 Points: 3

o Sophia is signing up for her first college classes in several years—she took time
off after her first year to get married and have kids, and she is worried that she
won't be able to keep up with the younger students in her classes. What
advantage does Sophia have over the other, more traditional students in her
classes?
 She has more life experience, which instructors often respect.
 She has less time to do homework because she has family responsibilities.
 She may have to miss class on occasion to take care of her kids.
 She has more freedom than the teenagers in her classes because she owns
a car.

o Cady is unsure of what she wants to do in the future, what steps she should take,
and why she is attending college. College is very different from what she had
expected, and she finds herself considering dropping out. Before making a final
decision, Cady considers the benefits she will receive from a college education.
Which is the MOST important benefit that Cady should consider?
 She will have more autonomy.
 She will have a new set of social experiences to explore.
 Her experiences will help her define and achieve her purpose.
 She will develop a sense of pride in her alma mater.

o Jane was anxious about starting college next term, so she approached her
guidance counselor, who told her about the importance of setting SMART goals
as a way to ensure success. Which of Jane's goals is SMART?
 To become a veterinarian
 To transfer to a four-year college after two years
 To get into a good graduate school
 To fall in love

o Anna isn't sure which major to choose, so she plans to meet with her academic
adviser to discuss which courses she should consider registering for and which
major might be most appropriate for her. She is a little nervous about the meeting
because she has never met with an academic adviser before. What can Anna do
to ensure that her meeting is a valuable experience?
 Schedule her appointment for the end of the term.
 Ask to audit senior-level courses.
 Make a list of majors that her parents recommended.
 Map out her time frame and goals.

o Howie could not be in class to turn in his homework, but he talked to his
instructor and she told him it was fine to send it in via e-mail. Howie was
therefore upset to discover that he had received no points for that day's

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 assignment. His instructor said she didn't notice his e-mail in her inbox. What
should Howie have put in his subject line to ensure it was seen?
 Tuesday's homework
 Howie's homework
 Literature 101 homework
 Howie Johnson, Literature 101 homework, 9/5/2014

o Mindy is a first-year college student who has been having a tough time the past
few weeks. Her grades have not been as high as she'd expected, and she broke up
with her boyfriend after finding out he was seeing someone else on the side. Now
she's feeling depressed and having trouble getting motivated to study and go out
with her friends. What does Mindy need to do to regain her motivation?
 Wait for someone to come along and give her positive reinforcement.
 Go through the motions while waiting for inspiration to strike.
 Think about ways she has overcome similar challenges in the past.
 Wait for the situation to get bad enough that she is forced to take action.

o Gene and Patty were assigned to be partners for a class project and needed to
meet sometime soon to discuss the project. Patty said that Friday evening was the
best time for her, but Gene suggested they meet another time because he was
planning to go out with his friends that night. Then Patty explained that Friday
was the only evening that she didn't have a night class. Gene thought about it for
a moment and then agreed to meet Patty on Friday evening. Which skill did Gene
use when making his decision?
 Empathy
 Self-regard
 Assertiveness
 Independence

o Jim has been having a rough term. He has had trouble keeping up with the rest of
the class in his biology course, he lost some of his financial aid, and he hasn't
been getting along with his new roommate. Still, Jim is taking things in stride.
He's meeting with his biology instructor twice a week during office hours for
extra help, he's working extra shifts at the campus bookstore to make up for the
loss of financial aid, and he's maintaining a positive attitude and trying to find
common ground with his roommate. What is Jim doing?
 Practicing self-actualization
 Labeling his emotions
 Being persistent
 Delaying gratification

o Tristan is sitting at his desk in his dorm room trying to study, but he is being
distracted by the sound of people cheering. The noise is coming from a large
group of students down the hall who are watching a broadcast of the school's

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 hockey team playing in the championship game. Most of the people on campus
are very excited because this is the first time in a long time that their school has
had a shot at the title, but Tristan doesn't care about hockey. He just wants to
study in peace. Finally, he becomes so frustrated that he storms down the hall
and shouts at the students to be quiet, making everyone uncomfortable. What
should Tristan have done before going to confront the other students?
 Ignore his studies and go watch the game with the rest of the students.
 Prepare a brief, logical argument explaining why their behavior is
inappropriate.
 Stop to consider whether his reaction is appropriate under the
circumstances.
 Call the dean's office to register a formal complaint.

o Jenna is using her cell phone's electronic calendar to map out her various
deadlines, school and work schedules, and social commitments. What should
Jenna do as she enters her information?
 Include no more than one commitment per day.
 List her work hours first because that should be her highest priority.
 Include tasks related to her daily routine, such as meals and showering.
 Use a different color for each category (school, work, social obligation,
etc.).

o Stephanie has a large, complex assignment due in two weeks for her biology
class. She is not sure how best to tackle completing it on time. What will NOT
help Stephanie finish her project on time?
 Putting it off until next week—one week is plenty of time to finish
 Creating a to-do list and checking off items as she gets them done
 Rewarding herself when she finishes various aspects of the project
 Reminding herself that not enjoying an assignment is not a good reason to
put it off

o When Molly was in high school, she had to attend summer school twice because
her procrastination caused her to fail several classes. Now that she has started
college, she wants to turn over a new leaf and focus on getting her assignments
finished and handed in on time. Which of these strategies can help Molly avoid
procrastination?
 Rely on her memory to keep her schedule straight.
 Say "no" to friends and family members who want her attention.
 Focus on the activities and tasks that are the most fun.
 Keep her tablet handy in case she needs to look something up on the
Internet.

o Peter is going to see his instructor about a recent failing grade he received on a
test. He does not think the grade is fair because he didn't have time to study. His

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 instructor insists that Peter had plenty of time to study because he found out
about the test over two weeks ago. What is a choice that Peter should have made
when he first found out about the test?
 He should have extended his workouts to three hours every night.
 He should have attended the parties in his dormitory every weekend.
 He should have cut back on other activities and prioritized studying.
 He should have stayed up and studied all night before the day of the test.

o Leo is dangerously close to failing some of his classes this term. He is taking
four advanced science classes with lab sections, plays soccer in his free time, and
sings in a choir on weekends. How should Leo deal with being so overextended?
 He should start drinking coffee with breakfast to keep his energy up.
 He should learn to take on only what he can handle.
 He should sleep less at night so he has more time to study.
 He should get a tutor to help him with his class work.

o Wendy wanted to find out how she prefers to use her senses to learn, so she took
the VARK Inventory questionnaire. After completing the questionnaire and
tallying the results, she found that she has a strong preference for the visual,
aural, and read/write learning styles. Which terms can be used to describe
Wendy?
 Bimodal and monomodal
 Trimodal and monomodal
 Bimodal and multimodal
 Trimodal and multimodal

o Joy is having trouble remembering everything her instructors cover during class.
Her academic counselor recommends that she fill out the VARK questionnaire,
which determines that she is a kinesthetic learner. What is the BEST way for Joy
to ensure that she retains information as needed?
 She should add real-world examples and experiences to her notes.
 She should put her notes on tape and listen to them.
 She should read her notes silently.
 She should highlight key points in her notes.

o Kelsey's history instructor is not very engaging—no matter how hard she tries to
pay attention to his lectures, she is unable to focus. He does not write anything on
the whiteboard, and he uses no visual aids. If Kelsey prefers a visual learning
style, what can she do to help herself pay more attention and absorb the material?
 She should sit in the back of the classroom.
 She should avoid going to class and just read the textbook.
 She should talk to other students during class and get their help.
 She should take detailed notes and use color to highlight important
concepts.

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o Harry is a read/write learner, so it is sometimes difficult for him to pay attention
in Professor Duncan's philosophy class, because Professor Duncan primarily
teaches through lectures. What should Harry do to help himself stay focused in
his philosophy class?
 Move his head from side to side during the lecture.
 Move his feet from side to side during the lecture.
 Sit close to the front of the room.
 Sit toward the back of the room.

o Mark is having a hard time coming up with new ideas for his history project. He
is supposed to focus on an American president and has chosen Ronald Reagan,
but he doesn't know what to focus on next. What is a good way for Mark to
generate some ideas?
 He should take a break and check Facebook.
 He should go for a run around campus.
 He should give up and think about it again tomorrow.
 He should ask some friends to help him brainstorm.

o Erin is confused by her homework, which is to prepare an argument about global

warming for class tomorrow. She feels a bit hesitant about this assignment
because she does not want to yell at other students in class, but she also doesn't
want to lose credit for not completing her homework. What common mistake has
Erin made?
 Erin thinks she has to complete every homework assignment or she will
fail.
 Erin thinks that all arguments must be unpleasant confrontations.
 Erin thinks that global warming is not a valid topic.
 Erin wants to talk about the upcoming presidential election instead.

o Ian is attending a rally about increasing campus safety. During the rally, another
student, Caryn, who is running for class president, gets up to speak. Ian has been
planning to vote for her opponent, Mike, in the election. What should Ian do as
Caryn makes her speech?
 Assume that her information is biased and inaccurate.
 Try to predict where her argument is headed and why.
 Ignore her because he's not planning to vote for her.
 Disagree with her positions on principle.

o Abby has gotten in trouble with her physics teacher because she has failed to turn
in her homework three times in the past month. She goes to his office to try to
reason with him, but it is not effective. What should Abby have offered as a
logical explanation?
 She won't be able to support her family if she fails his class.

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  His homework assignments were unfair because he's mean-spirited.
 Experts believe that homework has no real value.
 She didn't understand the assignments and was embarrassed.

o When Denise took the VARK questionnaire, she discovered that she is primarily
a read/write learner. With this in mind, which of these strategies would likely be
MOST effective for her when previewing the material in each chapter of her
earth science textbook?
 Drawing a wheel map
 Drawing a branch map
 Creating an outline
 Listening to a recording of the chapter being read aloud

o As Ray previews Chapter 6 of his social studies book, he starts creating an

outline to help him understand the structure of the chapter and the relationships
between the topics and subtopics in each section. As Ray creates his outline, he
should NOT ______________.
 include explanations of new technical terms
 write full sentences
 include explanations of new symbols
 pay special attention to topics covered in class

o Emma is rereading a chapter in her political science textbook and highlighting

important information as she goes. What else should Emma do as she reads and
highlights the material in this chapter?
 Take notes verbatim from the book.
 Take notes using her own words.
 Underline the highlighted information.
 Create a wheel map or branch map.

o Cisco is taking two math courses this term, and is doing well in one, but not the
other. He has been having difficulty understanding the material in one class
because the textbook seems disorganized, making it hard for him to follow along.
What's the BEST action for Cisco to do first?
 Ask to borrow another student's notes for review.
 Reread the text frequently to try to understand the material.
 Tell the instructor about his difficulty with the textbook.
 Drop this math class so he can focus more attention on the other math
class.

o Taylor has had difficulty understanding his science instructor's lectures in the
past, and his grades have suffered. Now he wants to make an active effort to
listen critically to improve his comprehension. What should Taylor do while his
instructor delivers a lecture?

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  Listen for information that he already knows.
 Listen for individual facts and figures.
 Listen to the main concepts and central ideas.
 Assume that every word the instructor speaks is equally important.

o Leo, a math major, has been keeping the notes and handouts for his Calculus I
course this term in a neatly organized binder. The pages in the binder are
organized by date, and he has even created a table of contents to help him locate
information by topic. How long should Leo hold on to this binder?
 Until the midterm exam
 Until the end of the term
 Until the end of the school year
 Until he graduates from college

o Aubrey's homework for this evening is to solve a series of equations for her
geometry class. She has found a quiet spot in the library to work and has her
geometry textbook and notes out on the table. What should Aubrey do next?
 Review her notes.
 Read the first problem several times.
 Try solving the problem without referring to her notes.
 Try solving the problem while referring to her notes.

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6. Identify and describe the personal strengths that will help you complete your college
education. How can these strengths influence your direction as you explore career
options?
7. Identify one staff or faculty person who cares about your well-being, and describe how
this person might help you succeed in college.
8. Define what college means to you, and describe what you want to get out of the college
experience.
9. Describe some of the best practices for becoming an engaged learner.
10. Describe some things you can do before a lecture to prepare for learning and
remembering.
11. Describe three strategies you can use to listen critically during a lecture. Explain the
benefits of using them and why they will work.
12. Draw a diagram of the Cornell format of note-taking and list the parts. Then discuss the
benefits of using a note-taking system.
13. Explain the steps to take in completing homework assignments.
14. Describe some effective strategies for previewing chapters. Have you tried any of the
methods presented in your text? If so, have they helped you read more efficiently? If
not, which strategies do work for you? Explain your answer.
15. What are three things you should do if you fall behind on your reading?
16. Imagine a world in which everyone has the same learning style as you. How would life
be better? How might it be worse? Explain your answers fully.
17. How can knowing your VARK score help you do better in your college classes? Now
that you know your VARK score, what changes do you propose to make in how you
study and why?
18. Where do you think you fall on the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator? What
characteristics do you exhibit that lead to your conclusion? Is your "type" evident in
how you are experiencing your different classes? If so, describe how.
19. Do you think you will benefit most from highlighting, annotating, or outlining your
texts? Why? Does it depend on the style of textbook or the subject matter? What other
strategies do you intend to use to enhance comprehension and retention?
20. List the courses you are taking this term, and illustrate how each one encourages critical
thinking.
21. Consider a time when you made an argument based on faulty reasoning. Describe the
argument you made, including any logical fallacies involved, and explain what you
could have done differently to think critically about the information.
22. Pick a topic or subject area that you are learning about in this or another course, and
consider where you are on Bloom's taxonomy in relation to how well you currently
understand the topic. Describe what you need to do to progress through the different
levels of Bloom's taxonomy with regard to your understanding of this topic or subject
area.
23. How can you avoid overextending yourself? Explain what you did to manage your time
more efficiently.
24. Describe your strategies for overcoming procrastination and staying motivated with

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 your coursework.
25. Describe the top five ways that you organize your day. What are the strengths and
challenges of these methods or behaviors?
26. Which principle of time management do you consider the most important? Why?
27. Describe how students are both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated to earn a
college degree.
28. What are two strategies to build resilience? Describe how you have applied these to
your life.
29. What did you learn from your responses to the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire in
this chapter? In your opinion, is this kind of activity useful? Why or why not?
30. According to the Bar-On Model of emotional intelligence, intrapersonal skills are the
framework for all the other emotional intelligence competencies. Describe the five
competencies related to intrapersonal skills and discuss why you agree or disagree with
the first statement.

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Answer Key
1. A
2. C
3. B
4. D
5. D
6. C
7. A
8. C
9. C
10. D
11. A
12. B
13. C
14. B
15. D
16. A
17. D
18. C
19. D
20. B
21. B
22. D
23. C
24. B
25. B
26. C
27. C
28. D
29. A