Sailing Through Final's Week

Each semester your final exams will be different – sometimes you may have few exams and more papers and projects, other years you may have all cumulative exams.  Everyone will have a different schedule.  Some people will be done after the first two or three days, others will have an exam scheduled at the very last time slot.  Your roommates may all be leaving for break at different times.  Some other things to keep in mind are:

• It goes without saying to make sure you know exactly when and where each exam will be given.  And – be early!  Get a good seat! Take a few minutes to do a quick final review.
• Make sure you are spreading out your studying as described in earlier blogs.  Arrange your time so that the last class you study for is the one in which you have the first exam the next day.
• If you have two or more in a row, prepare a few summary cards for the second and third exam that you can review as you walk to those exams.
• Do not go out to celebrate with friends who are done with exams if you are not!
• Do not let other students share their stress with you.  It is common for someone to talk about how nervous they are.  In many cases they are relieving their stress by sharing it with you!   Don’t fall into their trap!
• Use appropriate test-taking strategies for each type of exam.  For example, use process of elimination with Multiple Choice, read the entire prompt and answer the points in order for Essay, remember that one wrong work makes a statement false in a True/False exam.
• If you are nervous, take a deep breath when you get the exam and before you start.   If you do not know the first answer, look for a question you know.  That will relieve your stress and help you access the information in your brain.

Your hard work and studying will pay off.  Then you can enjoy a well-earned break!

*****
First Semester Success, 2nd Edition, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available in hardcopy and as an eBook from amazon.com and hardcopy from wordassociation.com.  Click on the upper right link.

End-of-semester Strategies

Everyone is returning from Thanksgiving break and headed into the end of classes and final exams. Here are some ideas to end the semester well:

• Take a minute to look at the final two or three weeks in general.   What assignments/projects do you have to complete?  What social events to you want to do?  When do you have to be out of the dorm?  Do you have any gifts to buy?
• Look at your final exam schedule.  When are they scheduled?  If there are several in one day, is there a procedure in place to spread them out?  If one professor has several sections of the same class, will he or she allow you to take the exam earlier?
• Is each final cumulative or the does it cover just the last unit in the class?
• Particularly for an exam that is cumulative, begin now to review all of the information.   Look for the large units within the material and start to focus on each of those.
• Look at your grade in each class.  If you are close to a higher grade or near the bottom of a grade, plan to spend extra effort in that class.
• Use the week or two before finals to be sure you have all of the information you need in each class.  If you missed a lecture, get the notes from a fellow student.  (Someone you think will be earning an ‘A’ in the class!)   Take the time to recopy the notes into your own style.

The final blog for this semester will deal specifically with finals week.  Keep studying – a longer break is in sight!

*****
First Semester Success, 2nd Edition, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available as an eBook and hard copy from amazon.com and a hard copy from wordassociation.com.  Click on the upper right link.

College 101: Blog 8 of 8 – Staying Motivated

Even though the semester goes by quickly, it is hard to maintain a high level of motivation the entire time.  As a professor, I always hit a slump somewhere toward the middle, but the next day I had my excitement for teaching back.  Here are some ways to help yourself stay motivated:

• Set a grade point goal for the semester and post it where you can see it every morning, maybe on your mirror when you brush your teeth.
• Envision yourself working in your future career.
• If you do not have a specific career goal yet, envision yourself graduating and think how happy and proud you will be.
• For a class that you are not interested in:
• Set a timer for 20 minutes and study for that period of time.  Take a short break and resume f or another 20 if you are not done.
• Be careful how you talk to yourself about the class.  Stop complaining and see the class as a stepping stone in your academic career.
• Think about how the class is adding to your general knowledge as a well-rounded person.
• Act as if you are interested.  (I know this sounds odd, but my students tell me it works!!)
• Think about the benefit of making short-term sacrifices for long-term gain.  You can say no to a social event and go to the Library to study!
• Plan a fun event sometime in the future as a reward.  It is easier to work hard if there is something near term to look forward to.
• Post motivational quotes where you will see them.  My favorite that I have in my office is, “We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”  (Aristotle)
• Regularly take a few minutes to congratulate yourself on what you have accomplished.  Nothing makes working hard easier than seeing the positive results!

This concludes the eight-part series of college basics.   We’ll review studying and testing for the remainder of this fall semester – just in time for finals!

*****
First Semester Success, 2nd edition, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is now available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

College 101 – Blog 7 or 8: Test-taking Strategies

If you do not know the material, all the test-taking strategies in the world will not help.  But there are things you can do to be a wise test-taker:

General:

• Look at the whole test before you start so you have an idea of what to expect.
• Plan your time.   For example, if there are four essay questions, divide your time in quarters.  If it is half essay and half multiple choice (MC), divide your time accordingly.
• Use the test to help you answer.  If you have both the essay and MC at the same time, you can use some of the MC questions and answers to prompt your memory for the essay.  (It is possible you will not be able to have both of these parts at the same time to avoid this strategy.  Professors were once students too!)
• If you are anxious, take a deep breath before starting.
• If on scantron, frequently be sure you are on the correct number!

 Essay:

• Read the prompt twice.  Mark-up if allowed to highlight the main points you are to address.
• Take a minute to plan your answer – sometimes if you just jump in and start to write you end up in corner!   If possible, make a quick outline in corner of test page.
• Answer points from prompt in the order they appear.
• Use signal words to help your professor follow along.
• Remember that your job is to show how much you know.  Don’t leave out important information because the professor already knows it!
• If time, reread.

 Multiple Choice:

• If you don’t know the first question, skip and start with one you know.  Once you access your background knowledge you will begin to remember more.
• Use process of elimination – cross off wrong answers.
• Look for best answer – there may be more than one that fits.
• If unsure, use future questions and wrong answers to prompt you to know earlier answers.
• Be careful with prompts containing NOT or EXCEPT.   Often that means you are looking for the wrong answer in the group.
• MC may be very different on a computer.  You do not have the ability to physically cross off the wrong answers.  Programs vary in how they deal  with skipped questions.

True/False:

·       If any one word in wrong it is all false.

This was a long blog, the there is much to consider when taking an exam.  The last blog in this series will address how to stay motivated, even in a class you are not interested in!

*****
First Semester Success: 2nd Edition, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available in hard copy and as an eBook from amazon.com, and in hard copy from wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.

College 101: Blog 6 of 8 - Preparing for exams

Major exams should be announced in the syllabus given at the beginning of the semester.  It is not uncommon for an exam to be rescheduled, usually to a later date so the professor can cover the material covered by the exam.   Here are two scenarios for preparing:

#1 – You have been studying and learning throughout the semester.

• Be sure you know what the exam will cover.
• Be sure you have all of the information.   If you missed a class, get the notes from a student you think will earn an ‘A’ in the class.   You will learn better if you rewrite the notes in your own style.  Hopefully when you were absent you left a few blank pages in order to insert these notes where they belong in the sequence of the information.
• Know the format – essay, multiple choice, short answer, etc.?
• One week prior to exam, go over all notes and identify the main topics.
• Make an over view chart
• Take one topic per day and do an in-depth review including self-testing.
• Each subsequent day review the previous information and do next in depth.
• Last day(s) review all
• When available go to tutoring, professor-led review sessions, or study groups. 

#2 – If you have not been learning all along.

• Do the first three items on scenario #1.
• Identify main topics as above and make a review chart.
• Go through notes and identify subtopics under each main heading.  Write them on chart.
• Depending on time, write next level of material on chart.
• Review chart.  Refer back to notes and textbook for anything you are not sure of.
• Go through chart, cover information and practice self-testing as much as time allows.
• Do NOT stay up all night!! 

Blog 7of 8 will examine the next step – test taking strategies.

*****

First Semester Success, 2nd Edition, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  The book is now available as an eBook through Amazon.  Click on the upper right link.

College 101 – Blog 5 of 8: How to take usable lecture notes and what to do with them!

When you are taking notes in your classes you are really creating an entirely new document that you will use to learn the course material.  Your professor may or may not review the material in the textbook.  They also may not plan class activities to help students learn the material in the lecture.   The bottom line is that you are solely responsible for recording, understanding and learning the information.  So, where do you start?

1.       During class, take usable notes from the lecture:

a.       Read the textbook BEFORE class.

b.       Write down everything the professor says.

c.       Pay particular attention to what is written on the board or Power Point.

d.       If possible, print out any Power Point slides before class and READ THEM.

e.       Look for the overall organization of the lecture.

f.        Look for connections to what you read in the textbook BEFORE class.

g.       Leave white spaces between topics.  Your goal is to have usable notes, not to save paper.

2.       After class:

a.       Read your notes and identify any missing information, questions, misspellings, etc.

b.       Fill in any gaps using the textbook, fellow students, peer tutoring, or during an office visit with your professor.

c.       If your notes are a mess, rewrite.

d.       Use recitation – read a logical section of notes, shut your notebook and try to restate in your own words what you read.   If you can, move on to next section.  If you cannot, reread and try again.

e.       Create a study guide to help you learn – study cards with important people, events, etc.; concept maps to show comparison and contrasts review chart over several topics; whatever format works with the information.

f.        Study the study guide!

3.       Long term:

a.       At least once a week, review all of the lecture notes that will be on the next exam.

b.       Look for over-riding themes or topics.

c.       Create larger study guides where appropriate.

This is what you are doing on a daily and weekly basis.  The next blog will deal with preparing for a major exam.

*****
Coming soon !   First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, 2nd edition, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and wordassociation.com.  

College 101 – Blog 4 of 8: How Does Learning Happen

Many college students (and the rest of us) do not understand how learning happens.  When students sit down with their lecture notes and textbook and start to “study,” they often do not know exactly what to do besides reading and rereading their notes.   This does not get the information effectively from your working memory to your long-term memory.   There are four important ingredients to learning that will ensure the information is stored properly and available when you need it (like on the exam!):

Repetition – Learning does not happen with only one exposure to the material.  You have to work with the information multiple times.

Variety – In order to truly know the material, you have to study it in a variety of ways.   Think about doing something visual (add color, make a review chart, rewrite your notes, add some pictures), using sound (read the information out loud, get someone to quiz you, go to tutoring and talk about the material), and adding movement (rewriting, constructing a chart, review notes while at the gym) that will help you learn what you need to know.

Self-testing – This is crucial!  What you are actually doing it practicing recalling the information like you will on an exam.  You can read your notes or textbook passage and then cover the information and restate it in your own words, make study cards and go through them testing yourself, take practice quizzes if available online, make a quiz and take it a few days later, or form a study group and take turns quizzing each other.

And last – Spread all of these strategies out over time!  It takes time for information to be solidly stored in your long-term memory.  In addition to reviewing your notes after every class using the above strategies, weekly go over everything and then kick it all into high gear when actively preparing for an exam.

The above suggestions are far from a complete list of strategies.  Use your creativity and combine the ideas to create strategies that work for you and also with the particular information you need to learn.

The future blogs are:

#5 How to take and study lecture notes

#6 How to study for an exam

#7 Test-taking strategies

#8 How to stay motivated

*****

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.

College 101 - 3 of 8: How to Read Textbooks

Reading textbooks is very different from reading for pleasure.  Your goal in academic reading is to understand and remember the information in the textbook, relate it to what is happening in class and combine all the information from various sources for the exam.  This changes how you approach the text.   I like to break the strategies into three steps: before you start to read, while you are reading, and after you are done.

Before reading:

• Preview the assignment – what aids has the author provided (headings, bold print words, Learning Objectives, definitions, pictures, charts, etc.).   Take a look at these before reading so you have an idea about the information you will be reading.
• Know your purpose for reading – general background information in preparation for class, material will be on exam but professor will not cover in class, to prepare for a class discussion, etc.?
• Check the length and time you have to read, and estimate how many pages you will be able to read.  It is better to read logical sections in two or more sessions than to race through with no retention or understanding.
• If the material is very dense with little help, skim first and then read in depth.

While reading:

• Monitor your comprehension and reread if necessary.
• Actively think about the overall organization of the material, how it all fits together and how it fits in with the class lectures, etc.
• Consider forming questions from the subheadings and then read to find the answers.  You can do the same if there are Learning Objectives.  Turn them into questions and read to answer them.
• Take notes in the margins or separate notes.
• Pause periodically and review what you have read.  Try to restate the information in your own words.  If you can, move ahead.  If not, reread.

After you are done:

• Take a few minutes to go back and review what you have read.  This will make a very big difference in your retention of the material.
• If you need to know the information in depth, make a study guide or study cards.
• Take advantage of any quizzes, review questions or online quizzes available.  Look up any answers you do not know.

Blog #4 in this series will look at how learning happens.  What are the ingredients to successful learning?

*****
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.

College 101 – Blog 2 of 8 - Managing Your Time

One major challenge facing first-time students (or anyone, really!) is how to manage time.    For the college student this is particularly challenging because each day is different, several professors are scheduling exams and papers, it is expected that you are studying even when there are no specific assignments, there are large blocks of “free” time, and many distractions. 

Here is a review of four time management tools from my book, First Semester Success. 

 #1—Semester calendar

At the beginning of each semester, write all of your exams, major papers and projects and important social events on a monthly calendar. Post this and check it often to see the big picture of the semester. Look for when you have clusters of exams and major things due, and then plan your life around those.

 #2—General weekly schedule

Graph out your class schedule for the semester. Add in anything that happens regularly on a weekly basis such as work or meetings. This will give you an idea of when you can study and how to fit in other activities. This weekly schedule needs to become a habit.

 #3—Daily planner

Write down daily assignments as they are given by your professors or listed in the syllabus. This is where you will plan each individual week including special events, appointments, etc.

 #4—To-do list

Use this to plan your goals for each day. Write this out either before bed or first thing in the morning. This will help each day be more purposeful and productive. If you have a busy week, you can make a to-do list for each day of the week either Sunday night or Monday morning. This helps reduce stress because you plan exactly what you will do and when you will do it.

 Many students feel that they don’t want to be so scheduled and want to be able to “go with the flow.” By planning your time, you will actually have more free time and be able to enjoy it more because you are not always thinking about what you should be doing.  Try it!

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

College 101 - Post 1 of 8 - Getting Started

Most colleges and universities have started classes by now.  This series of will cover eight strategies and advice for freshmen or returning students to follow in order to have a successful semester.

First, resolve to go to every class.  It is a mindset – the question is NOT, "Will I go to class today?"  It is a given that you will go!  And:

·       Be rested and fed.

·       Take water is desired and permitted.

·       Sit as close to the front as possible.  (It is true that the ’A’ students sit in the front!)

·       Be prepared!  This means paper and writing utensils.  Don’t be the person whispering to those around you to borrow what you didn’t bring!

·       Be active – listen and take notes.

During the first week:

·       Review all syllabi.

·       Record all exams and project due dates on your calendar.

·       Preview the textbooks and start to read.  (If there is a financial problem that prohibits you from purchasing a book, talk to the professor or see if you can get one from the Library.)

·       Start to review and learn any notes you take this week.

The next post will look at how to manage your time.  This is crucial to any success and often a problem for students.

*****
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.

Summer of Reading #7 – Higher Level Thinking

A final benefit of reading is that it helps us develop a higher level of thinking so that we can evaluate the validity of what we are reading and hearing, understand ideas and opinions different from our own, develop empathy for others (see post #1), and increase our knowledge in general.

I feel it is important to read articles and editorials that have a different point of view than our own.   Instead of thinking about why they are wrong and you are right, try to understand their position.  You may find some good writing and solid thinking that will help you expand your thinking and understand other’s.  I particularly enjoy reading Tony Norman in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette even though I do not always agree with him!

Three books I have read lately that helped me understand people and see things from a far richer viewpoint are:

• When the Killing’s Done, by T. C. Boyle, about species extinction and animal preservation.  While this was not a popular book in my one book group, I had an increased understanding of the issues when I read an article in the paper a few weeks later about efforts to save species that are becoming extinct.
• The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life, by Lauren Markham, about immigration.  This was a particularly interesting and well-written book as it alternated between chapters telling the personal story of two young boys and chapters that gave nation-wide statistics and general information.
• Tomorrow Will be Different, by Sarah McBride, about being transgender.   Like Far Away Brothers, I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a review.   It is a book I would not have chosen on my own, but I was very glad I read it and came away with a much deeper understanding.

(Discussion Guides for all three of the books plus my reviews for the last two are available at www.ReadtoEnrich.blogspot.com.)

The benefits and joys of reading are endless!  Hopefully this series has given you some insight and motivated you to KEEP READING!!

*****
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.

Summer of Reading #6 – Research Articles

As you progress in your field of study you will be asked to read more research articles from professional journals because these studies and article are the latest information in your field.  All research articles, including a Master’s Theses and Doctorate Dissertation, have the same six parts:

• Abstract (brief summary of the information in the article)
• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Method by which research was conducted
• Findings
• Discussion

You also will be asked to read multiple articles and then synthesize (put multiple parts together) the information in the articles.  This is the highest level of reading and learning and requires strong skills and critical thinking.

Here are some strategies to help you be successful:

• Read the abstract to narrow down your search – it will tell you if the article pertains to what you are looking for.
• Keep detailed notes.  I would print out the articles and take notes directly on that paper as well as create a large review chart listing all of the articles I am using.  If you do not want to print the articles, keep copious notes and create a file to save the articles you will be using.  You will need to go back to the original articles when you are looking for direct quotes or when you need to document where you found specific information.
• Keep on ongoing reference list.  You can use an online program to help you format each reference in the format required by the course or your major.
• Once you have found an article that is useful, look at that author’s reference list to find other articles on the same topic you can use.  This will save a lot of time looking for more articles.

The last entry of the summer will look at higher level thinking skills that are developed and supported through reading.

*****
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.

Summer of Reading #5 - Online Textbooks

The price of textbooks is skyrocketing, and many professors work to control the cost to the student through eBooks and online articles.  This presents several advantages and disadvantages:

• Advantages:
• You, the student, save money.
• You don’t have to carry around heavy books – all you need is your portable device.
• Publishers are refining eBooks to aid in your learning.   You can make margin notes, highlight, take self-quizzes, define terms, and find other learning tools to help you read and understand the content.

• Disadvantages:
• If the book is from a publisher, at semester’s end the book will disappear from your device.   You cannot keep it for future reference.  You cannot share with other students or sell it back at the end of the semester.
• You may have to work harder to be actively involved with the information. Be prepared to take separate notes.
• You may have a more difficult time previewing the chapter and getting an overview of the organization.  This can be done, however, and greatly improves comprehension.
• Distractions are a major problem.  It is too easy to flip to email or social media.  Turn these off while you are studying!
• Of course, there is always the chance your device will malfunction.  Know you school’s computer lab hours and the office for technology support.

NOTE: Textbooks and online documents is an area that is rapidly changing.  One trend is to use books and documents that are available for free online, bypassing the major publishers.  Given the wide variety of materials you may be assigned, it will be even more important to have multiple reading and learning strategies available.

*****

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

Summer of Reading #4 - Textbooks (paper)

One of the most important ways you will learn in college is through reading your textbooks.  Professors expect that you have read and understood the material before class.   Because of this expectation, academic reading is different than pleasure reading.   I like to divide academic reading into three stages: preparing your brain before you start to read, strategies to improve comprehension and retention while reading, and doing some things to help the information stay in your memory after you complete the assignment.

Before you start to read:

·       Preview the passage to see what it is about, how it is organized and how long it is.

·       Look at any help the author has given such as learning objectives, bold print, definitions in the margin, etc.

·       Look at the pictures or any inserts that will help you preview the information.

While reading:

·       Take notes – either separate or in the margins.

·       Be aware of your comprehension and reread if you get lost.

·       Stop periodically to recite, without looking, the information you just read.  If successful more forward, if not reread.

·       Be aware off how the information fits together and how it fits with the class in general.

After you are done:

·       Look back at what you have read and review the information.

·       Take any quizzes available either in the book or online.

·       If needed, make a study guide to further enhance your learning.

Next posting will look at eBooks – many of the strategies are the same, but there are a few challenges.

*****

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.

Summer of Reading #3 – Course Supplemental Texts

In addition to the course textbook, many professors assign supplemental books that are meant to give the student a more rounded view of the course material.  Often these are autobiographies or biographies giving students more insight into the historical period or important people in the field.

While these are not standard texts, they need to be read in an academic manner:

·       Read as assigned.

·       Follow any guidelines suggested by the professor.

·       Take notes.  The book may be addressed in a class discussion, separate quiz/exam or included in a major exam.

·       Look for connections between book and course material – you are reading the book for a reason!

·       Approach it more like a textbook than a pleasure book but enjoy the different format.

The next blog will address reading a traditional paper textbook.

*****
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.

Summer of Reading - #2 Community-wide Books

The idea of everyone reading the same book and then coming together to discuss and share is quite popular in multiple areas – colleges and universities, communities, and on a small level, local book clubs.        

One Book/One University -  One current trend is for colleges and universities to select a book that is either assigned to all incoming freshmen to read over the summer or one book that will be read across campus during the year.    If you are a freshman and have been assigned to read the book before arriving on campus you should consider the following:

• READ THE BOOK!  Do not wait until you arrive on campus.  You will not have time.
• There may be discussion groups scheduled during orientation.   Think ahead about what ideas or insights you learned from the book and how you might share these.
• During the fall semester you may be expected to make connections to the book in some of your classes.
• Often speakers and events are scheduled around the book and theme.   Be sure to attend the events, especially if you have a chance to hear the author. 

One Book/One Community

• The library system where I live has these programs two or three times year.  The books are available to borrow through the library and there are facilitated discussions at each branch.  I have read many books I might not normally have read and met very interesting people through these programs.

Formal and Informal Book Groups

I currently facilitate three groups – two formal groups through the library and one with my friends. Again, these are ways to expand your reading and talk about books and ideas with other people.   Some tips are:

• Stay on topic.
• Avoid side-bar conversations.
• Be open to ideas that are different from your own.
• Do not dominate the conversation.   It is important that everyone get a chance to talk.
• In a more formal group it is the responsibility of the facilitator to make sure these things happen.   In an informal group with friends it is everyone’s responsibility.

The next post will look at fiction or non-fiction trade books assigned in a class in addition to a textbook – the purpose of these assignments and how to read the book.

*****

My other blog, www.ReadtoEnrich.blogspot.com has over 160 discussion guides that I created for the various groups I facilitate.

Summer of Reading: #1 Why Read?

The blogs this summer will focus on my favorite subject, reading, starting with independent reading (choosing on your own what to read) and moving through all aspects, ending with reading and learning from textbooks.

 So, why should you read?  What are the benefits?

There are multiple benefits to independent reading, not the least of which are entertainment, escape, learning, enlightenment, and pure joy.  There are so many types of books it is impossible to list them all, but there is something for everyone no matter what your interests, profession, etc.

While reading is mainly a solitary activity, it can be social when talking about a book in a group.  There are an amazing number of book groups – no one really knows how many as most of them are a group of people who decide to get together on their own to discuss books.   When my friends group met at a local restaurant there were two other groups meeting at the same time!

Besides the endless reasons to read listed above, there are two specific benefits:

• Increasing or maintaining your power of concentration: Many people think that all of the time we spend on our electronic devices is lowering our ability to concentrate for an extended period of time.  See Nicholas Carr’s book, The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brain, for further information.  By reading without interruption you are keeping your power of concentration strong.
• Gaining empathy:  When we read about someone else’s experiences and feelings from their perspective we are better able to understand how they feel and can transfer that awareness to our everyday lives.  (Schwanenflugel & Knapp. (2016). The Psychology of Reading. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.)

Whatever type of books you like, hopefully you will have time this summer to read for the pure pleasure of reading!

The next blog will address the popular program on college campuses, One Book-One College, how the books are used, and some strategies for reading.

Consider voting for your favorite book this summer at The Great American Read, sponsored by PBS.  My vote went to The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak.

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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.

Testing and Learning Never End

Our granddaughter just graduated from college in Exercise Science, but before she begins her career she has to pass a certification exam that is known to be very difficult.   She and her classmates had a class to prepare for this, but in their junior year.   She is also considering graduate school which means she has to do well on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).   Education majors have to pass the Praxis II before they can start teaching.  Nursing students have to pass a certification exam and accountants need to pass the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam to be licensed.   What does this mean?   It means that every class you take is important and that you need to constantly be monitoring your learning so that your knowledge is reinforced and accessible when you need it.

What you can do:

• Keep your notes from earlier classes so that you can review.
• Relate new information you are learning to previous classes.
• Don’t let something slide that you do not understand or fully comprehend.
• Talk to former students who have passed the exam to get an idea of what it will be like.
• Purchase a practice book if one is available.
• Take advantage of any prep or review opportunity.

Many professions also require continuing education in order to maintain certification or earn promotions.  Subscribe to professional journals and read them.  Take advantage of every workshop or class available.  Fields of knowledge are constantly changing and your job is to stay current in your field. 

*****
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.

Digital vs. Print Reading

I watched a webinar sponsored by Pearson this week about the differences between reading digitally and reading on paper.   One interesting fact was that 40% - 50% of students are reading their textbooks on the small screens of their cell phones.   Some concerns with reading on a small screen are:

• The action of scrolling down promotes reading faster and skimming, leaving the reader less time to process or analyze the information.
• With the hyperlinks it is easy to get lost or distracted.
• It is cognitively more demanding because of the many decisions about what to pay attention to.
• The are many unreliable sources providing questionable information.
• Because the reader sees such a limited amount of the information it is difficult to see patterns and the overall picture.

Some things you can do:

• Use the standard reading strategies such as previewing, taking separate notes, actively striving to understand the overall picture.
• Plan on spending a bit more time and effort to successfully accomplish the above point.  Previewing and understanding the overall organization of the piece is harder on screen than when leafing through a book.
• Know your purpose for reading and adjust speed accordingly.
• Plan ahead about how to handle the hyperlinks. Perhaps look at them before reading or wait and view after.

It is bit easier on a computer screen, laptop or iPad because the screen is larger, but the distractions and how the material moves (by pages or scrolling down) are still an issue.

Whether reading digitally or on paper, comprehension and understanding are expected.   Use the same strategies for both with some adaption and extra effort for the screen.

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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.

Potential changes in how students access textbooks

Last week I watched a webinar about Open Educational Resources (OER) presented by Innovative Educators.  Some things I learned are:

·       Many students cannot afford their textbooks and therefore either do not take a class or try to do without the book and struggle in the class.

·       Five major publishers account for 90% of the textbook market.

·       In the past ten years, the cost of textbooks has gone up by 88%.

·       The average cost of books and supplies for one semester of college is $600.

The idea behind OER is that professors can find textbooks and other documents online through a variety of sources that students can access for free.   Unlike renting an eBook from a publisher, students are able to keep these documents for use and reference later in their studies.

Several of the webinar participants indicated that their institutions were either already using these or starting to adopt this type of material, and one person stated that their institution was hoping to go paper-free in the near future.

What does this mean for the student besides saving money?  As a reading professional, I feel that the reader may have to work just a little harder to comprehend and retain the material they are reading.   At this point we do not know how the information will be presented, but we do know the following strategies will work:

·       Preview the information before starting to read.

·       Periodically stop and recall in your own words what you have read.  If you can successfully do so, move forward.  If not, reread and repeat.

·       Take separate notes.

·       Think about how what you are reading fits in with the lectures and the class as a whole.

·       Stop and review the information when done reading.

One thing we know for sure is that things will keep changing, but how we learn will not.  As readers and learners, we need to be flexible and use strategies that fit the material and our purpose for reading.

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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.