Academic Success Center

Why study on Spring Break!

2013-03-18T15:29:00.001-05:00

Spring break is here, get away from campus and enjoy. Unfortunately, you will likely have to wait in an airport or endure a long car ride. What about a storm keeping you off the beach for a day or two of your vacation. Having some study material on hand for these occasions may help from falling behind and it will make it easier to jump back into the semester upon your return to campus. Enjoy your break!

Reading Academic Texts Critically

2013-03-07T09:53:00.003-06:00

What is "critical reading?"

Critical reading is careful, thorough, thoughtful, and active reading. It is not negative or quick reading. It is "college reading"--the kind of reading you are expected to do in college courses. You are involved in critical reading whenever you are interested in a text and you make a variety of comments about it as you read it. Academic text means a text that is specifically written for use by college instructors or students, or it is a text your instructor has assigned because of its usefulness in your college course.

If you must respond to a text, whether in writing, orally, in a test, or in a discussion group, you will need to read your text critically. Whether the text is chosen for you or you can make your own choice, you should do everything you can to understand it thoroughly. This is one of the most important keys to beginning a rough draft about a text. It should be obvious that you cannot write well about what you do not understand, but many people make the mistake of not completing a text, missing class discussion of it before a paper or a speech is due, or just rushing through it without really comprehending it fully.

How is it done?

In critical reading, you take the time to think about what is on the page. Your reading must be active: passive reading, in which you simply read a text with no marking or discussion of it as you read it rarely sticks in the brain very long and very often is a waste of your time and an instructor's. Even if you take notes and never look at them again, you are twice as likely to remember what you have read because you have processed the text actively.

Active, critical reading usually involves marking the text, so you need to have a printed copy to mark (even if only with pencil marks you later erase), or you need to write comments on paper using a system to note the page and paragraph or line number in your text. Active critical reading is not just the highlighting of important passages. It is that and much more: you should write regular margin notes. Such notes can include brief comments explaining your agreement or disagreement with important points, comparisons and contrasts to other texts or ideas, and new ideas that occur to you.

As part of this active reading strategy, you also should stop--at least briefly--after each page you have read. Then take some kind of note, if you haven't already. At the end of each page you also should ask yourself, "Have I understood everything on this page?" You should be able to write a brief, one- or two-sentence summary of what the page says--and if you haven't yet written a note for that page, summarizing it can be your note. Just looking at sentences and turning pages does not constitute critical reading. Critical reading means actively comprehending what you have seen on the page.

Another step in engaging in critical reading is to actively engage the text right after you have read it once. This means talking with others about it, putting the words into practice, making an alternative model of what has been discussed (for example, a story or a drawing), or simply writing about it.

To write, you may brainstorm freely about it by freewriting or by listing ideas or details. Simply let out your thoughts and feelings about it on paper, or if you are more comfortable outlining, then write an outline. You also can try imaging: what does the text make you imagine, and why or how? Yet another way is to imagine the audience for your own paper: what kinds of questions will it have about the paper? All of these may be useful methods for starting your own thinking processes about a text.

As you write, if you become stuck at some point because you have a question or some point is muddy to you, simply write down your questions or muddy points so that you can come back to them later. In this way, you can keep writing or outlining, thus maintaining the flow of your thoughts, your objective tone, and your energy for completing a first draft.

Once you have read a text critically, you are ready to start developing a paper (or speech) responding to it. As you develop your paper, you will need to refer again to your text and your notes about it frequently. If you have read actively by writing good notes, you will find writing your paper much easier.

RichardJewell.org

Note Taking Method

2013-03-04T11:23:00.001-06:00

Note Taking Area: Record lecture as fully and as meaningfully as possible.

Cue Column: As you're taking notes, keep cue column empty. Soon after the lecture, reduce your notes to concise jottings as clues for Reciting, Reviewing, and Reflecting.

Summaries: Sum up each page of your notes in a sentence or two.

This format provides the perfect opportunity for following through with the 5 R's of note-taking:

Record
During the lecture, record in the main column as many meaningful facts and ideas as you can. Write legibly.
Reduce
As soon after as possible, summarize these facts and ideas concisely in the Cue Column. Summarizing clarifies meanings and relationships, reinforces continuity, and strengthens memory.
Recite
Cover the Note Taking Area, using only your jottings in the Cue Column, say over the facts and ideas of the lecture as fully as you can, not mechanically, but in your own words. Then, verify what you have said.
Reflect
Draw out opinions from your notes and use them as a starting point for your own reflections on the course and how it relates to your other courses. Reflection will help prevent ideas from being inert and soon forgotten.
Review
Spend 10 minutes every week in quick review of your notes, and you will retain most of what you have learned.

10 tips for Managing Procrastination

2013-02-28T11:29:00.001-06:00

Know it when you see it:

There are days when you know exactly when, why, and how you're procrastinating. Other times, it's a little harder to tell. Convincing yourself that you can do less if you accept a lower grade or substituting one activity (like cleaning) for a more important one (like studying) are as much forms of procrastination as watching TV or hanging out with friends just before something is due. If you want to stop procrastinating, you have to recognize when you're doing it.

Be positive:

Taking a positive approach to whatever it is that you're doing can help motivate you and will reduce procrastination. Instead of thinking that you have to do something, tell yourself that you choose to do it. When you succeed at a task, acknowledge your hard work and don't pass it all off as good luck.

Overcome perfectionism:

The quest to be perfect isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Perfectionism can cause high stress levels and lower your productivity, which can lead to procrastination. Accept the fact that none of us will ever be perfect. Accomplishing the goals you set out for yourself is what makes you successful, even if you occasionally stumble along the way.

Set clear goals:

Setting clear and meaningful goals can help you to focus your energy. A general rule for setting realistic goals is to make sure you allot your time accordingly. Think honestly about how much time it'll take to get a job done, then double it. Remember, things won't always work out the way you planned. By monitoring your progress and making the necessary adjustments to your schedule, you'll accomplish more than you thought possible.

Prioritize:

With so many opportunities to do new and exciting things on campus, it's easy to put studying off to another day. Avoid giving in to impulsiveness by writing down all the things that you have to get done. Rate each item on a scale of 1 to 5 and focus on finishing the higher priority tasks before the lower ones.

Break it down:

Big projects can be overwhelming and might lead to procrastination if you don't know where to start or if you think there's simply too much to do. Rather than tackling a huge project all at once, work on smaller sections of the task over a longer period of time.

Pick your spot:

If you're not getting anything done at home, get out! Similarly, if you're running in to too many people you know, or there are too many distractions to keep you focused, find a more suitable environment to work in.

Get organized:

Plan a detailed daily schedule with blocks of time set aside during the day for different tasks. Setting up in advance prepares you mentally for accomplishing the activity. While you can't predict when an unexpected event might throw you off track, building flexibility into your schedule will keep you from falling behind. If you can, avoid arranging blocks of work back-to-back. Instead, plan to take breaks between activities.

Set reminders:

Once you get the hang of it, scheduling all the stuff you have to do is fairly easy. The hard part is actually doing it! Leave yourself easy-to-see reminders to keep you focused on the task at hand. Put them on the TV, your bedroom door, the bathroom mirror, or anywhere else where you can't miss them.

10.

Reward yourself:

Rewarding yourself for finishing even the smallest task on your list of things to do serves two purposes: it makes you aware that managing procrastination is a process with several steps and it motivates you to do more. Promise yourself phone time, TV time, a get-together with friends, or anything else that you consider a reward.

Let's study

2012-12-12T10:33:00.001-06:00

Do you have a study partner? Are you in a study group? Are you working on previous questions or exams? Have you searched likely questions? Yes, these and a lot more questions are in your head. We are trying to organize this week as what subject exam to give more priority to for studying. Should I start studying a difficult one or an easy one or a short or a long exam? There is only one solution, study! Any way we slice or dice this week, we need to study. Tutors are helpful too; unfortunately, they are not with you in the exam. Let's start with a study environment. I like to study at a place which is a little noisy -- not like the cafeteria, but like the main floor of the library. On the other hand, if you like no distractions at all, try the library quiet room or I say the glass cube. Have you tried sitting in an empty classroom or a local library. Yes, we need a study place; a place where we can motivate ourselves to study more than 6 hours a day. Once the place is identified then we need to work on creating cheat sheets. Let's start creating or reviewing them. These sheets were my lifeline hours before the exam. I took copious notes and annotated our textbooks all semester long. Well, all that work was for this week. Let's buy coffee or tea or nutella, whatever works for you and start studying. You can always study in the Academic Success Center in the company of tutors. Tutors are working next week as well, if you need one. Important news, holidays are around the corner and they are exciting when you wait for them.

Test Taking Strategies

2012-12-10T18:38:00.001-06:00

1.
Analyze how you did on a similar test in the past.
Review your previous tests and sample tests provided by your teacher.
Each test you take prepares you for the next one!

2.
Arrive early for tests.
List what you need beforehand to avoid panic.
...

Good preparation prepares you for the task at hand.

3.
Be comfortable but alert.
Choose a comfortable location with space enough that you need
Don't slouch; maintain good posture.

4.
Stay relaxed and confident.
Keep a good attitude and remind yourself that you are going to do your best.
If you find yourself panicking, take a few deep breaths
Don't talk to other students right before: stress can be contagious.

5.
Read directions carefully!
and avoid careless errors.

6.
If there is time, quickly look through the test for an overview.
Scan for keywords. If permitted, jot any notes that come to mind.

7.
Answer questions in a strategic order:
Easy questions first to build confidence.
Then those with the most point value.
On objective tests, eliminate obvious incorrect answers.
On essay tests, broadly outline your answer and sequence of points.

8.
Review! if you have time.
Resist the urge to leave when you complete the exam--
check if you have answered all the questions,
and not made any errors or mis-marked any answers.

9.
Change answers to questions if you erred, or misread the question!
You may also find information in the test that will correct a previous answer.

10.
Decide on and adopt study strategies that work best for you.
Review where you succeed and where you are challenged.
Check out your academic support center or a trusted teacher for advice.

Holiday hours

2012-11-19T17:06:00.001-06:00

The ASC will be open Wednesday Nov 21 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. We will close on Thursday Nov.22, Friday Nov 23 and Saturday Nov 24.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving Break.

Are you online? We are and ready to tutor!

2012-11-03T11:23:00.001-05:00

Smarthinking is our online platform. It is available for free to current students. Log in your student triton space and click on the smarthinking link in the menu. Follow the listed directions and you are connected. See you there!

Do I need an iPad?

2012-11-03T10:09:00.001-05:00

A workshop designed for you to explore an iPad. Learn how to enjoy your iPad to the fullest. You will learn about apps which can improve your routine activities and give you the freedom to focus on additional tasks.

ASC and Division of Academic Success In-Service

2012-08-23T10:06:00.000-05:00

ASC in service took place in the library. Staff learned about new areas now division of academic success encompasses:

ASC
ETRC
TRIO
LIBRARY
TEAM (New Program: Triton Employee As Mentor)

Study Week

2012-05-07T18:29:00.001-05:00

It's here! Let's schedule our time wisely. We want to get maximum output. I'm reading my copious notes and working out some sample problems. I always start with solved examples so I know how to proceed if I'm stuck. Recently, I started to watch lectures on iTunesU and Khan academy for topics which are difficult for me to understand. But, this week we do not want to explore. Have you tried our online resource? I'm not in any Math courses, but it was great when I used it. I also used it for Organic Chemistry. Remove all distractions, spend some time in the library's glass room -- it's quiet. Study, study and study more. Use social media to ask questions from your friends or the world. It may be 1am here, but it is 2pm in Beijing and 11am in Bangalore -- someone will reply. Let's ask!

It is time...

2012-03-26T06:59:00.001-05:00

We need to take it seriously. Let's reflect on
• grades
• exams and quizzes
• assignments
• and other important things for the classes

use all the help available to you. Tutoring center at Triton College helps with improving your skills as well. Just sit there to have the comfort of a tutor. Utilize iPad apps, YouTube videos and other tools as well to improve your grades or secure that A.
Let's get started on your career.

iPad App recommendation

2012-03-22T16:01:00.001-05:00

Khan Academy now has an App. You can access all the great videos and increase your knowledge about the topic. Try it out:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/khan-academy-watch.-practice./id469863705?mt=8

Physics Challenge

2012-02-29T17:13:00.001-06:00

Let's calculate the optimal angle and pull for Angry Birds game for the first stage! We can learn a lot from games.

iPad App recommendation

2012-02-25T10:38:00.001-06:00

Wolfram has a number applications which can help you in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Writing, Mathematics (all levels) and other sciences. Wolfram Alpha is also a search engine for most courses offered at Triton. These applications are inexpensive and effective. Other must have include: Blackboard mobile learn, pages, numbers, keynote and my favorite Flipboard. These applications will help with writing papers, research, presentation for your class / course or a project. Flipboard adds Triton College's department social pages to keep up-to-date with events and changes.

Let's subscribe

2011-12-10T10:44:00.003-06:00

You can now subscribe to announcements and updates and receive via email. No need to come the ASC website for important news. Happy subscribing.

Final week review sessions @B140

2011-12-09T16:46:00.001-06:00

Finals Review Sessions for all students in collaboration with TRiO are scheduled at B 140. The sessions are free to attend and no appointment needed. Tutors and mentors are scheduled at different times for your help. See you there!

Final week cont.

2011-12-07T13:14:00.001-06:00

Ok, let's talk about the other kind of student.

Final Exam Week

2011-12-07T10:31:00.002-06:00

Yes, we all know it is time to study. All types of students are hard at studying, but why some do better and some don't.

Why some do better may depend on number of factors, such as, they studied during the semester, worked all assigned problems, paid attention in class or they are just smart. For most of us, during this time of semester, we need to understand that time is limited, and cannot focus on one subject. What may help is organization, and creating a plan. Something all of us are doing or have done it. I'll discuss the second type of students soon, but in the mean time let's talk about organization. It is as easy as understanding your strengths for a particular topic. Lets look at the subjects as collection of topics. Test how well we know the material by trying out some problems or solved examples. Let's read the bold words in the text. When I'm in class I always highlight or write on my textbook which will help now. Read your notes related to the topic. Let's connect topics now, and create a larger map. Plan each an every hour of studying for the next week. Try to give adequate time for each subject. Often we focus on topics or subjects which are difficult and become over-confident for topics we are familiar with. Let's go back to basics. We all need to re-energize and know where are we at in our career, how important this topic is for my graduation, for my major and for my career. Let's learn smarter.

Learning styles

2011-11-22T06:26:00.001-06:00

MBTI® Basics

The purpose of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) personality inventory is to make the theory of psychological types described by C. G. Jung understandable and useful in people's lives. The essence of the theory is that much seemingly random variation in the behavior is actually quite orderly and consistent, being due to basic differences in the ways individuals prefer to use their perception and judgment.

"Perception involves all the ways of becoming aware of things, people, happenings, or ideas. Judgment involves all the ways of coming to conclusions about what has been perceived. If people differ systematically in what they perceive and in how they reach conclusions, then it is only reasonable for them to differ correspondingly in their interests, reactions, values, motivations, and skills."

In developing the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator [instrument], the aim of Isabel Briggs Myers, and her mother, Katharine Briggs, was to make the insights of type theory accessible to individuals and groups. They addressed the two related goals in the developments and application of the MBTI instrument:

The identification of basic preferences of each of the four dichotomies specified or implicit in Jung's theory.

The identification and description of the 16 distinctive personality types that result from the interactions among the preferences."

Excerpted with permission from the MBTI® Manual: A Guide to the Development and Use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®

Favorite world: Do you prefer to focus on the outer world or on your own inner world? This is called Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I).

Information: Do you prefer to focus on the basic information you take in or do you prefer to interpret and add meaning? This is called Sensing (S) or Intuition (N).

Decisions: When making decisions, do you prefer to first look at logic and consistency or first look at the people and special circumstances? This is called Thinking (T) or Feeling (F).

Structure: In dealing with the outside world, do you prefer to get things decided or do you prefer to stay open to new information and options? This is called Judging (J) or Perceiving (P).

Your Personality Type: When you decide on your preference in each category, you have your own personality type, which can be expressed as a code with four letters.

The 16 personality types of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® instrument are listed here as they are often shown in what is called a "type table."

ISTJ
Quiet, serious, earn success by thoroughness and dependability. Practical, matter-of-fact, realistic, and responsible. Decide logically what should be done and work toward it steadily, regardless of distractions. Take pleasure in making everything orderly and organized – their work, their home, their life. Value traditions and loyalty.

ISFJ
Quiet, friendly, responsible, and conscientious. Committed and steady in meeting their obligations. Thorough, painstaking, and accurate. Loyal, considerate, notice and remember specifics about people who are important to them, concerned with how others feel. Strive to create an orderly and harmonious environment at work and at home.

INFJ
Seek meaning and connection in ideas, relationships, and material possessions. Want to understand what motivates people and are insightful about others. Conscientious and committed to their firm values. Develop a clear vision about how best to serve the common good. Organized and decisive in implementing their vision.

INTJ
Have original minds and great drive for implementing their ideas and achieving their goals. Quickly see patterns in external events and develop long-range explanatory perspectives. When committed, organize a job and carry it through. Skeptical and independent, have high standards of competence and performance – for themselves and others.

ISTP
Tolerant and flexible, quiet observers until a problem appears, then act quickly to find workable solutions. Analyze what makes things work and readily get through large amounts of data to isolate the core of practical problems. Interested in cause and effect, organize facts using logical principles, value efficiency.

ISFP
Quiet, friendly, sensitive, and kind. Enjoy the present moment, what's going on around them. Like to have their own space and to work within their own time frame. Loyal and committed to their values and to people who are important to them. Dislike disagreements and conflicts, do not force their opinions or values on others.

INFP
Idealistic, loyal to their values and to people who are important to them. Want an external life that is congruent with their values. Curious, quick to see possibilities, can be catalysts for implementing ideas. Seek to understand people and to help them fulfill their potential. Adaptable, flexible, and accepting unless a value is threatened.

INTP
Seek to develop logical explanations for everything that interests them. Theoretical and abstract, interested more in ideas than in social interaction. Quiet, contained, flexible, and adaptable. Have unusual ability to focus in depth to solve problems in their area of interest. Skeptical, sometimes critical, always analytical.

ESTP
Flexible and tolerant, they take a pragmatic approach focused on immediate results. Theories and conceptual explanations bore them – they want to act energetically to solve the problem. Focus o n the here-and-now, spontaneous, enjoy each moment that they can be active with others. Enjoy material comforts and style. Learn best through doing.

ESFP
Outgoing, friendly, and accepting. Exuberant lovers of life, people, and material comforts. Enjoy working with others to make things happen. Bring common sense and a realistic approach to their work, and make work fun. Flexible and spontaneous, adapt readily to new people and environments. Learn best by trying a new skill with other people.

ENFP
Warmly enthusiastic and imaginative. See life as full of possibilities. Make connections between events and information very quickly, and confidently proceed based on the patterns they see. Want a lot of affirmation from others, and readily give appreciation and support. Spontaneous and flexible, often rely on their ability to improvise and their verbal fluency.

ENTP
Quick, ingenious, stimulating, alert, and outspoken. Resourceful in solving new and challenging problems. Adept at generating conceptual possibilities and then analyzing them strategically. Good at reading other people. Bored by routine, will seldom do the same thing the same way, apt to turn to one new interest after another.

ESTJ
Practical, realistic, matter-of-fact. Decisive, quickly move to implement decisions. Organize projects and people to get things done, focus on getting results in the most efficient way possible. Take care of routine details. Have a clear set of logical standards, systematically follow them and want others to also. Forceful in implementing their plans.

ESFJ
Warmhearted, conscientious, and cooperative. Want harmony in their environment, work with determination to establish it. Like to work with others to complete tasks accurately and on time. Loyal, follow through even in small matters. Notice what others need in their day-by-day lives and try to provide it. Want to be appreciated for who they are and for what they contribute.

ENFJ
Warm, empathetic, responsive, and responsible. Highly attuned to the emotions, needs, and motivations of others. Find potential in everyone, want to help others fulfill their potential. May act as catalysts for individual and group growth. Loyal, responsive to praise and criticism. Sociable, facilitate others in a group, and provide inspiring leadership.

ENTJ
Frank, decisive, assume leadership readily. Quickly see illogical and inefficient procedures and policies, develop and implement comprehensive systems to solve organizational problems. Enjoy long-term planning and goal setting. Usually well informed, well read, enjoy expanding their knowledge and passing it on to others. Forceful in presenting their ideas.

For a description of your MBTI type, place your cursor over the box containing your four-letter type code. You may also wish to browse through all of the 16 type descriptions.

If you do not know your MBTI type, you may wish to take the instrument.

Type tables can also be used to gather and facilitate analysis of information about teams or specific groups of people.

All types are equal: The goal of knowing about personality type is to understand and appreciate differences between people. As all types are equal, there is no best type.

The MBTI instrument sorts for preferences and does not measure trait, ability, or character. The MBTI tool is different from many other psychological instruments and also different from other personality tests.

The best reason to choose the MBTI instrument to discover your personality type is that hundreds of studies over the past 40 years have proven the instrument to be both valid and reliable. In other words, it measures what it says it does (validity) and produces the same results when given more than once (reliability). When you want an accurate profile of your personality type, ask if the instrument you plan to use has been validated.

The theory of psychological type was introduced in the 1920s by Carl G. Jung. The MBTI tool was developed in the 1940s by Isabel Briggs Myers and the original research was done in the 1940s and '50s. This research is ongoing, providing users with updated and new information about psychological type and its applications. Millions of people worldwide have taken the Indicator each year since its first publication in 1962.

http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/

ASC Hours

2011-10-28T14:47:00.001-05:00

The Academic Success Center is open during the summer semester. We have limited number of tutors, please call for updated schedule.

Online Tutoring
SMART thinking: ASC now has online tutoring to help you with your courses.

CRLA Certified

2011-10-28T14:46:00.003-05:00

Thank you very much to all the Triton community students, tutors, faculty, staff and administration to help the Academic Success Center get certified by the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA). Information about the program levels can be at the CRLA's Web site

Events Calendar

2011-10-28T14:46:00.001-05:00

The ASC's events calendar also displays changes in tutor schedules, upcoming workshop and other related information to the center.

AccuTrack

2011-10-28T14:45:00.001-05:00

The center uses AccuTrack for our data entry system. This helps the ASC to view student traffic in subject areas and at specific times to increase tutors and provide more resources, such as workshops, reviews and individual tutoring sessions.

http://www.triton.edu/asc

2010-04-01T10:46:00.002-05:00

We are updating our website and adding individual tutoring area web pages. What would you like to include in your tutoring area?