On Course
Strategies for Creating Success
in College and in Life
Chapter 1
GETTING ON
COURSE TO YOUR SUCCESS
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CRITICAL THINKING: FOCUS QUESTIONS
TAKING THE FIRST STEP
• What does “success” mean to you?
• When you achieve your greatest success, what
will you have, what will you be doing, and what
kind of person will you be?
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WHAT IS SUCCESS?
• Success is staying on course to your desired
outcomes and experiences.
• List 10 or more successes that you have achieved
in your life.
• Do you tend to focus on your inner or outer
success?
 Outer success—high grades, social popularity,
college degree, sports victories
 Inner success—following personal interests,
focusing on personal values, creating a
fulfilling life
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INNER SUCCESS AND OUTER SUCCESS
• Identify each of the following as an
Inner Success or Outer Success.
 I made all “A’s” last year.
Outer
 I enjoy working outdoors.
Inner
 I love to learn.
Inner
 I’m captain of the basketball team.
Outer
 I enjoy helping people to improve their
lives.
Inner
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CHANGE
• Think about a time when you made a positive
change in your behavior.
Why did you decide to change?
What obstacles did you have to overcome?
How would your life be different today if you
had not changed?
In general, do you believe that you are
resistant or receptive to change?
• Get into groups and share your answers.
• What similarities did you discover in your group?
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THE POWER OF CHOICE
• The main ingredient in all success is WISE
CHOICES. Using the chart below, what effective
choices could lead to success?
Desired Outcome
Wise Choices
Success
I have a new Ford
Focus in 2 years
I save $100 dollars each
paycheck and research how
to raise my credit score
I have a new
Ford Focus
I pass math with an
“A”
I study every night,
participate in class, and ask
questions
I receive an “A”
in math
I am a better
photographer than I
am now
I am a better
I take photos once a week
and ask for feedback on how photographer
to improve
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ASSESS YOURSELF
• What is the purpose of taking the On Course selfassessment?
To understand your strengths and weaknesses
in the eight choices of successful students.
• What is the value of this knowledge to you?
As you develop the “choices of successful
students,” you will make wiser choices and,
thus, achieve more of your desired outcomes
and experiences.
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Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
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Jalayna’s Story p. 13
• Can you relate to this story?
• What problems did she overcome?
• What problems may you have to overcome?
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FORKS IN THE ROAD
• Navigating your path in life is a
choice. At each fork in the
road, choose the path that
leads to success!
 What forks in the road have you
encountered this week?
 What helped you decide which
path to take?
 Was your decision a wise
choice?
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CRITICAL THINKING: FOCUS QUESTIONS
UNDERSTANING THE CULTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
• What is the culture of higher education?
• How does understanding that culture increase
your success in college?
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UNDERSTANDING THE CULTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
• Make a list of customs and beliefs that define your
culture(s).
 Does your list contain more visible or more invisible
customs and beliefs?
 How do you respond when confronted with cultures that
are significantly different from your own?
 How can you apply this awareness to become a more
successful student?
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THE CULTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
• Navigating the college culture
 What has surprised you most about the culture of your
college?
 What choices might students make in college that could
get them off course?
 What choices might students make in college that could
get them on course?
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CRITICAL THINKING: FOCUS QUESTIONS
BECOMING AN ACTIVE LEARNER
• How does the human brain learn?
• How can you use this knowledge to develop a
highly effective system for learning?
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HOW THE BRAIN LEARNS
 What specific learning techniques do you use right now
that build neural networks?
 What specific learning techniques could you develop to
help you build more neural networks?
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3 PRINCIPLES OF DEEP AND LASTING LEARNING
• Get into groups
• List the 3 Principles of Deep and Lasting Learning and give
an example of each.
• Prior learning
 If you know how to play a clarinet, learning to play the
saxophone will most likely be easier for you.
• Quality of processing
 Olympic sprint runners don’t just run, they lift weights,
jump rope, and do calisthenics.
• Quantity of processing
 Cramming 2 hours right before an exam = little learning
Studying 6 hours spread one week = much learning
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THE CORE LEARNING SYSTEM
• Identify each term for the acronym C.O.R.E.
• What does the “C” stand for?
 Collect: Make a conscious effort to gather information
• What does the “O” stand for?
 Organize: Organize information in multiple ways so that
you fully understand it
• What does the “R” stand for?
 Rehearse: Distribute practice sessions over time
• What does the “E” stand for?
 Evaluate: Seek feedback to determine quality of learning
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THE CORE LEARNING SYSTEM
Imagine this ambitious goal: You decide to
produce
and
direct
a
Broadway
show,
and
Take another look at this little
you plan for it to be a huge hit.
story and see how you
So, you collect all of your actors, and you
naturally
applied the four
get everything
organized—props,
costumes,
strategies
sets, the whole
deal. of the Core
Learning
System.
Now, you start
rehearsals
and watch very
carefully, evaluating everything—delivery,
blocking, lighting. Then, you realize
something exciting: "This show is going to
be a big hit!"
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THE CORE LEARNING SYSTEM
Imagine this ambitious goal: You decide to
produce and direct a Broadway show, and
you plan for it to be a huge hit.
So, you collect all of your actors, and you
get everything organized—props,
costumes, sets, the whole deal.
Now, you start rehearsals and watch very
carefully, evaluating everything—delivery,
blocking, lighting. Then, you realize
something exciting: "This show is going to
be a big hit!"
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ON COURSE PRINCIPLES AT WORK
• Divide into groups and answer the following
questions:
• What type of skills must a person have to secure a
job as a police officer?
 Hard Skills- shoot a gun, hit a target, drive a car, put on
handcuffs, wear a bullet proof vest properly, write a report
• What type of skills must a person have to advance
as a police officer?
 Soft skills- take responsibility, make decisions, manage
time, effectively communicate, prioritize, have self-control
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ACTIVITY
SKILL SURVEY
• A career specialist once said, “Having hard skills
gets you hired; lacking soft skills gets you fired.”
• Get in groups to discuss the following:
 In your work experience, what evidence have you
seen that supports this statement?
 What specific soft skills were lacking?
 What could the person have done differently?
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CRITICAL THINKING: FOCUS QUESTIONS
DEVELOP SELF-ACCEPTANCE
• Why is high self-esteem important to success?
• What can you do to raise your self-esteem?
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SELF ESTEEM AND CORE BELIEFS
• Do you believe that self-esteem is learned?
If not, where do you believe you “got” your selfesteem?
If so, what does this say about the ability to
develop and boost your self-esteem?
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KNOWING AND ACCEPTING YOURSELF
• Do you believe that you accept yourself and have
the ability to take an honest inventory of yourself?
 If so, how can this information help you?
 If not, how is this hindering your success?
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QUICK REVIEW
• Identify each of the eight choices of successful students
Accept Personal
Responsibility
See themselves as the primary cause of their outcomes and
experiences
Discover
Self-Motivation
Find purpose in their lives by discovering personally meaningful goals
and dreams
Master
Self-Management
Consistently plan and take purposeful actions in pursuit of their goals
and dreams
Employ
Interdependence
Build mutually supportive relationships that help them achieve their
goals and dreams (while helping others do the same)
Gain
Self-Awareness
Consciously employ behaviors, beliefs and attitudes that them On
Course
Adopt
Lifelong Learning
Find valuable lessons and wisdom in nearly every experience they
have
Develop
Emotional Intelligence
Effectively manage their emotions in support of their goals and
dreams
Believe in
Themselves
See themselves at capable, lovable, and unconditionally worthy
human beings
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QUICK REVIEW
• Identify each of the following as a "Hard Skill" or
"Soft Skill."
 Properly mixing epoxy tooth filling material Hard Skill
 Identifying bacteria cultures Hard Skill
 Working well in teams Soft Skill
 Planning work time in order to get everything done on
schedule Soft Skill
 Effectively applying tax laws to help a client avoid an IRS
audit Hard Skill
 Setting work-related goals
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Soft Skill
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QUICK REVIEW
• What principle of Deep and Lasting Learning is
reflected in each of these examples?
 Remembering what I learned in my
tennis class, I decide to try using
topspin in racquetball.
Prior
Learning
 After each class, I organize my
notes, creating outlines or graphic
organizers to help me remember
the important points.
Quality of
Processing
 In math, I do at least five practice
problems of each type each day for
a full week!
Quantity of
Processing
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QUICK REVIEW
• Identify which element of the CORE learning system
is being used in the following statements.
 You strengthen neural connections by going over your
study material several times a week
Rehearse
 You use formal and informal feedback to insure accurate
and complete learning
Evaluate
 You gather information and skills from sources such as
textbooks and lectures
Collect
 You arrange information to create deep and lasting
learning Organize
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