on college and career success - Cengage

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Dec 1, 2010 - FOCUS on College and Career Success. Annotated Instructor's Edition. Constance Staley and Steve Staley. Se
A N N O TAT E D I N S T R U C T O R ’ S E D I T I O N

FOCUS ON COLLEGE AND CAREER SUCCESS Constance Staley University of Colorado, Colorado Springs Steve Staley Colorado Technical University

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FOCUS on College and Career Success Annotated Instructor’s Edition Constance Staley and Steve Staley Senior Publisher: Lyn Uhl Director of College Success and Developmental English: Annie Todd Development Editor: Marita Sermolins Assistant Editor: Melanie Opacki Media Editor: Amy Gibbons Senior Marketing Manager: Kirsten Stoller Marketing Coordinator: Ryan Ahern Marketing Communications Manager: Courtney Morris Content Project Manager: Jessica Rasile Senior Art Director: Pam Galbreath Print Buyer: Julio Esperas Senior Rights Acquisition Account Manager— Images: Jennifer Meyer Dare Senior Rights Acquisition Account Manager— Text: Katie Huha Production Service: Lachina Publishing Services Text Designer: Susan Gilday Photo Researcher: Josh Brown/Pre-PressPMG

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2010940900 Annotated Instructor’s Edition: ISBN-13: 978-1-4390-8391-8 ISBN-10: 1-4390-8391-6 Wadsworth 20 Channel Center Street Boston, MA 02210 USA

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Brief Contents

Acknowledgments xix FOCUS Entrance Interview

xxi

1 Getting the Right Start ....................................................... 1

© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

2 Building Dreams, Setting Goals ....................................... 25 3 Learning about Learning .................................................. 47 4 Managing Your Time, Energy, and Money ........................ 73 5 Thinking Critically and Creatively .................................... 103 6 Developing Technology, Research, and Information Literacy Skills ........................................ 127 7 Engaging, Listening, and Note-Taking in Class ............... 155 8 Developing Your Memory .............................................. 185 9 Reading and Studying ................................................... 207 10 Taking Tests.................................................................. 235 11 Building Relationships, Valuing Diversity ......................... 263 12 Assessing Your College Major and Career...................... 295 13 Creating Your Future ..................................................... 313 FOCUS Exit Interview 339 Appendix: Additional Time Monitors Notes 344 Index 354

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Brief Contents

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Contentsents Acknowledgments xix FOCUS Entrance Interview

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Getting the Right Start

Readiness Check 1 CHALLENGE FOCUS Challenge Case: Darnell Williams 2 REACTION What Do You Think? 4

You’re in College Now

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Exercise 1.1 We’d Like to Get to Know You. . .

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Choosing a Four-Year Degree? A Two-Year Degree? A Certificate Program? 6 How College Works: Being “In the Know”

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CAREER OUTLOOK Be Noticeable 9 Develop a Degree Plan and Plan Your Coursework 10 Exercise 1.2 Why Do I Have to Take This Class? 11 Be Advised! Advising Mistakes Students Make 12 Make the Grade: Computing Your GPA 13 Realize the Value of Remediation 14 Master the Syllabus 15

1 Box 1.1 Analyzing a Syllabus 16 Avoid the PCP Syndrome: Use Campus Resources 17 Exercise 1.3 Top Ten Resources Your Campus Offers 19

Toughing It Out: What College Takes

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The Good News and the Bad News (Benefits and Obstacles) 20 ONLINE TechKnow 22 This Course Has a Proven Track Record

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How Do I Want to Be Different When I’m Done? 23 INSIGHT Now What Do You Think? 24 ACTION Your Plans for Change 24 Reality Check 24

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Building Dreams, Setting Goals

Six Ways to Adjust Your Attitude 37 Box 2.1 Statements That Ought to Be Outlawed in College . . . and Why 38 Exercise 2.4 Your Academic Autobiography 38

Readiness Check 25 CHALLENGE FOCUS Challenge Case: Gloria Gonzales 26 REACTION What Do You Think? 28

Who Are You? And What Do You Want? Spending Time “in the System”

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Exercise 2.1 How Do You “Spend” Your Time? 31

How Motivated Are You and How Are You Motivated? 32 Exercise 2.2 Academic Intrinsic Motivation Self-Assessment 32 CAREER OUTLOOK Be Observant 34 Exercise 2.3 The Ideal Student 36

Give Yourself an Attitude Adjustment ONLINE TechKnow

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Ability versus Effort: What’s More Important?

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Exercise 2.5 Theories of Intelligence Scale 39 CONTROL Your Toughest Task 40

What Drives You? Values, Dreams, and Goals Exercise 2.6 Core Values Self-Assessment 41 Values at the Core 41 Dreams versus Goals 42 CURIOSITY Know Thyself! How Hard Can That Be? INSIGHT Now What Do You Think? 45 ACTION Your Plans for Change 45 Reality Check 46

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chap te r

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Learning about Learning

Readiness Check 47 CHALLENGE FOCUS Challenge Case: Tammy Ko REACTION What Do You Think? 50

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Go to the Head of the Class: Learning and the Brain 50

© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Exercise 3.1 What Is Learning? 50 Use It or Lose It 50 Ask Questions and Hardwire Your Connections 51

Take Charge and Create the Best Conditions for Learning 51 CONTROL Your Top-Ten List

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Multiple Intelligences: How Are You Smart?

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Exercise 3.2 Multiple Intelligences Self-Assessment 57

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Translate Content into Your Own Intelligences 59 CAREER OUTLOOK Be Hard-Working 60 Use Intelligence-Oriented Study Techniques 61 Develop Your Weaker Intelligences 62

How Do You Perceive and Process Information? 62 Exercise 3.3 VARK Learning Styles Assessment Using Your Sensory Preferences 65 VARK Activity 67

What Role Does Your Personality Play?

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ONLINE TechKnow 70 INSIGHT Now What Do You Think? 71 ACTION Your Plans for Change 71 Reality Check 72

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Managing Your Time, Energy, and Money

Readiness Check 73 CHALLENGE FOCUS Challenge Case: Derek Johnson 74 REACTION What Do You Think? 76

Time Management Isn’t Enough

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Energy, Our Most Precious Resource

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Get Physically Energized 79 Get Emotionally Connected 80

“I’ll Study in My Free Time” . . . and When Is That? 81 Exercise 4.1 Where Did the Time Go? 81 Box 4.1 Lame Excuses for Blowing Off Class 82

Schedule Your Way to Success

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Exercise 4.2 Time Monitor 83 CURIOSITY Choose to Choose! 84 Exercise 4.3 Term on a Page 85 CAREER OUTLOOK Be Disciplined 86

To Do or Not to Do? There Is No Question 88

How Time Flies!

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Exercise 4.5 Are you a Preemptive, People-pleasing, Perfectionistic Procrastinator? 91

The P Word. Read This Section Now ! . . . or Maybe Tomorrow . . . or . . . 91 Exercise 4.6 Who, Me, Procrastinate? 92 ONLINE TechKnow 95

Beyond Juggling: Realistically Manage Work, School, and Personal Life 95 Time Is Money!

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Exercise 4.7 How Fiscally Fit Are You? 97 Exercise 4.8 Create a Spending Log 98 The Perils of Plastic 99 Box 4.2 Top Ten Financial Aid FAQs 100 VARK Activity 101 INSIGHT Now What Do You Think? 102 ACTION Your Plans for Change 102 Reality Check 102

Exercise 4.4 So Much to Do—So Little Time 89 chap te r

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Thinking Critically and Creatively

Readiness Check 103 CHALLENGE FOCUS Challenge Case: Desiree Moore 104 REACTION What Do You Think? 106

Rethinking Thinking

103 106

What Is Critical Thinking?

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Exercise 5.1 And Just Why Is Critical Thinking Important? 108

A Four-Part Model of Critical Thinking

ONLINE TechKnow 120 IV. Thinking about Your Thinking

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I. Reasoning: The Foundation of Critical Thinking 109 Exercise 5.2 Aspen Commons Apartment Complex Case Study 115 VARK Activity 116 II. Problem Solving: The Basic How-To’s 116 Exercise 5.3 Problem Solving for Yourself 118 CAREER OUTLOOK Be Analytical 119 III. Decision Making: What’s Your Style? 119

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Becoming a Better Critical Thinker

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Creativity: “Thinking Outside the . . . Book” Ten Ways to Become a More Creative Thinker CONTROL Your Toughest Class 125 INSIGHT Now What Do You Think? 126 ACTION Your Plans for Change 126 Reality Check 126

Developing Technology, Research, and Information Literacy Skills

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Readiness Check 127 CHALLENGE FOCUS Challenge Case: Dario Jones 128 REACTION What Do You Think? 130

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Information Literacy and Your College Success 144

Technology Skills: Wireless, Windowed, Webbed, and Wikied 130 ONLINE TechKnow 130 The Internet: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 131 CURIOSITY Are You Caught in the Net? 134 Use Technology to Your Academic Advantage 135 Exercise 6.1 How Tech-Savvy Are You? 136 Box 6.1 Other Need-to-Know Technology Definitions 138 Netiquette: Online Manners Matter 138 Exercise 6.2 How Not to Win Friends and Influence People Online 139 Taking Online Classes: E-Learning versus C-Learning 140

Research Skills and Your College Success

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Step 1. Define 145 Step 2. Locate 146 Step 3. Select 146 Exercise 6.3 Critical Searching on the Internet 147 Step 4. Organize 147 Step 5. Write and Present 148 Box 6.2 PowerPoint or PowerPointless? Five Ways to Make Your Presentations Stand Out 150 Exercise 6.4 Technology Project: Group Ad 151

Downloading Your Workload: The Easy Way Out? 151 Exercise 6.5 Plagiarism Survey 151 Exercise 6.6 Plagiarism or Not? 153 VARK Activity 153 INSIGHT Now What Do You Think? 154 ACTION Your Plans for Change 154 Reality Check 154

Navigating the Library 143 CAREER OUTLOOK Be Resourceful 144 chap t e r

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Engaging, Listening, and Note-Taking in Class

Readiness Check 155 CHALLENGE FOCUS Challenge Case: Rachel White 156 REACTION What Do You Think? 158

Get Engaged in Class 158 Dare to Prepare 158 Follow the Rules of Engagement 160

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Listening with Focus 161 “Easy Listening” Is for Elevators—Focused Listening Is for Classrooms 161 Listen Hard! 162 Get Wired for Sound 164 Box 7.1 Listening Tips if English Is Your Second Language 164

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Identify Lecture Styles So You Can Modify Listening Styles 165 CONTROL Your Learning 167

Turn Listening Skills into Note-Taking Skills

Exercise 7.2 “Focused” Multitasking 179

Ask and You Shall Receive

Exercise 7.3 How Much Does Asking Questions Help? 180

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Exercise 7.1 How Well Do You Listen? 168

Using Lecture Notes 181

Different Strokes for Different Folks: Note-Taking by the System and Subject 169

Exercise 7.4 Note-Taking 4-M 182 CAREER OUTLOOK Be Clear 182 VARK Activity 183 ONLINE TechKnow 183 INSIGHT Now What Do You Think? 184 ACTION Your Plans for Change 184 Reality Check 184

Outlining 172 The Cornell System 173 Mind Maps 174 Note-Taking on Instructor-Provided Handouts 175 Note-Taking by the Book 177 Note-Taking by the Subject 177 © 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

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Developing Your Memory Make It Meaningful 196 CAREER OUTLOOK Be Skilled 197 Make It Mnemonic 197 CURIOSITY Act on Your Memory! 198 Manipulate It 199 Make It Funny 201

Readiness Check 185 CHALLENGE FOCUS Challenge Case: Kevin Baxter 186 REACTION What Do You Think? 188

Memory: The Long and Short of It 188 Exercise 8.1 Subjective Memory Test 188 Exercise 8.2 Test Your Memory 190

The Three R’s of Remembering: Record, Retain, Retrieve 190

How Our Memories (uh . . . hmmm . . .) Fail Us Deepen Your Memory

Your Sensory Memory: Focus 191 Your Working Memory: Record 192 Your Long-Term Memory: Retain and Retrieve 193 ONLINE TechKnow 193

Twenty Ways to Master Your Memory

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VARK Activity 205 INSIGHT Now What Do You Think? 205 ACTION Your Plans for Change 205 Reality Check 206

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Make It Stick 195 chap te r

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Reading and Studying

Readiness Check 207 CHALLENGE FOCUS Challenge Case: Katie Alexander 208 REACTION What Do You Think? 210

Who Needs to Read?

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Read Right! 211 Exercise 9.1 Keeping a Reading Log 212 Exercise 9.2 Marginal Notes 214 CAREER OUTLOOK Be Knowledgeable 216

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“Elementary, My Dear Watson”: Build Your Reading Skills 216 Put English under the Magnifying Glass 217 Exercise 9.3 Word Hunt 218 CURIOSITY Reading When English Is Your Second Language 219 Search for Clues: Develop Your Skills of Detection 220 Exercise 9.4 Two-Way Inferences 220 Stay on the Case: Put Clues Together 220

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Exercise 9.5 Paragraph Analysis 221 Box 9.1 Learning Disability? Five Ways to Help Yourself 223

Sprinting to the Finish Line: How to Study When the Heat Is On 231 A Final Word about Reading and Studying

Meta-what? Metacognition, Reading, and Studying 223 Exercise 9.6 Do You Know How to Study? 224

Becoming an Intentional Learner: Make a Master Study Plan 225 Exercise 9.7 “Disciplined” Studying

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ONLINE TechKnow 232 VARK Activity 233 INSIGHT Now What Do You Think? 233 ACTION Your Plans for Change 233 Reality Check 234

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Taking Tests

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Readiness Check 235 CHALLENGE FOCUS Challenge Case: Joe Cloud 236 REACTION What Do You Think? 238

Testing 1, 2, 3 . . . Show What You Know Before the Test: Prepare Carefully

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Cramming: Does “All or Nothing” Really Work? 241 Test-Taking: High Anxiety? 243 Exercise 10.1 Test Anxiety Survey 243 Reduce Math Anxiety and Increase Your Test Scores 245

During the Test: Focus and Work Hard Taking Objective Tests

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Guesswork Out 250 ONLINE TechKnow 252 Exercise 10.2 Multiple-Choice Test 253 Short-Answer, Fill in the Blank, and Matching Tests 253

Taking Subjective Essay Tests

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Exercise 10.3 Understanding “Verb-age” 256 CONTROL Your Learning 257

Don’t Cheat Yourself!

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CAREER OUTLOOK Be Remarkable 260

After the Test: Continue to Learn

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VARK Activity 261 INSIGHT Now What Do You Think? 262 ACTION Your Plans for Change 262 Reality Check 262

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True-False: Truly a 50–50 Chance of Getting It Right? 249 Multiple Choice or Multiple Guess? Taking the chap t e r

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Building Relationships, Valuing Diversity

Readiness Check 263 CHALLENGE FOCUS Challenge Case: Kia Washington 264 REACTION What Do You Think? 266

The Heart of College Success

Managing Conflict: Life Is Not a Sitcom 277 Exercise 11.2 What’s Your Conflict Style? 278 Exercise 11.3 25 Things We Have in Common 281

Diversity Makes a Difference

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Can Emotional Intelligence Be Improved?

Appreciate the American Mosaic 285 269

Box 11.1 What Is This Thing Called Love? 272 CURIOSITY Build Relationships One Drop at a Time 273

Communicating in Important Relationships 273

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Exercise 11.4 Your Views on Diversity 281 Exercise 11.5 Facing the Race Issue 283

Exercise 11.1 How Would You Respond? 266

What Is Emotional Intelligence?

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Exercise 11.6 What’s the Difference? 286 Exercise 11.7 Circles of Awareness 286

What’s Your CQ?

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Exercise 11.8 Diagnosing Your Cultural Intelligence CAREER OUTLOOK Be Personable 290

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Think Globally; Act Locally

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ONLINE TechKnow 291 Box 11.2 Service-Learning: Learning by Serving 292 VARK Activity 293

INSIGHT Now What Do You Think? 293 ACTION Your Plans for Change 293 Reality Check 294

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Assessing Your College Major and Career 295

Readiness Check 295 CHALLENGE FOCUS Challenge Case: Ethan Cole 296 REACTION What Do You Think? 298 © 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

What’s the Connection?

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College in a Box? 298 How Do the Disciplines Connect? 299 CONTROL Your Learning 300

How to Choose a Major and a Career

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Step 1: Follow Your Bliss 302 CAREER OUTLOOK Be Reliable 302 Step 2: Conduct Preliminary Research 303

Step 3: Take a Good Look at Yourself 304 Exercise 12.1 What Are Your Job Preferences? 304 Step 4: Consider Your Major versus Your Career 306 ONLINE TechKnow 308 Exercise 12.2 Get a Job! 310 VARK Activity 311 INSIGHT Now What Do You Think? 311 ACTION Your Plans for Change 311 Reality Check 312

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Creating Your Future

Readiness Check 313 CHALLENGE FOCUS Challenge Case Anthony Lopez 314 REACTION What Do You Think? 316

What’s the Next Step?

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CURIOSITY Focus Your I’s!

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Launching a Career: Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan 318 Exercise 13.1 Career Auction 318 Looking for a Job? Create a Job Search Plan 319 Try on a Career for Size 321 Exercise 13.2 Group Résumé 324 Build a Portfolio of Your Best Work 324 Network, Network, Network! 325 Write the Right Résumé 325 Write the Right Cover Letter, Too 328t Exercise 13.3 Cover Letter Critique 328

313 Interview at Your Best 329

Continuing Your Education

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Exercise 13.4 Circling the Right Career 333

Put What You’ve Learned to Good Use: Twelve Things Employers Hope You Will Learn in College 334 What Ifs

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What If College Isn’t Right for You? 335 ONLINE TechKnow 336 What If You Can’t Finish a Degree Now? 336

My, How You’ve Grown! Goodbye and Good Luck! 336 VARK Activity 337 INSIGHT Now What Do You Think? 337 ACTION Your Plans for Change 338 Reality Check 338

FOCUS Exit Interview 339 Appendix: Additional Time Monitors 342 Notes 344 Index 354

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FOCUS Challenge Case

Constance Staley

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hirty-how-many-years? she thought. What a long time to work at one job in one place. But she had learned so much over that time, especially about students and about teaching, about learning and about knowing. When she first began, the campus consisted of a few buildings and a dirt parking lot. Now it was a thriving community with thousands of students and buildings going up everywhere. Of course, you can enhance your career by moving from ©Larry Harwood Photography. Property of Cengage Learning. one school to another, she thought to herself, but you can also learn a lot by sticking with a good thing over a long period of time. So that’s what she’d done. There had been brief excursions, working in private industry and teaching students in the former Soviet Union as a Fulbright Scholar. But for the most part, Constance Staley had spent her entire career as a professor on one campus, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. As the campus had “grown up,” so had she as a teacher. Over her years as a professor, she’d worked with thousands of students. She concentrated on being the kind of teacher who listened and cared, who sent encouraging e-mails to students when they needed them, or “reality check” e-mails when they needed an academic pep talk because they weren’t doing so well. She loved the give and take, convincing students that this class wasn’t about how much she knew. It was about how much they could learn. But it was challenges like the ones presented by students—like many of those featured in this book’s case studies—that motivated Constance Staley to write FOCUS on College and Career Success. She knew that getting a college degree was their key to a better life, a more fulfilling career, and most importantly, achieving their potential. The Roman poet Manlius said it well centuries ago: “The end depends on the beginning.” Connie’s goal was to build much of what she has learned into a single tool: a book that would almost teach itself, freeing instructors to do what they need to do with their students, collectively and individually. According to reviewers, some of the strengths of FOCUS on College and Career Success are its ability to build rapport with students, engage them, unlock intrinsic motivation, demonstrate that learning is taking place, and help them learn how to focus. The visual display on the following pages will walk you through FOCUS on College and Career Success, feature by feature. It’s been said that teaching is the ultimate act of optimism. When a Gloria Gonzales, an Ethan Cole, or a Kia Washington is engaged and succeeds, we know why we do what we do as instructors. And we continually challenge ourselves to do it better. FOCUS is for all the first-year students who sit in your classrooms, and for you in your own personal and professional journey as their teacher.

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Preface

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Steve Staley © 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

S

ome people stay in one place and do one thing increasingly well, he thought. But as he looked back on his career, Steve Staley realized that he’d done just the opposite—as an Air Force instructor pilot, Air Force Academy professor of English, Naval War College professor of strategy and policy, University of Colorado director of advising, Fulbright Fellow teaching business communication in Kyrgyzstan, director of corporate communications Used by permission of Steve Staley and educational development in a high tech firm, and dean of academics and professor of management and humanities at Colorado Technical University. What did all these jobs have in common? They all focused on helping people learn things they cared strongly about. And while they were all “academic” in one sense, these career twists and turns specialized in practical outcomes. At Colorado Tech, he found that his students were intensely focused on learning useful skills that would increase their earning power and advance their careers. Eventually, as Director of Faculty Development, Steve used all that experience to extend his efforts, by helping to prepare his faculty colleagues to be the best teachers they could be, across a variety of academic disciplines. The breadth of his career convinced him of one thing: the best career and technical schools, such as Colorado Tech, were very effective in meeting their student’s needs, all the way from scheduling classes when busy students (often with demanding jobs and active families) could take them, to offering courses and majors attuned to the needs of the newer, changing career opportunities in their communities—from information technology to criminal justice to nursing to hospitality management. But many of his students had been out of school for years before returning to earn their college degrees. Many had served in the military, worked in law enforcement or healthcare, or held other responsible jobs. And in many cases, he found that his students could benefit from an introductory course designed to sharpen their academic skills, show them the best ways of working with their instructors and fellow students, and help them connect their school work with their career and professional goals—in short, to help them learn to focus on college and career success!

Preface

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} Retention

How does FOCUS address the issue of

Q: Many colleges seem to be STRUGGLING WITH RETENTION and are trying to understand why many students don’t return after their first year. How does FOCUS help with this? A: Helping instructors flag potential risk factors for individual students is key to guiding students through misperceptions and problematic situations. This type of very “early alert” system can make all the difference when it comes to retention.

Entrance and Exit Interviews the front in d e d lu c TIP: In se TEACHING book, the y r e v e f o an and back ruments c t s in g in r e ws data-gath ne intervie o n o e n ro f the be used fo and end o g in n in g e at the b actors for f k is r y if ident erate course, to , or to gen s t n e d u t s sions individual Online ver . n io s s u c is ate in-class d e CourseM h t m o r f ble are availa web site.

Online learning is definitely here to stay in education. It is important to focus on this learning technique. – Craig Baranovic, Remington College

FOCUS includes built-in tools that measure the gap between students’ initial expectations at the beginning of the term and actual experience at the end. Instructors can design interventions based on issues that surface, and then monitor their degree of success in implementing them.

Emotional Intelligence (EI) Coverage FOCUS uses research on emotional intelligence and intrinsic motivation to get at underlying issues that influence college success. Because they lack focus, many first-year students become discouraged, or recognize that they are not well prepared for the sustained investment college requires. Many students give up due to EI factors like discouragement or disillusionment.

Online TechKnow Feature Boxes

Today more and more courses are either fully or partially online. Because many students are familiar with today’s social media (texting, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube), they find it easy to adjust to online coursework. But while virtual courses offer more flexibility, they still demand productive academic skills. “Online TechKnow” is designed to leverage students’ existing technology skills to strengthen their academic success in online courses. These boxes offer suggestions like how to study for online tests, how to interact with students in online discussion groups, and how to use e-mail to best ensure academic success. ONLINE TechKnow



It’s on the Web, so it must be true!” Part of information literacy skills is evaluating the accuracy and usefulness of information you come across. As you read materials you find during online research, be careful to check the accuracy and authority of your sources.

• Examine each article and each claim carefully to see where it comes from originally. What original research came up with that finding? How reputable is the original source—can you find information about that source from other places? • Effective news editors follow this rule: before a claim can be believed, it must be verified by two independent sources. Sometimes what looks like two sources is really only one source repeated. You may need to

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Improve Your Grade Online Flashcards Glossary

search for authenticity online before you use information that’s readily available. • What about Wikipedia? Many professors consider it a useful starting point in your research, but won’t accept it as a critical reference. Best not to cite it in backing up your research. The best way to use Wikipedia is to use the bibliography and links at the bottom of the page, and do further research from there. • When you’ve been at your online research for a long time—say over a half-hour—then it pays to take a break and think about what you’ve been finding. You’ll find that short breaks strengthen your ability to critically assess what you’ve found. • Rule of thumb? Don’t use anything as a reference unless it has an author listed.

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} Motivation

How does FOCUS address the issue of

© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Q: Because they lack focus, many first-year students become discouraged or recognize that they are not well prepared for the sustained investment college requires over time. How does FOCUS help address this PROBLEM OF MOTIVATION? A: Many students today go to college because their family wants them to, because their friends are going, or because it’s the expected “next step.” They don’t realize how much their own motivation to propel themselves toward a degree is at the heart of their success. In addiThe Career Outlooks tion to helping students develop realistic expectations of what give students a quick reminder it takes to learn, throughout FOCUS they are reminded that of key points. I would have students they are central to the learning process and that they must be put these “Be ...” statements into their own fully invested. words relating to their own experiences so that they can take ownership of them, share Academic Intrinsic Motivation Scale them, and use them in life.

(AIMS)

— Kristen Smith, Hallmark College

To help trigger students’ intrinsic motivation these four features re-appear in chapters of FOCUS: Curiosity: piques students’ curiosity about chapter content Control: helps students control outcomes in their toughest class (or a linked learning community “target” class) Career Outlook: connects academic experiences and coursework to the professional world and career success. Challenge: self-tests comprehension via Challenge Yourself Online Quizzes on the FOCUS CourseMate Web site.

C A R E E R O U T L O O K : Be Clear A mighty thing is eloquence . . . nothing so much rules the world. POPE PIUS II

Speak and write well. Your college career may put more emphasis on these skills than any others. In today’s world of abbreviated text messages (ays = Are you serious?; lol = laugh out loud; u = you; brb = be right back) and empty conversation (“And she’s going. . . and I’m like . . . you know . . . whatever . . .”), you can become a super star on the job by just speaking and writing well. For example, if the boss wants someone to brief the staff on a new procedure, who will she choose? Someone who speaks like a high school student, or the person who sounds like an experienced professional? The ability to use both spoken and written language well—the language of educated and successful professionals—communicates to your colleagues and your supervisors that you think clearly and work effectively. And when the boss wants someone to deal with customers, partners, and suppliers, who will the boss choose? Those who are hard to understand and sound inexperienced, or those who have a solid command of the language and use it to clearly get their points across? And in addition to speaking and writing well, learn to listen to what’s really being said and why. With practice, you can listen past the bravado or baloney and get to the real message. We learn in the competitive world of business that poor speaking, writing, and listening skills will lead people to take their business elsewhere. When you communicate effectively and professionally, you help your organization succeed—and that helps you succeed!

Readiness Checks and Reality Checks FOCUS asks students at the beginning of every chapter to assess their level of motivation, interest, knowledge, and readiness to begin reading via Readiness Checks. Students learn to focus on the chapter material and narrow the gap between initial expectations of what’s required to work through the chapters and the reality of what it actually took via the end of chapter Reality Checks.

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Students would approach this as a game… wanting to “win” by knowing it all at the conclusion of the lesson. This section also helps students to actually prepare for the chapter BEFORE the teacher goes over it (imagine that!). — Phebe Simmons, Blinn College

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} Varied Learning

How does FOCUS address the issue of

Styles

Q: Today’s INCOMING STUDENTS HAVE VARIED LEARNING STYLES. How does FOCUS ensure that students identify their learning style and gain the skills necessary to improve their learning throughout their college career? A: FOCUS informs students about their own learning styles right away so that they can streamline their efforts and translate between the teaching “language” spoken by their instructors and learning “language” they themselves prefer. FOCUS encourages students to realize that learning is a process, and helps them customize their learning, just as they customize products in their lives— everything from MP3 players and cell phones to specialty coffee drinks!

VARK

Marcela Barsse/MarsBars/iStockphoto.com; Johanna Goodyear/Dreamstime.com; Nadezda Firsova/iStockphoto.com; Pascal Genest/iStockphoto.com

Following the VARK assessment in Chapter 3, VARK activities in each chapter focus on the four sensory modalities and learning. If students are multimodal, they will be encouraged to select activities from several modalities. And as a first-year seminar course should be, the book has been “VARKed,” by including:

This is an excellent tool for self examination… I have had a number of students be quite surprised at the results of the VARK and how simple strategies (according to the results) enhance their learning.

Visual: memorable, unusual photographs with powerful, famous

quotations as captions, and bold colors to add appeal Aural: content-rich and compelling chapter summary podcasts with a humorous twist to capture student interest (available for download on the CourseMate Web site) Read/Write: research-based, comprehensive chapters on timely

topics with new subtopics written for today’s students Kinesthetic: real-life students as the FOCUS Challenge Case students and FOCUS TV Episodes to reinforce chapter points

Multiple Intelligences & Personality Type In Chapter 3, students can discover “how” they are smart with multiple intelligences and how personality types can play a role in learning. Students are encouraged to think about how all these learning preferences inform how they approach learning and study for all their courses. Available on the CourseMate Web site, “Your Type is Showing,” provides students with brief opportunities to read MBTI research related to the chapter’s content.

—Janet Breaker, Milwaukee Area Technical College

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} Work/Life/School

How does FOCUS address the issue of

Balance

A: Today’s career college students are busy juggling classes, work, commuting, family, friendships, and other social commitments such as clubs, church, and fitness. Student readers need to be reminded about making productive time management decisions. Woven throughout FOCUS are helpful tips and reminders on time management, prioritizing, and integrating these important aspects of our students’ lives.

TEACHING TIP : Use “How Full Is Your Plate? at the beginn ” ing or end of every class session to ch eck on how su ccessfully students hav e managed th eir time since the last class or to help the m plan for the coming w eek.

How Full Is Your Plate? This regularly occurring feature helps students identify places in their lives, personally, professionally, and academically, where they may not be making the most use of their available time. By getting students to understand when and how time management gets away from them, the Try It! activity provides students with practical ways to make better use of their time. These short activities will give instructors an opportunity to revisit time management issues throughout the course.

How FULL is your plate? T RY I T !

Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.

Choose one item on your “to-

—MICHAEL MCGRIFFY, M.D.

W

do” list this week that can be shifted down the list, and one

hen your plate is as full as yours probably is, sometimes you must decide to be Åexible. You may not be able to do everything perfectly, as Desiree De in the FOCUS Challenge Case wanted to. For her, h procrastination was a way of giving herself permission to do a less than perfect job on a pe task that didn’t require a perfect job in the Ärst place.4 For people like Desiree, developing p Åexibility can be a key to college success.

item that should be shifted up. What’s really important? In class, discuss whether perfectionism is a problem for you, and if so, what you can do about it.

PPhotostoGO.com

What Is Critical Thinking?

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Stressed Out? Throughout FOCUS on College and Career Success, this feature examines important ways of handling stressful experiences and of reducing stress in students’ lives. From exercise to meditation to getting enough sleep, students are introduced to techniques designed to help them reduce the stress that can be all too common when trying to balance the competing demands of work, life, and school.

Stressed Out?

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Oh sleep! It is a gentle thing, Beloved from pole to pole.

T RY I T !

—SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE, ENGLISH CRITIC AND POET (1772–1834)

Keep a sleep log for a week. When you wake up, write down the number of hours of sleep you’ve gotten.

W

hat’s keeping you up at night? Worry? Anxiety? Stress? According to sleep experts, you should be getting seven or more hours per night, or a minimum of forty-nine hours per week. Some students, like Dario from the FOCUS Challenge Case, choose to stay up until the wee, small hours of the morning. Or perhaps you have a baby at home who keeps you up at night or a job working the night shift. Stress and sleep are intricately related. Together, they combine to form a vicious circle: stress can keep you from getting sleep, and not getting enough sleep can interfere with your ability to cope with stress.

Sun.

Mon.

Tues.

Wed.

Thur.

Fri.

Are you surprised to see the actual numbers? Is there much variation from night to night? From weekdays to weekends? Formulate a new strategy to become better rested. Scientists now know that the amount of sleep you get can affect your health, your weight, and your grades!18

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Sat.

Devon Stephens/iStockphoto Stephens/iStockphoto.com com

© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Q: Balancing the demands of work, family and personal life, and school is a serious issue for career college students. How does FOCUS help address this pressing issue?

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} Teach the Course

How does FOCUS help me

Q: Most instructors have multiple course preps per semester, and though they want to make the college success course as engaging and interactive as possible, they just don’t have time to write CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES or research ways to spice up LECTURES AND DISCUSSIONS in the classroom. How does FOCUS help? A: FOCUS is designed as a learning system with built-in motivational tools, and built-in activities and journal/discussion prompts. FOCUS was created as a single, multifaceted teaching tool: a book that would encourage instructors to stress high expectations, while also providing a high level of support. Teaching a first-year seminar is challenging, and instructors need support, too. Constance Staley knows first-hand the range of challenges instructors face and what would give them what they need—conveniently and comprehensively— to do the best job they can.

Annotated Instructor’s Edition The Annotated Instructor’s Edition of FOCUS helps instructors at any stage of their teaching careers succeed and provides the guidance needed with any new text. Annotations are categorized into five groups for easy recognition, allowing instructors to pay attention to annotations they are most interested in: • Teachable Moments note places where instructors can pause to capitalize on chapter content by making particular points that enrich the learning environment. • Sensitive Situations point out places where an in-class discussion could generate potential discomfort and help keep instructors from being caught off guard by these triggers, providing suggestions for how to handle these teaching challenges. • Activity Options offer further active learning strategies to use in class and provide a variety of quick yet powerful classroom activities. • Teaching with Technology annotations give advice for both current users of and novices to classroom technology about how to seamlessly weave technology that students are so familiar with into the academic setting of the classroom. • Emotional Intelligence (EI) Research annotations provide short summaries of related EI research and make the connections many first-year instructors want to include about EI, but aren’t always sure how to include in the content of college success courses. • Focus on Fundamentals. Many students are placed into developmental courses in reading, writing, and math that cover the fundamentals. These students have particular characteristics relating to motivation, confidence, and skills. Annotations in this category tell instructors about warning signs to watch for in their students that may hinder their success.

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Instructor’s Manual and Test Bank The Instructor’s Manual serves as a quick guide to every chapter, providing all the frequently asked questions about how to teach the course, from what the main focus of every chapter should be to yet more activity options. It is organized by questions most frequently asked by both new and seasoned instructors; for example, How should I launch this chapter? What important features does this chapter include? What additional exercises might enrich students’ learning? This time-saving resource also includes a Test Bank.

© Cengage Learning.

Created to cover the specific content of FOCUS, this easy-to-use multimedia tool helps you navigate and “VARK” chapter material. FOCUSPoints is an interactive Teaching Tool that allows you to select from varied, multimedia options in class—all located in one spot. You (and your students) decide where to focus during class, point, and click. Using this interactive tool with invisible links inserted, you can lecture, do activities in the text, show FOCUS TV episodes, listen to chapter iAudio summaries, add YouTubes or other Internet content, or your own materials—easily and conveniently—all with this one, flexible teaching tool. No other first-year seminar textbook includes this powerful, innovative, convenient teaching aid.

College Success CourseMate In addition to rich resources, additional in-class activities, and downloadable podcasts (pithy chapter summaries with a humorous twist), the Web site includes short “YouTube”-type vignettes, “Inside the FOCUS Studio,” and “FOCUS TV” mock television shows, featuring the author and FOCUS Challenge Case students. These “What’s the Big Idea?” streaming videos focus on nine FOCUS topics and how the chapter content can be made real and memorable to today’s students. Challenge Yourself quizzes allow students to adjust the challenge level of the course by selecting easy, medium, and challenging questions to answer (following Bloom’s taxonomy from simple to more cognitively complex questions).

© Cengage Learning.

© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

PowerLecture featuring FOCUSPoints

NEW! Online Multimedia EBook This Online Multimedia eBook for FOCUS on Community College Success provides an interactive version of the textbook with videos, audio summaries, electronic activities, and links to the CourseMate Web site.

WebTutorTM on WebCT WebTutorTM on Blackboard Jump-start your course with customizable, rich text-specific content within your Course Management System, including Challenge Yourself Quizzes, Inside the FOCUS Studio videos, and podcasts. Preface

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50 Ways to Leave Your Lectern How do we leave our lecterns? How can teachers engage students? This supplement offers you a proven way to stimulate thinking, discussion, and group interaction. Each exercise is organized according to Goals, Group Size, Time Required, Materials, Physical Setting, Process, and Possible Variations. This invaluable, creative resource provides dozens of ideas for kinesthetic classroom activities.

Assessment Tools If you’re looking for additional ways to assess your students, Cengage Learning has additional resources for you to consider. For more in-depth information on any of these items, talk with your Cengage Learning sales representative. • College Success Factors Index: This pre- and post-test determines student’s

strengths and weaknesses in areas proven to be determinants of college success. • CL Assessment and Portfolio Builder: This personal development tool engages

students in self-assessment, critical-thinking, and goal-setting activities to prepare them for college and the workplace. The access code for this item also provides students with access to the Career Resource Center. • Noel-Levitz College Student Inventory: The Retention Management System™

College Student Inventory (CSI from Noel-Levitz) is an early-alert, early-intervention program that identifies students with tendencies that contribute to dropping out of school. Cengage Learning offers you three assessment options that evaluate students on nineteen different scales: Form A (194 items), Form B (100 items), or an online etoken (that provides access to either Form A, B, or C; 74 items). • The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) Instrument1: MBTI is the most

widely used personality inventory in history—and it is also available for packaging with FOCUS on College Success. The standard Form M self-scorable instrument contains ninety-three items that determine preferences on four scales: Extraversion-Introversion, Sensing-Intuition, Thinking-Feeling, and Judging-Perceiving.

College Success Planner Package FOCUS on College and Career Success with this twelve month, weekat-a-glance academic planner. The College Success Planner assists students in making the best use of their time both on and off campus, and includes additional reading about key learning strategies and life skills for success in college. Ask your Cengage Learning sales representative for more details.

Cengage Learning’s TeamUP Faculty Program Consultants For more than a decade, our consultants have helped faculty reach and engage first-year students by offering peer-to-peer consulting on curriculum and assessment, faculty training, and workshops. Our consultants are higher-education professionals who provide full-time support to help educators establish and maintain effective student success programs. They are available to help you establish or improve your student success program and provide training on the implementation of our textbooks and technology. To connect with your TeamUP Consultant, call 1-800-528-8323 or visit www.cengage.com/teamup.

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© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Acknowledgments

It’s been said that “Achievement is a we thing, not a me thing, always the product of many heads and hands.” Certainly that’s true of the monumental effort involved in writing a first edition textbook. There are so many people to thank that this acknowledgments section could be as long as a chapter of FOCUS on College and Career Success! However, here we’ll at least mention those who have contributed the most, including all the students and colleagues over the last 30-plus years who have taught us more than we’ve ever taught them. Family Let us start at the center of our lives. Our daughters Shannon and Stephanie helped bring some much-needed balance to our lives. And aside from being the most adorable children on the planet, our grandtwins Aidan and Ailie have been a living learning laboratory for us. As children mastering one new thing after another, they truly have taught us about of the pure joy of learning. And to our beautiful 80-something mothers, Elizabeth and Evelyn, who lovingly alternated between urging us to “slow down and relax” and “hurry up and finish,” heartfelt thanks to you both for all your motherly love. Reviewers The list of reviewers who have contributed their insights and expertise to

FOCUS on College and Career Success is long. Starting any new edition from scratch requires substantial input. And our heartfelt thanks to the reviewers who provided valuable input to help shape this book: Craig Baranovic, Remington College; Virginia Ann Berent, Gallipolis Career College; James Booker, Remington College; Jennifer Cooper, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division; Angelina Dale, Goodwin College; Annette Davis, Madison College; Mominka Fileva, Davenport University; Andrea Goldstein, South University; Evelyn Hyde, Brown Mackie College-Salina; Laura Ristrom Goodman, Pima Medical Institute; Kevin Kelly, Andover College; Forrest Marston, Sanford Brown Institute Tampa; Gurmeet Mohem, Heald College; Kelley Montford, Colorado Technical University; Katrina Neckuty-Fodness, Globe University; Debra Olsen, Madison Area Technical College; Vickie Saling, Heald College; John Smith, Corinthian Colleges, Inc; Kristen Smith, Hallmark College; Camilla Swain-LeDoux, Ivy Tech Community College, Evansville; Cynthia Vessel, Northwestern College; Pamela Walker, Northwestern College; Pamela White, Springfield Technical Community College. The Wadsworth Team No book, of course, gets very far without a publisher, and FOCUS has had the best publishing team imaginable: the dynamic, highly people-skilled Annie Todd, Director of College Success; the meticulous, multi-talented Marita Sermolins, Development Editor; the energetic, industrious Kirsten Stoller, Marketing Manager; a true professional who combed the first pages and probably did more than we’ll ever know, Jessica Rasile, Content Project Manager; and the staff at Lachina Publishing Services. We’d like to especially thank Larry Harwood, the master photographer who spent a long, hard weekend clicking photos of the FOCUS cast on the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs campus. And heartfelt thanks to Wadsworth’s Annie Mitchell and Sean Wakely, who believed in this project from the very start; Sylvia Shepherd, whose

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creative vision shaped much of this book, and Lauren Larsen, whose wit and wisdom formed the basis for several of the early chapters. We’d also particularly like to thank the “FOCUS All-Stars,” as we call them, who modeled for the photo shoots and starred in the “Inside the FOCUS Studio” videos. They followed artistic direction like pros, and they make this book unique. We also can’t go without thanking the many authors who granted us permission to use their work and three essential scholars who allowed us to use, apply, and extend their instruments throughout the book: Neil Fleming, Brian French, and John Bransford. And thanks to our expert student research assistants; to John Cowles and Ric Undershile, our expert Instructor’s Resource Manual co-authors; and to Aren Moore, who worked with us to create the “props” for each chapter’s opening case study, and the dynamic, ground-breaking, multimedia FOCUSpoints for each chapter. And finally, we’d like to thank Matt McClain, the comedy writer who brought his innovative humor to the learning process through podcast summaries of the chapters and television scripts for the website TV shows. He took the “big ideas” from FOCUS chapters and made them memorable to students by using their own best-loved media. Other Contributors

Above all, FOCUS has taught us truly to focus. Writing a book takes the same kind of endurance and determination that it takes to get a college degree. Our empathy level for our students has, if anything, increased—and we are thankful for all we’ve learned while writing. It has been a cathartic experience to see what has filled each computer screen as we’ve tapped, tapped, tapped away. Ultimately, what we have chosen to put into each chapter has told us a great deal about who we are, what we know (and don’t), and what we value. There’s no doubt: we are better teachers for having written this book. May all our readers grow through their FOCUS experience, too.

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FOCUS Entrance Interview Although you may not have experienced life as a new college student for long, we’re interested in how you expect to spend your time, what challenges you think you’ll face, and your general views of what you think college will be like. Please answer thoughtfully.

INFORMATION ABOUT YOU Name

© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Student Number

Course/Section

Instructor Gender 1.

2. 3.

4.

5.

6.

Ethnic Identification (check all that apply): American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Black or African American

Age

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander Hispanic/Latino White Prefer not to answer

Is English your first (native) language? yes no Where are you living this term? with my immediate family with a relative other than my immediate family

on my own other (please explain)_________________

Did your parents graduate from college? yes, both neither yes, father only not sure yes, mother only How many credit hours are you taking this term? 6 or fewer 15–16 7–11 17 or more 12–14 Did you start college elsewhere before attending this school? yes no

7.

In addition to going to college, do you expect to work for pay at a job (or jobs) this term? yes no

8.

If so, how many hours per week do you expect to work? 1–10 31–40 11–20 40⫹ 21–30

9.

This descriptive data gathering instrument can be used at the beginning and similarly at the end of the FOCUS experience to compare incoming students’ expectations of college (Entrance Interview) with their actual experience of college (Exit Interview) at the end of the term. It can be filled out online or on paper and tabulated. The Entrance Interview is intended to act as a (very) “early alert” system by providing instructors with information that could take weeks to uncover otherwise. It can help instructors, peer mentors, first-year seminar program directors, and institutions by generating individual/student, class/ section, or combined classes/institutional data. It can help instructors decide if specific risk factors warrant intervention. The instrument provides valuable information for working with individual students during the course.

Which of the following describes why you are working for pay this term? (Mark all that apply.) to pay for college tuition to pay for child care to pay for basic expenses that I need (rent, housing, food, etc.) to pay for textbooks to pay for extra expenses that I want (clothes, to save money for the future to see how much I can make entertainment, etc.) to buy a car other (please explain) to support a family _____________________

1. Does your campus have an Office of Student Multicultural Affairs (or an office with a similar title)? Students from underrepresented populations can often benefit by connecting with this office and with other students in their particular ethnic group. 2. Do non-native speakers of English have ESL test scores that are sufficient for successful academic achievement? Could they benefit from additional ESL coursework? With ever increasing numbers of international students, these questions could be worth pursuing. 3. Students’ living arrangements may impact their college success, particularly if they’re living on their own for the first time or they are in difficult, conflict-laden situations. 4. Research indicates that first-generation students often experience more challenges, partly because they lack role models who are able to help them focus on college. 5. Students who are taking too many credit hours may be at risk, academically. They may have skirted academic advising somehow, or assume they can handle more than they actually can, subjecting themselves to serious stress. 6. Students who are on a second or third try at college may be experiencing academic or non-academic problems that resurface.

FOCUS Entrance Interview

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7–10. Students who are working more than 35 hours per week at a job for pay may be putting themselves at risk, academically. Although many students work for legitimate reasons relating to college and living expenses, some students work more hours to pay for expensive lifestyle choices. Working can help students learn to manage their time; however, both traditional and nontraditional students must find the right balance between work, school, family, and perhaps other responsibilities. 11. There is some evidence that indicates that working on campus actually increases the likelihood of retention. Naturally, working multiple jobs subtracts hours available for academic work. 12–13. Many students enter college thinking that their high school academic efforts, perhaps ratcheted up a notch or two, will suffice. Some are caught off guard by the more rigorous demands of college classes. 14. This question previews the VARK Learning Styles Questionnaire in Chapter 3.

15. This question previews the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, which is mentioned in Chapter 3. You may ask students to take the full instrument as a part of your course. 16. This question previews all the topics included in FOCUS and asks students to think about which ones interest them and which ones will be most challenging to apply themselves.

17. This question previews the “Control” feature by asking students to identify which of their current classes this is likely to be. Throughout FOCUS, readers are asked to apply content from the text to their most challenging course—or to their current job.

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10. How will you pay for your college expenses? (Check all that apply.) my own earnings scholarships and grants my parents’ contributions loans my spouse or partner’s contributions other (please explain)_______________________ my employer’s contributions 11. If you plan to work for pay, where will you work? on campus off campus

at more than one job

12. If you are entering college soon after completing high school, how many total hours per week (on average) did you spend studying outside of class in high school? 0–5 26–30 6–10 31–35 11–15 36–40 16–20 40⫹ 21–25 I am a returning student and attended high school some time ago. 13. What was your high school grade point average? A⫹ C⫹ A C A⫺ C⫺ B⫹ D or lower B I don’t remember. B⫺

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR COLLEGE EXPECTATIONS 14. How do you expect to learn best in college? (Check all that apply.) by looking at charts, maps, graphs by looking at color-coded information by looking at symbols and graphics by listening to instructors’ lectures by listening to other students during an in-class discussion by talking about course content with friends or roommates

by reading books by writing papers by taking notes by going on field trips by engaging in activities by actually doing things

15. For each of the following pairs of descriptors, which set sounds most like you? (Please choose between the two options on each line and place a checkmark by your choice.) Extraverted and outgoing or Introverted and quiet Detail-oriented and practical or Big-picture and future-oriented Rational and truthful or People-oriented and tactful Organized and self-disciplined or Spontaneous and flexible 16. FOCUS is about 13 different aspects of college life. Which are you most interested in? Which may contain information you expect to find most challenging to apply in your own life? (Check all that apply.) Most Most Most Most interested challenging interested challenging in to apply to myself in to apply to myself Engaging, listening, and note-taking in class Getting the right start Developing your memory Building dreams, setting goals Reading and studying Learning to learn Taking tests Managing time, energy, and money Building relationships, valuing diversity Thinking critically and creatively Assessing your major and career Developing technology, research, and Creating your future information literacy skills 17. Which one of your current classes do you expect to find most challenging this term and why? Which class? (course title or department and course number) Why? Do you expect to succeed in this course? yes no Perhaps (please explain):

FOCUS Entrance Interview

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18. How many total hours per week do you expect to spend outside of class studying for your college courses this term? 0–5 16–20 31–35 6–10 21–25 36–40 11–15 26–30 40⫹

© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

19. Which of the following on-campus resources do you plan to use once or more this term? (Please check all that apply.) library the Counseling Center, if one is available campus learning centers (whatever is available on your campus, instructors’ office hours for individual such as a Writing Center, Math Learning Center, etc.) meetings/conferences/help computer labs student clubs or organizations the Student Success Center or New Student Center, if one none is available 20. For the following sets of opposite descriptive phrases, put a checkmark on the line between the two that best represent your response. I expect my first term of college to: challenge me academically be easy be a lot like high school be very different from high school be very different from previous college be a lot like previous college be dull be exciting be uninteresting be interesting discourage me motivate me to continue be boring be fun make me feel alienated help me feel a part of this campus

18–22. The following questions relate to students’ motivation, engagement, and predicted challenges. Note the level of response, and initiate conversations around numbers that are unrealistic or unusual responses.

21. Please mark your top three areas of concern relating to your first term of college by placing 1, 2, and 3 next to the items you choose. My social life might interfere with my studies. I might not fit in. My studies might interfere with my social life. I might have difficulty making friends. My instructors might not care about me as an individual. I might not be academically successful. I might not finish my degree. My performance might disappoint my family. I might not manage my time well. My personal life might interfere with my studies. I might be bored in my classes. My studies might interfere with my personal life. I might feel intimidated by my instructors. I might have financial difficulties. I might feel overwhelmed by all I have to do. My job might interfere with my studies. other (please explain)________________________ My studies might interfere with my job. 22. Broadly speaking, which area do you expect to major in? A bachelor’s degree in _______________________________________________________ . An associate’s degree in______________________________________________________ . A certificate in _____________________________________________________________ . Other (please explain) _______________________________________________________ 23. How certain are you now of a chosen major? (1 ⴝ totally sure, 5 ⴝ totally unsure) 24. How certain are you now that you will complete your degree or certificate? (1 ⴝ totally sure, 5 ⴝ totally unsure) 25. How certain are you now that you will complete your degree or certificate at this school? (1 ⴝ totally sure, 5 ⴝ totally unsure)

23–28. The next few questions relate to intentions in terms of choice of major and likely persistence both in college and at your institution. Generate a conversation with individual students based on these responses.

26. How certain are you now of your intended career choice? (1 ⴝ totally sure, 5 ⴝ totally unsure) 27. How certain are you now about whether you’ll transfer to another school? (1 ⴝ totally sure, 5 ⴝ totally unsure) 28. What do you expect your grade point average to be at the end of your first term of college? A⫹ B⫹ C⫹ D or lower A B C A⫺ B⫺ C⫺ FOCUS Entrance Interview

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29. Students develop their expectations of college from a variety sources from relatively accurate to not-so-accurate ones. If the latter, they may have “glamorized” expectations that are difficult, if not impossible, to realize.

29. All college students develop expectations of what college will be like from various sources. How did you develop your expectations of what college might be like? (Mark your top three information sources with 1, 2, and 3.) TV and movies talks with my family friends/family who have already gone to college talks with my friends who are also now starting college discussions with teachers/counselors in high school the Internet information I received from colleges in the mail other (please explain) ________________

30. According to one major study, students may enter college with inflated views of their own abilities.

30. How confident are you in yourself in each of the following areas? (1 ⴝ very confident, 5 ⴝ not at all confident) overall academic ability technology skills mathematical skills physical well being leadership ability writing skills reading skills social skills public speaking skills emotional well being study skills teamwork skills

31. Even if students are required to enroll in the course for which FOCUS is used, it may be helpful for you to know their other motivations.

31. Why did you take the course for which you are using this textbook? (Mark your top three reasons with 1, 2, and 3.) It was required. My advisor recommended it. It sounded interesting. A teacher/counselor recommended it. I thought it would help make my transition to college easier. The information I received in campus mailings convinced me. I thought it would help me learn about the campus. The materials I received at freshman orientation convinced me. I thought it would help me make friends. A friend/sibling who’d taken this course recommended it. I thought it would help me academically. other (please explain) _____________________________ My parent(s) or other family member(s) thought it was a good idea. 32. What is the most important reason you decided to attend this school? (Check one) Recommendation of friend(s) who attended here Financial aid I was offered Reasonable cost Recommendation of teachers/counselors Reputation of the school Campus website Location of the school Flexibility of course offerings and times Availability of academic programs I’m interested in other (please explain) _____________________ Flexibility of course offerings and times 33. Was this school your first choice among the colleges you considered?

32–38. The following questions relate to students’ decision to attend college and your institution, specifically.

34. Why did you decide to go to college? (Check all that apply) Because I want to build a better life for myself. Because I want to build a better life for my family. Because I want to be very well off financially in the future. Because I need a college education to achieve my goals. Because my friends were going to college. Because my family encouraged me to go.

yes

no

Because it was expected of me. Because of active duty military or VA assistance. Because the career I am pursuing requires a degree. Because I was unsure of what I might do instead. other (please explain) __________________

35. Looking ahead, how satisfied do you expect to be with your decision to attend this school? very satisfied somewhat dissatisfied satisfied very dissatisfied not sure 36. What are you most looking forward to in college? 37. How would you describe the best outcomes you hope for at the end of this term? Why are they important to you? 38. Do you expect to achieve these outcomes? Why or why not?

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