CS 1200 CH4

What are three types of questions?

* Divergent * Convergent * Evaluation

What are some qualities of poor listeners?

* Tunes out uninteresting and boring topics. * Tunes out if delivery is poor * Listens for facts and details * Brings little energy to the listening process. * Readily reacts with opposing views to new ideas. Starts listening to themselves when they hear something that they don't agree with. * Bothered by distractions. * Resists difficult material; prefers light recreational material. * Interrupted by emotionally charged words or ideas. * Daydreams and lets mind wander off with slow speakers or gaps in presentation.

What are some characteristics of professors?

There are three char- acteristics of professors that you can almost always count on and therefore use to win them over: Professors think their areas of technical specialty are critically important and extremely interesting (and they have stories they love to tell about how they got involved in their specialty). Professors have elected an academic career over professional practice and they believe they are outstanding teachers. Professors aren't called "professors" for nothing. They have big intellects and lots of knowledge, and they love to convey what they know to others. Your challenge as a student is to avoid doing anything that conflicts with these character- istics of professors; rather, think of ways to interact with your professors that tap into these characteristics.

What are six ways to make people like you?

1. Become genuinely interested in other people. 2. Smile 3. Remember that a person's name is to him or her the sweetest and most important name in any language. 4. Be a good listener, encourage other's to talk about themselves. 5. Talk in terms of the other persons interest. 6. Make the other person feel important and do so sincerely.

Explain asking questions in class:

Another way to get the most out of your lectures is to ask questions. Don't be reluc- tant to do this. Many students are. When asked why, they give reasons like: "I was afraid I would look stupid.""I didn't want to bring attention to myself." "I was too confused to know what to ask.""I didn't want to take time away from the in- structor or other students." Don't be one of these students. If you're confused during a lecture, it's likely that many other students are as well. Just ac- knowledge it by raising your hand and, when called on, saying something like: "I'm con- fused about the last point you made." Take the view that the only dumb question is one that was never asked. And whose time do you think it is anyway? How about the view that it's your time? You deserve to ask questions! While asking questions is a useful way to gain information in the classroom, improving your ability to ask good questions can benefit you in your career and all aspects of your life. The importance of this subject was well-stated by the Greek philosopher Socrates more than 2,500 years ago: The highest form of Human Excellence is to question oneself and others.

Explain the mastering material:

As previously discussed, you will learn better if you master the material presented in each class session before the next session comes. In fact, research on learning indicates that the sooner you study after your initial exposure to the material, the more fortified your learning will be. Having a study session right after class would be ideal, but if that's not possible, doing it the same day would be better than the next day. Since your goal is to master the material, start by studying and annotating your notes, reading (or rereading) the relevant portions in your text, and working problems - as many as you can. LEARNING FROM YOUR LECTURE NOTES Recall in the section on the Cornell Note-Taking Method (Chapter 4, Pages 126-127) that it was recommended that you structure your notes to leave two areas blank for use during your learning process: (1) Cue Column (2) Summary Area Now we will describe how you can take advantage of this new way of taking notes by adopting a sys- tematic process for learning from them. The goal of this process is to increase your understanding of what was covered in class and to move as much as possible from your short-term memory to your long-term mem- ory through repetition, review, and reinforcement. The process of learning from your notes involves six separate but interrelated steps. Step 1—Study and annotate your notes. Read/Goover each page of your notes and fill in any missinginformation. Add words, phrases, facts, or steps in aderivation you may have skipped or missed, and fixany difficult-to-decipher jottings. As you study your notes, enliven them by making liberal use of colored pens or pencils. Highlight important points by underlining, circling or boxing, or using arrows. Step2—QuestionorReduce. Formulateaquestionansweredbyeachmajortermorpointin your notes and write it in the Cue Column. This is a little bit like the TV game show Jeopardy where the contestants are given the answer and asked to supply the question. An alternative approach would be to reduce each main idea or set of facts into a key word or phrase and write it in the Cue Column. Step 3—Summarize. Write a summary of each page in the Summary Area at the bottom. Summarizing forces you to think about the broader context of the lecture. Your summary should answer the questions: "What is this page about?" and "How does it fit into the day's lecture?" These summaries will be particularly helpful in finding key information when you are studying for an exam. 154 Chapter 5 Step 4—Recite. Once you have studied and annotated your notes and filled in the Cue Column and the Summary Area for each page, it is time for the most important step in your learning process: recitation. The pro- cess of reciting is relatively straightforward. Go back to the first page and cover the Note- Taking Area with a blank sheet. Read the first question or key word in the Cue Column. If you wrote questions, answer each question in your own words. If you wrote key words, de- scribe the main idea or set of facts referred to. Ideally, you should recite out loud. If you are reluctant or unable to do this, recite by writing out your answers. Slide the blank sheet down to check your answer. If your answer is wrong or incomplete, try again. Continue this process until you have gone all the way through your notes. Step5—Reflect. Afteryouhavecompletedthefirstfourstepsabove,takesometimetoreflect on what you have learned. Ask yourself questions like, "What's the significance of what I have learned?" "How do the main ideas of this lecture fit together into a bigger picture?" "How do they fit into what I already know?" "What are some possible applications of the key ideas from this lecture?" "Which ideas are clear?" "Which ideas are confusing?" "What new questions do the ideas raise?" Step 6—Review. Working through the process above will not only increase the amount you learn from your lectures and notes, it will also convert your lecture notes into study notes for future reviews. We suggest you review all your notes once each week. Doing so won't take much time but will pay off immensely in the long term. You'll find that if you spend just ten minutes to review your notes weekly, you'll retain most of what you initially learned. Then give your notes a more thorough review when you prepare for a test and then again when you prepare for the final exam. And don't forget to use reciting to reinforce what you have learned during each review session. READING/RE-READING THE TEXT Next, read or re-read the text material (re-read if you already read the text to prepare for the lecture). Follow the "Reading for Comprehension" methodology described in Section 5.1. Resist your urge to skim over the material in order to get to assigned problems. Read or re-read to understand the concepts and make reciting a key part of your reading process. Also make use of any "Check Your Understanding" questions that might be available to you to analyze what you might need to re-read. SOLVE PROBLEMS As previously discussed, solving one or two problems, even if that's all your professor assigns, will not ensure an adequate level of understanding. If time permits, work all of the problems in the book. If more time is available, work them a second time. Practice, practice, practice! The more problems you solve, the more you will learn. Remember:

What are some general guidelines:

After you feel you have mastered the material, you can reinforce your understanding through a group study session or by going to visit your instructor during office hours to address specific questions or problems. Only then will you be ready for your next class meeting. At that point, you will have reinforced your understanding of the material several times. Later you will reinforce it when you review for a test and again when you prepare for the final exam. LEARN TO MANAGE YOUR TIME Time is an "equal opportunity" resource. All peo- ple - regardless of their socioeconomic status, gen- der, ethnicity, physical challenges, cultural practices, or any other kind of "difference"—have exactly the same amount of time. Everyone, including you, gets 168 hours each week—no more, no less. There is no point in saying that you have no time, because, you have just as much as everyone else. Time is an unusual and puzzling concept. Even the most brilliant scientists and philosophers aren't sure how to explain it. But we do know some things about it. It can't be saved. When it's gone, it's gone. It also seems to pass at varying speeds—sometimes too slowly and other times too quickly. It can be put to good use, or it can be wasted. Some people accom- plish a great deal with their time, while others accom- plish virtually nothing with theirs. 156 Chapter 5 People who accomplish a great deal, without exception, do two things: (1) They place a high value on their time.(2) They have a system for scheduling and managing their time and tasks. Some of these systems are very sophisticated, and you may wish to look into acquiring one, particularly when you become a practicing engineer. As a student, you can do quite well with a monthly calendar to note your appointments and a simple form for making a day-to-day schedule. (See form on page 173). HOW MANY HOURS SHOULD YOU STUDY? Once you commit to staying on top of your classes and reinforcing your learning as often as possible, you must make sure to allot a suffi- cient number of study hours to truly master the material covered in a one-hour lecture. Earlier, in presenting the "60-Hour Rule" (See Chapter 1, page 30) , we mentioned the general rule that you should study two hours out of class for every hour in class. But this is often a gross oversimplification or, at best, a very limited generalization. In actuality, the amount of study time required will vary from course to course, depending on such factors as: • How difficult the course is• How good a student you are• How well prepared you are for the course • What grade you want to receive For demanding technical courses, it is doubtful that two hours of studying for every hour spent in class are enough. The appropriate number for you may be three, four, or even five hours. Although this may be difficult to assess especially early on in your education, it's good to determine a number for each of your classes. You can always adjust it later. REFLECTION On a scale of zero to ten, how good of a student are you? Reflect on each of your courses. How difficult is the course (very difficult, moderately difficult, not difficult)? How well prepared are you for the course? What grade do you want in the course? Based on this information for each of your courses, write down how many hours you need to study for each hour of class time. Once you have decided that for a particular course you should study, say, three hours be- tween one class meeting and the next, and you have blocked out a schedule for studying as soon after each lecture as possible, you have done the easy part. The hard part is actually doing it. Putting these approaches into practice requires you to be organized and skilled in managing your time. MAKING UP YOUR WEEKLY SCHEDULE Your effectiveness and productivity as a student will be greatly enhanced by scheduling your time. You may want to start with a form like the one shown at the end of this chapter (page 173) and schedule an entire week. You may find that a whole week is too much, and prefer to schedule a day or two at a time. That's fine. The idea is to find a scheduling method that works for you. Making the Learning Process Work For You 157 For whatever time period you choose, first write down all your commitments: classes, meetings, part-time work, time to get to and from school, time for meals, and so forth. The rest of your time is available for one of two purposes: study or recreation. Next, schedule blocks of time to study. You have already decided how much study time you need between one class meeting and the next, and you know the advantages of scheduling this time as soon after each class meeting as possible. Write down both where and what you will study. Students tend to waste too much time between classes making three decisions: 1. Should I study now or later? 2. Where should I study?3. What should I study? By making these decisions in advance, you will eliminate this unnecessary waste of time. EXERCISE Do you schedule your study time? If so, how is it working for you? If not, why don't you? Sit down with a form like the one on page 173 of this chapter and schedule your time for the next week. After scheduling your commitments (class, work, appointments, etc.), schedule your study time following the principles presented in this section. Include information on both where you plan to study and what course you will focus on during each time block. Make a commitment to follow your schedule for the next week. Once your study time is scheduled, check to see that you've left open time for breaks, recreation, or "down time." If not, you are probably over-committed. You have taken on too much. One of the advantages of making a schedule is that it gives you a graphic picture of your situation. Remember, don't "program yourself for failure." Be realistic about what you can handle. If you are over-committed, you should probably let something go. Try to reduce your work hours, your extracurricular activities, or the number of units you are taking. MAKE A SERIOUS COMMITMENT TO YOUR SCHEDULED STUDY TIME Making up a weekly schedule, you'll find, is easy and fun. But sticking to it will be a challenge. The key is to make a serious com- mitment to your study time. We are sure you take your class time as a serious commitment. If, for exam- ple, five minutes before a class a friend asked you to go have a cup of coffee or a Coke, you would say, "Sorry. I can't because I have a class." But what about your study time? What if the same friend came up to you just as you were about to go to the library to study? 158 Chapter 5 You need to make the same commitment to your scheduled study time as you do to your class time. After all, much more learning occurs out of class than in. Your scheduled study time is non-negotiable. Every time you put off an hour of studying, you are giving up time that you cannot recapture, and that means borrowing time from the future. If, however, your future is already scheduled, as it should be, the notion of borrowing time from the future is impossible. You're talking about time that won't be there. To monitor yourself, outline the hours you actually study in red on your schedule form. At the end of each week, you will be able to readily count up how much studying you did. If you are doing poorly in your classes, we'll bet you will see a direct correlation between your performance and the amount of studying you are doing. Initially, you may find that you have made a schedule you are unable to follow. Don't beat yourself up over that. But, more importantly, don't use it as an excuse to give up scheduling your time completely. Over time, you will learn about what you can and cannot do and become more proficient at scheduling your time. Predictable Outcome of Scheduling Your Time If you are like most students, you will find that by scheduling your time and following the schedule, you will feel as though you have more time than you did before and your stress level will go down. Many students spend more time worrying about the fact that they are not studying than they do actually studying. "Tending to business" can give you a real sense of well-being. In summary, the benefits of scheduling your study time are: • You will be able to see immediately if you are overextended.• You are more likely to keep up in your classes and to devote adequate time studying. • You'll get immediate feedback as to how much you are actually studying.• You'll learn about yourself - both what you can and cannot do.• You'll feel that you have more time than you ever had before.• You'll feel much less stressed out over school. DAILY PLANNING: "TO DO LIST" One final approach to getting the most out of each day is to make up a daily "to do" list. To do this, take a few minutes each evening and write down a specific list of what you want to get done in the next day. Then prioritize the items on the list, rank-ing them from top to bottom or classifyingeach as high, medium, or low priority. Thenext day, work on the most important itemsfirst. Try to avoid the urge to work on items that are easy or fun but are of low priority. As you complete items, cross them off your "to do" list. At the end of the day, evaluate your progress Making the Learning Process Work For You 159 and reschedule any items that remain on your list. Once again, though, if you repeatedly find that you can't accomplish everything on the list, you are probably over-scheduling yourself. Having to reschedule unaccomplished "to do" items means borrowing from the future; time that isn't there. USING A LONG-TERM PLANNER In addition to planning each week, you need a way to keep track of long-term commitments, important dates, and deadlines. Your campus bookstore or a local office supply store has both academic year planners and calendar year planners for this purpose. Enter appointments, activities, events, tasks, and other commitments that extend be- yond the current week in this planner. These might be academically-related, such as test dates, due dates for laboratory reports or term papers, meetings of student organiza- tions, engineering seminars or guest speak- ers, and advising appointments. Also include personal appointments such as medical and dental checkups and car maintenance sched- ules; special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays; and recreational activi- ties such as parties, concerts, plays, and the like. Each week, as you make up your weekly schedule, transfer commitments from your long- term planner to your weekly schedule. You may consider keeping your weekly schedules and long-term planners so that in the years to come you can enjoy them as a reminder of what you did during this uniquely important period of your life. PRIORITY MANAGEMENT If you want to move to a higher level of managing your life, Stephen Covey points the way in his powerful book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People [5] Covey's guiding principle is to: Organize and execute around priorities. Priority management means doing what needs to be done. There are two dimensions to deciding what needs to be done: • How urgent is it? (Requires immediate attention or doesn't require immediate attention) • How important is it based on your personal values? (Important or not important) These two dimensions—urgency and importance—are frequently confused. It's almost second nature to think that anything that's urgent must be important. We get a text message, we have to answer it. Our favorite TV show is on, we have to watch it. A friend wants to 160 Chapter 5 talk, we have to talk. Urgent matters press on us. They demand our attention. They're often popular to others. And often they are pleasant, easy, fun to do. But many urgent matters are not important! "Importance" relates to whether it needs to be done at all. Not important should mean we don't do it at all. Much of our time and effort is devoted to tasks that are not important, whether they are urgent or not. These dimensions can be shown visually by the following four quadrant matrix: IUrgent Important IIIUrgentNot Important IINot Urgent Important IVNot Urgent Not Important Key to the process of priority management is the criteria we use to determine what is important. This depends on our value system. Suffice it to say, candidates for high personal value include: • School • Family • Friends Stay out of Quadrants III and IV. People who spend time almost exclusively in Quad- rants III and IV lead basically irresponsible lives. Effective people stay out of Quad- rants III and IV because, urgent or not, activ- ities in these quadrants aren't important. You might have already guessed that staying out of Quadrant III will require you to become good at saying "no." • Health• Personal goals Activities in Quadrant I are what Covey describes as "crisis management" activities. Much of your life is dominated by activities that are both urgent and important. Time to go to class. Need to prepare for tomorrow's exam. Term paper is due. Need to go to work. All important and urgent things. We can't ignore the urgent and important activities of Quadrant I. However, our overall effectiveness will be controlled by Quadrant II—i.e., how we handle the things that are impor- Making the Learning Process Work For You 161 tant but don't have to be done today. Since we can't skip Quadrant I activities, finding time for Quadrant II activities will require that we give up activities from Quadrants III and IV. One bit of good news: in time, choosing Quadrant II activities will have the benefit of reducing the need to always operate from the crisis management perspective of Quadrant I. REFLECTION Reflect on the academic success strategies presented in the chapters indicated: Structuring your life situation (Chapter 1)Preparing for lectures (Chapter 4)Seeking one-on-one instruction from your professors (Chapter 4) Utilizing tutors and other academic resources (Chapter 4)Scheduling your study time (Chapter 5)Mastering the material presented in each class before the next class comes (Chapter 5) Are these Quadrant I, II, III, or IV activities? Do they have to be done immediately or not? Are they important or not? 5.3 PREPARING AND TAKING TESTS As you learned in Chapter 1, a vital component of successful engineering study is becoming a master at preparing for and taking tests. PREPARING FOR TESTS Clearly, the best way to prepare for tests is to practice the many strategies discussed earlier. When we hear a student boast that he or she stayed up all night studying for a test, we know this is a student who is not doing well. This is substantiated by a study by researchers at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behaviors [6] that concluded: "Sacrificing sleep for extra study time is counterproductive." You, too, should recognize this by now. The student who brags about staying up all night to study most likely does not study from class to class, does not schedule his or her time well, does not understand the learning process (i.e., the need for incremental, reinforced learning), and does not realize the pitfalls of studying alone. The image of a student staying up all night studying for a test certainly fits the "lone wolf" metaphor, doesn't it? The truth is, if you have incorporated the study skills we have discussed into your regular study habits - even just the one skill of "master each level" - preparing for a test is not very hard. It merely involves adjusting your schedule several days prior to the test to review the material. You should never have to cover new material when preparing for a test. 162 Chapter 5 There is, however, one major aspect of test-taking that distinguishes it from all other forms of studying and learning: time pressure. That is, to do your best on tests, you need to learn how to work under the pressure of time. Jennifer's Tip on Test Anxiety Most people get nervous before an exam. Test anxiety is a real thing and even a little bit of anxiety can affect your performance on the exam and even hinder your learning. There is a growing body of research that concludes that journaling about your feeling about the exam before an exam can reduce anxiety and improve test scores.[7] Feelings and thoughts of failing or inadequacy during an exam affects your ability to focus on the task at hand and do well on the exam. By acknowledging anxious thoughts-even without disclosing them to anyone-you are able to "set aside" those thoughts and focus on the exam. The good news is that it doesn't take much time or effort. If you suffer from test anxiety or nervousness, spend the 10 minutes before an exam jotting down your thoughts and feelings about the exam. Be as open as possible with yourself and explore your feelings. Just those few minutes could free up working memory, which you'll need for that exam! Here are some useful tips that will improve your performance on tests and lessen your anxiety about taking them. Several days before a test, spend a portion of your study time working problems under a time limit. If you can, obtain tests from previous semesters or, better yet, construct your own. Creating and taking your own practice exams will give you invaluable experience in solving problems under pressure, plus it will give you the added advantage of learning to "scope out" tests. In time you will significantly improve your ability to work under pressure and to predict what will be on tests. Unlike the student who stays up all night frantically cramming, be sure to get eight or nine hours of sleep before a test. Arrive at the test site early so you have ample time to gather your thoughts and be sure you have whatever materials you'll need: paper, pencils, allowed reference material, and acceptable computation tools. A certain amount of psyching yourself up, similar to what an athlete does prior to a big game, might be helpful; however, you don't want to get so nervous that you can't concentrate. TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES When you are given the test, don't start work immediately. Glance over the entire test first and quickly separate out the easier problems from the harder ones. Many instructors grade on a curve, which means that your grade will be based on its relation to the class's average performance, not your individual score alone. If this is the case, you also need to size up the overall difficulty of the test and guess what the class average will be. In fact, jot down your estimate so that you can compare it later with the actual outcome. Through this process, over time you will become adept at sizing up tests. Making the Learning Process Work For You 163 You will be able to recognize that on one test, it may take a score of 90 to get an "A," while on another test it may only require 50. Knowing that you only need to get a portion of the problems correct for a good grade will greatly affect the way you approach a test. Once you have sized up the test, don't start with the first problem; start with the easiest one. As you work the easier problems and accu- mulate points, your confidence will build and you will develop a certain momentum. Your brain will also work subconsciously on the other problems as you work on the easier ones. Then when you come to the more difficult problems you may have more ideas of how to solve than if you just started with that problem. This subconscious working only works if you first read through all the problems on the exam. But always keep an eye on the clock. If you divide the time available by the number of problems or points available, you will know approximately how much time to spend on each. Jennifer's Time-Tested Test Taking Strategy Read through the entire exam Workontheproblemsfromeasiesttomostdifficult(whatYOUthinkismosteasiest and most difficult)• Spend time proportional to points available 50 points on a 50 minute exam → spend 1 minute per point "Get stuck, move on, come back": Make a mark on the exam so you know you have to go back and finish. • If you don't have time to calculate the answers write down the equations you would use to solve the problem4. Go through the exam to make sure all questions are answered, especially those you had to move on from when you got stuck. As discussed in the text, you need to be aware of the time constraints and how much time you have left. Many professors will give verbal time cues (ask if they don't), and you can use these to help pace yourself. A general rule I use is that if I spend more than 3-5 minutes stuck on a problem I move on to the next. Your goal is to get as many points as possible and show the professor as much as possible how much you know. Getting stuck and not moving on reduces your chances for both more points and showing your knowledge. Use this as a guide to pace yourself. Also, try to complete a problem before leaving it, and avoid jumping from one uncompleted problem to another; since you will waste time getting 164 Chapter 5 restarted on each. However, if you are stuck on a problem, just sitting and staring will waste precious time you could be using to work on another problem. Just as your brain works sub- consciously on the problems you haven't started, if you are stuck and move on, your brain will continue to work on the part you were stuck on and when you come back, you might have an idea of how to finish the problem. Use the mantra during the exam: "get stuck, move on, come back." Although you are under a time constraint, be sure to work carefully and attentively, as careless mistakes can be very costly. It is probably smarter to work three of five problems carefully than to do all five carelessly. And by all means, never leave a test early. What do you have to do that could be more important than achieving the highest possible score on a test? If you have extra time, check and recheck your work. No matter how many times you proofread a term paper, mistakes can still be overlooked. The same is true for a test.

What are some behaviors to avoid with regards to professors?

Coming late to class Yawning or sleeping in class Talking in class Using a cell phone in class to search the Internet, play video games, or text Leaving class early Failing to do the assigned homework We are sure you can add to this list. The above behaviors also conflict with professors' belief that they are good teachers, as do other behaviors such as: • Correcting professors' mistakes in an antagonistic tone• Complaining that exams are too hard• Complaining that grading is unfair• Sending non-verbal messages to your professors that you dislike them personally

What is the new paradigm?

Collaboration and cooperation represent a major new paradigm in business and industry, replacing that of competition which began with the Industrial Revolution and held well into the twentieth century. Collaborative learning is consistent with modern engineering management practice and with what industry representatives tell us they want in our engineering graduates. Competition and individual achievement are outdated notions, and rightly so. W. Edwards Deming, father of the Total Quality Management (TQM) movement to use statistical methods to improve product quality, makes a compelling case[9]: "We have grown up in a climate of competition between people, teams, departments, divi- sions, pupils, schools, universities. We have been taught by economists that competition will solve our problems. Actually, competition, we see now, is destructive. It would be bet- ter if everyone would work together as a system, with the aim for everybody to win. What we need is cooperation and transformation to a new style of management... Competition leads to loss. People pulling in opposite directions on a rope only exhaust themselves. They go nowhere. What we need is cooperation. Every example of cooperation is one of benefit and gains to them that cooperate. Cooperation is especially productive in a system well managed." 170 Chapter 5 We hope you will seek opportunities for cooperation and collaboration with your other students, and that in doing so you will reap much greater rewards than you would have through competition and individual effort. On a concluding note, we want to stress that implementing the success strategies presented in this chapter requires you to change - change how you think about things (your attitudes) and change how you go about these things (your behaviors). Thus, the value of any of the strategies mentioned above - indeed, the value of this entire book - depends on the extent to which you can make such changes. To help you succeed in what can be a difficult process, in Chapter 6 you will learn about the psychology of change, along with ways to gain insights into yourself, and a detailed process for your personal growth and development will be presented.

Why do we use practice testing?

For the learning techniques in the "Learning Techniques" table, research has shown that practice testing improves learning in two ways. First, through what you learn by actually taking the test and, second, what you learn by re-studying the material after you took the test to address your weak spots. Testing might be the least-liked student activity, but if you see it in the light of being one of the best and most time-efficient learning strategy, you hopefully

What can your professors do for you?

Give you the benefit of the doubt on a border- line grade. Provide you with invaluable one-on-one in- struction. Give you academic advising, career guidance, and personal advice. Monitor your progress and hold you account- able for your performance. Help you find a summer job in industry and even hire you on their research grants. Serve as a valuable reference when you apply for jobs, either while Nominateyouforscholarshipsoracademicawards.

Dale Carnegie

How to Win Friends and Influence People - recommend to improve people skills.

What are the benefits of group study?

If you're still not convinced, then look at the issue from a different perspective. Instead of focusing on the weaknesses or problems of solitary study, consider the strengths or benefits of group study. In this light, you will find three very powerful, persuasive reasons for choosing the collaborative approach over the solitary one: 1. You'll be better prepared for the engineering work world. 2. You'll learn more.3. You'll enjoy it more. Each of these is discussed in the following sections. YOU'LL BE BETTER PREPARED FOR THE ENGINEERING WORK WORLD Whetheryou choose to study alone or with others often depends on what you think is the purpose of an en- gineering education. If you think the purpose of that education is to develop your proficiency at sitting alone mastering knowledge and applying that knowledge to solving problems, then that's what you should do. However, we doubt you will find anyone who will hire you to do that. It's not what practicing engineers do by and large. So if you spend your four or five years of engineering study sitting alone mastering knowl- edge and applying that knowledge to the solution of problems (and perhaps becoming very good at it), you will have missed out on much of what a quality engineering education should entail. A quality education trains you not only to learn and to apply what you learn, but also to communicate what you know to others, explain your ideas to others, listen to others explain their ideas to you, and engage in dialogues and discussions on problem formulations and solu- tions. You may come up with a very important "breakthrough" idea, but if you can't convince others of it, it is unlikely that your idea will be adopted. YOU'LL LEARN MORE Do you recall our earlier discussion of traditional teaching modes, all of which keep learning to a minimum? In essence, group study and collaborative learning pick up where those modes leave off—and the result is an increase in what you learn. There are a number of ways to explain how this happens. One is the adage that "two minds are better than one." Through collaborative study, not only will more information be brought to bear, but you will have the opportunity to see others' thought processes at work. Perhaps you have played the game Trivial Pursuit. It always amazes us how a small group of people working together can come up with the answer to a question that no member of the group working alone could have done. Another explanation comes from the claim that: Making the Learning Process Work For You 167 If you really want to learn a subject, teach it. It's true! When two students work together collaboratively, in effect, half the time one student is teaching the other and half the time the roles are reversed. YOU'LL ENJOY IT MORE Group study is more fun and more stimulating than solitary study, and because you'll enjoy it more, you are likely to do more of it. This wonderful benefit of group study can be illustrated by the following personal story. Ray's Own Experience with Group Study When I was working on my Ph.D., a close friend of mine and I took most of our courses together. To prepare for exams, we typically would meet early on a Saturday morning in an empty classroom and take turns at the board deriving results, discussing concepts, and working problems. Before we knew it, eight or ten hours would have passed. There is no way I would have spent that amount of time studying alone on a Saturday at home. Would you? The temptations of TV, the Internet, phones, email, and friends, along with the need to run errands or do work around the house, would surely have prevailed over my planned study time. By integrating my academic work with my social needs, I enjoyed studying more and did more of it.

What is the introduction of Chapter five?

In Chapter 3, we provided overviews of how your teaching is delivered and how your learning takes place. In Chapter 4, we presented approaches for taking full advantage of the teaching process. This chapter focuses on designing your learning process. We begin the chapter by discussing two important skills for learning - reading for compre- hension, analytical problem solving and effective learning techniques. Your effectiveness as a learner will depend to a great extent on how well you develop your skills in these areas. Next we examine powerful principles and approaches for organizing your learning process. The importance of keeping up in your classes is discussed and steps for mastering the material presented in each class are presented. Mastering the material presented in a class before the next class comes requires a strong commitment to both time management and priority manage- ment, so we explore these important topics in detail. We then describe approaches for preparing for and taking tests. Since the primary way you will be called on to demonstrate your learning will be through your performance on tests, it is imperative that you excel in this area. The chapter concludes with an in-depth discussion of making effective use of one of the most important resources available to you: your classmates. Working collaboratively with your peers, particularly in informal study groups, sharing information with them, and developing habits of mutual support will be critical factors in your academic success and the quality of education you receive.

What is the summary for chapter 4:

In this chapter, we presented strategies and skills for making the teaching process work for you. We began by likening the start of a course to the start of a race, pointing out that you need to be ready to go as soon as the "starting gun is fired" and discussing ways to ensure this happens. Then we discussed a number of important strategies and skills for taking full advantage of lectures. One of the most powerful of these is to prepare for lectures so that the lecture becomes a reinforcement of the material rather than an initial exposure. Other skills for getting the most out of your lectures, such as good listening, effective note-taking, and asking good questions in class, were covered as well. We next explored the contributions that faculty can make to the quality of your education, both in and out of the classroom. We explained that deriving these benefits is your responsi- bility to pursue and presented a variety of strategies and approaches for you to take in order to establish the kind of positive relationships with your professors you will need to receive these important "extras." In addition to the support that your professors can offer you, we listed other academic resources that can provide you equally valuable support. But, once again, you must assume responsibility for seeking them out and taking advantage of them. In the next chapter, we focus on how to make the learning process work for you. If you have implemented the skills and strategies presented in this chapter, you should have a strong foundation on which to build that process.

Explain procrastination:

Most students make the mistake of studying from test to test rather than from class to class. In doing so, they fall victim to a student's greatest enemy—procrastination. Procrastination is an attitude that says, "Do it later!" "Doing it later" rarely works in any course, but especially not in math, science, and engineering courses, in which each new concept builds on the previous ones. If you are a procrastinator for whatever reason, you are likely to ignore the sequential nature of engineering study, somehow thinking that you have the capability to absorb complex information all at once. So you can't realistically expect to succeed if you delay your studying until a test is imminent. That's why we tell you to "master each level." Procrastination is an important topic because it affects all of us. For example, when we ask our class: "How many of you would say—'I am a procrastinator'?" Most of the hands go 152 Chapter 5 up. So you see that most students (and, by the way, even professors) have to deal with ways to avoid procrastination. You may think of procrastination as doing nothing. But we're always doing something. Ultimately, procrastination involves choosing to put off something we know we should be doing and instead doing something we know we shouldn't be doing. And why would we do such a thing? Why would we delay an action we know we should be doing? There are lots of reasons: Fear of failure—Task is perceived as too dif- ficult: "If we don't attempt it, then we haven't failed." Fear of success—Accomplishing task might be resented by others, or success might bring responsibilities and choices that we view as threats or burdens. Low tolerance for unpleasant tasks—Task is viewed as not being enjoyable, e.g. "I am not in the mood of doing the task". Doing the task may bring some discomfort. Disorganized—Prefer to spend time worrying about not doing rather than doing. Unwilling to set priorities, develop a schedule, and stick to the schedule. There are many strategies for dealing with procrastination. If you find you're putting some- thing off because you think of it as unpleasant, a good approach is the ten-minute rule. Ac- knowledge, "I don't feel like doing that," but make a deal with yourself and do it for ten minutes anyway. After being involved in the activity for ten minutes, then decide whether to continue. Once you're involved, it's easier to stay with a task. If you're overwhelmed with the difficulty of a task, use the "Swiss Cheese Method." Poke holes in the big project by finding short tasks to do that will contribute to completion of the larger project. Procrastination is a big subject, with many complete books devoted to it. If you are a chronic procrastinator, you might want to learn more about the subject by reading one or more books about it, e.g., [2, 3, 4].

What are some tips for note taking?

Note only important details: Do not try to record everything the professor says. Include anything the professor writes on the board or conveys through visual aids (such as slides or overheads), for that usually signals "important details." Write down whatever you think you might encounter on the exam.

What are some guidelines for study groups and collaborative learning?

Once students embrace the concept of collaborative learning, they generally have questions on how to make it work. The three most frequently asked (and probably most important) questions are: • What percentage of my studying should be done in groups? • What is the ideal size of a study group?• What can be done to keep the group from getting off task? Although there are no definitive answers to these questions, the following points serve as reliable guidelines. PERCENTAGE OF TIME Certainly, you should not spend all of your study time working col- laboratively. We would suggest somewhere between 25 and 50 percent. Prior to coming to- gether, each member of a group should study the material and work as many problems as possible to gain a base level of proficiency. The purpose of the group work should be to re- inforce and deepen that base level of understanding. The better prepared group members are when they come together, the more they can accomplish during their study sessions. SIZE OF STUDY GROUP When you hear the term "study group," what size group do you think of? Five? Ten? Fifteen? Each size has some pro and cons. For example, a study group size of two, think study "partners." When two people work together, it is easier to maintain a balanced dialogue, where each is the "teacher" for half the time. 168 Chapter 5 Triads can work well too. In larger groups, however, it can be difficult to en- sure equal participation and members often feel the need to compete for their fair share of the time. Even between study partners, a conscious effort may be required to keep one of the two from dominating the dia- logue. Our advice is to keep the groups small. If more people come together to study, it's okay. Generally, subgroups of twos or threes will develop. Richard Felder of North Carolina State University has the following view on study group size: We would encourage you to experiment to see what works best for you. STAYING ON TASK You may find it difficult to stay on task when working with others. There are no simple solutions to this problem, for it really boils down to students' discipline and commitment to their education. Once again, though, size may be a factor. The larger the group, the more difficult it will be to keep everyone focused on academics. Yet even in groups of two or three, staying on task can be a problem. We have found it helpful to split up a group's meeting time into a series of short study sessions with breaks between sessions. Agree, for example, to study for 50 minutes and then take a ten-minute break. After the break, it's back to work for another 50 minutes, followed by another ten-minute break, and so on. If nothing else seems to help your group to stay on task, you're left with only one solution: Just do it.

What is a general overview of learning techniques?

The least effective learning technique listed is rereading. Not that there is no effect on your learning if you reread material, but we hope you see the significantly higher effectiveness to first analyze what you don't understand through a practice test and then reread only what you need. You will receive the highest benefit by having short practice tests that are spaced out over time. Distributed practice is the opposite of cramming. If you study regularly instead of cram- ming you will have better recall of the material you studied (this relates to what we discussed when we talked about the forgetting curve in Chapter 3.4 on page 100). Interleaved practice suggests you should mix up problems instead of blocking them by topic and work through them sequentially. For example, say you have three topics to study, and each topic has three practice problems. Implementing interleave practice would be to do one problem related to each topic instead of doing all three problems related to one topic.

Explain take responsibility for winning over your professors?

To make effective use of your professors, you first must overcome any fear or intimidation of them you may feel. Being awed by your professors is a natural inclination since they are older and better educated, and they often project a confident "know it all" attitude. As a result, you may think that your professors don't care about you—or even that they are somehow "against" you. But this isn't true. After all, most professors chose an academic career because they like teaching and enjoy working with students. Remember, too, professors are human beings just like you, and they have similar needs, fears, and insecurities as you do. They may very much need to be liked, want you to think they are good teachers, need to impress you with their knowledge, or fear that they might make a mistake and reveal that they don't have a total command of their subject matter. Once you get past any feelings of fear or awe, you need to realize that winning over your professors is your responsibility. You must take the initiative in establishing positive relation- ships with them.Ex

Explain tutoring as a benefit?

Tutors are an excellent source of the type of one-on-one instruction discussed previously in this chapter. Some students are reluctant to utilize tutors, equating the need for tutoring with an admission they are doing poorly or need help. After what we've said about the myth of "succeeding on your own," you should realize how unfounded and counterproductive such reluctance is. If, however, you find yourself in this bind—in need of help but resistant to seek tutoring—try looking at tutoring in a more positive light: as an opportunity for you to have a dialogue with an expert on a subject you want to learn. Your university may provide tutoring services through a variety of sources. Tutoring may be available through a campus-wide learning assistance center. Your mathematics department may run a math lab. Members of your engineering honor society, Tau Beta Pi, may provide tutoring as a service to the engineering college. If free tutoring is not available, you might find listings for tutors available for hire at your career center. You could also just ask an upper-class student to help you. Lots of students like to "show off" their knowledge.

Explain layout of notes:

Whether you take notes manually or type them on a computer, it's im- portant to lay out each page of your notes in a way that best facilitates your learning process. Our suggestion is that you format each page to allow for three content areas: 1. Your actual note taking2. Questions that your notes answer3. A summary of the content of each page of notes The Cornell Note-Taking System, developed by Walter Pauk at Cornell University[1] and illustrated below, provides an excellent template with three structured areas - a place for your notes ("Note Taking Area"), a place for questions ("Cue Column"), and a place for a summary ("Summary Area"). A Microsoft Word template for Cornell Note Taking can be found at: https://www.timeatlas.com/cornell-note-template/ If you prefer to take your notes manually, use a standard 8 1 ′′ × 11′′ sheet of paper and 2 ′′ divide it as the illustration below shows. Allow a 6′′ × 9′′ note-taking area, a 2 12 margin on the left side for questions, and a 2′′ margin at the bottom for your summary. Making the Most Out of How You Are Taught 127 Take your notes as you normally would, but restrict them to the 6′′ × 9′′ note-taking area. Leave the cue column and the summary area blank. In Chapter 5 we will discuss how to use the blank areas as part of your learning process. Whether you use the format above or just the old, reliable "fill-up-one-page-and-then-go- to-the-next-page" approach, remember that if you don't write something important down, it is unlikely you will be able to recall it later. Research in brain cognition has repeatedly shown that human memory is mostly short-lived. Unless an idea or information is consistently reinforced over a long period of time, it is quickly forgotten—usually in a matter of days. Your only alternative, then, is to record important information. That's why note-taking is an essential academic success strategy.

Explain early course preparation:

he beginning of a course can be likened to the beginning of a race. When the starting gun is fired, you have to be off and running. Oth- erwise you will spend the whole race trying to catch up-something you are unlikely to be able to do. You should be ready to "fire on all cylinders" from the get go. This means that you are in the right class, are mentally prepared, and have your textbook and other appropriate materials. Ideally, you will have reviewed your course selection with your academic advisor. This all begins with the process of selecting your courses, ideally through an academic advisement session with your advi- sor. Being in the right class means that you have the necessary background and prerequisites that the course requires and that its meeting time(s) fit into an overall manageable workload. When multiple sections of the same course are available to you, the selection of a specific section can be based on an evaluation of the various instructors. Sources of information about instructors include other students, other professors, and published student opinion survey re- sults. Published Student Ratings—Be Aware! You probably are aware of the so called Professor ratings. A personal talk to a student who had a course with a professor is always better than reading anonymous online re- views/ratings. If you do consult anonymous online reviews/ratings, make sure you in- terpret what is written there carefully. For example, a comment like "this was the best professor I ever have" doesn't tell you anything (what does "best ever" mean? Did the student learn the material or was the professor just entertaining?). You will also see com- ments which will be clearly negative. Think about the comment: was the student upset about the grade she/he received? Does the student blame the professor for reasons that would have been in the student's control (e.g. study the material for themselves outside of the class to learn the material)? Typically people tend to express their negative feel- ings more than they do their positive ones. After all, if you attended a course and the professor did a good job, would you write a review? So be aware if students vent their frustration in online reviews/ratings, and interpret the reviews accordingly. Never use on- line reviews/ratings as your sole resource to make a decision which course to take. You may miss out on having a great professor. Mental preparation is not unlike getting psyched up for an important competition. As the start of the course approaches, check your mental frame of mind. Are you excited and focused? Are you clear that taking this class is important to you and you want to be there? If not, remind yourself of what you learned in Chapter 2 about why you want to be an engineer and review 120 Chapter 4 how this course fits into your road-map for accomplishing that goal. Don't Be Lulled into Complacency Often a course starts slowly, with only a small amount of material presented in the first few classes. Don't use this as an excuse for getting off to a slow start. Remember how we likened the start of a course with the start of the race. Instead of being lulled into complacency, use the slow start to get on top of the course material. Later we will discuss the importance of mastering the material presented in each class before the next class comes. Make a resolve to adopt this approach from day one! ACQUIRING TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER MATERIALS You should get your textbooks right away - perhaps immediately after you register for a course. Don't wait until the term starts. You can benefit from scanning your textbooks and even studying the first few chapters during the break period preceding the start of the next term. Also, it is not uncommon for a campus bookstore to run out of books - and you can't afford to be without a book for the several weeks it might take additional texts to arrive. If you do buy your books early, save your receipts and refrain from writing in the books so you can return them if necessary. If money is a problem, consider buying used books either from your bookstore or from In- ternet book dealers such as Amazon.com or eBay.com (although used books may be more difficult to return). Another choice to consider is e-books. An increasing number of college textbooks are avail- able in this format, although the more specialized the subject the less likely it will be available as an e-book. Among the advantages of e-books are lower cost, live links, searchable text, and readability (e.g., font size can be adjusted). Among the cons are lack of availability and the need for a reader (Kindle, iPad, etc.). Perhaps the biggest issue is your personal preference. Do you prefer to read from a printed book or a digital display? In case you are unsure if you can use an e-book in class or even in the exam (open book exam), make sure you contact your instructor to clarify if you can use an e-book before you invest your money (many instructors do not allow electronic devices in exams and that could include an e-book reader). Make sure you have other materials you need as well. These would include a notebook for taking notes and other supplies and equipment such as a laptop and/or a hand-held calculator. Contact your advisor or instructors in your major to acquire what type of laptop/tablet is best suited for your engineering studies before buying.

What are some convergent level questions?

represent the analysis and integration of given or remem- bered information. These questions usually begin with "Why," "How," or "In what ways," and their answers involve explaining, stating relationships, and comparing and contrasting. Exam- ples are: Why do we use AC current rather than DC current in our homes? How does a microwave oven work? In what ways does the Linux operating system differ from the Windows operating sys- tem?

Explain how to win over your professors?

iven what you now know, a good way to win over your professors is to send them messages that you find their subject both interesting and important, and that you value them as a teacher. You can start by practicing the opposite of the behav- iors listed above. Be on time to class. Sit in the front. Pay attention. Ask questions. Volunteer to answer questions the professor asks the class. Apply yourself to the assigned homework. There is also a much more direct way. Just tell them! In our experience, professors get far too few compliments. We are not sure why students are so re- luctant to tell their professors that they like the course, are interested in the subject, or appreciate the good job the professor is doing in teaching the class. We can assure you that doing so will go a long way toward winning over your professors. One additional strategy for developing a positive relationship with your professors: show interest in them. Visit one or more of your professors during their office hours and ask them questions like: "Where did you go to college?" "How did you choose your technical specialty?" "How did you decide to become a teacher?" Students who did this reported very positive expe- riences from such interactions. Try it! REFLECTION Reflect on the list of "behaviors to avoid." Do you engage in any of these behaviors? If so, make a commitment to stop them. Are there additional behaviors to avoid that should be on this list? Make a commitment to stop those as well. 134 Chapter 4 And a final bit of advice. Make the effort to know your professors' names. One of Dale Carnegies "Six Ways to Make People Like You" is: MAKE SURE YOUR PROFESSORS KNOW YOUR NAME Do your professors know your name? Probably not. Professors are busy people generally with too many students to learn and retainall of their names. But they do know some of their students' names and why shouldn't you be one of those? Set a goal of having your professors know your name and take responsibility for making it happen.

What is the process of learning from your notes?=

tep 1—Study and annotate your notes. Read/Goover each page of your notes and fill in any missinginformation. Add words, phrases, facts, or steps in aderivation you may have skipped or missed, and fixany difficult-to-decipher jottings. As you study your notes, enliven them by making liberal use of colored pens or pencils. Highlight important points by underlining, circling or boxing, or using arrows. Step2—QuestionorReduce. Formulateaquestionansweredbyeachmajortermorpointin your notes and write it in the Cue Column. This is a little bit like the TV game show Jeopardy where the contestants are given the answer and asked to supply the question. An alternative approach would be to reduce each main idea or set of facts into a key word or phrase and write it in the Cue Column. Step 3—Summarize. Write a summary of each page in the Summary Area at the bottom. Summarizing forces you to think about the broader context of the lecture. Your summary should answer the questions: "What is this page about?" and "How does it fit into the day's lecture?" These summaries will be particularly helpful in finding key information when you are studying for an exam. 154 Chapter 5 Step 4—Recite. Once you have studied and annotated your notes and filled in the Cue Column and the Summary Area for each page, it is time for the most important step in your learning process: recitation. The pro- cess of reciting is relatively straightforward. Go back to the first page and cover the Note- Taking Area with a blank sheet. Read the first question or key word in the Cue Column. If you wrote questions, answer each question in your own words. If you wrote key words, de- scribe the main idea or set of facts referred to. Ideally, you should recite out loud. If you are reluctant or unable to do this, recite by writing out your answers. Slide the blank sheet down to check your answer. If your answer is wrong or incomplete, try again. Continue this process until you have gone all the way through your notes. Step5—Reflect. Afteryouhavecompletedthefirstfourstepsabove,takesometimetoreflect on what you have learned. Ask yourself questions like, "What's the significance of what I have learned?" "How do the main ideas of this lecture fit together into a bigger picture?" "How do they fit into what I already know?" "What are some possible applications of the key ideas from this lecture?" "Which ideas are clear?" "Which ideas are confusing?" "What new questions do the ideas raise?" Step 6—Review. Working through the process above will not only increase the amount you learn from your lectures and notes, it will also convert your lecture notes into study notes for future reviews. We suggest you review all your notes once each week. Doing so won't take much time but will pay off immensely in the long term. You'll find that if you spend just ten minutes to review your notes weekly, you'll retain most of what you initially learned. Then give your notes a more thorough review when you prepare for a test and then again when you prepare for the final exam. And don't forget to use reciting to reinforce what you have learned during each review session. READING/RE-READING THE TEXT Next, read or re-read the text material (re-read if you already read the text to prepare for the lecture). Follow the "Reading for Comprehension" methodology described in Section 5.1. Resist your urge to skim over the material in order to get to assigned problems. Read or re-read to understand the concepts and make reciting a key part of your reading process. Also make use of any "Check Your Understanding" questions that might be available to you to analyze what you might need to re-read. SOLVE PROBLEMS As previously discussed, solving one or two problems, even if that's all your professor assigns, will not ensure an adequate level of understanding. If time permits, work all of the problems in the book. If more time is available, work them a second time. Practice, practice, practice! The more problems you solve, the more you will learn. Remember: Making the Learning Process Work For You 155

Explain preparing for lectures?

4.2 PREPARING FOR LECTURES Preparing for lectures is a powerful and effective strategy for success and an excellent opportunity to reinforce your learning. The idea of preparation is second nature for both en- gineering professors and engineering professionals. An engineering professor wouldn't think 122 Chapter 4 of coming to a lecture unprepared and a practicing engineer wouldn't think of coming to a meeting unprepared. It is unfortunate that so few students prepare for lectures—or even know how to do it efficiently—for it yields so many benefits. It's a little like warming up for a physical workout. Students who take time to prepare for their lectures go into the lecture with more interest, follow the lesson with more ease, and come away with more knowledge than those who walk in "cold". All these benefits derive from preparation's role in the reinforcement process of learning. If you study a lecture topic in advance, even briefly, the lecture be- comes your first reinforcement, rather than your initial exposure to the subject. Thus, both your level of learn- ing and interest are enhanced. In their excellent book How to Study in College[1], Walter Pauk and Ross J. Q. Owens put it this way: While preparing adequately for your lectures does require effort on your part, it's not all that difficult or time-consuming. Prior to class - the night before or, if feasible, during the hour just before class begins - review your notes from the previous class, read over the next section in your text, try a few of the problems at the end of the chapter, and write down questions about things you're unsure of. Try to do this for at least a week or two to see how such little effort can have a big im- pact on what you get out of your lectures. We are sure you'll be surprised by the results and subsequently make this part of your regular study routine. Each lecture can be viewed as a piece of a puzzle. The more pieces you have in place, the more you know about the shape and size of the pieces that remain. The course syllabus, the notes from your last lecture, and related reading assignments can all function as these puzzle pieces as you prepare for a lecture.

Explain recitations/problem solving sessions?

A common teaching mode is large lectures (100 to 300 students or more) accompanied by small recitations. Recitations are generally taught by graduate students serving as teaching assistants. The purpose of the recitation is to amplify and reinforce the main concepts from the lecture and to work on problems. While there is a limited opportunity for you to ask questions in large lectures, you will find more than ample opportunity to ask questions in recitations. To get the most out of recitations, it is important that you have studied the material presented in the lecture and attempted the assigned problems.

Explain tips for after you read:

AFTER YOU READ Once you have read your text, most of the learning is still ahead of you. The following are three important tasks to perform after your reading: recite and reread, review, and solve problems. Recite and teach.—Recall that dur-ing the process of preparing for yourreading, you formulated questions youwould like to have answered by thereading. Recite answers to those ques-tions. If you need to, reread sectionsof the text. Again, it is preferable to re-cite aloud. Even better, recite to others.One of the best ways to learn any-thing is to teach it to someone else.Form a study group or meet with a study partner and practice teaching each other what you have learned from the reading (more detail on group study is covered in Section 5.4). You can even tell friends and family members what you are learning. Talking about what you have learned is a powerful way to reinforce it. Review—Recall from Chapter 3 that learning is a reinforcement process. Only through repeated exposure to information can we move it from our short-term memory to our long-term memory. Plan to do your first complete review within one day. Review the important points in the text and recite some of the main points again. Do it again in a week and then when you prepare for a quiz or exam and again when you prepare for the final examination (we covered the review process in Section 3.4). Solve Problems—Once you have read your text for comprehension, it's time to work problems. Being able to solve problems with speed and accuracy is to a great extent what you will be judged on in your math/science/engineering coursework and exams. This requires both a systematic problem-solving approach and lots and lots of practice. You can't work too many problems. First, do any assigned problems. Don't stop there though. If possible, work all the problems in the book. If you still have time, work them again. Most of the problems you will encounter in math/science/ engineering coursework can be described as "analysis" problems. Because of the importance of this type of problem in your 146 Chapter 5 education, the next section discusses a methodology for analytical problem-solving. Before you read on, try the exercise to illustrate the principles of reading for comprehen- sion.

Explain guidelines around texting your professor?

Although texting isa common means of communication among friendsand family, it is not widely used for communication be-tween students and professors. It is unlikely that yourprofessors will provide you with their cell phone num-bers and encourage you to text them. But you certainlycan ask whether they are open to it. Don't be surprised,however, if the answer is "no." If your professor doesinvite you to text him or her, use this privilege sparingly, perhaps only when time is of the essence. Receiving numerous text messages can be onerous and distracting.

Explain course syllabus:

Generally, each of your professors will give you a course syllabus during the first week of the term. The syllabus can be a gold mine of valuable information. Our advice is to study the syllabus thoroughly and keep it in a readily accessible place so you can revisit it frequently. Course Information Sample Syllabus Content Course title, course number, credit hours, prerequisites, classroom location, dates and times class meets Instructor Information Full name, title, office location, office phone number, email address, office hours Textbook(s) Title, author, date (and edition), publisher, cost, extent to be used, other reference materials Course Description/Objectives Course description, instructional methods, content, goals, and objectives. Note: This item could range from as little as a repeat of the course description from the college catalog to a listing of detailed educational objectives, i.e., what students are expected to be able to do to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes learned in the course. Course Calendar/Schedule Daily (or weekly) schedule of topics, reading assignments, problem assignments, exam dates, due dates for assignments, special events (e.g., field trips, guest speakers, etc.) Course Policies Attendance, lateness, class participation, missed exams or assignments, lab safety/health, emergency evacuation, academic dishonesty Basis of Grading Percentage of grade devoted to quizzes, final exam, homework, projects, essays and term papers, attendance, class participation Available Support Services Library references, learning center, computer resources, disability resource center The syllabus should contain most or all of the above information. Since all of the items shown are things you need to know, if any are missing from the syllabus, we encourage you to find them out by asking your professor. Hopefully this

what is the introduction for chapter 4:

In Chapter 3, we provided an overview of how your teaching is delivered. In this chapter we will focus on how to take full advantage of that teaching process. By doing so, you will ensure you have a sound foundation on which to build your learning process. Specific ways to design your learning process are presented in the next chapter. We begin this chapter by discussing early course preparation. We will emphasize that the start of a course is very important and that you need to be in the right courses, with the best available teachers, and have your textbooks and other materials. We will also discuss the course syllabus as a potential source of important information. We then present a number of strategies and skills for taking full advantage of your lec- tures. One of the most powerful of these strategies is to prepare for lectures so that the lecture becomes a reinforcement of the material rather than an initial exposure to it. Other skills for getting the most out of your lectures are covered as well; skills such as listening, asking ques- tions, and taking notes. Next, we discuss strategies for making effective use of your professors, another important resource both in and out of the classroom. There are many benefits your professor can provide to you. After describing these benefits, we will teach you how to build the kind of positive relationships with your professors that you will need in order to obtain these benefits. We close the chapter with a section on "Utilizing Tutors and Other Academic Resources." Taking advantage of these resources will require initiative on your part, but the benefits are well worth the effort.

Explain one last thought?

More and more professors are turning to PowerPoint presentations for their lectures as an alternative to writing on a whiteboard or chalkboard. Ideally, you will be given copies of the slides, allowing you to concentrate mainly on listening to the lecture and jotting down important points rather than taking comprehensive notes. If you are not provided with copies of the PowerPoint slides, it will be virtually impossible for you to both transcribe 128 Chapter 4 the information on the slides and take notes on what the professor says. So do your best to capture the main ideas.

What is a general overview of problem analysis?

Much of your engineering education, however, particularly in the first several years, will not deal with open-ended problems but rather will focus on "analysis problems", typically en- counter in homework and exam problems. Gener- ally, analysis problems have one single right answer. They typically involve translating a physical problem into a mathematical model and solving the resulting equations for the answer. The problem statement will be provided to you by your instructor either in the form of a handout or a problem from your textbook. The principles you need to solve the problem will typically be contained in your text material, although you may need to draw on knowledge from prerequisite courses. Your success in engineering study will depend, to a great extent, on your ability to solve such problems ac- curately and often under time pressure. Real-world problem-solving is, for the most part,not a science but rather an art. It involves learning,thinking, logic, creativity, strategies, flexibility, intu-ition, and trial and error. Even so, becoming a pro-ficient analytical problem-solver can best be accom-plished if you adopt, practice, and become proficient in the following four-step systematic approach (adapted from famous mathematician George Pólya) [1]. This approach is not an algorithm (i.e., a series of steps that if applied correctly are guaranteed to lead to a solution) but rather a heuristic (a general set of guidelines for approaching problem-solving that do not guarantee a solution).

What are three important skills for learning?

Much of your learning will depend on how well you understand information pre- sented in written materials. You can ex- pect that much of this material will be highly technical in nature. In fact, a typical four- year engineering curriculum will include about three years (96 semester credit hours) of technical courses (math, physics, chem- istry, engineering, computing) and one year (32 semester credit hours) of non-technical (humanities, social science, communication skills) courses. Although the methodology you learn in this section can be applied to both your tech- nical and non-technical courses, it is particu- larly important for your technical courses. One important difference in reading tech- nical material is "speed." You may equate having "good" reading skills with being a fast reader and even consider taking a "speed reading" course. Speed reading may be helpful in reading a novel for pleasure or for reading the morning newspaper, but trying to read too fast may work against you in your technical courses. Mastering mathematics, science, and engineering content is generally a slow, repetitive process that requires active participation on your part. There are a number of methodologies for reading for comprehension. All involve develop- ing your skills in three areas: • What you do before you read • What you do while you read • What you do after you read BEFORE YOU READ The amount you learn from a reading task can be greatly enhanced by taking a few minutes to do three things before you start reading: Purpose—Establish a purpose for your reading. The purpose might be entertainment or pleasure. Or it might be to find out one single piece of information. However, in technical courses, more often than not the purpose is to comprehend principles and concepts that will enable you to solve problems at the end of a section or chapter in a textbook. Survey—Decide on the specific scope/size of the reading (one page, one section, one 144 Chapter 5 3. chapter). Devote a few minutes to survey/skim/preview that page, section, or chapter. Look at headings and subheadings. Inspect drawings, diagrams, charts, tables, figures, and photographs. Read the introductory section or paragraph and the summary section or paragraph. Question—Write down questions that you want to answer from the reading. A useful technique is to turn section headings and subheadings into questions. For example, some questions you might have written down for this section are: What do I need to learn to do before I read? What are the benefits of doing these things? What are some of the things that might keep me from doing them?

Explain the value of face to face instruction?

Of these roles, there is one in particular we'd like to expand on briefly, and that is one-on-one instruction—for this is probably the most valuable and beneficial role your professor can play outside of class. One-on-one instruction is one of the best ways to learn, especially if the interaction is between an expert (i.e., teacher/professor) and novice (i.e., student). It is often referred to as Making the Most Out of How You Are Taught 131 the Socratic method, named after the Greek philosopher Socrates, who used this method when he taught over 2,500 years ago. The primary advantage of the Socratic method is that the teacher can know immediately if the student understands the subject of their dialogue and, if necessary, adapt the lesson on the spot to ensure that the student truly learns it. This teaching method would be ideal for engineering education—daily extended one- on-one meetings between just you and your professors—but realistically it is not possi- ble. The most we can do is try to keep the teacher/student ratio as low as possible, while providing as many opportunities as possi- ble for one-on-one instruction outside of the classroom or lecture hall. One of these opportunities, and perhaps the best, is the weekly office hours that every professor is required to keep. In fact, the primary purpose of office hours is to give students the chance to work one-on-one with their instructors. If a student's schedule conflicts with his or her professor's office hours, as is often the case, most professors are willing to make appointments to meet with students at other times. We urge you to use this opportunity regularly and frequently. As your education progresses, look for other opportunities to work one-on-one with your professors, such as offering to help them in their research projects or help out in their labs. Not only will such interactions enable you to learn more about engineering, you will establish the kind of relationships with your professors you need to derive the many benefits they can offer you.

Explain during lectures"

Once you have prepared for a lecture, there are several tactics that will help you get the most out of the lecture: sit near the front, concentrate on the material being presented, practice good listening skills, take thorough notes, and ask questions. SIT NEAR THE FRONT Studies show that students who sit near the front of the classroom perform better than those who sit in the back. Sitting near the front has several obvious but important advantages. You will hear better, see better, have fewer distractions, and be better positioned if you want to ask a question or otherwise get your professor's attention. If you cannot sit in the front because, for example, all seats are already taken up front, try to sit as close to the center of the room as possible to still benefit from the aforementioned benefits. "BE HERE NOW" Getting the most out of your lectures requires that you learn how to keep your attention focused - i.e., that you "be here now." This is not easy, as most students - indeed, most people - have short attention spans. From time to time, your mind will wander to other thoughts. The result? You will tune out the lecture and perhaps miss important points. When your mind wanders, you need to immedi-ately "slap yourself" mentally and return your atten-tion to the lecture. Every time you do this, you willincreasingly strengthen your ability to concentrate onthe "here and now." (You'll find this ability extremelyvaluable not only in lectures but in many other situa-tions, both as a student and later as a practicing engineer. Just one example is the need to "stay on task" when working in study groups, an important success strategy we will discuss in Chapter 5.) One last point. Turn off your cell phone and your tablet/laptop computer (unless you are using it to take notes). Having one or both of these devices on will make it even harder for you to "be here now."

What are the different learning techniques?

Practice testing Use provided quizzes or come up with your own practice tests for to-be-learned material Distributed practice Distribute your study time in smaller sessions over a given period of time instead of having one long study session in the same time period Interleaved practice Mix problems; instead of doing all problems related to one topic and then all problems related to the next topic. Mix them up Elaborative interrogation and self-explanation Come up with your own explanation of a concept or theory ("say it in your own words"); state how the new information relates to what you already know; explain each step when you solve a problem Summarization Make summaries of your lecture notes; create your own equation sheets Highlighting/underlining Mark important parts of to-be-learned materials while reading Rereading Read over material again after an initial reading

What are the steps to solve a problem?

Step 1: Understand the problem. Read the problem carefully. Identify the question you are being asked to answer. Identify the unknown(s) and assign each unknown a symbol. List all known information. Draw a figure, picture, or diagram that describes the problem and label it with the information you have extracted from the problem statement. Step 2: Devise a plan. The goal of this step is to find a strategy that works. Because there are many possible approaches, this is perhaps the most difficult step in the problem-solving process. Think about possible relationships between the known information and the question you need to answer. Depending on the nature of the problem, the following is a list of problem- solving strategies to try: • Draw a diagram or make a table.• Determine the applicable fundamental concepts. • Apply assumptions to simplify the problem.• Write down applicable equations.• Consider special cases.• Think of a similar problem.• Solve an equivalent problem. Making the Learning Process Work For You 149 Step 3: Carry out the plan. Implementing the plan depends on the nature of the problem and the problem-solving strategy chosen. In all cases, work carefully and check each step as you proceed. By the time you reach this step, you should have reduced the problem to a purely mathematical one. Work through each step of any mathematical manipulations or derivations. Complete any required calculations using a calculator or computer. Take particular care to ensure correct handling of units, a frequent source of errors in engineering problem-solving. It also happens frequently that you may need to adapt your plan after some calculations because you encounter something you didn't think or recognized during Step 2. Step 4: Look Back. Examine the solution you obtained. Make sure it is reasonable, e.g. the result is within a range of expected values, the units work out and the sign (positive or negative) is as expected. Recheck your calculations and review your reasoning. Verify that your answer is consistent with the information given.

Explain taking handwritten notes:

Taking notes with pen and paper has its own considerations. One is whether to use a spiral notebook or a three-ring binder. Each offers advantages. With the three-ring binder, notes you take while reading the textbook, solutions to homework problems, and handouts and other reference materials can be easily integrated into your class notes. Another benefit is that you can spread your notes from a lecture out in front of you. On the other hand, if you use a spiral notebook, you're not likely to lose or mis- place anything you have written in it. Our Suggestion Take notes by hand. Research has shown that handwritten notes, compared to typing on a keyboard, has certain advantages for you. Since you cannot write as fast as you can type you will take more selective notes, i.e. write down what is important, instead of just copying verbatim. Notes written by hand are therefore also shorter, which makes the review process more effective. Furthermore, since writing by hand is a complex cognitive process, studies have shown that you will retain knowledge better compared to typing. Students who took notes by hand scored better on conceptual application questions than those who types the notes. You don't even need to use paper and pen since all these benefits are still the same if you use a digital pen on a tablet, and combines some of the benefits of using a tablet with the benefits of hand written notes.

What are some other academic resources available?

The academic resource center not only provides tutoring in math and science; it can also help you improve your reading, writing, and study skills. Your university library is certainly a source of important books, periodicals, online material, and other references to support your engineering education. It also holds work- shops and seminars on how to access all these sources of information. Reference librar- ians are available through email, chat, telephone, or in person to assist students indi- 138 Chapter 4 vidually in identifying and retrieving information for research, study, or personal use. Studentcomputerlabsprovideaccesstocomputerhardwareandapplicationssoftware, access to the Internet, resource materials, and training. Academic advising gives you help in reviewing your overall academic plan and your progress in following it as well as guidance in selecting courses for the next term. More information on this important academic resource can be found in Chapter 8. The university/college catalog is your "bible" of important academic information such as rules and regulations, college and department information, curricular requirements, and course descriptions. Yourregistrar'sofficecanhelpyouwithvariousacademicprocedures,includingchang- ing majors, dropping and adding classes, enacting/processing grade changes, and trans- ferring course credits from other institutions. To find out what your campus offers and where these services can be found, check your uni- versity or college webpage, catalog, or department or school student handbook. Freshman orientation programs are also helpful for learning about student services. And don't forget one of your best resources: other students.

What is the summary of chapter five?

This chapter addressed the important topic of "Making the Learning Process Work for You." Effective learning involves many skills and, as in developing any skill, practice makes perfect. We began the chapter by discussing three very important learning skills: reading for com- prehension, analytical problem solving, and learning techniques. Your success in engineering study will depend in large part on your skill in these areas. We then described the process of organizing your learning process. We emphasized perhaps the most important academic success strategy in the chapter, if not in the entire book - the need to keep up in your classes by mastering the material presented in each class before the next class comes. Approaches for mastering material, along with important time and priority management skills, were also presented. Next we discussed strategies for preparing for and taking tests. This subject deserves partic- ular attention since most of your grade in math/science/engineering coursework will be based on your performance on tests and exams. The chapter concluded with approaches for making effective use of one of the most impor- tant resources available to you - your classmates. By working collaboratively with your peers, particularly in informal study groups, sharing information with them, and developing habits of mutual support, you will learn more and enjoy your education more. At the same time, you will become well-prepared for the engineering work world, where teamwork and cooperation are highly valued.

What are some tips for while you read?

WHILE YOU READ Following is a list of suggestions for improving your comprehen- sion when reading technical material. Never sit down to study without a pa- per and pen or pencil at hand. You'll need them for sketching graphs, check- ing derivations, summarizing ideas, and raising questions. This approach to active reading is very important. Focus on concepts, not exercises orproblems. The goal of most technicalcoursework is to enable you to under-stand concepts that can be applied to avariety of problems. Rather than focus-ing on how one particular problem issolved, first aim to understand the gen-eral concepts thoroughly. Pay close at-tention to the mathematical formulas.Work carefully through each derivation. Take time to absorb graphs and figures. One of the biggest mistakes students make is to skim over the material in order to get on with the homework problems. Don't truncate the learning process in your rush to get an assignment done. Don't try to read too quickly. In a half hour, you might read 20-60 pages in a novel. But expect to spend the same half hour on just a few lines of technical material. (Mathematics says a lot with a little!) Become an active participant in your learning process. At every stage, decide whether the concept presented was clear. Ask questions. Why is the concept true? Do I really understand it? Could I explain it to someone else? Do I have a better way to explain it? Write down anything that you don't understand. Where possible, frame it in the form of a question. Seek to answer such questions by re-reading the text or using alternate sources such as other textbooks or the Internet. Pose the questions to other students or to your instructor during his or her office hours. As you read, there may be questions that Making the Learning Process Work For You 145 pique your curiosity but are not answered in the reading material. Take on the challenge of finding the answers to these questions. • Periodically stop reading and recite what you have read. Using your own words, repeat to yourself (ideally aloud) what you have read. This is perhaps the most important step in the reading process. If the material is difficult, you may want to recite after reading just one paragraph. By reciting, you implant the knowledge in your brain. Do not look at the book as you recite. If you can't remember what you read, reread the material.

What are some traits of a good listener?

Works at finding value in all topics. Listens to discover new knowledge. Judges value of the content rather than the delivery. Listens for central themes. Uses them as anchor points for the entire lecture. Works hard at listening; remains alert. Focuses on understanding completely rather than coming up with opposing views. Fights distractions; ignores bad habits of other students; knows how to concentrate. Resists difficult material; Welcomes difficult material as exercise for the mind. Does not get hung up on emotionally-charged words or ideas; listens with an open mind. Daydreams and lets mind Uses extra time to think more deeply about what the lecturer is saying; summarizes what has been covered.

What are some guidelines when emailing your professor?

Write from your college or university email account— Shows that your email is le- gitimate and not spam. Include the course number in your subject line—Relieves your professor of the chore of figuring out what class you're in. Use an appropriate greeting—"Hi/Hello/Dear Professor " is always appropriate. Don't use "Hey " Avoid first names unless you have been specifically invited to do so. Avoid "Dr." unless you are sure the professor has a doctoral degree. When you get a reply—Express your gratitude by replying with "Thank you". Try to avoid sending a second message that requires the professor to respond again. 136 Chapter 4 • Things to avoidRote apologies (better to relate any sad or serious circumstances in person) Unexpected attachmentsCriticism of the professor or other studentsRequests for information you can find from other sourcesEmail abbreviations and jargon you might use with a friendEmoticonsExclamation pointsQuotations from famous people in your signature lineAnything you would not say in a face-to-face meeting with your professor Making unreasonable demands on your professor's time • Things to doBe clear, concise, and politeIf you are emailing with a problem, suggest a reasonable solution Capitalize and punctuate correctlyProofread what you've writtenSign with your full name, course number, and meeting time

What are some disadvantages of taking notes on a computer?

You have to bring your laptop or tablet to class. You may type more slowly than you write. (Note: To improve your typing speed, try one of the many online programs such as www.keybr.com It's free. And it's fun!) You have to worry about battery life and remember to back up your notes. You can only see a portion of your notes at one time. Note taking on the computer is not generally appropriate in courses that have lots of equations (i.e., most math/science/engineering courses).

Explain understanding what your professors do?

You might benefit from understanding what university professors do. By doing so, you can be more sensitive to the demands placed on them and be more effective in building relationships with them. University professors do much more than teach classes. In fact, they are expected to perform in three primary categories: • Teaching • Research • Service The teaching category includes not only classroom teaching but also course and cur- riculum development, laboratory development, academic advising, and supervision of student projects or theses. The research category includes creating and organizing new knowledge; disseminating and organizing new knowledge through publication of research papers, textbooks, software, and presentations at scholarly meetings; participation in professional societies and other ac- tivities that keep the faculty member up-to-date technically; and generating funds to support research. The service category may include community involvement, participation in faculty gov- ernance through service on university committees, public service, consulting, and a variety of other activities. Although most universities expect a faculty member to demonstrate accomplishments in all three categories, the relative importance given to each varies from one university to the Making the Most Out of How You Are Taught 135 next, depending on the characteristics of the institution. At one end are the so-called "research universities," which emphasize success in creating new knowledge, publishing the results, and obtaining funds to support these activities. Teaching loads at these institutions are relatively light—usually one or two courses a term. At the other end of the spectrum are predominately undergraduate universities, which em- phasize teaching. At these institutions, the teaching load is generally heavier - usually three to four courses a term. Some research or equivalent professional activity also is expected of faculty members, but much less than at research institutions.

What are some advantages of taking notes on a computer?

You will have a perfectly legible set of notes. You can keep all your notes in one place - orga- nized and safe (provided you back them up). Sharing your notes electronically with others is easy. Your notes will be searchable. You can download information from websites or other electronic sources directly into your note file. You can move information around easily.

What are evaluation level thinking questions?

are those dealing with matters of judgment, value, and choice. These questions usually begin with "Defend," "Judge," "Justify," "What do you think about," "What is your opinion about." Examples might include: Could you justify why two years of calculus is required in the engineering curriculum? What do you think about the new drop/add policy? What is your opinion about the value of mandatory academic advising?

What are divergent thinking questions?

are those that require you to formulate answers by com- bining elements in a new pattern or proposing alternative solutions. These questions usually begin with "Imagine," "Suppose," "Predict," "If . . . then," "How might," "What are some of the possible consequences," "What could be changed to improve." These are often described as open-ended questions. Answers to these questions involve predicting, hypothesizing, inferring, reconstructing, or designing. Some examples: Suppose Einstein had never discovered his "Theory of Relativity." How would things be different now? How might you go about improving your writing skills? What could be changed to improve the gas mileage of SUVs? What are some of the possible consequences of global warming on engineering job op- portunities in the future?

What is the book's general approach to problem solving?

ecause there are so many types of prob- lems, there are many different problem-solving methodologies. For example, you undoubtedly learned in high school about the scientific method in which a hypothesis is developed to explain some observed physical phenomenon and then tested through experiment. You also learned about the engineering design process in Chapter 2 of this book. Both are specific problem- solving methodologies. A general approach for solving problems involves the following steps: Figure out where you are (problem definition). Figure out where you want to be (e.g., customer need or business opportunity). Determine what resources are available. Identify any constraints. Develop possible solutions that could solve the problem while staying within available resources and not violating any of the constraints. Choose the best solution. Implement it. If you master this problem-solving approach, you will not only be able to use it in your work as an engineering professional, but also in all aspects of your personal life. It can be applied to such varied problems as buying a new TV, dealing with your car breaking down in the middle of nowhere, finding a job, running for president of your engineering student organization, starting your own company, or stopping the re-zoning of an area of your neighborhood. All of these examples and most real engineering problems can be described as open-ended problems, meaning that they have no single right answer or solution.

What are some memory level questions?

exhibit memory of previously learned material by recalling facts, terms, basic concepts, and answers. These questions usually begin with "Who," "What," Making the Most Out of How You Are Taught 129 "Where," or "When." Memory-level questions often solicit a "Yes" or "No" or very short an- swer. Examples might be: • Who invented the electric light bulb?• What chapters will be covered on the midterm? • Where do I go to sign up for academic advising? • When is the final exam?