Student_Survival_Guide_Gen_105

Student Survival Guide Cheree McCorkel Gen/105 11/25/2011 Professor Mathews Student Survival Guide As with all new things, one should have a survival guide to ease the way. You will now begin your journey of distance-learning at the Axia College of University of Phoenix. We will treat today as your first day and as such, you will need to a virtual walk around the Axia College website to learn where things are. Start by logging into the school website with your assigned username and password as soon as possible. Let’s clink on the different links and see what is available and get feel for your school. Be sure to locate the computer required documents on the school website, and make sure your computer has the right software. There is Microsoft Word for writing papers and Adobe Acrobat to read files. With Axia, they have many types of things to help students, which will be discussed in more detail later. On Axia there is the Riverpoint Writer, which you can download as well. Let’s take some time to get organized. Setting aside some space in your home or office (if you have one) to keep your school stuff in is important. What I find useful is a physical folder for each class and a flash drive for any of my computer folders. Find your course syllabus and read it, even print it or place it in your flash drive so you refer to it if needed. This will give you an idea of how much reading to expect, what you will be studying, the assignments you will be doing, and to get acquainted with the professor’s expectations. Look for a course calendar as well. Educational Resources The educational resources are one of the most valuable tools available to any student. One of Axia’s resources is the Center for Writing Excellence (CWE). This is most beneficial when one is writing essays and if you need refreshing on the proper use of grammar. Inside of the CWE is a program that I use quite often-called WritePoint. Using WritePoint enables me to submit documents with minimal errors and thus helps me advance to academic success. However, one of the most resourceful tools in the CWE is the plagiarism checker. Here anyone can submit a paper and check to see if someone has tried to commit plagiarism. The language resources tool helps people to understand how to write proper English. In the CWE, there is even a tool for people who speak many languages. Another useful resource is the library. Inside the libraries are three databases, and they are: EBSCOhost, Gale Power Search, and ProQuest. Here you can find journals, papers, and articles related to any topic needed for your class assignment or research. Upholding Academic Honesty School is very strict concerning plagiarism; as it has very severe consequences. Plagiarism is a crime because plagiarism is theft, plain, and simple. For one reason, the Internet, media, and people themselves today have made it easy today to plagiarize. For one to be successful, one most uphold academic honesty. Any form of academic misconduct can result in the expulsion of a student, therefore no cheating or plagiarizing. If you are writing a paper, collect all your resources so you can cite them properly. Once you have written your work or completed the project, set it aside and review it to make sure you have cited everything. Setting and Achieving Goals Setting goals and achieving goals is important, not only in academics but also in your career as well. Some may be short term however, some may be long term. This is a way of organizing a plan that can be completed in a certain length of time, whether one day or one year. The short term goals are set over the course of a few weeks or months while long term goals may take as long as a year or longer. The reasoning or general idea of goals is to give a person a sense of purpose, and to add a sense motivation to all the hard work they are currently doing. Having a goal is a key element to being successful in school, in life, and as person. Remember that having a goal is something that may better one’s way of life. Managing Time Wisely Managing time wisely is something we all must learn. We all have the same 24 hours in a day, no more and no less. Therefore, how you learn to manage time is a skill you are going to value. You need to prioritize what is most important, and which is the least important. Daily tasks like family responsibilities, work, and academic responsibilities can fill utmost of your day. Personally, I find making a list to manage time better daily works better. I cannot stress enough how important it is to divide time. This can work for anybody. One can use a calendar to keep track of due dates for assignments. Use your course syllabus as well to help you know what your assignments are specifically. Do not forget that you can e-mail your teachers with any questions or concerns as well. Fostering Reading Comprehension and Retention Understanding what I am reading is crucial to study and do assignments. Concerning reading comprehension, I plan to use the SQ3R method (surveying, questioning, reading, reciting, and reviewing) technique. Although I never heard of it before Axia, I think it is a unique and helpful plan. SQ3R is very effective as it includes many details and tips for reading. The material is part of the assignment for a reason, so a student should know how to comprehend it. Applying Personality and Learning Styles Concerning applied learning styles, I will use what I learned about myself in every class. Because each person is different, each of you will have a different approach. Students should be aware of their own intelligence and learning styles. Knowing our own strengths and weaknesses will each allows us to maximize these strengths to our advantage and improve on our weaknesses when given the opportunity. Knowing your weak points can help you improve upon them or take a different direction. If needed, always ask for help or explanations on the subject material you are unfamiliar with at any given time. Sometimes tutoring is also effective.