It’s the start of a new term.  New classes.  New textbooks. New professors and New expectations.

One way to set yourself up for success is to identify the important due dates listed on your course syllabi and gather them together on a “Term at a Glance” worksheet.  This tool lets you see the weeks you’ll have a lot going on quickly, by showing all your exams and major assignments for ALL your classes on a single sheet of paper.

Follow these steps to create your own Term at a Glance tool.

1.  Download the Term at Glance worksheet from the OSU Learning Corner’s page about term-long planning.

2.  Gather all the syllabi for your courses this term.

3.  Read through one syllabus from beginning to end.  Every time you see a due date or exam date transfer it to your Term at a Glance worksheet.  Note that often professors won’t list a specific calendar date, it might say “Tuesday of Week 4” or something similar.

4.  Double check that you have all exams and major assignments listed.

5. Repeat steps 3-4 for each course.  You may chose to use a different color ink or indicate each course in some other way.

Now look at the whole term. 

• Is it fairly balanced from week to week?
• Do you have any weeks that are empty?(a great time to schedule project work or extra studying)
• Are any weeks very full? (may require planning ahead!)

 

 

You can use your Term at a Glance as a starting point to more detailed planning and organization if desired.  Check out this information about organization and time management for more ideas and resources.

“The moment we believe that success is determined by an ingrained level of ability, we will be brittle in the face of adversity.” – Josh Waitzkin

 (Josh is an International Chess Master, World Champion in Tai Chi Chuan, and subject of the movie “Searching for Bobby Fischer”)

Josh is also a great example of someone who believes that he knows how to learn and to develop new skills.

He has what is called a growth mindset.

 

 

 

Carol Dweck and others have conducted research in children and adults to see the impact of a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset.  Students with a growth mindset are more likely to take on challenging courses, to see failures as an opportunity to change their approach or level of effort, and to translate criticism from peers or instructors into self-development. Growth mindset is also linked to the ability to persist when things don’t go as planned.

 

 

 

 

The greatest thing about mindset is that even if you’ve spent your life with a fixed mindset about certain areas of your life –

“I’m just not good at math.”

“All of my family are slow readers.”

“I’ve always struggled with tests.”

“I’m just not an A student.”

You can change, and grow, and learn new things, and develop new skills.

It won’t always be easy, in fact it will often be hard and take a lot of effort.  To get started changing how you think about yourself and your ability to learn new things or have higher levels of academic success can be as simple as listening to your voice (internal and external) and consciously adjusting your message.

“I’m just not good at math.” I haven’t learned Algebra, yet.

“All of my family are slow readers.” I haven’t learned how to read textbooks effectively, yet.

“I’ve always struggled with tests.” I’m not very confident at test-taking, yet.

“I’m just not an A student.” I’m not an A student, yet.

You didn’t develop a fixed mindset overnight, and you won’t shift to a growth mindset immediately either.  Be patient and kind as you learn not only academic content, but also how to shift your mindset toward one that will bring you the potential for higher success.

 

 

Learn more about fixed and growth mindset:

OSU Learning Corner has a page with tips about mindset

#YouCanLearnAnything from the Khan Academy

Growth vs Fixed Mindset (in just one minute!)

The Power of Belief – Mindset and Success: Eduardo Briceno at TEDxManhattanBeach

Mindset website, with lots of information from Mindset author Carol Dweck, including “test your mindset” and “change your mindset” sections.

 

Last week we talked about one method to plan out studying for finals.  Sometimes planning and list making can help create focus, calm and a clear path on what to do to accomplish goals; however, planning itself can become just another form of procrastination.

If a plan is simple and easy to execute, it can be an effective tool. 

If the plan has taken on a life of its own and created a situation where no action can be taken until the plan is perfect – that’s procrastination.

Marshall Goldsmith, the top-ranked executive coach at the 2013 biennial Thinkers50 ceremony in London, recently presented on “Why We Don’t Do What We Know We Should Do – and How We Can Start Improving Our Odds on Getting Better” and a main idea to takeaway was that no plan is perfect, but taking the first step of action on any plan is better than endlessly continuing to consider options.  Take action.

Worried that your study plan for finals isn’t quite done?  Still wondering if you should read the textbook, then your notes, or the notes first?  Finals are coming, major project deadlines are right around the corner and the time to do something is now.  If your still not sure, consider starting with the Learning Outcomes or Course Objectives listed in your syllabus.  Write down everything you know already about each one and then decide – which ones do you need to focus on most?  Does that mean textbook review, practice problems, lecture notes review or a combination?  Pick an action and move forward with it, and check in frequently to make sure you are staying on track and using your time well.  Contact the instructor now about any confusing topics.

In summary, if you find yourself spending more time on the study plan than studying, or if you’re still struggling with “where to start”, pick something small that you feel is a “good” start and get to work.

“A good solution applied with vigour now is better than a perfect solution applied ten minutes later.”
George Patton, American general (1885–1945)

 

Did you know that yesterday (February 5th) was unofficially National Weather Forecasters day?  Appropriately for those of us in Corvallis, they told us that a storm was coming – and it was.

Today OSU’s Corvallis campus is closed due to snow.

What does that mean for you as an Ecampus student?

* If you were planning to call for assistance, you will need to wait until campus reopens.  All offices including Financial Aid, Admissions, the Registrar, Ecampus Student Services and Ecampus proctoring are closed today.

*Similarly, if you have recently sent an e-mail request, please be patient knowing that it will not be acted upon until campus reopens.

* If you live in the area, please note that when campus closes so does the library, computing services, and childcare at Our Little Village.

* Test proctoring on the OSU campus will be unavailable.

* Real-time librarian assistance will be unavailable.  You can still request books and articles, but processing and delivery will be delayed.

Even though campus is closed, courses generally will keep the same deadlines for assignments and discussions that may be due today.

Be sure to check your courses Blackboard site for any announcements and communicate with your professor if weather is affecting your ability to meet requirements.

Keep up to date and know when campus reopens:

• OSU home page (http://oregonstate.edu/) and the OSU Alerts Page (http://oregonstate.edu/main/alerts);
• OSU campus hotline: 541-737-8000;
• OSU Twitter account: https://twitter.com/oregonstateuniv
• OSU Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/osubeavers

Midterm.

Test.

Exam.

Assessment.

Quiz.

     No matter what your instructor calls it, or how many there are in your classes this term, exams can increase stress and anxiety, as well as challenge the often already tenuous balance of school vs. life.

 

 

So what can you do?

 

Here is some advice from the OSU Learning Corner, a resource created by the Academic Success Center.

When it comes to test preparation, the best place to start is by analyzing your weekly study habits and making any needed changes.  As the test gets closer, you should organize your time, create a study plan, and use a variety of study methods. The rituals and habits you create for the time leading up to and during the test can help you prepare physically and mentally for an exam, in turn reducing your test anxiety.  Once you’re in the test it doesn’t hurt to use some “test-wise” strategies.  Because each professor designs and organizes their exams differently, analyzing your initial results and using that feedback can help you strategically plan your studying for the next exam.

Learn more through resources for test preparation, taking tests, managing anxiety at the Learning Corner!

 

Also, remember that some of your distance courses require you to take proctored exams. Your instructor will indicate this requirement via the course syllabus, a Blackboard announcement or an email. Not all of your courses may require proctored exams.  If any of your exams require proctoring, it is recommended you complete the Exams and Proctoring form 1-2 weeks prior to your exam.

Did you know that your success in an online course can begin before the first day of classes?  Course materials are often available in Blackboard a few days before the start of the term.

Consider taking care of these tasks this week so you can hit the ground running on January 6, 2014!

Week Zero (Before the term starts)

• Print out your “detail schedule” from your account in Student Online Services. Make note of your classes, the name(s) of your instructor(s).  If your courses aren’t in Blackboard yet, review the sample syllabus found as a link in the course schedule until you have access to the current term syllabus for each course.
• Visit the Academic Calendar to make sure you stay organized throughout the term. Here, you will find the first day of the term, finals week dates and important dates such as the last day to add or drop classes.
• It’s not the most entertaining reading, but you should bookmark the complete list of OSU’s Academic Regulations to refer to as you need to throughout the term.
• If you can, buy your textbooks before your classes start. That way you’ll be ready for the first reading assignment, which is likely to be assigned immediately in the materials for the first week of class.
• NEW STUDENTS:  Blackboard is OSU’s Learning Management System (LMS).  Login and become familiar with Blackboard’s dashboard using http://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/services/start/blackboard_login.htm.
• Periodically check Blackboard to find out if any of your classes have been activated prior to the start of the term.  When they become available you have a great opportunity to get familiar with each course and its layout, any materials you have access to prior to the first week, etc.
• Buy a planner or adjust your current time management system to make room for your new academic responsibilities.  Plan time to balance all of your known commitments (work schedule, recurring activities and meetings, time you have for class requirements and study time).

Feeling Ready?  Want to look ahead to next week?  Check out tips for the rest of the term in the Ecampus “Zero to Success in 77 Days (handout)” success document.

Would you like to increase your academic success?

Ecampus Success Counselors are here to support you!

 

Success counseling is an academic counseling service for  Ecampus students. Success Counselors work in partnership with students to improve academic skills, to identify support resources, and to address obstacles to academic success at OSU.   There is no additional charge to students.

Success counseling is an individualized, strengths-based, and holistic process that allows students to actively reflect on their current circumstances and to evaluate strategies that support and/or undermine their academic success.

Common discussion topics include:

• Time Management
• Procrastination
• Prioritization
• Work-Life Balance
• Stress Management
• Goal-setting
• Motivation
• Identifying and utilizing support resources

 

Success counseling can help students clarify  academic goals and motivation to achieve them.  Whether a senior in the final terms before graduation, or a student just starting out with OSU Ecampus – all levels and majors can benefit from academic success counseling!

Students do not need to be in academic distress or negative academic standing to partner with an academic Success Counselor.  Students can begin success counseling at any point in the term.

It’s easy for current OSU students to request a Success Counseling appointment.