academic skills

How to Use the University Catalog

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Sep 2020 21:00:28 +0000

How to Use the University Catalog Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/09/2020 - 15:00

Michael Shernick , M.Arch

CU Boulder keeps a website called the University Catalog. This site is the "source of truth" on all colleges, degrees, majors, minors, courses, etc. It is date-specific; policies, requirements and offerings can and do change. There is an archive if you need to find a prior year's catalog.

Use the Catalog to Explore Majors, Minors, and Certificates

You can use the Catalog to find detailed information about any major, minor, or certificate. The Catalog refers to these as "Programs". There is an A-Z list. On the left side of the page, use the filters to limit the tiles as needed.

Choose a program and the resulting page will have multiple tabs. You can generally expect the following:

Overview
Requirements
Plan(s) of Study
Learning Outcomes

The "Overview" tells you how the department approaches their academic discipline. It helps you decide if their approach to the subject fits you well.

The "Requirements" tab shows you the specific requirements for the major, minor, or certificates offered by the department. (Note: minors and certificates are not offered in all disciplines or departments.) The requirements can change from year to year and depend on when you declare the program. Meet with your Academic Advisor and use the Degree Audit tool to know exactly which requirements you are being held to.

The "Plan(s) of Study" tab shows you idealized pathways to get through each major or program. These are suggestions, not requirements. For example, you could have an alteration to a plan due to AP credits you bring, or due to taking time for study abroad or an internship. These are good rules of thumb, and help you map out the sequencing of all the requirements. The department faculty have developed these plans based on how the courses build upon each other.

The "Learning Outcomes" tab shows you just that: what you can expect to learn from that discipline. Again, this helps you determine if it's a good fit.

Use the Catalog to Explore Courses

You'll notice on the "Requirements" and "Plan(s) of Study" tabs, any courses listed are hyperlinked to that course's description. You can also use the Courses A-Z tab at the top of the Catalog page to search for all courses offered by a department.

Read the course descriptions to get a feel whether a major or minor is a good fit for you.

The Catalog lists all courses a department could possibly offer. To know which courses are being offered in a specific semester, use the Class Search page, classes.colorado.edu, instead.

Use the Catalog to Plan for Registration

You can start your planning for next semester's course registration by using the following in the Catalog:

Check your major/minor/certificate "Plan(s) of Study" and "Requirements" tabs. See what required courses are still needed and what the most likely sequence is
Read about each course in the descriptions
Compare the Catalog requirements to your Degree Audit; prepare questions for your Academic Advisor to clear up any uncertainties
Explore other possible programs for double-major options, minors or certificates that you might be able to declare

Confirm your next semester registration plans with your Academic Advisor.

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Tips for Success

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 17:47:52 +0000

Tips for Success Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/12/2020 - 11:47

A&S AAC Academic Coaching Program

Making the transition from high school to college requires an adjustment to greater academic expectations. �鶹��Ժ often need to adjust the amount of time they study and have a deep understanding of academic strategies while monitoring their own progress and learning process. To develop learning and critical thinking skills, students should attend office hours and utilize resources to support learning in their classes.

Metacognition: Think about how you think

We recommend starting by reflecting on how you think. To help in this process and improve your ability to succeed in classes, our teammates in ASSETT created a video series called Metacognition: The Video Series That Gets You Thinking. By applying metacognition strategies, you can become a more active and engaged learner.

General Academic Tips

Everyone needs extra help. If you’re having difficulty in a class, seek out the support you need early and seek out support even before you think you need it.
Get to know your professors—go to office hours at least twice for each class during the semester for each class.
Make an appointment to meet your advisor and be prepared for your advising appointment.
Form study groups. It is helpful to test your understanding of what you know and what you do not know by interacting with others. Working in study groups helps you form a network of support, and you are more likely to have a better understanding of what you need to learn.
Get involved—balance is key, and one key predictor of success is who you choose to surround yourself with. Try one student organization or campus activity, and surround yourself with those who bring out the best in you.
Make sure that if you work it’s no more than 15 hours per week, especially if you are a full-time student.
Repeated exposure to the material you are learning is essential to retaining information and storing it into long-term memory. Do not only review to remember and remember to review, but also actively recall and self-test on information by engaging with your lectures, notes, and readings often and through thoughtful reflection.
Adopt a growth mindset so that when challenges or obstacles arise you embrace them as learning opportunities.

Academic Skills Tips

Time Management

Consider how you balance your priorities. Be sure that you allow plenty of time to start on long-term assignments and prepare for exams at least seven days in advance of each exam.
Start with a month-by-month calendar that outlines all of the major tests and assignments for the entire semester. On the calendar, include your study routine and write down when you need to start preparing for each deadline. Once you have your roadmap for the semester, reflect on the calendar. What weeks are going to be busy? How can you adjust your planning to create as much efficiency and balance as possible?
Remember this formula: for every three credit hour class, you should spend six to nine hours outside of class on that course each week. Therefore, if you are in a 15-credit schedule, you should plan to spend 30-45 hours a week outside of class on your academic tasks. Schedule in daily study time on your month-by-month calendar.
Prioritize your tasks through written or electronic to-do lists. There are many free web apps that help with prioritization. Wunderlist is one example.
Ensure that you schedule in plenty of daily study time. If you do not currently use a planner or calendar, try using a weekly scheduling tool to plan your week ahead.
Start your homework early—don’t wait until the last minute! Starting early gives you time to ask questions if needed.

Study Techniques

After taking notes in lecture, actively review them by writing key concepts from your notes on the front of a notecard and examples of those concepts on the back of a notecard.
Annotate – There are many ways to annotate a text. Underline main ideas; circle important words and words you do not know; and write notes in the margin of your textbook that summarizes key points and main ideas. Finally, write questions about the content in the margins. After you annotate, write a summary about what you read and/or try a few practice problems.
Self-test on concepts for each class every day for a few minutes. For example, quiz yourself by reviewing notecards; try practice problems without study aids; and write questions about what you learned in class.
Teach others the concepts to help cement them in your memory. This could be great to do with a friend or study group.
After you take an exam, use the post exam review to understand where you missed points. Consider using this as a study tool moving forward, and bring it to office hours to discuss with your professor.
Learn and review course material in daily blocks of time that are varied and repeated throughout the week through time-spaced learning.
Review the Lecture Capture if your lecture has one.
Try a SMART pen.
Try concept mapping – a variation on outlining in which you diagram main ideas and supporting details to learn concepts covered in class.
Manage Distractions - The Pomodoro Technique is a study strategy and productivity tool to help you stay focused and gain momentum to successfully complete assignments and stay focused during studying. Also, use apps such as Cold Turkey to block certain applications and your phone for certain periods of time if you are distracted by your phone or computer.

Note Taking

Try the before, during, and after process. Before lecture, set up your notes by listing the learning objectives at the top of your notes and comparing those to the notes you took on the readings and/or Power Points prior to class. During lecture, listen for and note key points, main ideas, and explanations of concepts and steps. After lecture, actively review your notes by summarizing them; creating note cards from them; and writing down key questions from the lecture, for example.
While taking notes during lecture, expand your understanding by writing questions in your notes to revisit after lecture, and ask the questions during class when time allows.
Work on your listening skills. Notice when your mind starts to wander and quickly jot down your distractions on a scratch piece of paper. Then, shift your attention back to the instructor. Refocus by leaving a space in your notes with a question mark to fill in as soon after lecture as possible.
Compare your notes from lecture to the notes you took on your reading. One way to do this is by creating a Venn Diagram of the two forms of notes.
Try the Cornell note taking process.
Try adapted Cornell Notetaking. Take notes on the right side of the margin and condense or expand them on the left hand side. Check out this article, which discusses different note taking formats.

Reading Assignments

Stay up-to-date on all reading assignments. �鶹��Ժ often say they should have spent more time on the reading assignments for class, and when they start to engage with the readings more proactively, they notice their outcomes improve.
Preview the chapter before you read the assignment by skimming paragraphs, titles, charts, introductions, and conclusions. Write the learning objectives for the chapter at the top of your page. Then, read the assignment before you go to class, and annotate the text as you go. Take notes on your reading to keep you focused.
Review your reading notes and compare them to your lecture notes. What connections can you make between the two?
Try a reading log.
Try the SQ3/4R reading strategy.

Test Preparation

In the first week of classes, document all of your first exams on one page using the first exams of the semester template.
If available, utilize practice exams and old exams to prepare. Simulate the testing conditions for the practice exams as much as you can so you have a clear roadmap of your strengths and challenges. To simulate the testing conditions, take the practice exam in the same amount of time with the same study aids (if any) that you will have on the exam. Try to take the practice exam in a similar location in which you will be assessed.
Utilize as much active practice as possible through practice problems and by applying these critical thinking words to self-test. Remember, do not simply study to remember; study to have a thorough understanding and analysis of the concepts.
Find practice problems and/or questions in your textbook, from your professors, and through other resources such as open access textbooks for example.
Prepare for an exam at least one week prior to the exam, and ensure that you quiz yourself daily on the material.

Goal Setting

Utilize the SMART goal process to ensure your goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time oriented.
Monitor your progress toward your goals by journaling about your progress and telling others about your goals for an extra layer of accountability. If you are not making progress toward your goals, seek out additional support.

Connections and Campus Resources

Utilize resources and support even before you think you need them.
Move outside of your comfort zone by introducing yourself to someone in your class; forming a study group; meeting with your professors and TAs; and trying a campus organization.
Attend office hours to introduce yourself to your professors and meet with them consistently throughout the term.

How Do You Choose A Strategy?

Meet with your professors during office hours to discuss your academic success strategies, and talk to academic support professionals on campus about which methods may work best for you.

Additional Resources

ASAP Tutoring – Free tutoring for any student living on campus or commuting first-year students.
Campus Resources

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How do A&S students succeed?

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 17:38:08 +0000

How do A&S students succeed? Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/12/2020 - 11:38

A&S AAC Academic Coaching Program

In this 3-part series, Eryn Elder, assistant director of academic coaching, discusses strategies A&S students express were most important to their academic success at CU Boulder.

For more information, contact us at asacademiccoaching@colorado.edu.

In this 3-part series, Eryn Elder, assistant director of academic coaching, discusses strategies A&S students express were most important to their academic success at CU Boulder. For more information, contact us at asacademiccoaching@colorado.edu.

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ASR: Academic Skills, Social Support, and Resource Utilization

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 11:11:15 +0000

ASR: Academic Skills, Social Support, and Resource Utilization Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 08/07/2020 - 05:11

A&S AAC Academic Coaching Program

The Triad of Academic Success

A three-pronged strategy to navigating the university and your pathways to your academic goals is one way to approach academic success. These three strategies are: academic skills development; social support networking; and resource utilization.

Academic Skills

To develop academic skills, ask yourself:

How do I learn best? What specific learning strategies do I use (see interleaving and spaced studying for examples)?
What is my approach to task management and organization? What systems do I use that keep me organized?
What is my relationship with procrastination? What do I rely on when motivation runs low and I need to complete academic tasks?

Social Support Networking

To improve your social network skills, ask yourself:

Who is available to help me in my social network?
How healthy are my relationships with my family, peers, roommates, etc?
How am I actively existing as part of a community?

Resource Utilization

To utilize resources, ask yourself:

What resources am I using and actively seeking out to help me?
What resource can I try that I have not tried and how will they help me?
What can I do to familiarize myself with resources I may not know are available?

As you continue to develop academic skills; grow your social support network; and try campus resources, keep note of what strategies are specifically working for you and ask yourself how those strategies relate to your strengths and longer-term goals.

Academic Skills, Social Support, and Resource Utilization helps you navigate the university and your pathways to your academic goals. Using all three can help you attain academic success.

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academic skills

How to Use the University Catalog

Use the Catalog to Explore Majors, Minors, and Certificates

Use the Catalog to Explore Courses

Use the Catalog to Plan for Registration

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Tips for Success

Metacognition: Think about how you think

General Academic Tips

Academic Skills Tips

Time Management

Study Techniques

Note Taking

Reading Assignments

Test Preparation

Goal Setting

Connections and Campus Resources

How Do You Choose A Strategy?

Additional Resources

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How do A&S students succeed?

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ASR: Academic Skills, Social Support, and Resource Utilization

The Triad of Aca​demic Success

Academic Skills

Social Support Networking

Resource Utilization

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The Triad of Academic Success