1. Be the Prepared College Student Bianca Taylor Spalding University

2. Introduction For new college students there is a common misconception that college is an advanced version of high school. First time college students are unaware of the college culture that high school does not prepare you for. To start on the journey of college life there are three main practical areas students should become familiar with.  Get to know your university.  Get to know what college students should expect.  Get to know what type of student you are.

3. Get to Know Your University  Campus life  Campus resources  Campus technology

4. Campus Life Know your environment. It is beneficial as a new student to explore all of your surroundings. You may have already had a campus tour with admissions, browsed through the university’s website, and attended new student orientation. It is important to thoroughly know you campus on a personal level.

5.  Take a self-directed tour around campus to know where important buildings are located.  Learn of your campus resources.  Visit the campus library to familiarize yourself with your educational resources.  Acquaint yourself with the structure of the university’s administration and its staff members  Introduce yourself to the administration for your declared major.  Get involved by participating in social activities. Student organizations are a fun way to interact with other students and faculty. The relationships you develop in college could serve as an important networking source for the future.

6. Three sources of information that you should review and have regular access to is the campus map, staff directory and student handbook.

7. Campus Resources As a new college student, it is imperative that you are aware of your campus resources. College students should have the knowledge to seek out information services on campus. Such services can help address both personal and academic issues, from supportive organizations and staff members. Colleges have much to offer to support its students.  Advising Center  Library  Counseling Center  Campus Ministry  The writing Center  Health Center  Career Center  Book Store  Campus safety  Academic Resource Center  Residence Life staff

8. Many colleges and universities require students to take an “introduction to college” course. An “introduction to college” class such as “student strategies” is designed to ensure that new students make a successful transition into college.

9. Campus Technology Technology is the central component of today’s university. Most universities have an information technology campus portal. The portal features student access to campus tools including: cafeteria menu, local weather, News and Bulletin Board, a staff and faculty directory, a site search tool, and links to other helpful pages. This portal is accessed through the university’s URL (expl. www.Spalding.edu) using your student ID as the log on, and a chosen password. Colleges also generally have a Learning Management System (LMS). LMS is an open source software platform used for supporting students and faculty with educational resources and materials. The university portal is the entry point for LMS, Web Advisor and E-mail and will be your gateway to campus information.

10. The advances of technology have made for a useful tool in education. Make the most of your college experience.  Navigate and become tech savvy with university technology software, program information and resources.  Grow comfortable and adept to using the internet for social and academic purposes.  Know who can help when you run into technical problems.  Understand each instructor’s policy on expectations and exceptions regarding the use of campus technology for course work, as well as your universities technology policy.

11. No matter what the expectation, almost every student encounters challenging experiences or obstacles at the beginning of college that they did not anticipate. Understanding the expectation is crucial in the successful completion of college. According to Huffington Post “ High School to College”(Harke) nearly 34% of freshman will drop out in the first year; 15% of them drop out due to unrealistic academic expectations. Students need to be aware of what to expect.  Be aware of the academic adjustments  Learn the academic expectations  Find out how to get help Get to Know What College Students Should Expect

12. Students generally come to college knowing that they will need to work harder than they did in high school. University faculty set standards for students and expect them to meet those standards, but they don’t teach students what they need to do. Students often under estimate their ability to handle the college course load. Even the most motivated students can struggle as they find out what no longer works and what new methods or strategies they need to develop. Confront the needed changes required to succeed in college.  Self-monitor  Self-assess  Develop study skills. Academic Adjustment

13. Academic Expectation For an easy tool to measure course expectation, refer to your course Syllabus. The course syllabus serves as a contract between you and your professor giving their contact information, contact times and office hours, dates of assignments, policies regarding absences, tardiness and participation. The majority of college students are unprepared with the skill set that is required to excel in college. Some teachers require the completion of a basic introductory classes to the subject they are teaching.

14. Student transition courses and placement test can help evaluate your skills and what courses would best suit your skill level. Aim for a smooth academic transition.  Understand reading, writing and math skill levels required for basic classes.  Utilize academic assessments in reading, writing and math basics to see where you stand before scheduling classes.  Keep track of your academic progress.  Frequently review the syllabus for each course to stay on task.  Seek help on coursework of difficulty.  Communicate with instructors about expectations.  Remain optimistic and confident in your ability to do well.

15. Many college students struggle because they will not ask questions or seek help. Asking for help and admitting you are having problems is not easy, but students who are stumped and have questions should set up a meeting with the professor. Contacting your advisor could also help you sort out trouble areas and send you in the appropriate direction for counsel. Learn How to Get Help

16.  Ask questions.  Seek out tutors.  Contact your Advisor for direction.  Speak to your professor.  Join a study group. In perusing assistance with difficult subject matters, students learn from the experience and form a strong relationship with advisors and professors. So don’t be afraid to ask for help !

17. Getting to know yourself will enlighten you to fine tune your study strategies. Successful students posses traits that focus on maintaining a balance, listening carefully in class, following directions, planning ahead, completing assignments, meeting deadlines and studying with concentration. Figure out what makes the student in you tick.  Asses your learning style  Asses your study skills  Asses your stress level Get to Know Yourself

18. Learning Style Find out your learning style. Taking an assessment to find out your learning style will help you know the best way to study, to maximize your learning in that style. According to Campus Tool Kit(www.campustoolkit.com)There are 4 types of learning styles.  Visual learners, work best with information that is presented in a graphical manner. This includes written text. Visual learners frequently will remember things by "looking" at them in their mind. Visual learners tend to prefer studying alone. For optimum studying, they also prefer quiet areas.

19.  Auditory learners, like information presented verbally. Classroom lectures and group discussions are great for them. Auditory learners also do well in study groups where they can discuss information with others. The process of hearing information and then reinforcing it by saying it out loud helps to solidify learning.  Tactile learner, need to touch and feel whatever they are studying, to retain the information. In lecture classes, tactile learners take a lot of notes and push down hard with their pencil while doing so. The process of putting pencil to paper is actually helps to process information for tactile learners.  Kinesthetic learners, gather information in a hands-on manner, whether that is during lab classes, in-class activities and demonstrations, or on field trips. Movement is essential to the kinesthetic learners mental processing.

20. Study skills As a new college student, you’re learning style goes hand in hand with your study habits. It is ideal to review your current study habits to develop affective study strategies. Taking a study strategy assessment will help you understand where you stand on studying, taking notes, setting goals, and being prepared for any obstacle you may face with your college course work. The Campus Tool Kit has a Learning and Study Strategies Inventory assessment that measures your awareness, and use of study skills by focusing on thoughts, behaviors, attitudes and beliefs that relate to successful learning.

21. The Campus Tool Kit site will also give tips on how your current study strategies can be improved, based on several scales.  Anxiety Scale: assesses the degree to which students worry about school and their academic performance.  Attitude Scale: assesses students' attitudes and interest in college and academic success.  Concentration Scale: assesses students' ability to direct and maintain attention on academic tasks.  Information Processing Scale: assesses how well students' can use imagery, verbal elaboration, organization strategies, and reasoning skills as learning strategies to help build bridges between what they already know and what they are trying to learn and remember.

22.  Motivation Scale: assesses students' diligence, self- discipline, and willingness to exert the effort necessary to successfully complete academic requirements.  Self-Testing Scale: assesses students' use of reviewing and comprehension monitoring techniques to determine their level of understanding of the information to be learned.  Selecting Main Ideas Scale: assesses students' skill at identifying important information for further study from among less important information and supporting details.  Study Aids Scale: assesses students' use of supports or resources to help them learn or retain information.  Time Management Scale: assesses students' application of time management principles to academic situations.  Test Strategies Scale: assesses students' use of test preparation and test taking strategies

23. Be proactive about dealing with stress. Your ability to succeed in the classroom is dependent on how you treat your body. So you must take care of yourself. Take a stress assessment to find out how well you deal with stress. Taking a stress test such as the “Stress Barometer” on Campus Tool Kit (campustoolkit.com) will help you understand your level of stress and, what areas you stress about the most. In your first year as a college student it is important to find balance in getting task done, resting and enjoying life. Stress Management

24. The key to handling stress is proper time management.  Get enough sleep  Exercise regularly  Prioritize goals  Work ahead on assignments in order to avoid procrastination.  Develop good study habits by scheduling the same time to study every day.  Take breaks during study sessions.  Stay prepared for class and exams by studying and reviewing materials.  Make time for the things you enjoy such as hobbies and participate in student activates. College can feel overwhelming to new students. If you find difficulties in coping with the stress, contact your university’s counseling center.

25. References Clip Art http://www.clker.com http://www.clipartpal.com http:// www.liceoscientifico-or.it http:// www.bestclipartblog.com http:// www.fotosearch.com Web Publications (retrieved November3, 2013) http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-harke/high-school-to- college https://www.campustoolkit.com http://spalding.edu/student-life http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/documents/What_professors_expect.pdf.