organized, and what help is offered in the book (learning objectives, bold print, definitions. Etc.)
2. Be an active reader.  Monitor your comprehension.   Stop periodically and restate in your own words what you just read.   Take margin notes or separate notes.  Look for the organization.  Be alert for signals from the author.
3. After you are done, take a few minutes to go back and review what you have read and your notes.

Another major change both in high school and college is the number of eBooks replacing paper books.  There several benefits (more portable and lower cost) and problems (harder to read and comprehend).  You will find a wide range of “friendliness” with eBooks.  In some cases, you will be able to see all the pages in the section while you are reading one page.  This is very helpful with seeing the big picture and how the information all fits together.  In other cases, you just see the page you are reading.  Some strategies you can use to successfully learn from eBooks and articles on-screen are:

• Preview entire selection so you see the overall organization even if you have to scroll the entire chapter before starting to read.
• Use the same active strategies as when reading print – monitor comprehension, restate information in your own words after each section, reread if not able to restate the information, etc.
• If you are having trouble retaining the information, take separate notes.
• Consider printing out some of the material and annotating.

At my institution the fall semester is about to begin. Next week I am teaching a one-week freshman orientation program.  One thing I share with students in the program is advice from upperclassmen who were on academic probation and what they learned about how to be successful in college.  I will also share this advice in the next blog.  Enjoy the end of summer!

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right  link.

Challenges for College Freshmen - Part 5 of 6

While you are at college, one concern is eating healthy and staying healthy.  The pool of available students is shrinking and colleges and universities are working to attract the best students through multiple venues including updating their dining options.  At my institution there are multiple choices including an all-you-can-eat buffet for every meal including unlimited desserts.  Many students find it very difficult to make healthy choices and also, in some cases, find time to eat between back-to-back classes.  It is hard to make eating a priority when there are so many other things vying for your time and attention.

The related issue is staying healthy.  Germs will spread through the dorms like crazy.  If you have been working at being healthy, chances are even if you catch a cold or the flu it will be mild and over quickly.  Remember to wash your hands and use hand sanitizer often!!!

Some ways you can eat nutritionally and stay healthy are:

·       Eat breakfast.  From grade school on we know it is hard to learn if you are hungry.

·       Go easy on the sweets!  Some are okay but not every day at every meal!

·       Be sure to eat fruits and vegetables every day.  Fresh fruit especially is handy to eat between classes so you are not too hungry.

·       Try to eat colorfully – red apples, green veggies, yellow bananas, orange carrots.

·       Keep healthy snacks in your room for a quick bite to keep your energy up.

·       Make plans to meet friends for a meal.  That is a great way to maintain friendships.

·       Start or maintain an exercise schedule.  I often see groups of friends walking to the gym or running together.

·       Make every effort to get enough sleep.   Try to maintain a regular schedule so your body recognizes when it is time to sleep and when it is not.  (It goes without saying that short, power naps are good; going back to bed for hours in the middle of the day is not!)

If you do find yourself getting sick, it is better to take a day to rest and get well quickly rather than push yourself and get sicker.  Email your professors so they know you are sick and not just skipping their class.  Make friends with people in your class who you think are the A students and ask to copy their notes.

The last blog in this series will deal with a big concern of mine – eBooks.   These present benefits (lower cost, less to carry) as well as challenges (comprehension and retention).

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.   Click on the upper right link.

Challenges for College Freshmen - Part 4 of 6

The fourth challenge, and one that I feel is very crucial, is self-discipline; just being able to manage yourself and everything you need and want to do.   At the beginning of the semester it will seem like you have endless hours to fill.  If you are taking 15 credits, that means you will be in class 15 hours a week.  That is far different from high school when you spent around 7 hours a day in school.    Those 15 hours will be spread out over five days, possibly with several hours between classes, and there will be no one there to tell you to get moving and go to class.   Several challenges present themselves:

• Actually going to all classes.  (Once you miss a class it is harder to return, and when you do you will feel uncomfortable because you do not know what happened last class.)
• Getting into a good study routine because there is no one telling you that you have to.
• Figuring out exactly what to study.  Professors may not give you an assignment for each class, but they are expecting that you are reading and learning the textbook and learning your notes as you go along.
• Turning off distractions – quit playing computer games, checking your various social media sites or watching endless episodes on Netflix.
• Asking for help when needed.
• Making good choices.

Some strategies include:

• Be sure to study the syllabus for each class.  You should be seeing textbook chapters that go along with the lectures.  You can also see when exams are scheduled so you are not surprised.
• Get into good study habits the first week.  Go to the Library after classes.  Plan exactly when you will study.  Make academics your priority!
• Start reading ahead in the textbook.   Review and learn notes after every class.
• Plan to attend all classes.  Don’t even consider the possibility of not going.
• Make sure that the friends you are meeting and the choices you are making will lead you to success, not in the other direction.

As the semester progresses and you accumulate lecture notes and start to prepare for exams you will be glad you are comfortably settled in good habits!

Next blog will deal with nutrition.  Colleges and universities are trying to attract students, and one way they do this is with a large variety of dining options, not all of which are healthy.

*****

First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

Challenges for College Freshmen - Part 3 of 6

Another major concern for freshmen, as confirmed by my grandson and all of my work with students on academic probation, is procrastination.  This is a difficult problem to tackle as it is totally up to the student to control.   

My probations students tell me they procrastinate because:

·       There is something better to do – more fun, more interesting, easier, etc.

·       The academic work seems overwhelming

·       They are distracted/tempted by friends, socializing, social media, etc.

·       They just don’t want to do the work

One thing that contributes to the procrastination is that you are making an immediate choice to either do something right now that is pleasurable or something that will contribute to your long-term success but is far in the future and maybe not pleasurable.

I do feel this is a difficult problem to fix, but things that have worked for my students are:

·       Start productive habits at the very beginning of the semester and don’t vary.  For example, go to the Library immediately after class to study or work on assignments.

·       Remember the Nike slogan, “Just do it.”  It will be uncomfortable the first few times you pass up a fun activity for studying, but eventually you will enjoy your success.

·       Before the intrinsic pleasure of doing well begins, reward yourself with something you enjoy AFTER you are done studying.

·       Break a large assignment down into small, doable parts and just do the first thing.

·       Unfortunately, if your friends only want you to party and are not interested in your success you might want to find new friends.  Friends should want what is best for you!

·       Review your major.  Maybe you are not interested in the material and need to find an area where you do want to learn.

·       Make a to-do list and enjoy crossing things off. 

·       Review your longer-term goals for the semester as well as when you graduate.  It seems helpful to write these down and post them where you are reminded of them every day. 

The next blog is one of my picks: self-discipline.   With all of the free time you will have and no one to tell you what to do, how will you be sure you are productive and doing what needs to be done? 

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies  and  Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the  upper right link.

Challenges for College Freshmen - Part 2 of 6

As a college student you will actually spend less time in the classroom than in high school but receive a greater amount of information.  Also you will often be expected to learn the information in the textbook on your own.  The responsibility for learning the information is entirely the student’s.

One challenge facing students, then, is exactly how to go about successfully learning the information.  When you are sitting down to study and learn, what should you be doing, how should you be interacting with the text (both the textbook and your lecture notes)?  Most of the students I have worked with on academic probation do not know how to learn – their basic strategy is rereading and then rereading again.

The keys to learning are to be actively processing the information and working with it in different ways, self-testing, repetition and then spacing the learning out over time.  (Sorry, but this eliminates ignoring the class during the semester and then pulling an all-nighter before the exam!)  Here is what I mean:

Actively processing the material (not just rereading):

• When reading your textbook, take notes either in the textbook margins or separate notes
• When studying lecture notes, highlight main topics
• Rewrite your notes or combine them with the textbook material for new notes
• Rework the information into a review chart, study cards, or some other format

Self-testing both as you are learning the material and after you fully understand it:

• As you are reading the textbook or your lecture notes, stop after each main topic and restate in your own words what you have read without looking at the information.  Check yourself and try again if not totally correct.  This is recitation.
• Once you have mastered the material continue to self-test – make study cards and go through them, create a quiz for yourself, continue to practice recitation with the material, cover up the information on your review chart and try to remember it.
• Form a study group and quiz each other.
• Use a computer app such as Quizlet and create various quizzes.

Another key is that you have to review the information many times.  Do not quit when you feel you have mastered it.

• Make study cards and use them several days every week. (Remember to use self-testing: read front, think about information on back, check yourself, go over any you miss until you know them, repeat tomorrow.)
• Learn notes after each class and then review the previous notes to see how the information all fits together.

The final piece is that you have to space your learning out over time – one session before the exam will not do it.  Your memory needs time to fully consolidate the information.  And it is important to forget and work to relearn the information later.  This speaks for itself.  Start learning after the first class and keep up your efforts throughout the semester.

The next blog will deal with a concern of my grandson’s and almost every college student – procrastination!

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.

Challenges for College Freshmen - Part 1 of 6

While having lunch with my grandson in high school I asked him what he thought would be some challenges faced by college freshmen and he came up with a pretty good list.  This summer series will be a combination of his ideas and my own from years of working with students on academic probation.

His first challenge was that the classes may be longer than those he experienced in high school and it will be hard to keep focused.  This may be true or not, depending on the schedule.   At my university a three credit class is 50, 75 or 150 minutes long.  Even if the class is only 50 minutes it is much more intense than in high school.   Here are some ways to maintain your concentration and focus for the entire class:

·       Be rested

·       Be fed

·       Be on time or early so you don’t miss any interactions and information before the official class begins

·       Sit in the front of the class so that you are more engaged

·       Take detailed notes

·       Bring some water or hard candy to break up the time

·       Everyone has times when they just cannot keep their eyes open.  If this happens (and it is appropriate to the class) leave quietly and go into the hall for a drink of water of a few jumping jacks to wake up.

If you mind constantly wanders, try this – every time you lose focus make a hash mark in the margin of your notebook and bring your attention back to the class.  As you continue to do this you will notice the number of hash marks decreases as your attention span increases.  What you are doing is retraining your mind to focus longer.

Next week watch for one of my ideas – knowing exactly how to learn and exactly what to do when you sit down to study.

*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right  link.

How We Learn, by Benedict Carey (book review and guide)

REVIEW:  This is a fascinating book about learning.  It reinforces much of the information I share with my students but also adds some new thoughts on how to maximize your study time.  The author is a science reporter and has consulted massive amounts of scientific research and information to draw his conclusions.  I think it is important to understand that in this book he is concerned with learning/memorizing after comprehension and understanding have happened.  I like this book so much that I bought two additional copies to share with my colleagues at my university.

Reading Guide
Chapter	Important Points
1.	Introduction
2.	Forget to Learn – forgetting strengthens future learning, filters out distracting information not needed, allows future practice to deepen learning Storage Strength (how well the information is learned) vs. Retrieval Strength (how easily remembered) Desirable Difficulty – the harder your brain has to work to remember the material the stronger the learning will be
3.	Contextual Clues - Important to vary environment when studying – this includes your physical location as well as HOW you study.   (NOTE: This might be the most controversial chapter as he recommends distractions in the environment as well as studying in different locations.  He does also recommend using different strategies, not just the same type of studying all the time.)
4.	Spaced Study – Distributed Practice
5.	Fluency Illusion – misinterpreting how well you know something – the solution to this is recitation or self-testing.  (You feel you “know” the information after rereading your notes, but in fact do not when faced with the test.) Recitation – spend 1/3 of time memorizing and 2/3 reciting – best to do this soon after first learning the material
6.	Creative Problem Solving – Four stages of control: 1.) preparation, 2.) incubation, 3.) illumination, and 4.) verification
7.	Percolation – strategy for large projects.  He recommends starting early and leaving time for “percolation.”   Three stages: 1.) interruption (stop work in middle), 2.) tuned mind (you will subconsciously think about and find related material), and 3.) conscious reflection (pay attention to your thinking).
8.	Interweaving- mixing materials and study on different topics within a discipline, in math mixing new topics with previously learned topics in homework and practice
9.	Perceptual Learning – learning without thinking (currently limited to very specific circumstances and subjects such as reading airplane instrument panels or distinguishing between different periods of paintings.
10.	Sleep - improves retention and comprehension (no surprise here!)

 For discussion:

1. Think about your learning experiences. Which of these strategies did you use?   What information from the book do you wish you had known then?
2. Do you agree with everything the author wrote?  Why or why not?  Do you have any experiences that contradict his findings?
3. If you are currently a student, how could this information influence how you study?
4. If you are beyond formal education, what did you read in this book that is applicable to your life today?

*****

My book, First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.