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Academic
Expectations
How Much Should You Study?
This is really important! One of the greatest challenges for
a student entering college for the first time is realizing how
much study time is needed. We can and will talk about quality
study, but if a student isn't putting in the time, worrying
about quality is useless. As a rule of thumb, you should plan
to study at least two hours a week for every unit of coursework
in which you are enrolled. If you are enrolled for 15 units,
you should be studying 30 hours per week. This may sound like
a lot if you are a first time freshman. But think about it.
In high school you were in school five days a week, six hours
a day, a total of 30 hours per week. A majority of students
report studying an hour a day outside of class. So a typical
commitment in time by a high school student for his or her education
is around 35 hours per week.
How about college?
Most students expect that their commitment should increase and
they are correct. With a15 unit course load, you will be in
class 15-20 hours per week depending on the mix of classes,
labs and activities in your schedule. The recommendation for
studying is 30 hours per week. The total time commitment is
quite reasonable, around 45-50 hours a week, very similar to
a full-time job. College should be considered a full-time endeavor.
But just like with a job, if you manage your time well, there
is ample opportunity for other interests and activities.
Study to Learn: Avoid Superficiality
The key to success is to develop a deep and lasting understanding
of course material rather than just a superficial familiarity.
How do you know if you have accomplished this? Above all, don't
fool yourself. Reading the book several times, seeing how someone
else worked a problem, recopying class notes to improve legibility...these
are not indicators that you have mastered the material or even
become slightly familiar with it. You know when you understand
something; you get a good feeling inside. It begins with "Aha",
"Oh yeah", "I see it now" and culminates in an excitement of
wanting to use the new knowledge or to tell someone else what
you know. A sense of satisfaction, of accomplishment, of confidence,
of ability to perform, a "feel" for the subject...these are
indicators of successful understanding. Please allow yourself
the time and opportunity to experience this in your coursework.
Preparing for Exams
It is vitally important to prepare well for exams. The first
step in preparing for an exam occurs during the weeks before
the exam. Keep up with the material. You cannot effectively
cram for exams the night before. Your instructor will expect
more than a regurgitation of facts or writing based on superficial
memorization of concepts you don't really understand. Work with
the material a little at a time, read a paragraph over and over
until you understand it. Ask yourself questions as you read.
Work problems and examples until you feel proficient. Mastery,
understanding, an ability to think creatively and critically,
and an appreciation of the subject are expected goals of the
learning experience. Don't assume you know something because
you understood the lecture, or the textbook readings, or how
a problem was worked in a solutions manual. The instructor,
the book, the solutions manual are all trying to present material
in a logical and comprehensible manner. If you understand your
instructor's lecture, that should give you the confidence that
you can learn that material when you sit down to study……but
don't think you have already learned it. There is a world of
difference between listening and understanding and actually
doing. Imagine that you were required to explain a concept or
work some problems in front of your class; you would prepare
well for this as you would not want to be embarrassed. Keep
this same personal pride in mind when you are studying for exams.
Don't fool yourself. If you can talk about something, apply
it to problems and examples, teach it to someone else….you probably
know it. If you can't do this, you don't know it. Test yourself;
don't let your instructor be the first to test your knowledge.
Let's imagine that you have done the things suggested in the
previous two paragraphs and that you have a pretty good understanding
and working knowledge of the material. Now is the time to prime
yourself for the exam. You want to make sure the results of
your effort are on the forefront of your mind, that you remember
well what it is that you have learned and understood, that you
are ready to perform. You can test yourself by making a topic
outline and making sure you can explain in depth and with understanding
the topics without referring to your notes or textbook. You
can make a list of representative textbook problems and prove
to yourself that you can work all types, one after another,
without hints or assistance. You can always do more in studying,
but, if you are honest with yourself, you will know when you
have done enough.
Writing Papers and Reports
Allow yourself plenty of time for papers and reports so you
can fully develop your topic and do several drafts before turning
in the final copy. Do a lot of thinking at first. Write down
your ideas; cluster the ideas into an outline; convert the outline
into a rough draft; revise the draft until you are satisfied.
Go for content, maturity in expression, excellent grammar, vocabulary,
and sentence structure, variety in sentence beginning, conciseness,
and good paragraphing. Practice good written expression no matter
what the class or assignment. Written communication is an essential
skill that will be important throughout your life.
Organizing Your Study Time
This is very personal and depends on how you learn. Morning
person, night person? Long study periods, lots of shorter periods?
Whatever suits you, make a plan to ensure you really devote
the time and that your study is of quality. In planning your
study time each quarter, consider free mornings and afternoons,
breaks between classes, and evenings. Avoid all-nighters. Be
careful about scheduling weekends…you will probably need a significant
portion of one day for study. And remember the two hours per
week of study per unit of coursework. This is a good rule of
thumb but you need to allocate the time effectively. Some courses
require more time than others. For example, the national recommendation
for calculus is at least three hours per week of study for every
hour of class; we recommend this for most science and math classes.
You should maintain a daily planner and study log. Enter in
the planner when you have classes and other responsibilities
and the times best for studying (make sure your plan is consistent
with the recommended hours). During your first quarter, enter
in the study log each day the number of hours you studied. At
least weekly add up the hours to see how close they are to what
we recommend.
Study Environment
You need to set aside blocks of quiet time for study during
which you will be rested, alert, receptive, and truly committed
to what you are doing. Become engrossed in your studying; learn
to enjoy and respect it. Keep distractions at a minimum--noisy
music, telephone or other conversations, food, day dreaming,
interruptions by roommates. Be sure to have a good supply of
materials -- pencils, pens, paper, erasers, ruler, stapler,
hole punch, manila folders, notebooks, calculator, computer
disks. Access to a computer or wordprocessor is useful (wordprocessing
equipment is available on campus). Organize yourself. Have a
notebook for each class. File exams, returned assignments, topic
outlines, supplementary problems, etc., in separate manila folders
for each class. When you do supplementary practice problems
do them neatly and clearly and file them for future reference.
Participate in class and take good notes. Keep a calendar so
you can organize and remember your assignments, papers, and
exams. Get to know a few people in each of your classes whom
you can contact if you are unclear about something or have to
miss class. Some people like to form study groups. This has
been found to be effective if you prepare for group meetings
so you can be a contributor as well as a receiver. But always
make sure that you know and understand the material and can
work problems on your own outside of the study group.
Participate in class and take good notes.
Keep a calendar so you can organize and remember your assignments,
papers, and exams. Get to know a few people in each of your
classes whom you can contact if you are unclear about something
or have to miss class. Some people like to form study groups.
This has been found to be effective if you prepare for group
meetings so you can be a contributor as well as a receiver.
But always make sure that you know and understand the material
and can work problems on your own outside of the study group.
Course Loads
Part of any strategy for academic success involves taking a
course load you can handle. A typical schedule for a full-time
student is four to five courses totaling 15-18 units. Most students
try to take a mix of science and technical courses with general
education and breadth courses. If you are working while going
to school, you should probably take a reduced load of courses;
a full course load is equivalent to a full time job. As a new
student you should be cautious the first quarter and avoid overloading
yourself. You may be better off taking four courses (maybe even
just three if they are high unit and challenging) instead of
the typical load described above. Make sure you have the background
for the courses and that you are comfortable with your schedule.
Getting off to a good start and developing effective study habits
can set the tone for your entire college career.
How Important is Your 1st Year at CSUSB?
Really important! Nationwide, only about 50% of those who start
college actually finish with a college degree. It is important
to realize that graduation is not a given. In your first year
you develop study habits, learn what learning is about, and
take the courses that are the foundation for your major and
degree. Sometimes new students get distracted with newly acquired
independence, new surroundings, new friends, and opportunities
for social activities. At the end of the year some have just
started thinking about their goals, they are just beginning
to understand the importance of studying, and they just "sort
of" learned the material in their first-year core courses… this
is not much of a foundation for the following year. Adjusting
to a new living environment and making new friends is important;
it is a part of going to college. Just make sure you don't forget
why you are here.
Are you learning?
Think about what you have learned to this point in your life.
Some is basic and still useful. Some has faded or been forgotten;
some is now obsolete. Have you wasted your time? No! Not if
you have truly learned and exercised your mind. You have been
cultivating your intellect and developing your ability to think.
This process continues in college but at a higher level. What
you need to "know" will change throughout your life; lifelong
learning will be essential. In college you are learning to learn,
to appreciate learning, to accept responsibility for your intellectual
development. The actual material you study is not as important
as the exercise your mind receives and the deep appreciation
for learning you cultivate. That is why it is so crucial that
you avoid superficial memorization and go for true learning
that will truly develop your mind. You owe it to yourself to
develop an inquisitive mind, to maintain a healthy curiosity,
to release your creativity, and to think critically. Success
in college is related less to intelligence and ability than
it is to effective studying and learning strategies. You were
accepted to CSUSB; you are perfectly capable of earning a degree.
Your attitude is critical to your success. Make your studies
priority #1. Take care of yourself and focus on personal growth;
if you do, you will be more useful to others and feel good about
yourself.
Your Curriculum and General Education
Your curriculum consists of three parts:
 (1) major
and support courses,
(2) general
education and breadth courses, and
(3) elective
courses.
Take some time to become familiar with your curriculum. It is
displayed in the University Catalog. Much of your college preparation
to this point probably has been directed toward selecting a
major. During your time in college, whether you stay in the
major you have selected or change, your major courses will always
be in the forefront. I want you to know, however, that at CSUSB
we take general education very seriously and suggest that you
put it on an equal standing with your major courses. Your ability
to communicate effectively, to comprehend science and technology,
to understand history and current political systems, and to
appreciate the arts and literature will have an important impact
on the quality of your life. We are trying to help you prepare
for a career, not just a job, and to become a sensitive, thoughtful,
and contributing member of society.
Faculty
The faculty is here for you. Take advantage of your instructor's
office hours. Seek out a faculty member who can be an intellectual
mentor, advisor, or friend. Close association with the faculty
will greatly enhance your college experience.
Getting Help
If you develop a problem, get help. Don't let it fester until
irreparable damage is done. There are lots of offices and people
you can approach. Among them are your instructors, your advisor,
department secretaries, department leaders, the dean's office,
the Counseling Center, Financial Aid, Career Placement, and
the Health Center. You must be expressive so the person you
approach realizes you have a problem and clearly understands
it. Remember these people have pressures on their time and unless
you are very clear, they may not comprehend the seriousness
of your situation. If you are having trouble with course material,
see the instructor during his or her office hours; attend help
sessions and learning assistance programs. Thanks for reading
this. Think about your strategies for success now so you can
get off to a good start. We all wish you the very best. |
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