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.
Dont 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

1.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 wont have to think about it anymore.
Time Management Tips

Write things down.

Dont rely on memory
Prioritize your list
Plan your week.
Spend some time at the beginning of
each week to plan your schedule.
Carry a notebook.
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 Cs 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
Lets move on
This will be on the next exam This one for sure!
You will see this again
Choose the Note-Taking Style thats
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

 Formal
The Outline Method 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 No, wed
of notes are given in a short Did better
period of time and the you summariz
instructor is a fast talker or get e!
the lecture is disorganized. that?

Listen critically for

important facts.

Create your own summary

of what has been presented.

Write down summary in

your own words.
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!
Dont 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 Rapid Heart Beat
Anger Pacing
Nausea Sweating
Depression 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 dont
have to be perfect.
take deep slow breaths and try to maintain a positive attitude.
Remember, it is perfectly natural to experience test anxiety while
Summary
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 youre really not sure, come back to it
later.
Otherwise, different tests have
different strategies:
Objective tests
Subjective tests
Objective & Subjective Tests
Objective tests include Good study strategies
multiple choice include:
matching using flash cards
true-false making a concept
vocabulary list
fill in the blank
reviewing your
Subjective tests
texts study guide
Short answer reviewing your
Essay questions 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
second-guessing yourself.
Read all the options before making a choice.
If you dont 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. Dont 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 Conclude by
carefully. summarizing how your
What is the question thesis is supported.
asking for? Watch grammar,
Outline the key ideas. spelling and
punctuation.
Refer specifically to
the question in your Use humor if it fits in.
opening sentence. Be sure you have
Make a clear, coherent completely answered
thesis statement. the question.
Develop the main body Write legibly.
of the essay to support Proofread your work.
your thesis statement.
Okay, you flunked it!
Now recover your balance.
Dont 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!