Qualities Needed for Success and How to Acquire Them

In my Learning Strategies classes this week we have been having very interesting discussions about what personal qualities a successful person has or needs and how to develop them.  Here are some of my students’ thoughts:

Qualities needed for success

·         Optimism
·         Preparation
·         Determination
·         Self-discipline
·         Focus 
·         Self-confidence
·         Organization
·         Passion
·         Goal oriented
·         Resilience
·         Willingness to make sacrifices
·         Commitment
·         Positive mind-set

How to develop them

·         Put yourself in a positive environment surrounded by people who care about your success
·         Set goals – long term and more immediate
·         Be patient with yourself
·         Use positive self-talk
·         To develop self-discipline to study, set a timer and study for that time period – then gradually extend the time
·         Reward yourself
·         See yourself as succeeding
·         Set yourself up to be successful – remove obstacles
·         Find your passion

I thought the classes had very insightful ideas with workable suggestions to be successful.  Take some time to examine your own path to success and borrow their ideas as needed!

*****

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.

Ideas From My Classes - How to Add Variety to Your Studying

The students in my Learning Strategies class brainstormed ways to add variety to their studying.  Here are some of their ideas:

Add visual impact:
·         Flash cards with pictures or color
·         Graphic organizers/review charts
·         Make your own power point slides
·         Read/reread the textbooks and lecture notes
·         Watch movies and documentaries related to the topic
·         Watch You Tube videos of someone else explaining the concept (see Kahn Academy for example)

Add auditory impact:

·         Actually pay attention in class (this was one of my favorite!)
·         Again – videos (make your own or watch one)
·         Create and sing songs about the material
·         Record yourself explaining the material and listen while exercising
·         Study groups
·         Read the material out loud
·         Tutoring/Supplemental Instruction
·         Have someone quiz you
·         Go to the professor’s office hours and ask questions
·         Teach the information to someone else

Add movement and touch (tactile):

·         Manipulating/shuffling study cards
·         Writing/rewriting
·         Manipulating the information by making charts/graphic organizers
·         Dancing while studying
·         Review games (Jeopardy, for example)
·         Study while exercising
·         Study in different locations

You can see that many of these overlap.  The key is to do several different things and involve several different senses.  The added benefit is that many of them add some fun to your studying!

 

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 Two Parts of "Studying"

When you sit down to “study" there really are two parts to the process: understanding and learning.  You cannot learn something if you do not understand it first!  Here are some strategies for each step.  Many strategies overlap!

Understanding

·         Go to class!  (What a surprise!)
·         Read
·         Take notes – from textbooks and in class
·         Look for the organization of the material
·         Look for associations between class and book and among all classes
·         Rewrite you lecture notes and combine with textbook information
·         Put the information into study guides (concept maps, review charts, time lines, Venn Diagrams, etc.)
·         Use recitation (restate in your own words from memory) when reviewing notes and reading textbook
·         Go to tutoring or Supplemental Instruction (talk to someone else about the information)

Learning

·         Again – recitation!
·         Make study cards
·         Practice recalling the information multiple times spread throughout the time leading up to the exam
·         Make and take a practice test
·         Use any practice quizzes/exams on the book’s website
·         Do the practice problems/questions in the textbook

Studying takes time and effort!  Interact with the material in multiple and varied ways and you will be great!

*****

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.

Get into the HABIT of learning

Learning requires repetition and variety spaced out over time.   This is one of the first things I tell my students in the Learning Strategies classes I teach each spring.   Students often think they can take lecture notes but then never look at the notes again until a day or two before the exam.  This does not work!   One way to practice this repetition is to follow this study cycle each time the class meets:

Ø  Go to class >>

Ø  Review and start to learn notes >>

Ø  Read textbook (either to prepare for next class or review what the lecture covered) >>

Ø  Briefly review the notes again before the next class.

This works best for a Monday/Wednesday/Friday class.  If the class only meets once or twice a week, review and learn notes at least two or three times during the week.

Of course this is just the beginning, but by getting into this habit you have incorporated both repetition and spacing out over time into your schedule.  (Habit is an important word – do this all the time and it will be second nature and not at all a chore.)

The next blog will address variety – what are different strategies you can use with learning notes to help your understanding 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.

Start the New Semester With Success

One thing I like about academics is that you work hard, finish the semester and get your results (your grades!) and then get a fresh start to do it all over again.  Here are some things to think about as you start a new semester:

• As far as your learning strategies, what worked and what did not work last semester?  Exactly WHAT did you do that worked when you sat down to study?   This is a major problem for many students on academic probation.  They will tell me they are going to study MORE or HARDER, but they do not have any idea about what to actually do.  Future blogs will focus specifically on this, but here are some early tips:
• Before you start to learn it, make sure the information is organized.  If this means you have to rewrite your lecture notes, do so.  It is not busy work but will enhance your learning.
• Consider putting the information into some form of a study guide.   Any way you actively work with the information is getting it more strongly into your memory.  
• Test yourself – after you have read a section in your textbook or lecture notes, see if you can restate the information in your own words.  If yes, go to next section.  If no, reread and repeat.   
• How did you manage your time?  How can you improve on that?   Did you use a planner?  How did you record your assignments?
• Be sure you have a clear picture of your priorities.  This will greatly affect your time management.  You need to be spending the bulk of your time and energy on what is important to you.

Watch for future blogs that look into each of these topics in more detail.  In the meantime, get a solid start on the semester.  It goes by fast and it is hard to catch up after a poor beginning.

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.

You got your grades. Now what?

Once you have seen your semester grades you have some decisions to make before the start of the next semester.  Here are some different scenarios and things to think about:

Your grades are great!  Congratulations!  Take some time to enjoy your success!  Then think about:

• What went well this semester that helped you earn such good grades? 
• How did you manage your time? 
• Where did you study?
• What study strategies did you use that worked?
• Think about your schedule next semester.  What did you do this semester that you can repeat?
• What class do you think will be your biggest challenge next semester?  How will you handle that?

Your grades are disappointing.  Think about:

• Where were your problems areas?  Time management?  Study environment?  Knowledge of how learning happens?
• What happened in your hardest class?  How did you study?  Looking back, what strategies might have helped?
• Did you seek help by talking with your professors or going to tutoring? 
• Examine the classes you struggled with.  What made them difficult?  Are there any indications that you should change your major to focus on classes in which you did well?
• Look at your schedule for next semester and plan exactly when and where you will study. 
• Review previous blogs on this site to get information about study strategies you can use.
• See if you should retake some classes to erase low grades and bring up your grade point average.
• Look for a Learning Strategies class at your institution and enroll.

If things are really bad:

• If you are not returning, check with the financial aid office to see if there is anything you should do to put any type of aid or loan on hold.
• If you are going to take some classes at a local college, be sure they fit into your course of study.
• Take a class in learning so you do not repeat the same  mistakes.
• Examine your priorities.  Is college one of them?

Whatever your situation, be sure to set yourself  up to be successful.  Focus on what went well and change the roadblocks that held you back.
*****
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.

Successful Finals Week Strategies

Students tend to get stressed during Finals Week, but if you are prepared there is no need to do so.  Often students relieve their own stress by talking about it and giving it to someone else!  You are calm and prepared, so don’t let someone else share their stress with you!  Here are some things to keep in mind:

* Do NOT stay up all night!  That is the worst thing you can do.  A tired brain does not function well and the lack of sleep will not only affect your performance on the exam you studied for but the future exams as well.

* Shower, eat breakfast and scrub your teeth before going to the exam.  It is amazing how better you will do if you feel awake and alert!

* Get to the exam early so you are not feeling rushed.   If the exam is given in a different room than the class it is helpful to get there extra early in order to get a good seat and review the information in that particular setting. (If the exam is given to a large group in a lecture hall it is very helpful to go there a few days before the exam to be sure you know where you are going and also, if possible, to sit in the room and study.  We do better on tests if we take them in the environment in which we learned the material!)

* Continue to maintain your exercise schedule.  Only positive things happen with exercise!

* If you are feeling stressed, focus on a positive event that will happen after exams.  Or think about how great it will feel to look at your grades and see your hard work pay off!

* Maintain a positive attitude.  If you do not know the first answer move on until you find a question you do know.  That will activate that knowledge center in your brain and the information will start to come to you.

* If you do feel especially stressed when the exam is distributed, pause and take a few deep breaths.  This will help you relax and think.

In the next blog we will look at strategies to consider if you grades are great and if (unfortunately) they are not.  Work hard and enjoy 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.