Student Success Strategies Student Name Student Class

Step 1: Class Attendance Attend class regularly Take notes Discussions are always helpful Complete assignments Attend class even if you think your instructor won’t notice or care. When you miss class, you lose the opportunity to listen to the lecture, take notes, participate in discussions, miss assignments, and miss quizzes and tests. If you have to miss class, get notes and assignments from a classmate. Getting notes is often a hassle, however, and reading notes does not give you as complete knowledge as listening to the lecture and taking notes yourself does.

Step 4: Use Available Services Computer Labs Libraries Tutors Financial Aid Academic Advisor Counseling You can use campus facilities like computer labs free because typically the cost is covered through fees you pay. You can also get questions answered and problems resolved by talking to personnel in campus offices.

Step 2: Be Organized Use a planner Keep notes and handouts in a binder Save all papers and projects Get classmates’ contact information Set up a study space Use a planner: Take a planner to class with you and record every assignment you are given and also record its due date. If it is a large assignment like a research paper, break it down into parts and record the date each part should be done. Also keep track of quiz and exam dates. You can use a paper planner or a free online planner that you can access from your mobile device. Keep notes and handouts in a binder: Organize all your class notes by date and put them in a 3-ring binder so you have everything you need in one location. If you miss a date, make a copy of a classmate’s notes. Save all papers and projects: Keep all returned papers, quizzes, and exams in the same binder. You not only have them to use as a resource for studying for a final exam, you have a record of your grades for the course. If there is a problem with your grade at the end of the semester, you can show your instructor your work. Get classmates’ contact information: Get phone numbers and/or e-mail addresses from at least two people in your class so if you have a question about an assignment or a test, or need notes, you can contact them. Set up a study space: Designate a study area in your living space. Add everything you will need for your classes to that area (i.e. computer, paper, pens and pencils, stapler, dictionary, thesaurus, books). Keep everything in its place so you don’t waste time looking for items you need.

Step 3: Read Your Textbook Scan Read Review Scan: Scan chapter titles, subtitles, everything in margins, and all bold or italic print. Look at all pictures, illustrations, and charts and graphs. Read the chapter summary and review questions. Scanning gives you a lot of information in a short amount of time. Read: Read the entire chapter for detail and to increase your comprehension. Look for answers to specific questions. Read the review questions again and make sure you can answer them. Review: If you review after scanning and reading, you will retain the information longer. As you review ask yourself what the main idea or topic of the chapter is. Review bold and italic information in the chapter and ask why the author thought they were important enough to call attention to them. This is often the information an instructor focuses on when testing.

Being self-disciplined is the key to being a college success story! Summarize what you have learned from this slide show here: