We need to work on becoming a master

student.

We don’t want the journey to be painful or frustrating

We want the journey to be exciting.

Review notes

Take notes

Read

Organize notes

So, we need to learn to…..

Prepare for Lecture

Make the Most Out of Lecture

Ask questions

Recordthe lecture

Learn to Mind Map

Retain the Information You Just Learned

• Be persistent• Make flashcards and repeat

the information over and over• Type it over and over• Make a song with the

information• Make drawings to help you

remember• Make mnemonics

Integrate The New Language and Ideas Into Your Daily

Activities

The Center for Learning & Academic Support Services  

ANY TIME you need it, get help from the experts!

Determine what are your passions.

Determine what are your strengths.

Ability to Focus

Is your strength an ability to focus?

Ability to

Nurture your……

Courage

Determine what changes you need to make.

Do you know How you learn best?• By listening?

• By reading?

• By writing?

• By talking?

• By looking at pictures?

• By moving? By doing?

• With someone else?• Alone?

• With time pressures?• When relaxed?

• While listening to music?• With silence?

• Early in the morning?

• In the afternoon?

• At night?

• At home?

• In a café?

• In the library?

How can you use the time you have efficiently?

How do you use your time?(Monitor your use of time

for a week)

Are you happy with how you use

your time?

Continue with what you are doing.

yes Have someone whohas good time

management skills help.

Find unused time in your

scheduleKeep a planner

MakeTo-do-lists

no

Do you Manage

Your Time? …with an agenda/ planner/ I-phone?

*Keep a planner• Find a planner in which you can write

anything that needs to be done• Write the project/action on the due date• On a separate sheet, make a list of what

needs to be done in order to complete the project/action (attend lectures, complete reading assignments, hold review sessions…)

• Distribute the individual tasks in the planner on the days leading up to the due date, so that each task can be completed in a timely manner.

How to use unused time?

• Have flashcards or mind maps with you (make copies so you can have copies in your backpack, car, home, work)…any waiting period at the movies, in line, when placed on-hold review/memorize.

• If you’re an interpersonal learner, have friends/family ask you periodically about what you are learning that day and integrate that into the conversation.

• If you are an auditory learner, make tapes reviewing the material you are learning and listen to them while cleaning, doing the laundry, walking or driving to work/school.

How to use unused time?

Use your I phone

Make flashcards you carryAround with you.

Do you make a

to-do-list?

Make a to-do-listFor each day, make a list of tasks that need to be completed.Complete that list while you are relaxed, either the previous night or early in the morning.Write down everything that needs to be done. Note the time that each task needs to be done.Have a system for marking the tasks that are critical to complete, and the ones that could be done another day.Leave yourself flex time.If you need to run errands, group tasks so that you don’t waste time.

Overcome Procrastination• Get in the habit of

starting projects right away.

• Get in the habit of finishing any task right away.

• Don’t indulge in trying to be perfect, dreaming, worrying, resisting, or overloading yourself…develop the habit of doing!

• Learn to say NO!

How to remember information?

• Determine what you NEED to memorize• Group the information in smaller bundles• Flashcards or Q-cards (repeat at least 10 times)• Mind Maps (repeat until able to reproduce it)• Use mnemonics• Use pictures, colors• Say it out loud (whisper, then use conversation

voice, then shout, then sing)• Visualize• Move as you memorize (sit, stand, walk, hop)• Make associations• Review within an hour, within 24 hours, within a

week

How do you prepare to read something difficult?

PREVIEW

OUTLINE

QUESTION

• Preview– look through the table of

content,

– flip through the pages,

– read the summary,

– read the headings and subheadings,

– inspect drawings, diagrams, charts, graphs, photographs

Before you read the whole text…

Before you read the whole text…

• Outline/Mind Map

– Make a brief outline of the chapter in the margin or at the beginning of the chapter/book, or on a separate sheet

• Question

– Ask “What do I want from this article/chapter?”

– Ask any questions you have about the content

– Turn the headings and subheadings into questions

– Make up a quiz from the headings/subheadings or from the topic sentences

Before you read the whole text…

• While reading…– First, reflect on what you just leaned from the

preview– Underline the important points as you read or right

after you finish reading a paragraph– Take notes as you read– Try answering some of the questions you had

during the preview– When the material is difficult, break up the reading

into a series of small reading sessions (maybe into half hour sessions, with a break where you do something fun or you are physically active)

– Read out loud– Read while using you finger to underline the text– Draw, diagram, make tables– Stand up or Move while reading

• After you read…– Recite the important points

mentally or out loud.– Try to teach someone else the

material, or at least, look in the mirror and give a speech using the material you just learned

– Any opportunity you have, talk about what you just learned, bring the information into a conversation

– Review within 24 hours– Review again the next day– Review again the next week– Review again the next month

It’s important to take useful notes?

Observe and Listen

• Complete any required assignments

• Scan the material before attending a lecture on the material

• Review your notes from the prior lecture

• List questions you want to ask during the lecture

Record the lecture• Bring all necessary materials (pen, pencil, paper…)• Label and date all your notes• Make sure your notes are organized, legible, and you

are allowing space to add information later• When you miss a point, leave space in your notes and

write a “?” so you can deal with it later• Use only one side of a sheet so that you can later add

your notes from reading assignments and study groups

• Record key words and use abbreviations (don’t try to write down everything!)

• Use pictures and diagrams, graphic signals (=, &, <, ?, *,, ), and color

Record the lecture• Sit where you can easily concentrate on the lecturer and can

easily ask questions•If your thoughts wander, gently bring yourself back to the lecture, notice the temperature in the room, feel your chair and your desk, notice the quality of light coming through the window, the sound of the teacher’s voice…•Participate: ask questions, volunteer for demonstrations, join class discussions•Watch for clues of what is important: if the instructor repeats a point, introduces a concept with transition words, writes a point down•Right after the lecture, edit your notes to make sure you have all the information and that your notes are legible, and that you understand your abbreviations

•If you miss a lecture contact a classmate for the notes and the instructor for any handouts and homework assignments

• Cornell Notes

• Mind Mapping

• Outlining

Type of Note-taking

CORNELL METHOD OF NOTE TAKING

• Leave a 3” margin on the left• Write down everything you know about the

subject and list all your questions before listening to the lecture

• Take notes during the lecture• On the left, draw pictures, write key phrases

and questions• At the end…write a list of what you learned• After lecture, cover the right side and quiz

yourself

Cornell Notes

Leave space here for noting questions you have, noting key points or doodling

Your notes here

Summarize your notes here at the end of each lecture

Ffocusing only on the main points

Mind Map

Main Topic

Subtopic

Subtopic

Subtopic

detail

detail

Use only key words, and add relevant visuals

TOPIC

Mindmap

Main Concept at

centerDetails

as branches

Use Key words , not

sentences

Add Color, Add

pictures for emphasis

Check for accuracy

Check for adequate

detail

Topic in center Main Points and Details

Outline• FIRST MAJOR TOPIC

– Subtopic #1• Detail• Detail

– Subtopic #2

• SECOND MAJOR TOPIC– Subtopic #1

• Detail– Subtopic #2

To differentiate the levels of headings, use roman numerals, indentation, size of font, bullets

Always review your notes

• Within 24 hours (consider making a mind map of the material you review)

• Every week

How do you create a positive relationship

with your instructors?

Create a positive relationship with your instructors

• First, research the instructor. If you can, choose someone who teaches the way you learn, is fair, and is non-judgmental.

• Complete all your assignments on time and come to class on time and prepared

• Show interest in class (try to participate at least once during each class)

Remember, you can like how someone teaches without

having to like the instructor personally.

How do you prepare for tests?

• SCHEDULE REVIEW SESSIONS– Daily Pre- and Post- class/reading reviews– Weekly reviews– Major reviews a week prior to critical exams

• CREATE REVIEW TOOLS– Make a Study checklist– Create Mind Map summaries– Make and memorize flashcards

• PRACTICE WITH MOCK TESTS

WHAT DO YOU DO DURING A TEST?

• Lay out your supplies

• Read the directions slowly

• For Multiple-Choice questions:– Answer the question in your head, then look for the

answer– Read all possible answers before choosing one– Eliminate incorrect answers

• For True/False questions:

– Read the entire statement…if any part of the statement is false, then the whole statement must be false.

– Look for absolute qualifiers (never, always…). These are generally wrong.

– Watch for negatives.

– Double check each number or date.

FOR MATCHING TESTS:

• Read through the column with the fewer number of items

• Match words that are similar grammatically

• Read an item and then look for the word that logically completes the phrase

• Cross out items in each column when you are through with them

For Open-book tests• Organize your notes, readings

ahead of time• Highlight any important

information• Write down ALL formulas you

will need on one sheet• Place Post-its, tape, Index flags

on all important pages

• Create a table of contents for all your notes and relevant readings

FOR ESSAY EXAMS:• Note how many questions you have and plan out the

time you can devote to each question• Identify the task you are asked to complete (describe,

compare, contrast, criticize, define, prove…)• Briefly answer all the questions or make a brief outline

for each question• State your position clearly at the onset of the essay,

then follow up with the most important points first.• Leave space to add comments later.• Once you’ve finished answering all the essays, review

your answers for grammar, spelling, clarity, and legibility.

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU HAVE TEST ANXIETY?

• First, if your campus has counselors, ask them for help…many people have test anxiety and most of these people can overcome it with help.

• Before you go into the exam, exercise (walk, jog, swim, ride your bicycle, play basketball)

• Right before the exam, take three deep, slow breaths

If you find yourself panicking…

mentally yell “Stop!” and…

–start thinking about something you like to do

–visualize succeeding

–focus your attention on a specific object

–mentally talk to yourself as you might speak to your best friend.

If you find yourself panicking…• Deal with the physical sensations of

anxiety:– Focus on the air going in and out

of your lungs– Sit comfortably, close your eyes,

and focus on and relax the muscles in your feet, move up to your ankles, then, your calves…up to your scalp

– Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and imagine yourself in a beautiful setting…use all your senses, be specific

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU FEEL YOU HAVE TOO MUCH MATERIAL TO LEARN?

FORM A STUDY GROUP….

FORM STUDY GROUPS FOR EVERYONE OF YOUR CLASSES IF YOU FEEL IT WILL BE HELPFUL!

HOW DO YOU FORM THE STUDY GROUP?

Note, the students in your study group do not need to be your best friends, they just need to be people with whom you can effectively study.

• Choose people…With whom you are comfortableWho pay attention during class and come

preparedWho, ideally, have learning styles that are

similar to yours

• Limit your group to four people• Determine, together, the goals for the

group and how it will function

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU HAVE TO CRAM?

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU HAVE TO CRAM?

• Choose what to learn (you don’t have time to learn everything)

• Spend the rest of your time reviewing what you already know

• Make a plan so that you use the time you have efficiently (make a timeline, don’t plan long study sessions, only do what you must do)

• Use Mind Maps and Flashcards

• Recite over and over again

HOW DO YOU BECOME A CRITICAL THINKER?

WHY DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A CRITICAL THINKER?

• It allows you to protect yourselves against being swayed by the barrage of manipulative statements you see and hear every day from advertisers, politicians, teachers, friends and family…

• It allows you to uncover biases and prejudices…

• It allows you to be more rational and thoughtful in a society that only values quick answers and certainty.

WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING?CRITICAL THINKING = THOROUGH THINKING

• Sorting out conflicting claims

• Asking probing questions

• Making detailed observations

• Uncovering assumptions

• Weighting the evidence

• Distinguishing between opinion and fact

• Letting go of personal biases

• Arriving at reasonable conclusions

• Being willing to say “I don’t know”

HOW DO YOU TRAIN YOURSELF TO BECOME A CRITICAL

THINKER??????• Ask yourself:

– Why is it important for me to consider this issue?

– What are the various points of view on this issue?

– How well is each point of view supported?

– Could I combine various points of view or create a new one?

WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS POINTS OF VIEW ON THIS ISSUE?

• How are the terms being used defined by the different parties discussing the issue?

• What are the underlying assumptions being make by everyone?

• What are at least three different viewpoints on every issue?

• Am I listening without judgment or am I being intolerant

HOW WELL IS EACH POINT OF VIEW SUPPORTED?

• Are there errors in logic?– Are there assertions that contradict each other?– Are there assumptions that are unfounded?– Is the evidence given valid?

• Are the facts consistent with each other?• Are the facts presented in a misleading way?• Do the examples given truly support the

viewpoint?

HOW WELL IS EACH POINT OF VIEW SUPPORTED?

• Is the source credible? Is she/he unbiased and knowledgeable?

• Do you understand the viewpoint well enough to actually criticize it? Are you able to listen to the opposing viewpoints before agreeing or disagreeing with them?

• Do you recognize your “hot spots” (topics that provoke strong feelings)?

• Are you willing to say “I’m not sure yet”?

COULD I COMBINE VARIOUS POINTS OF VIEW OR CREATE A NEW ONE?

• Try to:

– Create a Critical thinking “spreadsheet” of the different authorities’ different stands on an issue.

– Write about the issue

Accept your changing perspectives

(as we develop, we go through changes where we go from demanding a single “truth” to our questions, to understanding that there may be a variety of opinions on issues, some more valid than others, depending on the context).

HOW DO YOU CULTIVATE YOUR CREATIVE THINKING?

HOW DO YOU CULTIVATE YOUR CREATIVE THINKING?

• Conduct a brainstorm:

–write down the issue or problem

–then, set a time limit for brainstorming, sit quietly for a few seconds,

–then, write as fast as you can…write down everything. Accept every idea that pops into your head

HOW DO YOU CULTIVATE YOUR CREATIVE THINKING?

• Focus your attention intensely on a project or a problem, then let go.

• Keep idea files

• Create while you sleep (ask yourself a question as you go to sleep and keep paper and pencil by the bed so that you can start writing as soon as you wake up)

HOW CAN YOU GAIN SKILLS AT DECISION-MAKING?

HOW CAN YOU GAIN SKILLS AT DECISION-MAKING?

• Recognize decisions (decisions are specific and lead to focused action)

• Clarify your values

• Establish priorities (spend energy on the decision that will have a big impact on your life)

HOW CAN YOU GAIN SKILLS AT DECISION-MAKING?

• Develop a strategy for making decisions:– Find all of the available options and choose

one deliberately– Find all of the available options and, if they

are basically similar, choose one randomly– Narrow the options down to two or three,

then choose– Choose the first acceptable option that you

find– Choose to act on someone else’s (an

experts’) decision

HOW CAN YOU GAIN SKILLS AT DECISION-MAKING?

• Use your intuition

• Take action once you’ve made a decision

• Evaluate your decision (observe the consequences of your decision over time)

HOW CAN YOU GO ABOUT SOLVING A PROBLEM?

• State the problem clearly and concisely• Invent possible solutions• Create a plan• Act on the plan• Evaluate the consequences of your

solution• Determine whether a new solution is

needed

HOW DO YOU BECOME A GOOD LISTENER?

• First, you have to decide to become a good listener.

• Then,– Be quiet– Maintain eye contact– Display openness– Listen without

interruption– Send acknowledgments

HOW DO YOU BECOME A GOOD LISTENER?

• Paraphrase the communication

• Acknowledge the speaker’s tone of voice and body language

• Listen for hidden requests

HOW CAN YOU DEVELOP GOOD CONFLICT MANAGEMENT SKILLS?

• Use “I” messages and talk about what you observe, think, want, and feel

• Get to the point right away

• Focus on solutions

• Understand ALL points of view

HOW CAN YOU DEVELOP GOOD CONFLICT MANAGEMENT SKILLS?

• Affirm your commitment to the relationship

• List all the points on which you are NOT in conflict

• Listen, then, speak…don’t interrupt

• Apologize if the conflict arises from your error

• Agree to disagree

• Use a mediator to keep the discussion on track and moving toward a solution

HOW CAN YOU WRITE EFFECTIVELY?

• Get ready to write

• Write a first draft

• Revise your draft

HOW CAN YOU WRITE EFFECTIVELY?

• Get ready to write– List and schedule writing

tasks– Generate ideas for a topic– Refine your ideas– Clarify your purpose for

writing– Do initial research– Brainstorm– Outline/Mind Map– Do in-depth research

HOW CAN YOU WRITE EFFECTIVELY?

• Write a first draft– Gather your notes – Arrange your notes to follow your

outline or Mind Map– Write your ideas in paragraphs,

one idea per paragraph– Let the words flow, as though

you were speaking to a friend– Don’t worry about grammar,

punctuation, or spelling– Be physical, take breaks to walk,

dance..

HOW CAN YOU WRITE EFFECTIVELY?• Revise your draft (there is no limit to how many

times you choose to revise your draft!)– Read the paper out loud– Have a friend read the paper– Cut out the passages and words that don’t

contribute to your purpose– Rearrange what’s left of your paper so it flows

logically– Make sure there are good transitions from idea

to idea– Make sure you have a clear thesis statement,

that you introduce your concepts, that you give supportive details/examples, and that you summarize everything in your conclusion

– Keep adverbs and adjectives down to a minimum

– Write with action verbs – Be concise– Be specific– Clarify– In your final draft, check that you are

using correct grammar and spelling– Type up the paper in the required

format with the proper credits

HOW CAN YOU WRITE EFFECTIVELY?

HOW CAN YOU GIVE EFFECTIVE SPEECHES?

HOW CAN YOU GIVE EFFECTIVE SPEECHES?

• Organize your presentation– Start with a bang, as you introduce

your speech– Develop your ideas in the body of the

speech– At the end of the speech, summarize

your points and draw your conclusion

• Practice your presentation– Get accustomed to speaking loudly– Get rid of :”you know”, “uh”, “umm”– Practice many times, and again

HOW CAN YOU GIVE EFFECTIVE SPEECHES?

• Deliver your speech– Make sure everyone is ready to listen

(all eyes are on you)– Deal with stage fright by simply

noticing it– Project your voice– Maintain eye contact– Use effective body language– Keep track of time so you can give

an effective conclusion– Pause when appropriate

HOW CAN YOU THRIVE FROM LIVING WITH DIVERSITY?

HOW CAN YOU THRIVE FROM LIVING WITH DIVERSITY?

Remember: Those of us who can study, work, and live with people from other cultures, economic classes, and races can enjoy more success at school, on the job, and in our neighborhoods!

The importance of diversity from Dave Ellis Text

It is our diversity that makes human beings strong enough to survive.

We have an extraordinary opportunity to learn from our diversity right here because Southern California is the most diversely populated area on earth!

Diversity Anti-Bias training

www.tolerance.org ..

Explore your hidden biases.. Project

Implicit

Write on personal experiences of

prejudice, whether as a victim, a

participant, or a witness

Take action against bigotryEducate yourself

about different cultures

classes, books, the internet

travel (local or international)

Widen your

circle of firends Create

positive experiences

Recognize that our society is overcome with racism:– One racial group has been allowed to

define reality according to it’s own biases– One racial group has been allowed to

define differences from itself as deficits

HOW CAN YOU THRIVE FROM LIVING WITH DIVERSITY?

Stages of Intercultural Sensitivity from the Bennett Institute

• Denial: Does not recognize cultural differences

• Defense: Recognizes some differences, but sees them as negative

• Minimization: Unaware of projection of own cultural values; sees own values as superior

• Acceptance: Accepts that the same “ordinary” behavior have different meanings in different cultures

• Adaptation: Can accommodate behavior to fit the norms of a different culture

• Integration: Can shift frame of reference and also deal with resulting identity issues.

Step away from denial:• We need to recognize that racist acts, racist

organizations are not just part of our past...they are part of our present.

• People of European descent were overwhelmingly responsible for:– The enslavement of Africans in colonial America– Creating, legislating and embracing apartheid– Barring African Americans, Asian Americans and Latinos

from full participation in civic life for decades, centuries– Genocide of indigenous peoples throughout the Americas– Still benefiting from systematic oppression

Steps to Speaking Up from the Southern Poverty Law Center

• BE READY

• IDENTIFY THE BEHAVIOR

• APPEAL TO PRINCIPLES

• SET LIMITS

• FIND AN ALLY/BE AN ALLY

• BE VIGILANT

Dave Ellis tells us that:

• Communicating with people of other cultures is a learned skill – a habit… Desire, knowledge, and skills are equally important for bridging gaps in understanding.

• We should begin with an intention to increase our sensitivity…

• We should develop specific skills on 3 levels: – The first is personal: become aware of your own

biases.– The second is interpersonal: form alliances with

people of other races and cultures– The third is institutional – point out the

discrimination and racism that you observe…be an advocate for change.

• We must be active – Its’ not the responsibility of others to raise your cultural awareness. That job is yours, and it calls for energy

HOW CAN YOU COMMUNICATE ACROSS CULTURES?

• have a desire to communicate and be active across cultures

• learn about other cultures• become aware of your own biases• form alliances with people of other races

and cultures• practice looking for common ground• don’t make comments grounded in

stereotypes• point out discrimination and racism that you

observe in organizations• Celebrate your own culture

HOW DO YOU WRITE AN E-MAIL?

• Write an informative subject line

• Think short

• Put the main point(s) first

• Don’t use sarcasm

• Proof your text (read it out loud and use spell check)

• Test attachments

• Reply promptly

HOW CAN YOU KEEP YOURSELF HEALTHY?

Eat well

–High fiber

–Low saturated fats, low in cholesterol

–Eat a number of calories per day that is less than or equal to your resting metabolic rate

HOW CAN YOU KEEP YOURSELF HEALTHY?

Be active every day

–For15 minutes: climb stairs, run 1.5 miles, jump rope

–For 30 minutes: dance, bicycle, garden, swim laps

HOW CAN YOU KEEP YOURSELF HEALTHY?

• Get sleep (~8 hours)

• Manage stress

–learn assertiveness, exercise, manage time, learn breathing exercises, learn meditation, learn relaxation techniques

• Protect yourself against infections:

– Have all the appropriate immunizations

– Keep good hygiene (wash your hands)

– If you have sex, use a condom

• Manage any chronic diseases

• Develop a patient-clinician relationship with a generalist that you trust as well as find specialists you need.

HOW CAN YOU KEEP YOURSELF HEALTHY?

HOW CAN YOU MAINTAIN HIGH SELF-ESTEEM?

• Set goals that call on you to overcome obstacles, make persistent effort, but at the same time, don’t set you up for failure.

• Set up “mastery situations” for skills that are meaningful to you

• Look for a model (a person with whom you have a lot in common who has mastered the skills you want to acquire)

• Compare yourself with yourself• Surround yourself by people who

appreciate you