University Survival

1
University Survival

• Top ways to get better grades
• Ten traps of studying
• Wise test taking
• Top 5 time management mistakes
• Alcohol on campus
• For CS Majors
• Emergency measures

2
Your College Career is Big Business. Run it Like
One.

• At Colorado State University
• freshmen retention rate is 82.
• Six year graduation rate is 62
• Getting in a university is not enough.
• Here are some thoughts on how to do well.
• There are a number of studies that have studied
  effectiveness of learning approaches.
• Body of literature based on collective
  observations of professors and students.
• Slide title adapted from Olney, C. (1991). Where
  there's a will there's an... A

3
Top Ways to Get Better Grades

• Attend all classes
• Arrive early
• Dont leave early
• Get absorbed in the class
• Sit in the front gets you better exposed
• Take good notes ( review them ASAP)
• Ask questions and volunteer answers

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Top Ways to Get Better Grades

• Start working on assignments early
• Problems with interpretation
• Can seek help from professor or TA
• Always hand in all assignments.
• Study discipline
• Study a little bit every day
• Set time goals and take short breaks
  (50105010..)
• Study in a Chair at a Table
• sitting upright (reduce stress)
• Good lighting

5
Top Ways to Get Better Grades

• Study in a Group and Alone
• Help and get help
• Interact with serious students

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Ten Traps of Studying

• I Don't Know Where To Begin
• Make a list. Break workload into manageable
  chunks. Prioritize! Schedule your time
  realistically. Don't skip classes near an exam --
  you may miss a review session.
• I've Got So Much To Study . . . And So Little
  Time
• Plan. Preview. Survey. Identify the most
  important topics emphasized, and areas still not
  understood.

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Ten Traps of Studying

• "This Stuff Is So Dry, I Can't Even Stay Awake
  Reading It"
• Attack! Get actively involved with the text as
  you read. Take notes or underline key concepts.
  Discuss the material with others in your class.
• "I Read It. I Understand It. But I Just Can't Get
  It To Sink In"
• Elaborate upon new information with your own
  examples. Link key concepts. Mnemonics

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Ten Traps of Studying

• "I Guess I Understand It"
• Test yourself. Make up questions about key
  sections in notes or reading. Keep in mind what
  the professor has stressed in the course.
• "There's Too Much To Remember"
• Write chapter outlines emphasize relationships
  between sections. Group information into
  categories/hierarchies. Charts to interrelate
  material.

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Ten Traps of Studying

• "I Knew It A Minute Ago "
• Review. After reading a section, try to recall
  information contained in it. Try answering
  questions on that section. If you cannot recall
  enough, re-read portions.
• "But I Like To Study In Bed "
• Recall is better when study context (physical
  location, as well as mental, emotional, and
  physical state) are similar to the test context.

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Ten Traps of Studying

• "Cramming Before A Test Helps Keep It Fresh In My
  Mind "
• Keep studying as you go along. Absorption and
  recall increases as study time gets spread out
  over time.
• "I'm Gonna Stay Up All Night 'til I Get This "
  
• Avoid Mental Exhaustion. Take short breaks often
  when studying. Before a test, have a rested mind.
  
• http//www.stuaff.niu.edu/csdc/HANDOUTS/TenTraps.h
  tm Michaela Baleva

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Wise Test Taking

• Make sure to understand a question well before
  you try to answer it.
• Dont skip any part of any question. Always say
  something if part credit is available.
• Answers sometimes pop up in other questions
• Allocate your time. Be cautious about difficult
  or long questions.
• Stay until the very end.
• Questions may be clarified by the instructor as
  an afterthought.
• double-check your answers.

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Some Gems

• Memorize actively not passively.
• Know about the help resources available (office
  hours of TAs, professors etc).
• Learn to say no to yourself and others when
  needed.
• Be ambitious but not unrealistic.
• Above all, review regularly and plan to study
  ahead, so that the night before an exam, all you
  do is review material.
• From various sources

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Top 5 Time Management Mistakes

• Start your day without a plan of action.
• Get out of balance in your life. Seven Vital
  Areas Health, Family, Financial, Intellectual,
  Social, Professional, and Spiritual.
• Work with a messy desk or work area.
• Don't get enough sleep.
• Don't take a lunch break.
• http//www.powerhomebiz.com/vol34/time.htm Dr.
  Donald Wetmore

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Alcohol on Campus

• The 45,000 cover charge is one way of saying
  that for some, college is one big party.
• Student drinking is the 1 health problem on
  campuses.
• Alcohol a factor in 41 of all academic problems
  and 28 of all cases of student dropout.
• 90 of all rapes occurred while either victim or
  attacker were under the influence of alcohol.
• http//library.thinkquest.org/13738/READY/alcohol.
  html

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Advise from CS Juniors

• Start working on your program early
• Easier to get help early
• You will encounter bugs when you least want them.
• You may encounter system/software problems.
• Do careful planning before starting writing code.
• Test your code for common as well as special
  cases.
• Save an earlier version of the program each time
  you make major changes.

16
Emergency Measures

• Avoid emergencies at all costs, but if get in
  one
• Get help.
• When You Must Study When Tired
• Lift your feet up. Let the blood flow to your
  head.
• Begin some deep, slow, rhythmic breathing.
• Eat something sweet. Cola (caffeine).
• Know when to bail out of a course.
• Start with easier questions in a test.