T2C 1 Commerce: Whats expected

1
T2C 1 Commerce Whats expected?
(Metier, 2009)

• Tim Beaumont btj_at_unimelb.edu.au
• Annie Holdsworth hola_at_unimelb.edu.au
• Teaching and Learning Unit
• Faculty of Economics and Commerce

2
Overview

• Uni and School
• Whats so different? Whats so difficult?
• Managing
• Time and tasks
• Lectures and tutorials
• Reading
• Assignments
• Studying with others
• Getting help

3
A story

• Mike did really well in his final year at school.
  He worked hard and got
• excellent marks.
• He started university and the work didnt seem so
  hard. The number of
• hours in class were small. He decided to get a
  job, had a good social
• life, didnt go to many lectures, thought that he
  could cram at the end of
• semester.He believed he already had proof that he
  was clever so he
• would do well in exams.
• When the results came out he had failed three out
  of four subjects. He
• was called before the Student At Risk panel.
  He had to repeat
• subjects and because he had failed specific
  subjects he could no
• longer do the specialisation that he wanted to.

4
School vs. Uni
(Gardener Family Website, 2008)
(World Guides, 2009)

• Small classes
  Lectures tutorials
• Known environment Huge
  campus
• Long year
  12-week semesters
• Slower pace
  Faster pace
• Supervision
  Independent learning
• Close contact with teachers Less
  contact with teaching staff

5
Academic expectations overview

• Active participation
• Independent learning
• Teamwork
• Critical thinking
• Asking for help
• Commitment to academic conventions

6
Academic expectations learning

• Learn
• facts, definitions, concepts etc.
• Understand
• ideas well enough to state them in your own
  words
• Evaluate
• ideas, concepts or methods
• Analyse
• ideas to determine pros and cons, contrast etc.
• Synthesise
• ideas to create new solutions, proposals,
  processes
• Apply
• what you learn to real world problems
• Predict
• outcomes based on given variables

7
Academic staff

• Provide guidance, but
• will not tell you exactly what to do
• Ask questions, but
• will not give you all the answers
• Expect questions, but
• will not always ask for them
• Care about your progress, but...
• will not always chase you up
• Offer consultation times, but
• will not always be available

8
(No Transcript)
9
Success or failure?

• Most people who fail do so
• because they
• do not study hard enough
• do not study smart
• Cramming might work at
• school not uni!

(eHow, 2009)
10
Success or failure?

• If you fail subjects, you risk
• Not being able to follow your study pathway
• eg. Actuarial studies failing first year Maths
  can prevent entry into second year Maths
• Student at Risk panel
• Extending the duration of your studies
• Failure means you pay AGAIN

11
Get organised place materials

• Place
• clean, quiet, organised
• Materials
• subject guide
• lecture notes
• readings
• tutorial questions
• textbook questions

(English Online, n.d.)
12
Get organised time

• 1/3 of your study time
• contact hours
• 6 hours
• private study per subject per week MINIMUM
• 2 hours
• private study for every one contact hour MINIMUM

13
How much study?

• 6 hours FOR EACH SUBJECT
• 1 hour lecture preparation and review
• 2-3 hours reading
• 2-3 hours tutorial preparation and review
• Equivalent of a full-time job
• Workable balance?
• Paid employment, study and socialising

14
Get organised

• Plan your time by
• Semester
• Week
• Day

15
Semester plan
16
Semester plan

• Buy a semester planner from the bookshop
• Add major non-university commitments
• Write in assessment due dates
• Work back from assessment tasks
• (eg, find resources, begin draft, edit,
  proofread)

17
Week plan

• List tasks each week, eg
• Read Accounting chapter
• Do reading and problem solving for Intermediate
  Microeconomics
• Complete QM problems
• Finish Management reading

18
Week plan

• Use a weekly timetable
• The PROCESS itself of completing this can
  indicate
• What is realistic
• When your can study
• When you can relax

19
Day plan

• List tasks each day, eg.
• Wednesday
• 900-1000 read Management tute notes
• 1100-1130 review Micro lecture
• 200-330 do Accounting questions

20
Day plan

• Work in blocks
• (eg. 45 mins short break, 2 or 3 hours long
  break)
• Use dead time
• (between lectures / on transport / at home)
• Early bird or night owl?
• Reward yourself!

21
Computer-based plan

• Consider using software programs
• Outlook (PC)
• IGTD (Mac)
• I Cal (Mac)
• Plan by tasks

22
Lectures
I cant understand!
He speaks too fast!
I dont need to attend this
Whos that girl in the third row?
(School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, 2000)
23
Lectures

• Lectures can provide
• Overview of the subject
• Concepts, perspectives,
• Terminology
• Explanations and examples
• Unpublished research
• Academic expectations
• Ideas about assessment
• Interpretations of material

• Before
• Consider lecture title or topic
• Read
• During
• Find a good spot
• Pay attention
• Take notes
• After
• Review / rewrite notes
• Discuss notes

24
Lectures

• Clear and systematic notes are essential for
  preparing
• Assignments
• Exams

25
Tutorials
I cant say anything!
My group is useless!
Everyone will l think Im dumb!
My English is terrible!
(pic from College Paper Doctor.com, 2008)
26
Tutorials

• Tutorials can help you
• Clarify content
• Discuss problems
• Develop positions
• Improve communication
• Link ideas
• (lectures/readings/beyond)
• Understand assessment
• Prepare for exams
• Often 10 of grade

• Before
• Read materials
• Address questions, prepare
• Discuss study group / partner
• During
• Get involved question, argue, critique, listen
  attentively, ask
• Shy? Push yourself to speak
• After
• Review and add to notes
• Discuss

27
Tutorials

• Ask for clarification
• Im not clear what you meant by
• Am I right in thinking that you believe?
• Is what youre saying that?
• Are you saying that...?
• Im not sure I understand what you said about
• Could you please explain...?
• Did you mean that?
• I dont understand what you mean by

28
Tutorials

• Give clarification
• The point Im making is that
• The point Im trying to make is that
• What Im saying is that
• What I mean is...
• What I was driving at was
• What I was getting at was
• What I said was

29
Reading
I cant understand it!
How can I stay awake?
Theres way too much!
(SmartKit, 2007)
30
Reading

• Develop a purpose for reading
• Refer to
• lecture slides
• assessment tasks
• tutorial questions
• text questions
• And
• Create questions to be answered
• Set goals 10 pages, 1 chapter, 1 section of a
  chapter
• Set times 30 minutes, 45 minutes
• Read general texts before specific

(The Potatoes Can Speak Out, 2008)
31
Assignments

• Start early
• Think of an assignment as a series of tasks
• Set yourself deadlines for each stage of the
  assignment
• Think about the importance of each part of the
  assignment
• Think about the purpose of what you are learning

32
Meet others

• Introduce yourself
• Form a social network / study partners or groups
• Get involved beyond the course
• Student societies, sport etc.

(McGill, R. (2009)
33
Study with others

• Study with others in
• tutorials
• lectures
• teams
• study groups
• Develop
• understandings
• perspectives
• approaches
• communication teamwork skills

(The Independent, 2007)
34
Study with others

• Form study groups and study partners to
• share and discuss lecture notes
• prepare and review tutorial questions
• prepare for exams
• explain content
• ask questions
• quiz each other
• When? This week

35
Mix it up

• Theyre too quiet
• Its hard to understand their English.
• Ive got nothing in common with them
• Advice for Australian students
• Introduce yourself
• Form diverse teams and groups
• Develop cross cultural knowledge and skills

36
Mix it up

• Im not interested in pubs
• They wont understand me
• I want Aussie friends, but they just stick
  together
• Advice for international students
• Ask questions
• Try things get involved
• Build English and confidence by communicating

37
Getting help

• Independent learning Youre on your own?
• Ask
• Your lecturers and tutors
• Other students
• Commerce Student Centre
• TLU
• Libraries
• Counselling Service
• Disability Liaison Unit
• Financial Aid

38
Questions?
39
Next week

• T2C 2 All Your Own Work?
• 1. What is plagiarism and whats the big deal?
• 2. Learn how to
• Quote directly
• Paraphrase
• Summarise
• 3. Learn how to follow the Harvard and APA
  systems for
• In text citations
• Reference lists

40
References

• College Paper Doctor.com (2008, September 7) Hey
  Cardinal students, stressed about your due date?
  Accessed, 23 February from http//forum.myspace.c
  om/index.cfm?fuseactionmessageboard.viewThreaden
  tryID67286718groupID100022256adTopicID29Myto
  ken7E55BA1A-2204-4546-90C6178BBC62B54375856661
• eHow (2009) How to Eliminate Stress. Accessed
  February 23, 2009 from http//www.ehow.com/how_206
  5479_eliminate-stress.html
• English Online (n.d.) Study Skills. Accessed 25
  February 2009 from http//www.englishonline.org.cn
  /en/learners/english-for-work/business-bites
• Gardener Family Website (2008, 20 September)
  Chadstone High School Class of 1981. Accessed 24
  February from http//images.google.com.au/imgres?
  imgurlhttp//i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/Ga
  rdenerNet/Chadstone2520High2520School/Class2520
  of25201981/ChadstoneHighSchoolClassof81-Year1B.jp
  gimgrefurlhttp//www.gardener.net.au/chadstone/c
  lass81.htmlusg__AlOc099FSniNN9DiZoH02pVWLUIh6
  82w1024sz434hlenstart2tbnid-iXy4L775l5RY
  Mtbnh100tbnw150prev/images3Fq3Dchadstone
  2Bhigh2Bschool2B197626gbv3D226hl3Den
• McGill, R. (2009) University of Arizona UA News.
  International Friends Seek Friendship-Building
  Community Members . Accessed February 23 from
  http//uanews.org/system/files/images/Internationa
  lFriendsPicnic.preview.JPG
• Metier (2009) The University of Melbourne
  Economics and Commerce Building, Accessed 26
  February from http//www.198berkeley.com.au/
• School of Biological and Chemical Sciences
  (2000). Mason Lecture Theatre. Accessed 25
  February 2009 from http//www.sbcs.qmul.ac.uk/admi
  ssions/gallery/slides/Mason20Lecture20Theatre.jp
  g
• SmartKit (2007) What sleep research can teach us
  about unlocking learning potential crucial study
  skills. Accessed February 23, 2009 from
  www.smart-kit.com/scategory/study-skills/
• The Independent (2007, 1 October) Essay Writing
  Tips. Accessed February 23 from
  http//www.independent.co.uk/student/essay-writing
  -tips-395609.html
• The Potatoes Can Speak Out (Blog) (2008, 19
  November), Cuak.. Cuak... Accessed February 23
  from http//thepotatoes.wordpress.com/2008/11/19/c
  uakcuak/
• World Guides (2009) University of Melbourne
  Information. Accessed 24 February from
• http//www.melbourne.world-guides.com/melbourne_u
  niversity.html