academic strategies for higher education

Academic Strategies for higher education

Catholic University's 2008-09 tuition:

$30,650

$30,650 typical 10 courses

$3,065 per course

Classes meet for the equivalent of 150 minutes or

2½ hours a week which works out to about

37½ hours a semester (not counting the final exam)

so, $3,065 per course typical 37½ hours

in class per semester

$82.00

per lecture hour

INHOLD

OUT

IN

OUT

HOLD

Handoutonline

Handoutonline

GET ITGET IT

EXPOSUREEXPOSURE

I finished

most or ALL pages of

reading

EXPOSUREEXPOSURE

I go to most/all of the lectures or labs

ATTENTIONATTENTION I was concentrating

TURN ON YOUR RADAR!

I allowed enough time to really get it

Handoutonline

Handoutonline

IMPORTANCE!!

I decided correctly which material was worth getting

IMPORTANCE

…and might show up on tests

KEEP ITKEEP IT

IMPORTANCE!!

I decided correctly it was worth keeping…

IMPORTANCE

… and should show up on tests

TIMING

I didn’t underestimate the time needed

TIMING

I I started early started early enough so I could enough so I could keep enoughenough

ORGANIZATION

I was detailed enough (facts, events, statistics, names, dates, theories…)

“enough”: The “Goldilocks” Problem:

NOT TOO MUCH…not too little…not too little…

ORGANIZATION

And general enough (overviews, summaries, trends…)

ORGANIZATION

I made connections (among text lessons, lectures and class discussion, and lab exercises…)

SHOW ITSHOW IT

through

TESTSPAPERSPROJECTS

PRESENTATIONSclass participation…

If only there were a really easy plan for

studying…

 Like just, um, maybe 3, Like just, um, maybe 3, like, y’know, simple like, y’know, simple

words:words:

BEFORE DURING AFTER

Handoutonline

Handoutonline

BEFORE:  

1. Create interest: "get psyched"

“WIIFM”? - motivation and

momentum ”efficient” AND

effective”  

2. Use what you already know:

"magnetize" your background

knowledge”efficient” 

3. Determine to remember:

activate your focus and concentration

”effective”   

DURING:  

4. Anticipate test questions:predict and

practice open-book beforehand

”effective”  

TURN ON YOUR RADAR!

5. Be selective: choose only about 25% to highlight,

record, memorize… ”effective”

AFTER:  

6. Create meaningful

organization:label, categorize, sort, diagram… ”effective” ”effective”

7. Put the ideas in your own words:

recite and summarize

out loud ”effective” ”effective”

8. Reduce the information:

condense into margin notes, summaries, flash cards

”effective” ”effective”  

9. Find a personal application:

relate it to real life,

write about it, do it, …

”effective” ”effective”  

10. Monitor your learning:

test yourself from memory,

teach it to someone else ”effective” ”effective”

11. Distribute your study:

spread a course's study hours

throughout the week ”efficient””efficient”

Adapted from :

Walter Pauk, How to Study in College

What is an “active” student?

The active student goes the extra mile past the typical good, but passivestudent.

Education at the college level requires the mind-set

of the active student to be really successful

and get your money’s worth

At LECTURES

The passive student writes down exactly what the

lecturer says...

but the ACTIVE student is deciding

what's important to write down.

With TEXTBOOKS

The passive student reads all

assignments.

So does the ACTIVE student - who’s also

thinking, questioning, connecting ideas….

When STUDYING

Passive students reread all assignments...

while the ACTIVE student also makes

study sheets, predicts test questions,

looks for patterns.

For ASSIGNMENTS

Passive students follow all the professor's

instructions.

But the ACTIVE student also tries to

discover the meaning

of the assignment, looking for long-lasting

knowledge.

With PAPERS

Passive students complete all the

requirements to get a good grade...

while the ACTIVE student expands his

knowledge, and connects it

to course content and life…

(And gets an equally good grade…)