Gen_Survival_Guide

Student Survival Guide Using Axia College’s Educational Resources The University Library contains resources that are valuable to Axia College students. All resources and tools available in the library are designed for students to achieve success in their studies. In the library, I can access a variety of information from numerous databases, test my skills, take tutorials, and obtain feedback on my work. In the University Library, I can gain access to powerful search engines including EBSCOhost, Gale PowerSearch, and ProQuest, to name a few. These search engines provide a multitude of filters, allowing me to pinpoint specific information in peer reviewed papers, journals, periodicals, and book excerpts. The library also contains both the Center for Writing Excellence and the Center for Mathematics Excellence. In these centers, I can take tutorials to hone my skills and find information on writing guidelines and mathematical theories and processes. There are a few resources where I can submit papers for review, including WritePoint and Plagiarism Checker. Papers submitted to WritePoint return with generated feedback on spelling, grammar and sentence structure, as well as formatting and punctuation. The Plagiarism Checker computes the commonalities of a student’s paper compared to thousands of papers submitted to Turnitin. The results generated by Plagiarism Checker allow me to rewrite or edit a paper to avoid copying other work. Upholding Academic Honesty At Axia College, we have a Student Code of Conduct that includes the Student Code of Academic Integrity. In order to maintain legitimacy to our degrees, it is essential that students follow these codes to the letter. The violation of these codes could result in expulsion from Axia. Upholding academic honesty includes avoiding the following: Plagiarism Includes, but is not limited to, copying or paraphrasing work without properly citing the source. This violation can be avoided by thoroughly, and properly citing sources and using the Plagiarism Checker before submitting work. Self-plagiarism Submission of one’s own work to more than one course without proper citation or approval. Fabrication Falsifying statistics, date, and information in ones work. Collusion Helping other students violate the Code of Academic Integrity. Unauthorized Assistance Using material or work from another student to complete an assignment. Copyright Infringement The use of copyrighted material without expressed permission or license. Misrepresentation Lying in order to justify an absence, request make–up examinations, or obtain an extension to turn in coursework. Setting and Achieving Goals It is important for me to set goals to stay on task with my studies and achieve academic success. Essentially, there are two types of goals: short-term, and long-term. Short-term goals are small, detailed goals used to reach long-term goals, and are also a way to prioritize and organize tasks. For best results, short-term goals should be realistic and time sensitive. Long-term goals are comprised of several short-term goals, and are meant to shape our lives for the better. Reaching long-term goals not only requires commitment, but also careful planning for overcoming obstacles or setbacks that may come along the way. Managing Time Wisely In order to achieve academic success, properly managing time is crucial for a student. Once I have prioritized obligations like work, family, and school, time management becomes a simple matter of scheduling. There are numerous ways to maintain a proper schedule, including the effective use of calendars from a variety of resources like Smart Phones, PDAs and BlackBerrys. Microsoft Office has a host of useful time management tools. In Microsoft Word, there are a variety of templates I can use to create calendars for everything from daily tasks to monthly academic study. Another option in MS Office is OneNote, where I can not only create a calendar for each class, but also keep track of assignment due dates, class notes, and research material. With MS Outlook, thecalendars and tasks in OneNote can be synced to notify me of tasks through e-mail. It helps me keeps track of my progress on assignments. Fostering Reading Comprehension and Retention There are many techniques I can use to become an active reader. In order to understand and retain information, I can benefit from the SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review) technique mentioned in Keys to College Studying: Becoming an Active Thinker. (Carter, Bishop, & Kravits, 2007) This process begins by skimming the reading. I should then make note of the introduction and summary, all chapter headings and subheading, as well as bold and italicized text in the reading. Special attention should be paid to key terms and concepts, as these usually indicate the most pertinent information in the text. It is important to separate information in the text that is known, and unknown to me. This is done by writing down questions that can be referred to during the actual reading. After compiling a survey outline and questions, I can effectively find answers when reading the text. This is accomplished by linking each topic in the text to find the main idea of the work, and highlighting the key points. It is a good idea to reread the outline to insure all questions have been answered. Applying Personality and Learning Styles Knowing how we learn can affect how we apply ourselves to our studies. After taking the multiple intelligences and personality spectrum assessments found in Keys to College Studying: Becoming an Active Thinker, (Carter, Bishop, & Kravits, 2007) I learned where my strengths and weaknesses were in processing information. I now understand that to improve my study habits, I must take a hands-on approach to learning, and seek out study groups. The feedback I received also encouraged me that I am on the right track with my career goals, and I can use my natural intelligences to stay on course with my goals and obtain my degree. By learning where my strengths lie, I can address where I need to build up my skills, and have developed an effective learning style that suits my personality and intelligences. Works Cited Carter, C., Bishop, J., & Kravits, S. L. (2007). Keys to College Studying: Becoming an Active Thinker, Second Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall.