student success

Traditions from Babylon: Resolutions for Success

Are you part of the nearly 45 percent of Americans who say they make New Year’s Resolutions? The tradition dates back to the ancient Babylonians who made promises to the gods in an effort to gain their favor. While we’ve been keeping the tradition ever since, today our resolutions focus on self-improvement.

Reflection to Resolutions

January 1st is a great opportunity to make resolutions to change academic habits that aren’t working for you. Think back over the last semester.

How successful were you?
Did you meet your goals?
Were your goals attainable?
How well did you balance your academic requirements with the other areas of your life?
Did you manage your time as effectively as you could?
Did you work hard enough to achieve your goals?
If you worked hard, do you need to find ways to work smarter so you can maximize your study time?

Potential academic resolutions lie in your answers to these questions. If everything is running smoothly, that’s great! But if it isn’t, what do you want or need to change? If Plan A isn’t working, then it’s time to move to Plan B or even Plan C. No plan is ever perfect. You should always be updating and changing your plan based on your needs. What worked for you in the past may not work in your current situation. So, make a new plan and meet your goals for academic success.

Resolutions to a New Plan

If you want some help creating a new plan, the Student Success Center has a wide range of resources to help you find what you need. Visit our On Demand Support page to find materials that provide support and guidance. And if you don’t see what you need, tell us what you are looking for. Use the Academic Coaching Request form to make an appointment with a Learning Specialist for personalized guidance and advice. We will work with you to find what you need.

Learn from the traditions of ancient Babylon. Make your resolutions for the new academic year. The Student Success Center is here to help if you. We want you to have a very successful New Year.

Why Use a Contract and Calendar in Group Projects

Disorganized group projects usually result in a lot of needless drama and a low-quality product. Therefore, it is best to organize information and define expectations for every group member. Two weeks ago, I recommended using Google Drive to increase the quality of your group projects. This week, I want to recommend that you reduce the drama from the start with two elements: a group contract and a Google calendar.

Organize with a Group Contract

A group contract clearly defines the roles, responsibilities, and expectations of every member of the group. There are a lot of options for creating a group contract, and what you choose to include depends on your project, your instructor, and the makeup of your group, but there are some elements I consider essentials. These include:

Contact Information: Include everyone’s contact information. Decide as a group, how much information to share, but include your email addresses, since that’s the how you share documents in Google Drive. Cell phone numbers help communicate quickly, but not everyone feels comfortable sharing personal information. Group members should never be pressured to include more information than they are comfortable sharing.
Roles and Responsibilities: Misunderstandings and misplaced expectations are two of the biggest hurdles in successful group work. Avoid them by listing the roles and responsibilities for each group member in detail. Stating things clearly helps avoid conflicts due to procrastination and last-minute scrambling to get work finished. Don’t forget to include writing an introduction and conclusion, formatting, and proofreading in your responsibilities. These tend to get overlooked and can result in a lot of last minute drama.
Project Description: Include a brief description of your project. This will help maintain focus on the big picture while group members work on their individual parts.
Questions/Notes/Suggestions: Include an area for miscellaneous questions, ideas, and suggestions. You will be glad you did.

As I said before, these are the elements I consider essential. There are other elements your group could add if you need them. Just remember that your goal is efficient, effective, and drama-free group collaboration that results in a successful product.

Organize with the Google Calendar

Using a calendar improves your group’s time management and helps avoid missed deadlines. Create a Google Calendar for the project. Then make sure you post the following:

Due dates: Include due dates for outlines, rough drafts, bibliographies, etc. When you add the due dates, add notifications to serve as reminders. You can add more than one notification to an event and elect to have alerts sent as an email, so figure out with your group members how you will set this up.
Class meetings: Group work is often led by what you are learning in class. Post all your class meeting dates so you stay on top of your workload.
Group meetings: Whether you are meeting online or face to face, get meeting times on the calendar so everyone is aware of them. Take advantage of the calendar notifications to make sure everyone gets a reminder.
Status checks: How often will group members need to check to see that everyone is accomplishing things on time and on deadline? Use the notifications settings to send out reminders.

Share the completed calendar with the group. Use the notification features for each event. Let the technology do some of the work. Reminders get sent automatically once they are set, which means that nobody has to remember to remind everyone else.

A contract and calendar define expectations and keep group members on track. Set your group up for success. Use them to reduce the drama and increase your product quality.

Reflect: How are you doing?

At this point, most students are about halfway to mid-term exams, making it a good time to look at how the semester is going. How is your academic performance? Have you set yourself up for success? What about your study skills and test scores? If you aren’t where you hoped to be, it’s probably a good idea to reflect on how well what you are doing is working for you.

Realistic Goals

Goals provide structure to your academic life. They help you focus on what’s important and ignore other distractions. Are you on track to meet your semester goals? If you are, then you probably don’t need to change anything. If not, then you will probably want to consider some changes.

Are your goals achievable? If not, you’ll need to revise them. If, on reflection, your goals are realistic, ask yourself if you you have planned adequately to achieve them. You may need to change some of your habits, like how you manage your time, or try sharpening your study skills. Often, our goals require us to change how we work to achieve them.

Maybe you haven’t consciously set goals for yourself. If that’s the case, I strongly encourage you to make the time to do so. Goal setting should be part of your academic preparation. Without specific and realistic goals, you will find yourself making random decisions you may regret. You can find more information about goals setting on our post, Setting Academic Goals.

Organization and Time Management

I know I’ve said this repeatedly, but the fact is that success at UAMS is dependent on organization and time management. It’s hard to keep up with multiple courses, projects, exams, and family, friends and, often, a job. Are you actively managing your time? Do you know where you are in every assignment? You may need to change the way you manage your time. Learn more by reading Time Management and Organize and Manage Your Time on this blog. You can also find resources to help you under the Time Management tab on our Learning Support page.

Study Skills

Successful students have good study skills. Even if you’ve never had to study much before, you will need strong study habits to meet the rigorous academic requirements at UAMS. Reflect on what you have been doing. Do you feel you are well prepared for your exams? Maybe it’s time to improve how you study and build your skills. You can read more in our posts Sharpen Your Study Skills and Step Up Your Study Skills. You can find more resources under the Study Skills tab on the Learning Support page.

Test-Taking

Test-taking skills begin before the test. In fact, the time to begin preparing for a test is the first day of class. Good test-takers use strategies before, during, and after a test. Reflect on your test performance. If it’s not what you hoped, consider the following.

Before the Test: One of the leading causes of low test scores and anxiety is poor preparation. Students often wait until the last minute to study, and then cram all night trying to catch up. They arrive at the test exhausted and overwhelmed. If they try to replace rest with caffeine they might begin to feel sick, which will make it even harder to perform well. Take a look at how you prepare, including your studying, note-taking, and time management. Making necessary changes will help you improve your academic performance.

During the Test: Even the best prepared students can make errors during the test. They may lose track of time, spend too long on one question, or second guess themselves and change answers that were correct. You may need to look at how you are taking your test, and correct some of your habits.

After the Test: What you do after the test is very important to your success. Good test-takers examine their test results to find the source of their errors. Were you missing the information? Maybe you left questions blank. Analyzing your errors can help you take steps to avoid making them on your next test.

There are more helpful resources under the Testing tab on the Learning Support page.

Make the time to reflect. How is your academic performance? Now is the time to change the things that aren’t working for you. Use our resources to help you improve your time management, study skills, and test taking skills. If you want more personalized help, complete and submit the Academic Coaching Request to make an appointment with a Learning Specialist to find the strategies that will work best for you.

Step Up Your Study Skills

Good study skills are a requirement for student success. Even if you’ve never had to study much before, you will need strong study habits to meet the rigorous requirements at UAMS. Don’t wait until you are falling behind to step up your study skills. Take control and start now.

Step Up Your Preparation

Stepping up begins before a class session. Students with the best study skills prepare for their class meetings. Review your class syllabus and schedule so that you know what the instructor plans to cover during the class session. Before each class, skim materials like your textbook to get an overview of the content. Read the learning objectives, headings and subheadings, and pay attention to charts and graphs. You will be ready for the explanations, details, and facts from your instructor if you have a general idea of how the content is connected. Your notes from the class sessions will be more meaningful if you take the time to prepare.

Step Up your Participation

Stepping up your participation means you are completely engaged in your learning. Start with active listening. Don’t sit passively and let information drift over you. Take notes and ask questions. Use short phrases and abbreviations but be careful that what you write is meaningful, because you will need to understand it later when you review. If you ask a question, make sure you can restate the answer in your notes so that you fully understand it. If you took the time to preview the material for the class session, you will already understand the general outline and organization of the material which should make note-taking more efficient.

Step Up Your Review Process

Step up by including multiple opportunities for reviewing your notes and materials. Plan to review your notes within 24 hours of your class session. This will allow you to check that you understood the material presented, and that your notes are clear and complete. Mark anything in your notes that you don’t understand and then go back and find the information you missed.

Schedule study sessions on the days your classes don’t meet, and if possible, schedule some review time with other students in your classes. Review your notes, re-read portions of your textbooks, summarize information in your own words, and test yourself by creating practice questions. Explain the material to another student to check how well you understand what you learned.

Step Up Your Support

The Student Success Center’s website has resources to help you improve your study skills, including information on how you learn and retain information, reading strategies, study strategies, and test taking skills. For more information, visit the Learning Support page. If you want more personalized help, use the Academic Coaching Request to make an appointment with a Learning Specialist to find the strategies that will work best for you.

You need good study skills to be successful at UAMS. Stepping up your preparation, participation, and review process will help make the hours you spend studying more productive and increase your academic achievement.

SSC Open House: Connect with Learning Resources

Are you meeting your goals for academic success? Sometimes, a few simple changes can make all the difference in the way you perform. The Student Success Center was created to support all UAMS students with the resources and services they need to achieve their goals.

The SSC Winter Open House on Wednesday, January 27th is a great time to learn about what we have to offer. Come by between 2:00pm and 4:00pm and take the opportunity to

Talk with a Learning Specialist about things like time management, organization, note-taking, study skills, and test taking tips.
Ask the faculty in the Writing Center about ways to improve your writing projects.
Chat with the Laptop and Mobile Device Support Technician about ways to improve and maintain laptop performance.
Try different educational apps and websites to see if they might help streamline your workflow or improve your academic habits.
Ask our Testing Coordinators how to make your experience in the Testing Center less stressful and more efficient.
Set up a meeting with our staff if you want a more personalized and in-depth discussion about your particular needs.
Check out or space and have a cookie.

If you don’t find what you need, tell us what you are looking for. We will work with you to find it. Most of all, we want to get to know you and help you to have a very successful academic year.

SSC Winter Open House

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

2:00pm to 4:00 pm

3rd Floor Library/ED II Building

Find Help When You Need It

At some point during your time at UAMS you may need to find help. You might find yourself falling behind in your courses, experiencing financial struggles, developing health problems, or experiencing technical issues with your computer. Students often need help and there are a variety of services in place just for you. Learn about the services that UAMS has to offer. You will be more confident knowing that there are organizations waiting to provide the support you need, when you need it.

Finding Help

Below, you will find links to some of the organizations that provide services to UAMS students. Take time to browse through the list to become familiar with what the UAMS campus has to offer.

The Student Success Center

The mission of the Student Success Center (SSC) is to provide all UAMS students with educational services, programs, tools, and resources to improve their performance and achieve academic success. You can learn more about our services by clicking on the tags in the image below.

Here are a few additional resources at UAMS that are available to assist all UAMS students.

College/Program Faculty and Staff

The Colleges and Programs at UAMS often have staff available to help you with a wide variety of issues. For more information, contact your college.

College of Health Professions

College of Medicine

College of Nursing

College of Pharmacy

College of Public Health

Graduate School

Campus Life and Student Support Services

Campus Life and Student Support Services provides campus housing, plans and organizes intercollegiate activities, and oversees the student government association, intramural sports program, and student insurance. Visit the website to find out how to connect to activities on campus.

Center for Diversity Affairs

The Center for Diversity Affairs works to advance diversity, inclusiveness, equity, and cultural competency in all aspects of the UAMS mission. They are responsible for recruitment and advocacy for the admission and graduation of candidates from underrepresented minority groups. In addition, they support UAMS students from all protected and affected minority and disadvantaged groups to help them be academically successful.

Office of the University Registrar

Duties of the Office of the University Registrar include student records and enrollment for all colleges and academic programs at UAMS.

Student Financial Services

Student Financial Services is divided into two divisions to help serve the students at UAMS. The Financial Aid Office provides information and services to help students searching for different types of financial aid. The Bursar’s Office coordinates the disbursements of loans and financial aid and processes tuition payments.

Student Health Clinic

The Student Health Clinic (SHC) provides UAMS students with treatment of acute illnesses, wellness and health promotion services, and continual health education.

Student Wellness Program

The Student Wellness Program is a preventative service created to provide short term, confidential assistance for UAMS students and to find the necessary tools for students to achieve their fullest potential. Students can find help for depression, anxiety, grief, relationship conflicts, academic difficulties and numerous other issues. The service is confidential and short-term care is provided at no cost. For more information visit the website.

UAMS Library

The UAMS Library is committed to meeting the information needs of our users with responsiveness, professionalism, and effectiveness. The Library provides an attractive and secure environment that is conducive to study, work, research, and learning.

Don’t wait to find help. Learn about the services that UAMS offers to students. All of these organizations want to help you have a successful and fulfilling academic career at UAMS.

Sharpen Your Study Skills

Good study skills are a requirement for student success. Even if you’ve never had to study much before, you will need strong study habits to meet the rigorous academic requirements at UAMS. Don’t wait until you are falling behind to develop your study skills. Take control and start now.

Take Time to Prepare

Study skills begin before a class session. Students with the best study skills plan for their class meetings. Review your class syllabus and schedule so that you know what content the instructor plans to cover during the class session. Before each class, skim materials like your textbook to get an organizational snapshot of the content. Read the learning objectives, headings and subheadings, and pay attention to charts and graphs. You will be much more open to receiving explanations, details, and facts from your instructor if you have a general understanding of how the topics are connected. Your notes from the class sessions will be more meaningful if you take the time to prepare.

Be Active and Participate in Class

Good study skills are rooted in how actively you listen and participate in your classes. To maximize your ability to retain and understand information, you need to be completely engaged in your learning. This begins with being an active listener. Don’t sit passively and let information drift over you. Instead, take notes and ask questions. Don’t try to write every word. Use short phrases and abbreviations but be careful that what you write is meaningful, because you will need to understand it later when you review your notes and materials. If you ask a question, make sure you can restate it in your notes so that you fully understand it. If you took the time to preview the material for the class session, you will already understand the general outline and organization of the material your instructor is covering which should make note-taking more efficient.

Plan for Reviewing

Good study skills include multiple opportunities for reviewing your notes and materials. Plan to review your notes the same day as your class session, or at least within 24 hours. Reviewing your notes shortly after the class session will allow you to check that you understood the material presented, and that your notes are clear and complete. Mark anything in your notes that you don’t understand. Then you can go back to your resources and find the information you need.

In addition to the same-day review, you will want to schedule study sessions on the days your classes don’t meet, like on the weekends. Use that time to review your notes and materials, re-read portions of your textbooks, summarize information in your own works, make connections between newer and older information, and test yourself through self-questioning and practice questions. Try to schedule some review time with other students in your classes. Explaining the material to another student is an excellent check of how well you understand what you learned. Listening to a peer’s explanation can give you a new perspective on the content as well.

Helpful Resources

You need good study skills to be academically successful at UAMS. Taking time to prepare, being active and participating in class, and planning for reviewing your notes and materials will help make the hours you spend studying more productive and increase your academic achievement.

References

Texas A & M Health Science Center, http://medicine.tamhsc.edu/academic-support/active-learning-techniques/managing-class-content.html

University of Waterloo, http://uwaterloo.ca/counselling-services/curve-forgetting

Time Management

How Good Are Your Time Management Skills?

Success at UAMS is dependent on time management. You have multiple courses, projects, exams, study groups, and deadlines, and keeping up with them can seem overwhelming. In addition, many students also have to manage family, friends, and a full-time job. Learning to manage all the demands on your time is not just a skill for academic success, but one that will serve you in your future personal and professional life

There are many time management strategies and tools available to you, but most of them center on three components; scheduling, prioritizing, and completing.

Scheduling

Learning to schedule your time is one of the most important steps to learning to manage you time effectively. Get a calendar. It doesn’t matter if it is a traditional hard-copy notebook, or an online calendar you have on your phone or mobile device. Just make sure you have some place to keep track of your coursework. As soon as you can, download the schedules for all your courses and put all your assignments, projects, tests, and deadlines for all your courses on the calendar. Your calendar will give you a clear picture of when you are going to be the busiest.

Prioritizing

Learning to prioritize will help you make certain you are doing the most important things first. Break down your big projects into manageable chunks and work on them a little at a time so you aren’t overwhelmed when the deadline is upon you. Make a to-do list each week, and prioritize your tasks according to importance.

It might help to organize your tasks into three categories: Must Do, Should Do, and To Do. Work through these in order of priority, and be disciplined about taking care of the most important things first. Just remember, that Should Do and To Do items can become Must Do if they are not taken care of when you have the opportunity. Take satisfaction in checking items off your to-do list. It shows you how much you have accomplished, and motivates you to stay focused and finish strong.

Completing

Scheduling and prioritizing are great for planning, organizing and understanding your workload, but the actions you take to complete your tasks and accomplish your goals are what will make your time management plan a success. Follow the schedule you have created and work through the items on your to-do list. Remind yourself of your goals when your motivation sags, and don’t be discouraged when unexpected interruptions occur. Make sure to reward yourself when you complete a large task or achieve a goal. Your success will be a reflection of your discipline and determination in carrying out your plan.

Find Support

The are many different ways to manage and organize your time and workload. Click here to find information, tips, and tools on the Learning Support page.

Your success in managing your time and tasks directly impacts your success at UAMS. Keeping up with your courses, projects, exams, study groups, and deadlines can be overwhelming without a plan for managing it all. Using a time management plan that includes maintaining a schedule, prioritizing a to-do-list, and completing your work will not only help maximize your academic success, but will help you succeed professionally.

Master the Online Tools

Do You Know the Online Tools?

Whether you are an online student or taking classes in a traditional classroom, most, if not all, of your courses will have an online element. The most common is Backboard, the web-based learning management system used to host online courses and provide supplemental materials for face-to-face classes. But your instructors may use other web-based tools such as ExamSoft, O2, or blog sites, wikispaces, and Google apps to support teaching and learning. Whatever the tools, it is a good idea to become familiar with them and learn how they work before you need them to complete assignments or take a test.

Begin with Blackboard

Blackboard is a good place to begin, because your courses will likely have a Blackboard site. Check out your courses in Blackboard as soon as they are available to get the information you need to plan your semester. Then work your way through the following components.

Navigation

Instructors set up their Blackboard sites differently, so it is a good idea to navigate around the site to learn how things are organized and where information is stored. Chances are you will like some organizational systems better than others, but the key is not to be surprised when you go to find something. The more you explore the more you will master navigating through all of Blackboard’s features. Learn how your instructors label and use folders. Click on the discussion feature to see if your instructor will be using discussions in the course. You can learn a great deal by just touring the site.

Syllabus/Calendar

Two of the most important documents you need to access are the course syllabus and calendar. Don’t let yourself be surprised by the course schedule and requirements. Learn where the calendar and syllabus are, and download.

Course Content

Usually the course content folder or tab will contain most of the materials you need to complete the course. Remember that instructors organize information differently. Some may have everything organized into module sub-folders within a content folder, while others may simply have a series of links in the side navigation bar. This step will be easy if you take the time to navigate through the course.

Assignments/Assessments

Find the Assignments and Assessments folders and see what your instructor has posted. Often, instructors upload assignment instructions and rubrics. You will see how you are expected to turn in your assignments, and how the instructor will choose to administer quizzes and tests.

Blackboard Collaborate

If your instructor intends to have synchronous meetings online, you will see a link for Blackboard Collaborate. Learn how to join a Collaborate session and make sure your browser, virus protection, and software are up to date before you have to attend a scheduled meeting.

Identify Other Online Tools

Many instructors use other online tools in their courses, so learn what they are and become familiar with how they work. That way, you aren’t trying to learn new tools when deadlines become pressing.

Many instructors use ExamSoft for testing. The College of Medicine uses O2 to provide students with a calendar and a host of other information. Some instructors will use other web-based tools, apps, and websites in their courses. Find out what the tools are, and get to know them.

Site Support and FAQS

What should you do if you need help learning how to use the online tools? Support forums, tutorials, and frequently asked questions (FAQs) will help you get started or solve problems.

Blackboard

Blackboard Help Site

Blackboard Collaborate Requirements

ExamSoft Support

O2 (College of Medicine)

Student Success Center Tech Support

Mastering the online tools you will use in your courses is a good way to help maximize your time. Whether you are a traditional student or taking courses online, you will have to use a variety of online tools in your academic career. Whatever the programs or tools, it is best to know how they work before you need them.

Setting Academic Goals

If setting academic goals isn’t part of your preparation, it should be. Goals provide structure to your academic life. Setting and prioritizing goals helps you focus on what’s important and ignore other distractions. Without specific and realistic goals, you will find yourself making random decisions you may regret.

Set Your Academic Goals

Goal setting starts with your vision of what you want from the academic program you are pursuing. What do you want to do with your education? What is the 5 or 10-year result of being in school? Knowing what you want to accomplish with your education is powerful motivation, especially when you are struggling.

Write a declarative statement for each of your goals. Formatting your goals in the right way increases your likelihood of achieving them. Use positive language. State what you want, not what you don’t want. Say, “I will get a B or better in Equipment and Techniques this semester”, instead of “I don’t want to flunk Equipment and Techniques this semester”. Thinking positively will empower you to be more successful.

One of the most effective ways to format your academic goals is to write SMART goals. SMART goals are effective because they are both realistic and relevant; making it more likely that you will persevere and achieve your goals. Align your goals with the following SMART concepts.

Create an Action Plan

Goals aren’t accomplished simply by writing them down. You need to create a plan of action in order to achieve your goals. Break each goal down into a set of smaller tasks and subtasks. Checking off each of these tasks and subtasks will give you a sense of accomplishment and feed your motivation to successfully complete your goals. Remember, your goals will never be accomplished unless you take action.

Identify Resources/Challenges

Obstacles and setbacks are a natural part of life, but you also have resources available to you to help you overcome them. Try to anticipate the challenges you may face. Make a list of potential obstacles and identify the resources that will support you.

Maintain Your Motivation

As you work on achieving your goals, you may have trouble staying motivated to push through to the end. One way to combat that “slump” you will likely experience is to ask others to help hold you accountable for achieving your goals. We all perform better before an audience, and having people who will celebrate your successes and remind you to stay on track can be a powerful motivation booster.

Another way to maintain your motivation is to visualize your future accomplishment. What will the accomplishment your goal look and feel like? What will be the benefits from achieving the goal? Will you have more personal time? Will your future goals become more attainable? Whatever it is, visualizing the benefits can help motivate you to progress to the next step.

There’s an App for That!

There are numerous ways to track the progress of your goals. If you like to use old fashioned hard copy methods you can put your goals into your calendar, journal, or on a piece pf paper taped to your bathroom mirror. Just keep them where you can see them every day. If you like a tech solution, there are a number of apps for goal setting and habit tracking available for your smartphone or tablet. You can use any app that meets your needs, but I recommend that you check out these two apps.

CheckMark is a great tool that was designed to help you achieve daily goals. This app is extremely useful for helping you complete the tasks and subtasks associated with your goals. It’s easy to use and the design is very simple. The goals you input are the ones that your want to achieve today, not tomorrow or in the future. The goals expire at the end of the day, whether they are achieved or not.

Smart Goals is an all-in-one goal setting, bucket list (dreams) and habit tracking app. The goals feature helps you set SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) goals. It allows you to create smaller tasks and subtasks, or milestones, that lead toward the accomplish of your bigger goals. You can re-order your goals or convert goals to dreams or dreams to goals. It is a strong tool for tracking your long-term progress, and it’s editing tools allow you to make changes in your goals as you encounter life changes.

Make goal setting a part of your academic preparation. You will be able to focus on what is most important and complete your academic courses successfully. Your specific and realistic goals will help you make the right decisions to achieve the academic and professional life you envisioned.