Active Learning

Learning must be active – you need to be actively involved and thinking about the information you are trying to learn.  Here are some ideas:

Manipulate the information – rewrite the information into a different format such as a review chart, concept map, study cards, outline, etc.

Connect the information with what you already know from your background, another class, you career goal, whatever connection you can make

Recite – read over a section, close your book, and restate the information in your own words

Teach - Form a study group and teach each other

Review – once you have learned the information, review it every day for a short period of time spaced out over a week or more

Test – make a practice test, put it aside and then test yourself in a few days.  Or use any quiz or “Terms to Know” available in your textbook or on line.

 You get the idea – anything more than just passively “rereading” or “reviewing.”   The more actively you are involved with the information the better you will understand and retain it! 

Annotation or Margin Notes

One way you can increase your reading efficiency and retention is by writing brief notes in the margins of your textbooks.  These are called annotations or margin notes.  They are short, maybe just a few key words, and summarize the important information contained in a paragraph or section. 

 

 

By using this strategy while you read, you are becoming a much more active reader.  This will result in higher comprehension and retention. 

 

 

Here is what to do:

1.         Read the paragraph or section.

2.         Think about what is the important information you need to remember.

3.         Condense that information into a few key words.

4.         Write the words in the margin of the page near where you found the information.

 

 

There are other ways you can mark your pages:

• Write numbers beside where items are listed.
• Write "def" beside where an important word is defined.
• Draw a small concept map or chart in a white space to help you understand something.
• Circle names or important dates
• Put a star or arrow beside something that is important

Keep in mind that this is a new way to read and may be uncomfortable at first.  But isn't any change uncomfortable?  Give it time and you will wonder how you ever read without a pen or pencil in your hand!

 

 

By using this strategy you are ensuring that you will be actively involved with the information and doing much more than simply letting the words run through your mind.

How to Choose a Major

It is much more difficult to pass up fun, social activities and focus on your studies if you are undecided about what you want to major in and do with your life.   Also, there is a lot of pressure from colleges and universities to declare a major early in your academic career, but making this decision often is hard.  Here are some things to do as you start to explore your options:

If your institution has a Career Center, take advantage of that.  The people there are trained professionals to help you with this decision and can give you expert guidance and advice.

See if there are any Career Exploration classes available.

Take advantage of computer-based inventories such as the Myers Briggs.  That particular one will lead you to consider such things as whether you like to work with people compared to more independently or if you like a fairly rigid schedule compared to a spontaneous and flexible one.

Listen to your heart.  What are you doing when you feel the most fulfilled and excited?  In the past, what have you done when you felt very satisfied about your day?  Can these be incorporated into a career or will they be your hobby and recreational activities?

Look at the government websites about job availability and future growth.

Read the course descriptions in your college catalogue.   Which ones sound interesting or boring?  That could give you some information about what you are interested in.

Over break or vacations consider shadowing people in various careers.  You want to know what they actually DO on a day-to-day basis as opposed to how glamorous their job sounds.  (This may take a little work to find these people.  Ask your parents’ friends, your friends’ parents, people from your church, people you talk to on a regular basis.  Most people love to share what they do and are very willing to help a young person along in their career choices.)

Many people are working in a field different from their major or only slightly connected to their major. 

Remember that some of the most important things you will learn in college include critical thinking, independent learning and problem solving.  These skills transfer across all areas.

Good luck!

Why Are You in College?

I have been reading final papers from an Early Entrance Experience  program I taught one week before our regular semester started.   One of the topics the students wrote about was their decision to attend college. Many of them wrote that they found it useful and motivational to consciously think about their decision now that they were actually on campus.

As I am writing this it is now a few weeks into the semester.  You are probably finding the work more demanding than you expected.   This is a good time to pause and reflect on the same topic – why are you in college?  Why did you make this decision?

* Was it assumed you would attend college and there was no other option –OR- did you make a conscious choice?

* Does everyone in your family have a degree –OR- will you be the first?

* Do you have successful examples to live up to –OR- are you setting the example for younger siblings and relatives?

* Do you want to live up to someone’s faith in you –OR- do you want to prove wrong the people who said you could not be   successful?

* Do you have a clear career goal –OR- are you searching for the right major for you?

Whatever the answers are to these questions, you are the one responsible for your success.  Thinking about why you are in college will go a long way toward keeping you motivated and on track.

Take Care of Your Health

 How you feel physically has a big influence on your ability to learn. Plan to take care of yourself in these three ways:

• Sleep: The best way to get a good night’s sleep is to go to bed and get up at about the same time every day. Naps are fine, but a nap is about 20–30 minutes. If you get into your pajamas and under the covers, you have gone back to bed! Too much sleep during the day can disrupt your sleep at night and take away from valuable study time.

• Exercise: Exercise has multiple benefits—it helps your brain function well, gives you energy, helps keep your weight under control, and helps you fight off germs. Most schools have beautiful fitness centers and organized classes—take advantage of what they have to offer.

• Good nutrition: On many college dining plans you can eat whatever and whenever you want, but there is no one to remind you to plan or eat balanced meals. Remember to eat from a variety of groups and include fresh fruit and vegetables. Don’t go crazy with sugary desserts and fried food.

 The better you physically feel, the better you will be able to concentrate and learn.

 

Things to Consider at the Beginning of the Semester

Whether you are a freshman or a returning student, there are several things to consider at the beginning of each semester.

• How are your classes scheduled throughout the day?  Is there time to study between classes?  Will you, or will you be tempted to go back to your room and relax or nap?

• Exactly when and where are you going to study?  Make sure you start the habit of enough study time this first week!

• How are you going to keep your assignments and exams under control?  Where will you record your assignments?   Make sure it is someplace you look at every day.

• How are you going to keep all of your class material organized?   Will you use one large notebook or individual notebooks?  Will you have a folder for each class?

• Are you able to buy your textbooks?  If not, ask your professor if you can borrow one or use one in the Library.

• Do you understand your school’s technology system – any programs your professors are using, the formal email account, etc.?   Many professors will not answer email from an outside account plus you will miss any all-class emails the professor sends if you are not using your school account.

• What is your plan to stay healthy?  When will you exercise?  What exactly does it mean to eat a healthy diet?  

• What help is available if you get sick?  Think about it now, not if it actually happens and your feel terrible.

This is a lot to organize and we have not yet thought about how you will actually LEARN the material from your classes.  That will be next week’s topic.  Until then, enjoy your academic experience and start the semester with good habits!

Returning for the Fall Semester

If you are a returning college student headed back to college, here are some things to think about:

                                                    

If you are doing well:

• What learning strategies do you use that work well for you?
• What academic habits do you have that are helping you be successful?

If you are struggling:

• What have you been doing (or not doing) that is getting in the way of your success?
• What positive steps can you take this semester to improve things?
• What concrete learning strategies can you add to your studying?

For all students:

• What classes are you taking this semester?
• How are they spaced out during the day?
• What will be good times for you to study?
• Which class will be the most challenging?  What will make it challenging?  What learning strategies can you use in that class?  Is there help on campus for that class?

Think ahead and plan now how you will approach the semester.  Then hit the ground running that first week.