for College Success - Higher Education - Pearson (PDF)

s e c o n d e d i t i o n Choices for College Success Steve Piscitelli Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo  Executive Editor: Sande Johnson Editorial Assistant: Clara Ciminelli Development Editor: Jennifer Gessner Executive Marketing Manager: Amy Judd Production Editor: Gregory Erb Editorial Production Service: Omegatype Typography, Inc. Manufacturing Buyer: Megan Cochran Electronic Composition: Omegatype Typography, Inc. Interior Design: Omegatype Typography, Inc. Photo Researcher: Annie Pickert Cover Designer: Linda Knowles Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on appropriate page within text or on page 329. Copyright © 2011, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Allyn & Bacon, 501 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, 501 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116, or e-mail [email protected]. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Piscitelli, Stephen. Choices for college success / Steve Piscitelli. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-13-700751-6 (pbk.) ISBN-10: 0-13-700751-5 (pbk.) 1. College choice. I. Title. LB2350.5.P57 2011 378.1'98—dc22 2010010699 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 RRD-OH 14 13 12 11 10 www.pearsonhighered.com ISBN 10: 0-13-700751-5 ISBN 13: 978-0-13-700751-6  To the memory of Marie P iscitelli and Dominic P iscitelli Thank you for giving me choices.   v Author Steve Piscitelli has three decades of teaching and professional development experience. He has taught students of varying abilities and grade levels, from middle school through the university level. He has been recognized for his effective teaching style with awards at the school, county, and international level. Steve is also a seasoned national workshop developer and presenter. He brings energy, humor, interaction, live original music, and practicality to his classes and workshops. He has presented in every region of the nation. Steve, a tenured professor at Florida State College at Jacksonville, has earned degrees from Jacksonville University, The University of North Florida, and The University of Florida. Steve is also the author of Study Skills: Do I Really Need This Stuff?, Second Edition, pub- lished by Pearson Prentice Hall in 2009. Steve also wrote, produced, and recorded the CD Same Tune, Different Song. He weaves his songs into his classes and his programs. Steve lives with his wife, Laurie, and canine companion, Buddy, in Atlantic Beach, Flor- ida. You will fi nd more information about Steve, his books, his music, and his programs at www.stevepiscitelli.com. a b o u t t h e   vii Contents Introduction 1 PART ONE Choices for Priority Management 4 1 Transitions, Balance, and Organization 6 2 Organizing Time, Space, and Money 30 3 Motivation and Goal Setting 54 4 Critical Thinking and Learning Preferences 76 PART TWO Choices for Academic Success 100 5 Class-Time Listening and Note-Taking Skills 102 6 Out-of-Class Strategies for Notes Review and Textbook Reading 124 7 Test-Preparation and Memory Skills 146 8 Test Performance 170 9 Information Literacy 186 PART THREE Choices for a Balanced Life 210 10 The Many Faces of Civility 212 11 Treating Yourself with Respect 234 12 Financial Literacy 256 13 Exploration of Majors and Careers 280 Afterword 304 b r i e f   Contents Preface xxiii Introduction 1 PART ONE Choices for Priority Management 4 Transitions, Balance, and Organization 6 Chapter Objectives 7 Introduction 8 Organizing Your Thoughts 8 Pre-Assessment: What can you already do that will help you get what you want? 9 The Value of a College Education 10 Dollars and Cents 11 Beyond Dollars and Cents 11 Choices: Priorities 12 Key Transitional Issues Facing Students 13 Physical Transitions: Diet, Exercise, and Stress Release 13 Intellectual Transitions: Expanding Your Knowledge Base 14 Emotional Transitions: Managing the Freedom and Responsibility of College 14 Social Transitions: A Balancing Act 16 Balance and Success 16 Dimensions of Wellness 17 ix  Contents x Balance Is Not Necessarily “Even” 18 How Will This Help Me Get What I Want? 19 Choices: Personal Well-Being 19 Balance and Integrity 20 Honesty, Responsibility, and Respect 21 Academic Integrity 21 Choices: Priorities 22 Organizing for Balance and Success 23 The Myth of Time Management 23 Habits 24 Disorder 24 Order 24 What Can You Do Now to Get Started? 25 Choices: Personal Well-Being 26 Post-Assessment: Learn it, question it, use it 27 Summary 27 Endnotes 28 Organizing Time, Space, and Money 30 Chapter Objectives 31 Introduction 32 Organizing Your Thoughts 32 Pre-Assessment: What organizational skills do you already have that will help you get what you want? 33 Organization and Time 34 Study Time: How Much? 34 Choices: Priorities 35 What Should You Do First? Establishing Priorities 37 Keeping Track of Your Time and Commitments 37 Backward Planning 40 “I’ll Do All of This Tomorrow!” Dealing with Procrastination 40 Organization and Space 42 Home Study Area 42  Contents xi What Do You Do If Study Space Is Not Available Where You Live? 43 Choices: Priorities 43 Personal Portable Storage 44 Car 44 Organization and Your Money 45 Your Budget Priorities 45 Choices: Priorities 46 Credit Card Debt 48 Organization and Stress 49 Types of Stress 49 Stress Signals 49 Stress-Reducing Suggestions 50 Choices: Personal Well-Being 51 Post-Assessment: Learn it, question it, use it 51 Summary 52 Endnotes 52 Motivation and Goal Setting 54 Chapter Objectives 55 Introduction 56 Organizing Your Thoughts 56 Pre-Assessment: What self-motivational and goal-setting strategies do you already possess that will help you get what you want? 57 Motivation: Moving Toward What You Want 58 Where Do You “Find” Your Values? 58 What Motivates You? 59 Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation 59 Characteristics of a Motivated Learner: Can an Individual Learn to Be Motivated? 60 Overcoming Motivational Barriers 61 But I Might Fail! 63 Choices: Priorities 64 Goal Setting: Organizing to Get What You Want 65 What Is a Goal? 65  Contents xii Why Do You Need a Goal? Converting Fantasies to Dreams—and Dreams to Realities 65 What Does a Clearly Stated Goal Look Like? 66 HOG: The Importance of Huge Outrageous Goals 68 Choices: Priorities 69 Goal Setting: Taking Action to Get What You Want 69 Long-Term and Short-Term Goals 70 Developing Your Action Steps 71 Obstacles, Missteps, and Detours 71 Locus of Control 72 Choices: Personal Well-Being 73 Post-Assessment: Learn it, question it, use it 74 Summary 75 Endnotes 75 Critical Thinking and Learning Preferences 76 Chapter Objectives 77 Introduction 78 Organizing Your Thoughts 78 Pre-Assessment: How do you already use critical thinking skills to help you get what you want? 78 Defi ning Critical Thinking 79 Building Critical Thinking Skills 80 Choices: Priorities 82 Problem Solving 82 The Process of Problem Solving 83 Choices: Priorities 84 Critical Thinking and Personal Well-Being 85 Choices: Personal Well-Being 86 The Problem-Solving Trap 86 Creative Thinking 87 You Have to Do It Differently If You Want Different Results 87 How Does One Learn to Think Creatively? 88 Choices: Priorities 89  Contents xiii Critical Thinking and Learning 89 Learning Styles 89 How Do You Learn? 90 Choices: Priorities 90 Practical Applications 93 Multiple Intelligences 94 How Can You Use This Information to Organize Your Studies? 95 Choices: Personal Well-Being 95 Post-Assessment: Learn it, question it, use it 96 Summary 97 Endnotes 98 R & R: Review and Renew 99 PART TWO Choices for Academic Success 100 Class-Time Listening and Note-Taking Skills 102 Chapter Objectives 103 Introduction 104 Organizing Your Thoughts 104 Pre-Assessment: How do you already use your listening and note-taking skills to help you get what you want? 104 Do You Know What the Instructor Is Doing in Front of the Room? 105 Choices: Priorities 106 What Are You Doing in the Back of the Classroom? 108 What You Can Do to Maximize Classroom Success: The Basics About Active Learning 108 Developing a Working and Respectful Relationship with Your Instructors 109 How Does One “Pay Attention”? 110 A Friendly Reminder of What You Already Know: Seven Steps to Classroom Success 111 When Problems Occur 112 Choices: Priorities 112 Note-Taking Skills: An Active Learning Strategy 113 What Is Your Note-Taking Style? 113 Comparing and Contrasting Note-Taking Styles 116  Contents xiv Simple Abbreviations to Increase Note-Taking Speed 117 Choices: Personal Well-Being 117 Managing Your Studies with a Notebook 118 Can You Think Like the Instructor? 118 Staying Actively Engaged as an Online Student 120 Post-Assessment: Learn it, question it, use it 121 Summary 122 Endnotes 122 Out-of-Class Strategies for Notes Review and Textbook Reading 124 Chapter Objectives 125 Introduction 126 Organizing Your Thoughts 126 Pre-Assessment: How do you already use your notes review and reading skills to help you get what you want? 126 Priority Management: A Refresher 127 Choices: Priorities 128 Using Your Notes to Understand the Big Picture 128 Learning While Taking Notes 128 Learning After You Have Taken Your Notes: ROI 129 Now That You Have Your Notes, What Should You Do Next? Time for Refl ection 129 Talk to Yourself—And Then Someone Else 130 What Should You Do If You Still Do Not Get the Big Picture? 131 Choices: Personal Well-Being 131 Additional Out-of-Class Strategies to Improve Your Notes 133 Getting the Most from Your Textbook 134 I Read My Assignment. So Why Don’t I Know What I Read? 134 Identifying the Purpose 135 A Proven Process for Effective Reading: SQ4R 135 Choices: Personal Well-Being 138 Choices: Personal Well-Being 139 Additional Strategies for Reading Success 139 Choices: Priorities 139  Contents xv Analyzing Your Reading Assignment: Using Critical Thinking Skills 142 Post-Assessment: Learn it, question it, use it 144 Summary 144 Endnotes 145 Test-Preparation and Memory Skills 146 Chapter Objectives 147 Introduction 148 Organizing Your Thoughts 148 Pre-Assessment: How do you already use test-preparation and memory skills to help you get what you want? 149 Test Preparation: Challenges 150 Test Anxiety and Your Well-Being 150 Why Does Test Anxiety Happen? 151 Choices: Personal Well-Being 152 Test Preparation: Strategies for Improvement 153 Will a Study Partner or Group Help You Prepare for a Test? 153 Previous Test Results 155 Choices: Priorities 155 A Few Final Thoughts About Test Preparation 157 Improved Memory: Noticing the Information 158 What Causes Us to Forget? 159 Choosing to Notice 159 Choices: Personal Well-Being 160 Improved Memory: Storing the Information 160 Active Listening Improves Memory 161 Using Charts to Make Connections 161 Use Your Imagination 163 Improved Memory: Reclaiming the Information 163 Memory Blocks 163 Retrieval Failure: What Can You Do About It? 164 Mnemonics 166 Practice, Practice, and More Practice 167 Memory ≠ Understanding 167