{"id":21881,"date":"2015-07-27T06:00:42","date_gmt":"2015-07-27T10:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.highpoint.edu\/commonexperience\/?p=21881"},"modified":"2015-07-27T13:25:29","modified_gmt":"2015-07-27T17:25:29","slug":"preparing-for-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.highpoint.edu\/first-year-experience\/2015\/07\/27\/preparing-for-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing for Success"},"content":{"rendered":"

In chapter six of The Work,<\/em> \u201cThe Lesson of the Worker,\u201d Moore returns to Riverdale Country School where he was once a student, but did not graduate. By Moore\u2019s own admission, he wasted many of the opportunities afforded to him at Riverdale. He writes, \u201cI decided to pick and choose which days I\u2019d go to school. I decided that being the class clown was the best approach to my studies. And I spent a lot of time hurting people who loved me just so I could impress people who didn\u2019t even care about me\u201d (169). As a result of these behaviors, Moore was forced to leave the school.<\/p>\n

Hopefully, your experiences at HPU will not mirror Moore\u2019s time at Riverdale. Yet, even those students with the best of intentions can struggle their first year. The transition from high school to college, being away from home for what may be the first time, and the responsibility of managing your time and workload can be overwhelming for even the most contentious and prepared student. In fact, it is sometimes the very best and brightest students that struggle the most when they enter college, as they may be challenged by coursework for the first time in their academic careers.<\/p>\n

College is the chance for a fresh start, and in order to develop the necessary study skills requisite for the work you will be facing at HPU, the staff in the Office of Academic Development<\/a> offer the following services here on campus.<\/p>\n

The Academic Services Center (ASC)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Located on the 4th<\/sup> floor of the Smith Library, the mission of the Office of Academic Development is to support the academic progress, success, and retention of undergraduate students by offering varied educational programs, activities, and services in a certified, supportive learning environment. The Academic Services Center (ASC) is a Level III CRLA Internationally Certified Tutor program. Free tutoring is available via small groups and walk-in hours for 1000- and 2000-level course offerings. ASC also provides Supplemental Instruction Leaders in selected courses as an additional resource to enhance student learning within and external of the classroom environment. Additionally, ASC offers a weekly series of workshops to help students hone their academic skills. Topics included and are not limited to: Professional Communication, Homesickness, Dealing with Math Anxiety, and Midterm and Final Exam Study Plans.<\/p>\n

Learning Excellence<\/strong><\/p>\n

Learning Excellence is a unique program that helps students transition from high school to college. Through weekly meetings with a specialist, LE provides structure and support to assist students in achieving their personal best academic success. We require weekly study hall hours and have professional tutors in Writing and Math, exclusively for LE students. The program is open to any HPU student and offers extensive support to students with learning differences as well as those who want to organize and improve their academic abilities. The more you commit to the program, the greater benefit you will see!<\/p>\n

Disability Support<\/strong><\/p>\n

Students should be encouraged to continue with academic accommodations if they received accommodations in high school or are suspect that learning problems may be present. Often students will try without accommodations as they venture off to college for fear of being labeled or the belief that it will be different and accommodations will not be needed. Additionally, Disability Support can provide academic support in forms of organization and moral support.<\/p>\n

Academic Advising<\/strong><\/p>\n

In partnership with Student Success, every student at High Point University is assigned an academic advisor in their major who mentors, helps plan semester schedules, and develops an academic plan. Academic Advising also assists students in changing majors, adding or changing minors and helping with general advising questions.<\/p>\n

ADV-1101<\/strong><\/p>\n

ADV1101 is a comprehensive academic and life skills course designed to support the overall development and success of the student. The course provides students with valuable skills, which will help them manage their time, set goals and learn how to effectively study.<\/p>\n

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Additionally, the OAD offers the following tips and strategies for academic success:<\/p>\n

Time Management<\/strong><\/p>\n

Time management strategies are essential for an incoming college student. Creating a fixed commitment calendar outlines how you spend each hour of the day between academics and leisure. A long-range calendar is beneficial to note major assignment deadlines. This allows the opportunity to plan a start date that will leave plenty of time for quality work and assistance from tutors or the Writing Center. Overall, completing assignments as they are given, rather than as they are due will be beneficial in the long run.<\/p>\n

Goal Setting<\/strong><\/p>\n

Goal Setting is an important skill to be able to utilize in keeping yourself motivated and on top of academic and personal growth. SMART goals are helpful in setting goals that are within reach, despite being a challenge. These goals have great potential to getting a student towards their long-term goals of being a successful student, and eventually a successful professional.<\/p>\n

Test Taking Skills<\/strong><\/p>\n

Test taking skills are of utmost importance at the college level. When you sit down to take a test, don\u2019t jump right into the content. Instead, take a moment to read through all directions and flip through each page of the exam before starting. This allows you to see the point value of each portion of the test to ensure that you manage your time appropriately. You always want to put the most emphasis\/time on the portion of the tests with the highest point value.<\/p>\n

Test anxiety is something that is faced by a large number of college students. Whether your heart beats incredibly fast, you shake or just draw a blank, test anxiety can be debilitating. But did you know that test anxiety can also be a good thing? That\u2019s right! When managed correctly, test anxiety can provide the surge of energy needed to push you through an exam. It\u2019s called the \u201cGoldi-Locks effect.\u201d Remember the story of Goldilocks and the 3 bears? When she went into their home, one bowl of soup was too hot and the other was too cold. Yet, the middle bowl was just right. That\u2019s how testing anxiety is. Too much anxiety is a bad thing, but if you have no urgency at all, that is also a bad thing. Your testing anxiety should be right in the middle whereby you understand the urgency of doing well, but not to the extent of psyching yourself out! The best ways to manage test anxiety is prepare. Try a 5-Day study plan, studying in groups or even meeting with the professor during office hours to make sure that you are preparing appropriately. Additionally, try positive self-talk. Test anxiety has a way of making one doubt their ability with thoughts, such as \u201cthis sucks\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m going to fail this\u201d or \u201cI am so stupid.\u201d Positive self-talk changes that negativity into something more productive like, \u201cI\u2019ve passed plenty of test before, this is just a test,\u201d or \u201cI studied this material and I know I can do this!\u201d You\u2019d be surprised how a positive self-talk can positively impact your entire testing experience.<\/p>\n

Emotional Well-Being<\/strong><\/p>\n

Recognize the stages of the “W-Curve<\/a>.” Homesickness and culture shock are normal parts of the college adjustment. Talk to your friends about these issues. Chances are they are going through the same adjustment period. If you feel like your adjustment is going a little slower than others, Counseling Services<\/a> is a great resource to turn to for help.<\/p>\n

Growth Mindset<\/strong><\/p>\n

Work on having a growth mindset. Students with a growth mindset enjoy challenges and appreciate feedback from others. They are also able to focus more on their experience in college rather than only being concerned about the outcome (e.g. grades, prestigious jobs, monetary rewards). These students are typically much more successful at HPU.<\/p>\n

The Office of Academic Services will be providing a workshop series throughout the upcoming academic year to give students additional skills for success. All workshops will take place at 5PM on Mondays in the lower level of Smith Library. A complete listing of these workshops will be found on the Academic Services website by the beginning of the fall semester. The first three workshops are:<\/p>\n