Transylvania University New International Student Orientation

Summer Preparation Program 2015

Module #2:

Ill Just Do It Later Awesome or OK:

Handling Homework and Organizing Your Time like a Pro

Deadlines:

Complete the module and on your blog post your answers to the pre-reading and
post-reading questions by 5:00pm EDT on Monday, June 29.

Instructions: Complete this module by following the directions in each step below.
Step One: Pre-Reading Questions
Answer these pre-reading questions on your blog:

What are some strategies for academic success that you learned in high school?
How do you organize your time as a student?
Have you ever asked a teacher for help with your studies? How and why did you do it?
Step Two: Vocabulary

Study this vocabulary list. Use the Merriam-Webster Learners Dictionary to help you define the
terms below. In your responses/blog posts, practice using five (5) of these terms:
syllabus/syllabuses
requirement
policy/policies
assessment
assignment
goal/goals
objective/objectives (noun)
attendance
collaborate
performance
disregard (noun)
webpage
annotating
dashboard (Wordpress)
office hours

participation
integrity (academic)
plagiarism
deadline/due date
illness
inclement
submission
procedure/procedures
collaborative
assess
Google Drive
blog
Wordpress
post (verb)

service/services (noun)
resource/resources
disability
support (noun)
calendar
schedule
brainstorming
lecture (verb and noun)
multilingual
abbreviation
Google Doc
previewing
Moodle
access (verb)

Step Three: Cultural Considerations

Study these cultural considerations:

College instructors and professors in the United States value collaboration and individual
student work in course grade assessment.

Students here are expected to prepare thoroughly for each class meeting and to interact
with professors during class discussions.

Professors expect students to ask questions, make arguments, and listen respectfully to
others opinions during class meetings.

Professors expect students to meet assignment deadlines on time, every time.

Professors expect students to follow a course calendar or schedule on their own,

organizing and managing their time wisely.

Services and resources for students with disabilities are available, and students must
ask for them, if needed.

Professors want and expect office-hour visits from students to discuss class material.

Academic support services are available for all students who speak English as a second,
third, etc., language.

Specific grading and assessment policies in each class focus on student performance,
not on subjective, personal preferences.

Professors and the entire institution expect students to pay close attention to plagiarism
and academic integrity.
Step Four: Study and Time Management Skills

Visit the website below and learn about study skills and time management as a college student:

Cornell University Learning Strategy Center Study Skills Resources/ Videos:

http://lsc.cornell.edu/Sidebars/Study_Skills_Resources/SKResources.html.
Specifically, watch The Key to a Good Semester and The Best Weekly Routine.
Specifically, read and study the samples in A Simple, Effective Time Management
System, Weekly Planner, Creating a Daily To-Do List, Office Hours, Guidelines for
Creating a Study Schedule, The Basics of Stress Management, and Understanding
Academic Anxiety.
Step Five: Best Practices for Reading a College Syllabus

Read the following tips for reading a college-level syllabus. Keep in mind that in order to
organize your time wisely you must always consult your professors syllabuses:

Keep each course syllabus with you. Your copy of each syllabus needs to be in your
backpack and in a folderand always available. Electronic copies are ok, but if your
instructor changes something on the course calendar, you need to be able to make the
change on the paper-based syllabus. So, its a good idea to always have a paper copy
ready.

Read the syllabus carefullywithin the first week of class. If you dont read the
syllabus, you wont know the policies, deadlines, assignments, professors office hours
and office location, and the goals of the course. In other words, you wont know the most
important information about the class and so you wont know how to plan your strategies
for success in the course.

Ask for help. If you dont understand something on the syllabus, you must ask your
professor immediately. How else can you get clarification? Do not depend upon a
classmate for answers to your questions about the syllabus. Ask your professor directly.
Step Six: Sample Syllabuses

Browse through the Transy professors syllabuses at the links below. Then, move to step seven
to answer the questions:

Dr. Hoppers first-year seminar course: http://www.transy.edu/fla/Hopper.htm

Dr. Gaos Beginning Chinese Language II course: http://tinyurl.com/o66fm8p

Dr. Jacksons General Psychology course: http://tinyurl.com/logs8ct

Prof. Haynes Principles of Accounting I: http://tinyurl.com/lysgdah

Step Seven: Post-Reading Questions

Answer these post-reading questions on your blog:

What strategies will you use as a student to organize your time, complete homework,
and find help from professors?
How will course syllabuses help you as a student? Which sections of a syllabus do you
think will be most helpful to you, and why do you think so?
How do you imagine interacting and talking with your professors?