Mary Lee Jensen
Academic Advisor
Academic Advising Center
Fall 2014
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More material to cover – 4 or 5 classes
minimum – lack of coordination between
faculty
Increased expectation that you will read on
your own
Application vs. memorization – deeper
knowledge
May have fewer projects/exams – each one
counts more
Not enough time
 Lack of motivation
 Not knowing how to study
 Too much material -- overwhelmed
 Not understanding the material
 Anxiety about the exam
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Motivation – Academic success only occurs
when there is a desire to do well and a
purposeful commitment to devote the time
needed to succeed.
Academics have to be first and not last in a
list of priorities – entertainment, co-curricular
activities become the reward for time spent
on academics. Lift the weight off your
shoulders. Decrease the snowball effect.
Cultural
Anthro
exam
Seminar
Group
Project
Course
Work
Mom’s
50th
birthday
Overwhelming
Stress
Roommate
issues
Find sub
for dining
hall shift
Personal
Stuff
Academic
Writing
Paper
Lots of
reading!
Lacrosse
club
Cocurricular,
work,
volunteer,
sports
Cultural
Anthro
exam
Seminar
Group
Project
Course
Work
Mom’s
50th
birthday
Roommate
issues
Find sub
for dining
hall shift
Academic
Writing
Paper
Lots of
reading!
Lacrosse
club
Personal
Stuff
Cocurricular,
work,
volunteer,
sports
Reduced
Stress
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Recognizing what you don’t know – It is
important to identify terms, formulas,
concepts that are troublesome for you and to
seek the necessary assistance to increase
understanding.
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Faculty office hours – USE THEM
Teaching assistants – help sessions
Tutoring – www.ithaca.edu/tutoring
Peers – Study Groups
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Understand how the brain works –
short term vs. long term memory
Frequent studying in short bits of time
over a few weeks vs. cramming the
night before
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Piece of blank paper and a pen
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Put your pen down
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Look at the next slide for ten seconds
Draw the objects that you just
saw in the same pattern as they
appeared on the screen.
Draw the objects that you just
saw in the same pattern as they
appeared on the screen.
Why was it easier to draw
the second set of figures?
Chunking
You can better remember
information if it is organized
into patterns.
7 items plus or
minus 2
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Frequent and brief review of notes and Power
Points – review notes briefly after class
Breaking down reading into smaller segments -checking your comprehension. It is not about just
doing the reading it is about absorbing it.
Look for purposeful connection between
assignments/readings and course content –
change from abstract to concrete – think about
the goal of the assignment.
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Understanding that different disciplines
require different ways of studying
Science/math/computer science = formulas,
concepts, connections, problem sets,
practice, practice, practice
Humanities/social sciences = concepts,
theories, trends, analyzing, more large
amount of reading, focus on papers
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Not every student learns the same way; not
every student should study the same way
Know your learning style preference and look
for techniques that match it –visual, auditory,
read/write, kinesthetic
www.vark-learn.com
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Visual – highlight, colors, mapping, charts
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Auditory – read out loud, quiz yourself
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Read/Write – copy notes, lists, quiz
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Kinesthetic – move around while you are
yourself by writing answers
studying, white boards in classrooms
Short term memory
The stage where
information is stored for up
to 30 secs. Before being
forgotten or transferred to
long term memory.
Intrinsic motivation
The motivation or desire I enjoy learning new
to do something based
things.
on the enjoyment of the
behavior itself.
Association
Connecting new
knowledge to familiar
concepts or pictures so
you can better
remember it.
The phone number for
Rogan’s is only one
digit off from my
mother’s phone
number.
Retrieval
The process of bringing
material out of long
term memory and into
consciousness.
Correctly answering
questions on a test
because I have the
knowledge stored.
Looking up the number
for Rogan’s and typing it
into my cell phone.
Short term memory
I enjoy learning new
things.
Connecting new
knowledge to familiar
concepts or pictures so
you can better
remember it.
Correctly answering
questions on a test
because I have the
knowledge stored and
can remember it when I
need it.
1885
1956
1960s
1974
Ebbinghaus
“On Memory”
Studied how long it
took him to
memorize lists
Baddeley &
Hitch
George Miller
Short term
memory
Magical Number
Seven plus or
minus two
Shiffrin
“Modal model”
Information goes
from short term
to long term
memory
Concept of working
memory.
Three components:
Central executive
Phonological loop
Visuo-spatial
sketchpad
Economic Consequences Industrial Revolution –
Loud Tim
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Labor organizations
Overproduction
Underemployment
Division of labor
Trade increases
Inequality wealth
Mass production
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Identify concepts that you don’t understand
and focus on these – ask your professor to
clarify
Keep track of when you have exams and plan
accordingly – weeks ¾, midterms, weeks
10/11, final exams.
Don’t cram – review notes consistently for
short periods – use textbook or supplemental
readings or Web sites for clarification (.edu or
.gov)
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Know the type of exam and plan accordingly.
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Multiple choice – concepts are important – college
vs. high school – know how to apply concepts
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Anatomy & Physiology – memorize – mnemonics
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Chemistry/Math – problem solving
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Short answer or essays – compare and contrast,
describe processes
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Learn from your first exam/quiz and apply to the
next one
Additional tips – Academic Success
Strategies
www.ithaca.edu/advising/
 What
tips for studying can you
share with your peers?