Academic Survival At JSU How to Make the Grades….. Presenters: Ms. Monesa Watts Time Management Ms. LaTonya Robinson Effective Note-Taking Dr. Brenda K. Anderson Managing Test Anxiety Mrs. F. Janelle Hannah-Jefferson Test-Taking Skills Committee Members: Mrs. Carol Cooper Ms. Kenya Washington PowerPoint Technician Mr. Frederick Connors Time Management Skills Presenter: Ms. Monesa Watts Time Management  Time management is straightforwardly defined as the management of time in order to make the most out of it.[1]  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_managem ent Time Management  But in a 2001 interview, David Allen observed: You can't manage time, it just is. So "time management" is a mislabeled problem, which has little chance of being an effective approach. What you really manage is your activity during time, and defining outcomes and physical actions required is the core process required to manage what you do.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_management Time Management  Time - the measured or measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues.  Management - the act or art of managing : the conducting or supervising of something (as a business).  Managing - to handle or direct with a degree of skill.  http://www.m-w.com/dictionary.htm Time Management Questions?        How much time do you have? What are your goals? Does free time really mean free time? Do you have a schedule? Do you use a planner? Do you procrastinate? Are you equipped with Time Management Tips? How much time do you have?     There are 24 hours in a day. 7 days in a week ( 168 hours). 365 days in a year. An extra day during leap year.   Make a list of everything you have to do. Figure out how much time you can devote to each task.    By analyzing your time, you will know what time of the day you do your best work. You will discover how much time your wasting with telephone calls, interruptions, or just hanging out with friends. Make sure you include class and study time. What are your goals?      Make your goals specific and concrete. Set long-term and short-term goals? Set a deadline for your goals. Monitor your goals. Change goals if needed. Do you have a schedule?  Set up your semester calendar.  Review Syllabus for class schedules.  Block all class and lab times  Highlight exams and project due dates.  Identify routine homework.  Incorporate break time.  Divide study time into 50-minute blocks. Use spare time to review. Don’t forget to reward yourself when you do something right.    “Work smarter, not harder.” – Alan Lakein Set Priorities       Which goals are important to you? Which goals are urgent?  Assignments due at the ends of the semester can be completed in a series of steps and need not be completed immediately. It is important to work on one task at a time. Plan time to begin the process, i.e. visiting the library on several occasions to gather research data for a paper that is due. Try to plan at least two hours of study time to per day to review class notes from your courses and to work on assignments that are due. Faithfully using your student planner/calendar will help you to prioritize your work.  How can you establish priorities?  “to-do list” – Cross off each task as you complete them. Most of the time we struggle to create a balance between:    1. Our Needs  Eating, sleeping, personal hygiene, etc. 2. Our Desires  Socializing, concerts, vacations, reading, exercising, shopping, TV/video games. 3. Our Obligations  Fulfilling the expectations of others.  Hanging out with friends instead of doing homework or preparing for an exam.  Arriving late or missing class will send a negative message to faculty about what you value.  Constant stress and anxiety of accompany ineffective time management.  An awareness of how you balance your time is good. Finding Balance  Find balance between:  Academic schedule  Social life  Time alone Procrastination   Procrastination is a major obstacle that can prevent you from practicing good time management skills. It is the constant pushing aside of tasks that need to be completed and is the archenemy of all students. Ways of overcoming Procrastination       Make the Task Meaningful  Ask yourself why the task is important to you and what it has to do with your long-term goal. 2. Take the task apart  Sometime an assignment can appear to be overwhelming. Breaking large assignments into manageable parts will help. Set dates to work on each of the pieces. 3. Keep yourself organized  Having everything you need right at your fingertips will save a lot of time when starting a project. 4. Be positive  Avoid speaking negatively about the task and your ability to move toward completion. Instead, by positive. Tell yourself, “I know that I can finish this work.” 5. Plan a reward  Do something for yourself that you would not normally no, but withhold the reward if the task remains incomplete. 6. Just do it – Complete the task  The moment you find yourself procrastinating, complete the task; then, you won’t have to think about it anymore. 1. Time Management Tips  Write things down.    Prioritize your list Plan your week.   Spend some time at the beginning of each week to plan your schedule. Carry a notebook.   Don’t rely on memory Write down those great ideas and brilliant insights (capture your thoughts). Learn to say no.  Say no to low priority requests. Food for Thought   Students who control and monitor their time give themselves the ability to be flexible. They understand that TIME can be used as an important resource. Academic Survival at JSU Effective Note-Taking Presenter: LaTonya Robinson October 10, 2007 5 C’s of Note-Taking  Take Charge of Your Lectures  Concentrate and Focus on the Material  Listen Critically  Connect and Capture Key Ideas Take Charge of Your Lectures  Commit to Class  Pre-read material to be covered before class  Identify areas that are difficult to understand  Arrive to class early and review notes from the previous class period CONCENTRATE and focus on the material!!! Beware of Distractions  Talking  Daydreaming & Doodling  Worrying Listen Critically  Be Ready for the Message  Listen to Main Concepts  Listen for New Ideas  Ask Questions Connect and Capture Key Ideas  Identify key words, themes and main points  Relate Details to the Main Point  Listen for Clues   Note when a topic comes up more than once Transition words signal the change in topics or new key points “In contrast to” “Let’s move on” “This will be on the next exam” “You will see this again” This one for sure! Choose the Note-Taking Style that’s Just Right for You! Use any strategy that will help the key ideas stand out to you!! Note-Taking Styles  Outline Method  The Cornell Method  Paragraph (Summarizing) Method  Fishbone Diagram (Listing) Method The Outline Method Formal Outline  Use headings and subheadings followed by course material  Easiest method with organized lectures Informal Outline The Cornell Method       Divide your notepaper by drawing a vertical line 2 inches from the left margin. On the right side, take your notes from class. On the left side, write  key words  questions  comments  Examples On the bottom, write a summary These will make your work easier to review later Test yourself by identifying the lecture material on the right , prompted by your comments on the left. The Paragraph Method  Often works best when a lot of notes are given in a short period of time and the instructor is a fast talker or the lecture is disorganized.  Listen critically for important facts.  Create your own summary of what has been presented.  Write down summary in your own words. Did you get that? No, we’d better summarize! The Fishbone Diagram  The Problem or outcome is printed in the “head” of the fish.  Identify the primary factors and connect as ribs to the backbone.  Elaborate each rib with the details related to the primary factor. Other Note-Taking Tips Always date your notes! Paraphrase your notes! Don’t Erase Mistakes! For Lectures with fast talkers, consider writing in cursive or tape recording.  Use Abbreviations!  Be Organized!  Evaluate your note-taking style strategy regularly!     Questions Presentation pictures form Multi-media 2007 Surviving Test Anxiety Presented by Mrs. Carol J. Cooper Dr. Brenda K. Anderson Signs of Anxiety: Headaches Anger Nausea Depression Rapid Heart Beat Pacing Sweating Fainting Negative Self-Talk Test Anxiety  Test Anxiety is common among college students!  Test or performance anxiety typically occurs:    in the presence of a difficult or challenging situation, when you believe you are inadequate or incapable of meeting the challenge, and, you fear the consequence of possible failure. Test Anxiety  When psyched out and anxiety takes over, you may experience:       distracting thoughts of failure an inability to pick out important cues becoming distracted by irrelevant cues interpreting the results of physical arousal (muscle tension, heart rate, respiration) as signs of fear attempting to avoid or escape the situation giving up Some tips for reducing test anxiety  There are several ways to make test anxiety more manageable:     Preparation Keep a positive attitude Relaxation techniques Learn good test-taking skills ADDITIONAL COPING STRATEGIES  The techniques for dealing with test or performance anxiety can be divided into five basic principles:  Be healthy  Be prepared  Practice the performance  Regulate your arousal level: • • • •  Deep breathing Progressive muscle relaxation Reduce distractions Rituals Control the fear: • Positive self-talk • On-task self-talk • Gaining perspective           The day of the test: begin your day with a moderate breakfast and avoid coffee, try to do something relaxing the hour before the test, plan to arrive at the test location early, and avoid classmates who generate anxiety. During the test: tell yourself “I can be anxious later, now is the time to take the exam.” focus on answering the question, not on your grade! counter negative thoughts with more valid thoughts like, “I don’t have to be perfect.” take deep slow breaths and try to maintain a positive attitude. Summary Remember, it is perfectly natural to experience test anxiety while in college. The main thing is not to let it get out of hand. Anxiety can serve as a motivator that prompts us to work toward our full potential. When the focus of our energy turns to the anxiety rather than the task at hand, then it becomes detrimental to our efforts. To overcome test anxiety: develop good study habits, avoid cramming at the last minute, eat a moderate meal before the test, learn to relax, and STOP those negative thoughts! Test-Taking Skills Mrs. F. Janelle Hannah-Jefferson Academic Advisor First & Foremost…  Put the test in perspective.  Of course, you want to do your best, but remember:  This test is not the end of the world, all you are doing is putting marks on a piece of paper or on a computer screen.  Be prepared. Relax.  Know that you will pass the test with flying colors. Planning Your Approach        Prepare physically for the exam. Prepare mentally for the exam. Find out about the test. Know what is expected of you. Design an exam plan. Join a study group. Use tutoring and other campus support resources. Strategies for Various Tests  One strategy that works for almost all tests:  If an answer comes quickly, go with it!  If you’re really not sure, come back to it later.  Otherwise, different tests have different strategies:  Objective tests  Subjective tests Objective & Subjective Tests  Objective tests include  multiple choice  matching  true-false  fill in the blank  Subjective tests  Short answer  Essay questions  Good study strategies include:  using flash cards  making a concept vocabulary list  reviewing your text’s study guide  reviewing your notes  work with a tutor  join a study group Multiple Choice Strategies  Read the question carefully and try to answer it before you read the choices.  Strike out wrong answers.  Mark answers clearly and consistently.  Change answers cautiously. Beware of secondguessing yourself.  Read all the options before making a choice.  If you don’t know an answer, move on.  If all else fails, make an educated guess!! True-False Strategies  Read the question carefully.  Go with your hunch.  Watch for key words:  Absolutes (never, etc.) are probably false  Relatives (some, etc.) are probably true  Double negatives – not untruthful, etc.  If a part of it is false, all of it is false.  Answer all questions unless there is a penalty for guessing. Fill-in-the-Blank Strategies  Read thoroughly to be sure what is being asked.  Be brief and specific.  Give an answer for every blank.  Short blanks may have long answers and vice versa. Don’t assume anything.  Remember an “a” before a blank wants a consonant word and “an” a vowel word.  Watch for key “trigger” words. Essay Question Strategies  Read the question carefully.  What is the question asking for?  Outline the key ideas.  Refer specifically to the question in your opening sentence.  Make a clear, coherent thesis statement.  Develop the main body of the essay to support your thesis statement.  Conclude by summarizing how your thesis is supported.  Watch grammar, spelling and punctuation.  Use humor if it fits in.  Be sure you have completely answered the question.  Write legibly.  Proofread your work. Okay, you flunked it! Now recover your balance.  Don’t let yourself become undone by one failure.  Use the disappointment to critically think about  the causes of the poor performance  crafting new strategies to improve your situation.  Begin by reviewing your test results.  Talk to your instructor or a tutor. Tempted to cheat? Resist the Impulse Cheating can have ugly consequences:  Cheaters struggle with a nagging conscience, self-doubt, dissatisfaction, and guilt.  Humiliation results if you get caught.  You may, at least, receive a “0” on your exam, or possibly be expelled from the college or university.  Professors who catch you cheating may spread the word and refuse to write letters of recommendation, ruining chances for graduate study or participation in special programs.  And remember the person you cheat the most is yourself. Finally, one more time: The Big Three Be prepared! Relax! Know you can do it!