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Notetaking skills|Study Skills|Test Skills Top 10 tips for success in BIOL-140 (not in any particular order): 1. ALWAYS come to class. While attendance is not required (see syllabus) it is strongly encouraged, and is one of the best ways to ensure success. Failure to attend generally results in failure in the course. 2. Read the book. It is a good resource, I follow it closely, and you may as well get your money's worth! We go through the material in the book at a VERY slow pace (usually 2-5 pages a class), so you should easily be able to keep up with the reading. Reading the material BEFORE I get to it in class will help you follow a lecture MUCH more easily. Do the review questions, self quizzes and critical thinking questions at the end of the chapter. 3. Work on any assignments posted online to be sure you understand what is going on in class. 4. Don't hesitate to ask questions in class. There is no such thing as a "dumb question". Most likely someone else in the class is having the same difficulty. 5. Don't hesitate to come to office hours--I am paid to be here for you. If possible, let me know you are coming so I can be sure to have time for you, but you can always stop by and see if I am available. 6. While learning new vocabulary is important in biology, because there are many new words, focus on learning the concepts in the class, rather than memorizing. I like to ask questions on exams which make you think. 7. Review your notes after class. Look up things you don't understand. Jot down things you may have missed. Bring questions to the next class if you have them. 8. During class, try to LISTEN as well as write. Note-taking is a important skill. You do not need to write down every word on an overhead image. Write in sentence fragments. Leave out the "the"s and the "a"s. Abbreviate long words. Neatness is not as important as getting the information down on paper. Check out the links below on note taking. 9. Learning any new subject takes TIME. You have to make the time to study and learn the material. Expect to spend time EVERY day, or at least every other day, on reading, reviewing notes, doing assignments, and preparing for exams. Time management is another important skill for a college student. 10. "Remember that you are here because you want to learn, nobody is forcing
you to go to college. Many students think of their classes as obstacles that they have to
get past. Don't create barriers to learning by thinking of your class work as an obstacle.
Make an effort to remind yourself that you want to understand the material being
presented! It is all part of a process preparing you to be the professional that you want
to be (otherwise why are you here?). Even in required courses that do not seem to apply to
your goals their is valuable information. Look for the positive - the more you learn the
more you will understand the world around you and the more self reliant you will be."
--Nathan Norris, Biology Instructor, West Valley College
Check out some good links for miscellaneous learning tips. There is an abundance of useful information here: Notetaking skills: http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/notetake.html http://www.csbsju.edu/academicadvising/help/clasroom.htm
http://www.how-to-study.com/ http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/stdyhlp.html http://instruct.westvalley.edu/norris/studyskills.html
Test preparation and test taking skills http://www.how-to-study.com/ http://www.d.umn.edu/student/loon/acad/strat/test_take.html http://www.brazosport.cc.tx.us/~lac/objtest.htm
http://www.csbsju.edu/academicadvising/help/testskil.htm
http://www.csbsju.edu/academicadvising/help/stresmgt.htm
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