COURSE 20 WEEK 1

What does a successful college experience include?

Acceptable grades, of course, but in the end—in your long-range goals—grades are only one component of a larger picture.

Online Classes

100% online through Canvas. Your instructor may require that you take tests or other assignments at an appointed institution such as a college or library near your campus.

Hybrid Classes

A combination of online and face-to-face. Most of the course work is done in an online format using canvas and classes meet occasionally face-to-face in a classroom at a scheduled time.

Tip #7

Back up your files! Keep at least one backup for each of your files, and store them in a different place than where you usually access them.

Statistics show a much higher drop- out rate in the first year than thereafter. Why?

Because for many students, adjusting to college is not easy. Students wrestle with managing their time, their freedom, and their other commitments to family, friends, and work. It's important to recognize that it may not be easy for you.

Tip #9

Break it up! If you prefer to break an assignment into manageable pieces and schedule them accordingly, do so. This can be tremendously helpful because it will give you milestones that will allow you to monitor your progress incrementally.

Tip #3

Cloud services You'll want to check cloud-services websites for their latest information on their capacity (how much space they'll give you for free), compatibility (what browsers they support best),do they have an app?>, and features (which one offers the services you'd value the most for your schoolwork). Shop around— not all services are created equal!

Seminar

Courses are geared toward a small group of students who have achieved an advanced level of knowledge or skill in a certain area or subject. In a seminar, you will likely do a good deal of reading, writing, and discussing. You might also conduct original research. You will invariably explore a topic in great depth. The course may involve a final project such as a presentation, term paper, or demonstration. To best succeed in a seminar-style course, you must be prepared to participate actively, which includes listening actively. As a seminar class size is ordinarily small, it will be important to feel comfortable in relating to fellow students; mutual respect is key.

Workshop

Courses are generally short in length but intensive in scope and interaction. Workshops generally have a lower student-to-teacher ratio than other courses. Often the goal of a workshop is the acquisition of information and/or skills that you can immediately apply. To succeed as a learner in a workshop, you will need to apply yourself and participate fully for a limited time. A workshop may last a shorter amount of time than a full term.

Independent Study

Courses may be less common than other course formats. They allow you to pursue special interests not met in your formal curriculum and often involve working closely with a particular faculty person or adviser. Independent studies usually involve significant reading and writing and often end in a research project or paper. Your special, perhaps unique area of interest will be studied thoroughly. To succeed in an independent-study course, be prepared to work independently but cooperatively with an adviser or faculty member. Adopt high standards for your work, as you can plan for the possibility that your project or culminating research will be of interest to a prospective employer.

Laboratory

Courses take place in a controlled environment with specialized equipment, typically in a special facility. Students participating in labs can expect to engage fully with the material—to learn by doing. In a lab you get first-hand experience in developing, practicing, translating, testing, and applying principles. To best succeed as a student in a lab course, be sure to find out in advance what the course goals are, and make sure they fit with your needs as a student. Expect to practice and master precise technical skills, like using a microscope. Be comfortable with working as part of a team of fellow students. Enjoy the personal touches that are inherent in lab-format courses.

Studio

Courses, similar to seminars, are also very active, but emphasis is placed mainly on developing concrete skills, such as fine arts or theater arts. Studio courses generally require you to use specific materials, instruments, equipment, and/or tools. Your course may culminate in a public display or performance. To succeed in a studio-style course, you need good time-management skills, because you will likely put in more time than in a standard class. Coming to class is critical, as is being well prepared. You can expect your instructors to help you start on projects and to provide you with resources, but much of your work will be self-paced. Your fellow students will be additional learning resources.

Tip #8

Create a calendar Create a calendar that you can fill out as soon as you receive the syllabus and that you can update and consult periodically throughout the semester.

Tip #2

Find a plug! Know where you can plug in. Identify several places with free wireless Internet. Creating an electronic organizational system that works well for you.

Myth #4: Professors randomly call on students for answers in a lecture, but in an online class I can fly under the radar.

Even though you and your instructor may not be able to see one another, he or she can access reports on the quantity and quality of your course participation, and believe us, they will. They want to know how you're doing, and how they're doing, and participation will definitely be a key component of any of your classes. In fact, sometimes faculty know more about their online students than their on-campus students.

On Ground Classes

Face to face where you attend class 1-3 times a week at scheduled time.

What are the steps in creating a place where your priority can be concentrating on schoolwork?

First, identify what time of day you are most productive, to set a schedule. Second, decide where to study. Third, what conditions will enable you to concentrate and learn most effectively within your study space? Your motivation can be influenced by the noise level, temperature, and light in the place you choose. Once you find what works best for you, you can make the adjustments you need to be comfortable and get to work!

So what do many students say"success" actually mean in college?

Good grades at least toward the beginning of their time in college.

Tip #1

Know your constraints.

Technology-Enhanced Formats

Lecture- style courses are often delivered fully online, and lab courses often have Web enhancements. Online teaching and learning is commonplace at most colleges and universities. In fact, the data about the number of students taking online courses shows that roughly one out of every three U.S. college students takes at least one online course. Technology-enhanced delivery methods may be synchronous (meaning in real time, through some kind of live- interaction tool) as well as asynchronous (meaning in delayed time; they may include online discussion boards that students visit at different times within a certain time frame).

To ensure your success you have to?

Make an appointment to talk with your academic counselor if you have any doubt about the courses you have already enrolled in or about the direction you're taking. Start examining how you spend your time and ensure you make enough time to keep up with your work. Check for tutoring assistance at SMC if you feel you may need it and make an appointment or schedule time to visit a tutor. Avoid the trap of feeling down on yourself if you're struggling with any classes. Pay attention to your learning style and your instructors' teaching styles. Plan ahead. Check your syllabus for each class and highlight the dates of major assignments and tests. Vow to pay more attention to how you spend your money. Take good care of your body. Good health makes you a better student.

Myth #6: Email is basically instant, and I know my teacher checks her email all of the time. So if I don't understand something or have a last-minute question about an assignment, I can email her and she should respond right away. She's definitely up at 10 PM, and it would only take her 2 minutes to write back with the answer.

Most of your instructors provide a maximum email turnaround time, typically between 24-48 hours. As a student, you need to plan ahead as much as possible, and be sure to have an alternate solution if you don't hear back from your instructor before an assignment is due (remember, your assignments are your responsibility, not theirs). Some instructors include a "Questions About the Course" discussion thread where they encourage students to answer one another's questions. This could be immensely helpful for you, and might be a way for you to help other students in turn. (Remember what we said about building classroom relationships?) Another approach would be to reach out to another member of the class and exchange private emails to support each other throughout the semester. Because you're not meeting with each other once or more times every week, it's easy to feel isolated in an online course. Try some of these tactics so you can connect with others - you will get a lot more out of your classes if you do.

Myth #2: I can turn in assignments whenever I want, right? I'll just get all of the assignments from the instructor and blast through it in two weeks rather than wasting a whole semester.

Most online courses are NOT self-paced. Some instructors reveal all assignments ahead of time and others may roll out course topics and assignments incrementally. Give yourself time to really focus on the course material and put your best effort into assignments - don't try to rush though the course just to "get it done".

What attitudes is the key to getting off to a running start?

Motivation and a positive.

Tip #5

Naming your files Create descriptive file names so you don't have to open files to know what is in it: for example, the course title and assignment name.

Myth #5: I don't need to learn any technical skills in order to take a class online. I'll just rely on my instructor to help me figure it out during the course of the semester. My online class will teach me any of the technical skills I need to figure it out, right?

Online learning generally does not require extensive technical knowledge, but you have to understand the basics about your computer, the internet, and how to use your school's course management system (CMS). Watch the "Getting Tech-Ready" tutorial for an overview of the technology you'll be using, then be sure to seek out information or tutorials provided by your school about their CMS before starting your course. Take the time to really understand your online environment before you get too far into the semester: you won't want to wait until minutes before an assignment is due to learn which buttons you need to push in order to submit it.

Tip #4

Organize e-learning Decide how to organize your electronic course materials, including those you download and those you create.

The CMS (course management system) is where your instructor will?

Post all of the course materials. Conduct online discussions and perhaps other activities, and receive your assignments.

Instructor will expect you to?

Read all of the course materials posted. Participate in the activities created, and use the CMS to submit your assignments.

What does being uncomfortable mean?

That you are stretching yourself or changing your habit to be successful.

Myth #7: If I didn't finish an assignment on time, I used to tell my instructor that I accidentally brought the wrong notebook to class or that my printer ran out of ink. Now I can just say that my computer crashed, that I accidentally deleted my finished assignment, or that I just sent in the wrong attachment.

Remember, your instructors have not only heard every excuse in the book (probably more than once), but they are also pretty tech savvy themselves—they are, after all, teaching a college-level online course. Make sure you fully understand your instructor's expectations and that you comply with them in a timely manner, and keep an open channel of communication with them if you need help or have questions. Detailed information about your instructor's policies and expectations should be included on their course syllabus. Some instructors also provide checklists for all deadlines. If your instructor does not, it might be helpful to create your own assignment checklist. The organizational and study skills you develop for your first online course will put you on the road to success for all your future learning experiences, whether they are online or in a traditional learning environment.

Why do students who do not succeed in college drop out within the first year?

Sometimes this is due to financial problems or a personal or family crisis. But most of the time students drop out because they're having trouble passing their courses.

Lecture

Style courses that are likely the most common course format. In lecture courses, the professors main goal is to share a large amount of information, ideas, principles, and resources. Lecture style courses often include discussions and other interaction with your fellow students. Students can best succeed in this environment with dedicated study habits, time management skills, note taking skills, reading skills, and active listening skills. If you have questions, be sure to ask them during class. Meet with your instructor during office hours to get help on what you don't understand and ensure that you're prepared for exams or other graded projects.

What is college success about?

The choices you need to make in order to succeed. As part of the many choices you will make in college, you will often be able to select the format in which your college classes are offered.

College graduates reflecting back typically emphasize the following:

The complete college experience (often described as "the best years of my life") Exploring many different subjects and discovering one's own interests Meeting a lot of interesting people, learning about different ways to live Learning how to make decisions and solve problems that are now related to a career Gaining the skills needed to get the job—and life—one desires.

Myth #1: Online course is way easier than taking the same course on campus. You don't have to go to class, you just have to hand in assignments and you're done.

The workload for any particular course is the same regardless of the way it's delivered. And if you really think about it, there is more reading in online classes because you have to read all of your teacher's instructions rather than hearing them in class. In an online environment, you need to be more self-disciplined and motivated because you won't be facing the instructor every session.

Myth #3: Online courses are always cheaper than taking classes on campus. Unless you're taking classes online, you're really just wasting your time and money.

Tuition fees for online courses are typically the same as your traditional on campus classes. But there some "hidden" costs in taking a class on campus that you may have not considered.

What Do you need to understand first?

Understand first that no book can "make" you be successful—it can only offer the tools for you to use if you want.

Tip #10

Use an alert/alarm Use a reminder or alert feature built into an online calendar in order to keep yourself on track.

How do you grow and achieve goal?

Use the resources, tips, and strategies we will discuss and explore to grow and achieve goals you have set for yourself no matter how big or small!

Tip #6

Version control Develop a version control system for when you go back and revise a file you already saved. Some people use v1, v2, while others use the date.

Which point is when your grades in college are about the last thing you'll think of?

When you are achieving what you want in life and when you are happy and challenged and feel you are living life to its fullest and contributing to the world, then you likely feel successful.