Understanding Your College Experience

SMART goal-setting guidelines

goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely

Certificate program

includes a set number of courses (usually 15-30 credits) that prepare students to complete a specific task or educate them about one particular aspect of a field so that they can obtain entry-level positions

Associate in arts (A.A.) or associate in science (A.S.)

These programs carry about sixty credits and allow students to transfer to four-year programs to obtain bachelor's degrees.

Associate in applied arts (A.A.A.) or associate in applied science (A.A.S.)

These programs carry about sixty credits focused on training students for a specific profession or career. The A.A.S. degree sometimes has fewer transferable credits than do the A.A. or A.S. degrees.

Bachelor of arts (B.A.) or bachelor of science (B.S.)

These are four-year programs that carry approximately 120 credits.

a program of study or major

An area of study, such as psychology, engineering, education, or nursing.

prerequisites

the basic courses you need to take before you can enroll in upper-level courses in your major.

returning student

someone who is not a recent high school graduate (and may have a job and a family) and is "returning" to formal education after being out of the educational system for some period of time

Extrinsic motivation

Motivation that comes from the hope of an external reward or the fear of an undesirable outcome or punishment.

Mindset

What you believe about yourself and about your most basic qualities, such as your personality, intelligence, or talents.

grit

A combination of perseverance, passion, and resilience.

fixed expense

An expense in a budget that remains the same each time it is paid.

Kinesthetic learners

prefer to learn through experience and practice, whether simulated or real.

Sensing Type

perceives the world and takes in information directly, through the five senses (MBTI)

Attention disorders

Officially termed attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD; characterized by an inability to be attentive or to control impulses.

Rhymes or songs

A mnemonic technique that uses rhyming to remember information.

Take-Home Tests

are usually more difficult than in-class tests because they require you to go beyond memorizing material to demonstrate your understanding

Multiple-Choice Tests

provide any number of possible answers, often between three and five

Integrity

the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles

Scholarly Journals

Collections of original, peer-reviewed research articles written by experts or researchers in a particular academic discipline.

critical thinking

A search for truth that requires asking questions, considering multiple points of view, and drawing conclusions supported by evidence.

Bloom's Taxonomy

a system of classifying goals for the learning process

Bloom's Taxonomy, Level 3

Apply

Cornell format

create a "recall" column on each page of your notes

disciplines

An area of academic study.

cumulative

going all the way back to the beginning of the course, or cover only the material since the previous test

Self-assessment

The process of gathering information about yourself in order to make an informed decision.

Values

Those things you feel most strongly about that are formed through your life experiences.

experiential learning

Experiential learning is learning by doing and through experience.

Degree

This refers to the type of diploma or credential students receive after graduation and differs based on the number of credit hours students complete.

Credit hours

Credit hours represent the number of clock hours you spend in a class every week during a term and the number of credits you will earn if you satisfactorily complete the course

Required courses

are those directly related to the area of study, as well as general education courses such as college-level math.

Electives

are courses that you get to choose because they interest you.

co-requisites

courses you have to take in conjunction with other courses during the same term

Motivation

your desire to make a particular effort to achieve something that's important to you

Intrinsic motivation

Motivation that comes from an internal desire.

Attitude

the way you are thinking and feeling about yourself and the events around you

fixed mindset

likely to believe that your characteristics and abilities—either positive or negative—are not going to change through any effort or any adjustments to your behavior and often try to prove themselves, and they're very sensitive about being wrong or making mistakes. They believe having to make an effort means they are not smart or talented

growth mindset

you are willing to try new approaches and that you believe that you can change, you believe that your abilities can be improved—that there is no harm in being wrong or making a mistake, and that effort is what makes them smart or talented

Resilience

Not giving up or quitting when faced with difficulties and challenges

emotional intelligence

How well you recognize, understand, and manage moods, feelings, and attitudes.

Emotional self-awareness

Knowing how and why you feel the way you do (intrapersonal)

Assertiveness:

Standing up for yourself when you need to without being too aggressive (intrapersonal)

Independence:

Making important decisions on your own without having to get everyone's opinion (intrapersonal)

Self-regard:

Liking yourself in spite of your flaws (intrapersonal)

Self-actualization:

Being satisfied and comfortable with what you have achieved in school, work, and your personal life (intrapersonal)

Empathy:

Making an effort to understand another person's situation or point of view (interpersonal)

Social responsibility:

Establishing a personal link with a group or community and cooperating with other members in working toward shared goals (interpersonal)

Interpersonal relationships:

Seeking out healthy and mutually beneficial relationships—such as friendships, professional networks, family connections, mentoring, and romantic partnerships—and making a persistent effort to maintain them (interpersonal)

Stress tolerance:

Recognizing the causes of stress, responding in appropriate ways, and staying strong under pressure (Stress management)

Impulse control:

Thinking carefully about potential consequences before you act, and delaying gratification for the sake of achieving long-term goals (stress management)

Reality testing:

Ensuring that your feelings are appropriate by checking them against external, objective criteria (adaptability)

Flexibility:

Adapting and adjusting your emotions, viewpoints, and actions as situations change (adaptability)

Problem solving:

Approaching challenges step-by-step and not giving up in the face of obstacles (adaptability)

Resilience:

The ability to bounce back after a setback (adaptability)

Optimism:

Looking for the bright side of any problem or difficulty and being confident that things will work out for the best (general mood)

Happiness:

Being satisfied with yourself, with others, and with your situation in general (general mood)

locus of control

a person's beliefs about how much control they have over the events that affect them. Some people believe that their __________________ is internal, others believe that it is external.

academic calendar

A calendar that shows all the important dates that are specific to your campus, such as financial aid, registration, and add/drop deadlines; midterm and final exam dates; holidays; and graduation deadlines.

Procrastination

The habit of delaying something that needs your immediate attention.

prioritize

Putting your tasks, goals, and values in order of importance.

Punctuality

Being on time.

Overextended

Having too much to do given the time and resources available to you.

Budgeting

A spending plan that tracks all sources of income and expenses during a set period.

variable expense

An expense in a budget that may change every time it is paid.

A need

something you must have

A want

goods and services that you wish to purchase but could live without

Financial Aid

Sources of money that are available to support education at a college or university.

Student Loans

A form of financial aid that must be paid back with interest.

Grants

A form of financial aid provided by the government or private organizations that does not have to be repaid.

Scholarships

Funds provided for a student based on his or her academic performance or need.

Work-Study

Part-time jobs on campus available to students who are receiving financial aid.

Credit Score

A single number that indicates credit worthiness based on information about accounts in your name, such as credit cards, student loans, utility bills, cell phones, and car loans.

Identity theft

A crime that occurs when someone uses another person's personal information.

the hierarchy of needs

in order for students to learn at their maximum potential, their needs must also be met—basic needs such as food, water, and shelter; safety and security needs such as employment and property; the need for love and belonging; the need for self-esteem that comes from achievement; and the need for self-actualization, which can be reached by doing the best you are capable of doing

VARK inventory

A questionnaire that focuses on how learners prefer to use their senses (seeing, hearing, reading and writing, or experiencing) to learn.

Visual Learners

prefer to learn information they see through charts, graphs, symbols, and other visual means.

Aural learners

prefer to hear information.

Read/write learners

prefer to learn information that is displayed as words.

MBTI Types

One of the best-known and most widely used personality inventories that is also used to describe learning preferences. It examines basic personality characteristics and how those relate to human interaction and learning.

Extravert

directs energy and attention toward the outer world of people, events, and things (MBTI)

Introvert

directs energy and attention toward the inner world of thoughts, feelings, and reflections (MBTI)

Intuitive Type

perceives the world and takes in information indirectly, by using intuition (MBTI)

Thinking Type

makes decisions through logical, rational analysis (MBTI)

Feeling Type

makes decisions through personal values, likes, and dislikes (MBTI)

Judging Type

approaches the outside world by making decisions and judgments (MBTI)

Perceiving Type

approaches the outside world by observing and perceiving (MBTI)

Multiple Intelligences

A theory developed by Howard Gardner that suggests that all human beings have at least eight different types of intelligence: verbal/linguistic, logical/mathematical, visual/spatial, bodily/kinesthetic, musical/rhythmic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic.

Learning Disability

A condition that affects people's ability to either interpret what they see and hear or connect information across different areas of the brain.

Cognitive disorders

A disability related to mental tasks and processing.

short-term memory

How many items you are able to understand and remember at one time, enables you to focus on the goals you have at any moment

long-term memory

The capacity to retain and recall information over the long term, from hours to years.

procedural memory

A category of long-term memory that deals with knowing how to do something, such as solving a mathematical problem or driving a car.

semantic memory

A category of long-term memory that involves facts and meanings without regard to where and when you learned those things.

episodic memory

A category of long-term memory that deals with particular events, their time, and their place.

Mind maps

A visual review sheet whose patterns show the relationships between ideas, providing clues to jog the student's memory.

Review Sheets

Lists of key terms and ideas that you need to remember.

Summaries

help you condense information and answer short-answer and essay questions successfully

Mnemonics

Different methods to help with remembering information.

Acronyms

New words created from the first letters of a list or group of words you are trying to remember (a category of mnemonic).