Ten Ways College Prepares You for Career Success

Getting a college educations doesn't mean just absorbing facts and figures. It means building the skills and qualities you need to learn, think, and create your own - making you attractive to employers. You've already started learning these skills in high school, but college helps you fully develop them.

The 10 Key Quality

1. Writing Skills
2. Speaking Skills
3. Teamwork Skills
4. Problem-Solving Skills
5. Initiative
6. Cool under Pressure
7. Attention to Detail
8. Time Management
9. Honesty
10. Love of Learning

Take Control of Homework

Part 2 

Keep Things in Perspective

Know how much weight each assignment or test carries, and use your time accordingly. Don't waste time, but be wise and smart. Doing the most important things first is being wise and smart.

Get More Involved

Keep your mind from wandering by taking notes, underlining sections, discussing topics with others or relating your homework to something you’re studying in another class. Learn actively and not passively. Be anxiously engaged in your studies and you will have a great experience. Demonstrate a good attitude toward some assignments, and you will begin to love doing it.

Organize the Information

People process information in different ways. Some people like to draw pictures or charts to digest information, others prefer to read out loud or make detailed outlines. Try to find methods that work best for you. Ask your teacher for recommendations if you’re having trouble.

Note-Taking Strategies

Part 3

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/college-success/955.html

After Class

As soon as class ends, review your notes and fill in any blanks.

Underline, highlight and use symbols to sort through the information. If you don't understand something, get help from you teacher or classmate.

After you've reviewed all you notes from class, in the left hand area of the the page write down key words and questions your teacher might ask on a test.

At the bottom of each page, write a summary of the notes. This helps you digest what you've learned. It also improves the memory of the material for the long term and for test down the road.

Note-Taking Strategies

Part 1

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/college-success/955.html

How to Get Your Class Notes into Shape

Getting the most out of high school and college means studying hard and using your time in class wisely. An effective note taking strategy can help you do both. Here are the basics.

Stay Organized

It may seem obvious, but your class notes can only help you if you can find them. While you’re taking notes make sure to be:

·        Keep them all your notes in one place.

·        Date and number pages; keeping them in order makes them easier to understand later.

Before Class

Review the materials assigned for that class period thoroughly. Bring a list of any questions you may have.

Distance Education: Is a Virtual Classroom for You?

Emphasis on the Written Word

Most of the communication, as well as course work, in distance-learning classes is written. Thats a plus, because the focus on the written word gives you the opportunity to develop as a writer - and strong writing skills are essential to academic success. However if writing is a serious weakness for you, virtual learning may not be the best educational option until you improve your skills. Yes, most of distance education is the written word; therefore, you need to be a good reader, love to read, and love writing also. Most of your assignments will be written and submitted to the instructor in the written format. Your penmanship needs to be excellent, spelling great, sentence structure above average, vocabulary extraordinary. You need to have online access with reliable equipment. If your Internet communications at home isn't working, you can't do online education from home and will need to go to someplace where you do have access to the internet.

Decide Whether It's Right For You

Distance education isn't for everyone, but it just might be for you. You really should seek it out and give it a try. You never know until you try. You might even fall in love with distance education. While distance education may be the perfect alternative for some students, it's not the right choice for everyone. So Carefully consider your unique needs and interests and give distance education a try; then, decide if its right for you.

Distance Education: Is a Virtual Classroom for You?

Part 3

Challenging Aspects of Distance Education

·       Lack of in person interaction: Some educators argue that both teacher-student and student-student contact are essential to learning. In a distance-learning classroom, you may be able to participate in class discussions online in chat rooms, message boards or web conferences – but it’s not the same as being with other students in a classroom

·         Different levels of quality: many distance-education programs supply an excellent learning experience, but others may not. Research any program before signing on to make sure it’s rigorous enough. If you are choosing your own program, look into its accreditation before enrolling.

·       The need to self-start: distance education lets you make your own schedules. If you have hard time getting motivated, this might not be the ideal educational setting for you.

Distance Education: Is a Virtual Classroom for You?

Part 2

Positive Aspects of distance education

·       Independence and time management: Taking courses online lets you hone your ability to work on your own. You also gain experience in managing your time efficiently

·       A flexible schedule: Schools can only provide a certain number of class periods in a single school day, and there may not be enough time for you to take everything you want. Because distance education lets you take classes outside regular school hours, it gives you the flexibility to explore all areas of your interest.

·       Advanced and specialize classes: some schools can’t provide advanced or specialized classes. Distance education gives you the chance to gain experience in areas that would otherwise remain out of reach.

Selecting Your Courses

Part 6

Success in AP can also help you in other ways. AP helps you stand out in the admission process and offers the opportunity to learn from some of the most inspiring teachers in the world. Learn more about the AP program.

For More Help in Choosing Courses

Use College Search to look up a specific college’s academic requirements to be sure you are on track to attend the college of your choice.

If you have concerns about your class schedule or progress in school, set up a meeting with your school counselor, teacher, or adviser. There are many resources to help you with the process, and with achieving your personal, college, and career goals. Without goals you, meander all sorts of directions. Goals give you purpose, direction, enthusiasm, and passion for that which you really desire. Define your goals deliberately, evaluate your goals often and make changes as necessary, work hard to achieve your goals, and continue working hard until you actually reach your goals.

Selecting Your Courses

Part 4

Social Studies

You can better understand local and world events that are happening now by studying the culture and history that has shaped them. Here is a suggested course plan:

• ·     U.S. History (two semesters)
• ·       U.S. government (one semester)
• ·       World History or geography (one semester)
• ·       On additional semester in the above or other areas

Foreign Languages

Solid foreign languages study show colleges you’re willing to streach beyond the basics. Many colleges require at least two years of study in the same foreign language, and some prefer more.

Learning a foreign language can be a challenge but is exciting. Repetition is the key to learning a language a language, and having conversations with others speaking the same language is the best way to lean a new language. Repetition in a fun way will build your skills thoroughly as you seek to master new languages.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT

Selecting Your Courses

Part 2

The following subject and classes are standard fare for success in high school and beyond, whether you plan to attend a four-college or a two-year college.

English (Language Arts)

Take English every year. Traditional courses, such as American and English literature, help you improve your writing skills, reading, comprehension and vocabulary.

Math

You need algebra and geometry to succeed on college entrance exams and in college math classes – and in many careers. Take them early on. That way, you’ll be able to enroll in advanced science and math classes in high school, and show colleges you’re ready for higher-level work.

Most colleges look for students who have taken 3 years of math in high school. The more competitive ones require or recommend 4 years. Each school has its own program, but so courses typically offered are:

·      Algebra I

·      Algebra II

·      Geometry

·      Trigonometry

·      Calculus

CHOOSE THE RIGHT

How to Take on College Studying

Part 3

Do the Reading

You need to do more than just read the chapters you are assigned – you’re expected to understand them thoroughly. Here are some tips:

·       Don’t skim. Read all the material carefully.

·       Break up difficult assignments into sections you can digest – chapters, subsections, or even paragraphs.

·       Look up any words that you don’t understand.

·       Pause to think about whether you understand the material; ask questions in class about anything that is unclear.

·       Take notes instead of highlighting – this makes you think through and rephrase the key points.

·       Create a summary sheet of what you learned from each assignment you read.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT

How to Take on College Studying

Part 2

Choose Where to Study

Where you should study depends on 2 factors: the environment in which you are able to concentrate and the type of work you are planning to do.

·       The best places to study have good light, a comfortable temperature and enough desk space – usually your dorm room, your apartment or the library.

·       For completing problem sets or brainstorming possible test questions, you may want to study with a group or at least in a setting where fellow students are available for discussion.

·       When you are reading book chapters or working on a research paper, you are better off in a less social environment.

Improve Your Study Habit

Here are simple steps you could take to help you get a handle on studying:

·       Have a routine for where and when you study.

·       Choose reasonable and specific goals that you can accomplish for each study session.

·       Do things that are harder or require more intense thought at your most productive time of the day.

·       Take Breaks if you need them so you don’t waste time looking at material but not absorbing it.

·       Get to know students whom you respect and can study with or contact to ask questions.

·       Keep up with the work load and seek help when you need it.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT

Study Tips

Click on me for Study Tips www.testtakingtips.com

How to Take on College Studying

Part 1

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/college-success/961.html

Develop Good Study Habits

In college, you’ll need to build on the study skills that you learned in high school. The demands of a college class are probably more rigorous than you are used to.

You can succeed by knowing what to expect and how to handle it. Think of college as a full time job, in which you spend 40 hours doing homework.

Be organized and using your time well are essential. Learn more about time management and use the guidelines below to develop your study skills.

Decide When to Study

Work out about how many hours you need to study every day. Then make a schedule.

·         Figure out what blocks of time you have available throughout the day, in the evenings and on weekends.

·         Consider what time of day you are  most alert — there are morning people and night owls — and try to schedule your studying accordingly

·         Think about whether you do better studying for a few hours at a time or sitting down for marathon sessions.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT

10 Time Management Tips for Students

Tips 5-10

Tip 5. Review Your Notes Every Day.

Reviewing helps you reinforce what you’ve learned, so you need less time to study before a test. You’ll also be ready if you get called on in class or have to take a pop quiz.

Tip 6. Get a Good Night’s Sleep.

Your brain needs to rest to perform at its peak. Lack of sleep makes the day seem longer and your tasks seem more difficult.

Tip 7. Communicate Your Schedule to Others.

If phone calls or text messages are proving to be a distraction, tell your friends that you are only available at certain times of the day and not to expect a response at other times.

Tip 8. Become a Taskmaster.

Give yourself a time budget and plan your activities accordingly. Figure out how much free time you have each week you have each week before you add any commitments.

Tip 9. Don’t Waste Time Agonizing.

Instead of agonizing and procrastinating, just do it. Wasting an entire evening worrying about something that you’re supposed to be doing is not productive, and can increase your stress.

Tip 10. Determine Your Priorities.

You can’t do everything at once. Establish the importance of each item. Then set realistic goals that are attainable.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT

Profile of a Successful Student

 Part 3

… Owns or has easy access to a computer with Internet access and e-mail.

You don’t have to be a computer expert to be successful in online learning-but you must have access to a personal computer with reliable internet access, as well as a basic level of competency in using them. Owning a computer with internet access from your home is ideal but many students use the computer labs on campus or at their offices to complete their work.

… Has basic computer skills and is willing and open to learning new ones.

We said you don’t have to be a computer expert to be successful in inline learning. However, there are some basic technical skills you should have mastered prior to enrolling in an online course.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!