PFS: Learning in College

Rachel Lindhart Author

08/16/2020 Added

7 Plays

Description

Learning in College versus High School - Partnering for Success.

Searchable Transcript

Search:

[00:00:06.509]Hello, everybody. My name is Dr. Jason
[00:00:08.374]Kautz, Professor of Practice in the
[00:00:10.133]College of Arts and Sciences Department
[00:00:12.004]of Chemistry. Whether you're making the
[00:00:13.913]transition from high school university
[00:00:15.849]or transferring from
[00:00:16.877]another university to UNL, adapting to
[00:00:18.799]an unfamiliar environment can be both
[00:00:20.614]challenging and rewarding. Understanding
[00:00:22.796]how the college experience is different
[00:00:24.750]can reduce stress and enhance your ability
[00:00:26.762]to succeed in completing your educational
[00:00:28.794]goals. Although entering and navigating
[00:00:30.709]the world of higher education can be
[00:00:32.471]intimidating, it's my hope that the
[00:00:34.469]information provided will help you
[00:00:36.138]understand some of the differences
[00:00:37.820]between high school and college, and help
[00:00:39.840]you to quickly acclimate to your new
[00:00:41.817]home here at UNL. First, it's imperative
[00:00:44.106]to recognize that college requires greater
[00:00:46.210]independent learning. Unlike high school,
[00:00:48.492]most learning in college takes place
[00:00:50.273]outside the classroom. It's up to you to
[00:00:52.338]read and understand the assigned material.
[00:00:54.553]Many times, lectures and assignments
[00:00:56.392]proceed from the assumption that you've
[00:00:58.314]already done so. Professors may not follow
[00:01:00.665]the textbook exactly. Instead, they are
[00:01:03.030]likely to amplify the text, give
[00:01:04.780]illustrations, provide background
[00:01:06.427]information, and/or discuss research about
[00:01:08.708]the topic you are studying. They will
[00:01:10.599]expect you to relate the information
[00:01:12.689]presented in class to textbook readings on
[00:01:14.754]your own. Teaching staff will help as much
[00:01:17.168]as ethically possible, but you must assume
[00:01:19.550]responsibility for your own learning.
[00:01:21.647]Paying for a university course is a lot
[00:01:23.752]like buying a health club membership.
[00:01:25.600]Simply making the purchase doesn't entitle
[00:01:27.794]you to a great physique. A personal
[00:01:29.618]trainer can show you what you need to do,
[00:01:31.700]but it's up to you to work out regularly
[00:01:33.643]if you want to see any results. You can't
[00:01:35.653]watch a personal trainer lift weights and
[00:01:37.635]assume it will be just as easy for you.
[00:01:39.816]Similarly, you must work through course
[00:01:41.851]materials yourself on a regular basis to
[00:01:44.080]see any results. Don't fool yourself into
[00:01:46.244]thinking that by watching the instructor
[00:01:48.326]solve a problem, you understand it. You'll
[00:01:51.124]need to activate effective and efficient
[00:01:54.171]study strategies. These strategies will
[00:01:56.769]look different for different people. Every
[00:01:58.808]one has their own style that works for
[00:02:00.743]them. You'll experiment with a variety of
[00:02:03.119]study activities before you finally hit on
[00:02:05.145]one that works for you. Talk to other
[00:02:07.174]students in your class or ask
[00:02:08.762]teaching assistants and faculty about
[00:02:10.588]strategies that have worked for them or
[00:02:12.499]former students. Ask questions
[00:02:14.338]along the way as needed.
[00:02:16.186]Next, college courses move at a faster
[00:02:19.450]pace. You should expect to cover more
[00:02:21.782]material than you are used to. You may
[00:02:23.977]find yourself enrolled in courses in which
[00:02:25.979]you already have experience. Don't take
[00:02:27.893]them for granted. It's important to
[00:02:29.808]remember that a college course can easily
[00:02:31.774]cover in a semester what took a year or
[00:02:34.097]more to cover in high school. Professors
[00:02:36.636]may lecture non-stop, expecting you to
[00:02:38.551]identify important points in your notes.
[00:02:41.399]When professors write on the board, it may
[00:02:43.498]be to amplify the lecture, not to
[00:02:45.728]summarize it. Good notes are a must.
[00:02:48.363]Professors expect you to read, save, and
[00:02:51.007]consult the course syllabus, which
[00:02:52.956]identifies exactly what is expected of you
[00:02:55.171]when assignments are due, and how they'll
[00:02:57.852]be used to assign your grade. It will be
[00:03:00.200]important to prioritize your schedule,
[00:03:02.232]attend class consistently, and on time.
[00:03:05.179]College courses require you to think
[00:03:08.926]critically, possibly in ways you have not
[00:03:11.291]experienced before. You will need to learn
[00:03:13.806]deeply, focusing on details, not just
[00:03:16.669]superficial facts or trivia. Keep in mind,
[00:03:19.301]some of the details will be left to you to
[00:03:21.353]identify independently outside of class.
[00:03:24.447]To be successful, you will need to push
[00:03:27.078]beyond simple memorization of facts or
[00:03:29.160]equations. Strive to put things in context
[00:03:31.924]and try to understand the fundamentals
[00:03:33.859]behind the concepts you are studying. Your
[00:03:36.120]course work will require you to synthesize
[00:03:39.102]compare, apply, and/or critique material
[00:03:42.585]from a variety of sources. Mastery is
[00:03:46.128]often seen as the ability to apply what
[00:03:48.143]you've learned to new situations or to
[00:03:50.542]solve new kinds of problems. Next, it is
[00:03:54.551]important to remember that college
[00:03:56.324]classes have fewer safety nets than what
[00:03:58.252]you might be used to. To pass your classes
[00:04:00.607]you will need to perform well on a limited
[00:04:02.698]number of assignments/exams. Assessments
[00:04:05.263]are often cumulative, covering substantial
[00:04:07.761]amounts of material. You, not the
[00:04:10.192]professor, need to organize the material
[00:04:12.594]to prepare for your exams. A particular
[00:04:14.655]course may have only 2 or 3 exams in a
[00:04:17.236]semester. Make-up exams are sometimes not
[00:04:20.884]an option. If they are, make sure you
[00:04:23.632]request them ahead of time. Expect less or
[00:04:27.411]no extra-credit assignments, and few, if
[00:04:30.242]any, bonus assignments. Be mindful of the
[00:04:34.422]first exams. They are usually wake-up
[00:04:36.438]calls to let you know what is expected.
[00:04:38.652]They may also account for a substantial
[00:04:40.729]part of your course grade. You could be
[00:04:43.498]shocked when you get your grades. In these
[00:04:46.029]cases, reach out to others for help right
[00:04:48.061]away. Look for help from your teaching
[00:04:50.110]assistants and faculty. Seek out campus
[00:04:52.210]resources that can help you cope with
[00:04:54.263]these challenges and provide empowering
[00:04:56.221]solutions. College courses require longer
[00:05:00.518]study periods and more effective
[00:05:02.100]studying than what you might be used to.
[00:05:04.351]You can expect to spend at least 2-3 hours
[00:05:06.712]of studying per hour you spend in class.
[00:05:08.977]Don't include attendance at lecture,
[00:05:11.176]recitation, office hours, or time spent
[00:05:13.657]with a tutor as study time. Come to class
[00:05:16.888]prepared to solve problems. Work along
[00:05:19.186]with instructors and TAs. Ask questions
[00:05:22.283]to clarify material about which you are
[00:05:24.465]unsure. Your instructor may pose questions
[00:05:27.129]during lecture. To stay involved, think
[00:05:29.344]about how you would answer these questions
[00:05:31.426]rather than simply wait for another
[00:05:33.224]student to answer. You need to remember
[00:05:35.772]professors rarely offer review sessions,
[00:05:38.053]and when they do, they expect you to be an
[00:05:40.552]active participant, one who comes prepared
[00:05:42.933]with questions, not just a passive
[00:05:44.848]listener. It's really important to
[00:05:47.429]recognize that results count. Though
[00:05:50.393]effort is important and appreciated, it
[00:05:53.291]will not substitute for results in the
[00:05:55.873]grading process. Finally, remember that
[00:05:59.689]college courses require you to be
[00:06:01.339]proactive. You're old enough to take
[00:06:03.416]responsibility for what you do and don't
[00:06:05.327]do, as well as for the consequences of
[00:06:07.396]your actions. One of the purposes of
[00:06:09.304]higher education is to prepare you to
[00:06:11.177]become a person capable of mastering
[00:06:13.292]copious amounts of difficult material in a
[00:06:15.873]brief period. Further, you must perform
[00:06:18.485]this work in a responsible, independent
[00:06:20.419]manner, without having to be reminded to
[00:06:22.767]do it. One of the objectives of a college
[00:06:25.065]education is not necessarily to make you
[00:06:27.130]an expert in your field, but to transform
[00:06:29.395]you into an adult scholar. It is your
[00:06:31.726]responsibility to take initiative in a
[00:06:33.908]variety of situations. Know important due
[00:06:36.672]dates, class grading scale, technology and
[00:06:38.730]connectivity needs, and where to find
[00:06:40.668]help when you need it. You should plan
[00:06:42.801]accordingly when you know you will miss
[00:06:44.682]class, and familiarize yourself with
[00:06:46.494]campus resources and services. Finally,
[00:06:48.762]stay informed. Check your course Canvas
[00:06:50.977]page and e-mail frequently for
[00:06:52.579]announcements regarding assignments and
[00:06:54.491]course policies. There's a significant
[00:06:56.355]amount of information available on Canvas.
[00:06:58.388]If you have a question about policy, start
[00:07:00.619]there. Courses change from semester to
[00:07:02.967]semester, so don't rely on old information
[00:07:05.382]to solve new problems. It's my hope that
[00:07:08.929]having a sense of what's on the horizon
[00:07:10.861]will give you the perspective you need to
[00:07:12.895]prepare and put yourself in a position to
[00:07:14.881]succeed. Certainly, you will face
[00:07:16.581]challenges, but that's all part of the
[00:07:18.571]university experience. In time, you'll be
[00:07:21.052]sharing your own experiences with family,
[00:07:23.185]friends, and future UNL students. I hope
[00:07:25.649]you are as excited as I am to embark on
[00:07:27.663]this journey together. I wish you the
[00:07:29.628]best!

The screen size you are trying to search captions on is too small!

You can always jump over to MediaHub and check it out there.

Comments

0 Comments

PFS: Learning in College

Description

Searchable Transcript

Comments icon comment

Comments