This week wer're talking about study skills. I wanna ask you a question. Now that you've attended class for a full week, tell me if you notice a difference between your high school teachers and your college professors? Do you find that you get more 1:1 time with your professors or your high school teachers? Do you find that your teachers in high school were less lenient than the professors here at IUP? Do you find that professors allow you to manage your experience and are more hands off, then the teachers in high school?
There is definitely a difference in the style of your professors and your former teachers. Now let me ask you about your professors teaching style. Do they lecture? Do they allow you to engage in discussion? Do they promote a hands on approach, where you're able to travel to the site you're studying or do what you're studying in class. Do your professors implement videos to help supplement their lecture?
Why is this important? Well it's important that you are aware of the teaching styles AND your learning style. Think about it. Are you a visual learner? (one who learns by seeing) Are you an audible learner? (one who learns by hearing) Are you a kinesthetic learner? (one who learns by doing or "hands on" learning) Ask yourself, where do I fall in these learning styles categories and how do they affect my ability to study and learn material in college?
If you are a visual learning, then watching a video will help you with the lecture materials. If you are a kinesthetic learner, than visiting the site of the place you're studying or actually doing a project will help you to learn the materials that you're learning in class. Doing what you're studying in class is beneficial for you.
Listen, you're in college and there are no excuses for failure. If you need to prepare for a test and you don't understand the material in the classroom, then there are a few things that you can do to help you go "above and beyond". Your classmates may complain that the 'class is this and the class is that', but you ARE DESTINED TO SUCCEED here at IUP. So here are a few tips:
- Establish a goal. Write down the GPA that you'd like to achieve this summer
- Visual learners, go to Youtube and searching the topic you're learning in class. Many times there are videos and quick videos that will help you to visual the material you've learned in class
- Stay after class, introduce yourself to your professor and share your goals
- Take advantage of your professors office hours. Stop in and see them so that they know that you are serious about achieving success in their class
- If you find that you're struggling with the material, ask the professor if they'd take the time to go over it one on one
Lastly, please take a look at Dr. Joe Martins book "Tricks of the Grade" Check out page 78 which gives you helpful tips on achieving success. In Chapter 10, he also suggests creating a study group of 2 or 3 people that are serious about studying. You CAN DO THIS...Study Study Study and remember to go ABOVE AND BEYOND to succeed! No excuses for failure!
S - Striving for Excellence, T - Tranisitioning Seamlessly, E - Embracing the College Expeereince and P - Positioning Yourself for Success!
Have a great rest of the week!
