Whether you will be a new student to the UB community this fall semester or a returning member to the campus, there are numerous strategies you can be developing NOW in order to ensure your academic and college success!
From learning to motivate yourself, to developing self-discipline and setting goals, be sure that you read more about and complete the helpful exercises compiled in Joe Landsberger’s, Study Guides and Strategies.
Topics Include:
Preparing for Learning
Learning
Studying
Classroom Participation
Learning with Others
Online Learning/Communicating
Project Management
Reading Skills
Preparing for Tests
Taking Tests
Research
Reading Skills
Writing Basics
Resources
And so much more!
Be sure that you take advantage of the Study Guides and Strategies site today!
As Final Exams Week is here, UB’s Student Advising Services has compiled a list of study and test-taking tips to help YOU! From UB’s Counseling Services, to Texas A&M University, and so much more, be sure you review the following web sites to help YOU succeed on your final exams!
- Tips on study habits, reducing test anxiety, and more. Visit the self-help materials and resources from UB’s Counseling Services!
- From general test-taking suggestions, including how to best answer different types of exams, visit Texas A&M University!
- Want to learn several study tips from current UB seniors? Or interested to learn how UB’s Methods of Inquiry (GSE 155) class provides excellent information on preparing for tests, studying, and so much more? Then be sure you visit the Be Advised web log TODAY and search for information listed under our Study Tips category!
Caitlin, a Senior at UB and Peer Assistant in the office of Student Advising Services wants to help YOU! Read her end of the semester tips to help you succeed as the final weeks of the spring semester are upon us.
- Dreading End of the Semester Assignments? Most of you are probably bombarded with research papers, group projects or preparing for final exams – I know I am! And most of you are probably not looking forward to them. However, usually the last projects, papers or exams are weighed pretty heavy in the final grade for the class, so doing well on these assignments can really help. So, instead of dreading these final weeks of classes and procrastinating, see these last assignments as opportunities to bring up your final average for the class!
- Thinking about Taking Summer Classes? Whether you are staying in Buffalo or going back home for the summer, you might consider taking summer courses. I have found it really helpful to take a course or two during the summer, as it lightened my course-load during the fall and spring semesters. Since I always went back home for summer vacation and took courses through a community college, I used TAURUS and met with an Academic Advisor to make sure the courses I was taking were going to transfer to UB. If you have the time and money to take a course, I strongly recommend it!
- Looking for a New Place to Study? While the UB Libraries are great places to study, sometimes we all need a little change of scenery. Here are some suggestions:
- It’s officially spring and the weather is slowly but surely warming up. We’ve been stuck inside all semester, why not go outside and get some fresh air? Some great places on campus to study outside are Founder’s Plaza located on the Academic Spine, the quad outside of Harriman Hall, at The Commons or anywhere you can find green-space, a bench or a table!
Delicious! What is del.icio.us and why is Advising writing about something delicious? Well del.icio.us is a web based tool that is cool, but not perhaps tasty. Let us explain what del.icio.us is and what it can do for you as you work on your academic plan.
Do you bookmark your favorite websites? Do you also cluster your bookmarks into folders? If you do, you know that you can only access those bookmarks on the computer on which you saved them. Del.icio.us is an application that allows you to save your bookmarks to the web, and therefore access them on any computer anywhere as long as it has access to the internet.
Del.icio.us has some other cool features, amongst which is the ability to add tags (keywords) to the sites that your bookmark. So perhaps you are doing research for a World Civ paper and your topic is Saxon England. You find a webpage that you may want to use in your paper. You save it to del.icio.us; and your tags for that article might be: ugc111, saxons, england, ugc111_paper#2. Your tags are then listed and can be viewed in something called a tag cloud.
To see an example of how we are using del.cio.us and the tag cloud feature, go to our page on Choosing a Major (you may have to scroll down a bit). We have been saving articles for about a year. Some of the articles we have bookmarked we also associated with UB courses under the premise that if the article was interesting there may be a UB course from which broader knowledge could be acquired. The only qualification we will make is that while we may associate an article with a specific course, it should not be assumed that the article topic would be covered in that course. However what we are trying to do is to show the association between interests/research and course selection/planning.
If you would like to create your own del.icio.us account, go to this website: http://del.icio.us/
Were you shocked by (last weeks) article on how important your GPA is? Now that you know it may be more important than you thought, here is a link to an article called How to Raise Your GPA, that outlines the top 7 strategies that will help you raise your GPA!
Source of article: PickTheBrain
Caitlin is one of two Peer Assistants in the office of Student Advising Services who wants to help you! Her advice to fellow UB students on the ABC’s of Spring Semester are:
A is for Agenda
Make sure you are looking over your syllabi and are jotting down all important dates including exams, due dates, class cancellations, etc. Also, know important UB deadlines and cancellations by printing out student calendars that can be found on the Student Response Center web page.
B is for Bills
Did you pay your tuition yet? The first bill was due January 8th! You can view your account balance on MyUB under Finances. Make sure you stay on top of your other bills, too!
C is for CURCA
CURCA stands for Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities. Check them out and get involved in research and other projects on campus this semester!
D is for Decisions
Have you decided on a major or career path? This is the semester to explore your interests and figure out what you really want to study! See your advisor if you need some help with major decisions.
E is for Email
Check your UB email account on a regular basis as important information from professors, students, advisors and organizations on campus will use this account. Also, many professors and staff at UB prefer you to use your UB account when contacting them.
F is for Facebook
Make sure your facebook profile is a good representation of yourself. Professors, employers, and other students have access to your pages and you want to make a good impression. According to a survey by CareerBuilder.com, 63% of hiring managers did not hire someone because of the information they found online!
G is for GPA
As Vanessa has said before, everybody starts the semester with an A in each class. Maintain that A by going to every class, taking good notes, studying well in advance, asking the teacher questions and seeking tutoring if you need more assistance.
H is for Health
Stay healthy! Keep warm in this cold Buffalo weather, be sure to eat a well-balanced diet, exercise at lease 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes and be sure to get enough sleep! Stop by the Wellness Center for more tips on how to stay healthy this spring.
I is for Internships
There is still time to land an internship for this semester, and it’s not too early to begin looking for the summer and next fall. Visit Career Services for help with internships and jobs.
J is for Joining a Club
UB has over 100 SA Clubs on campus and there is something for everybody. Find something that fits your interests.
K is for kindness
Be nice to people on campus – hold the door for the person behind you, wait for someone to cross the street when you’re driving around campus looking for a parking spot, let someone have your seat on the stampede, or simply smile at people coming your way.
L is for Library Skills Workbook
Have you completed your Library Skills Workbook yet? You need this to graduate, so if you are a senior and graduating in May, make sure you do this soon!
M is for MyPage
Customize your MyPage so it suits your personal needs as a student! There are online tutorials to help you do this.
N is for New Year
When you’re signing your name and date on a paper, don’t forget it’s 2008!
O is for Overload
Don’t overload yourself with too many credit hours or take on too many responsibilities. A good rule of thumb is to stay around 15 credit hours and if you are working part-time, try to keep it around 10 hours a week.
P is for Procrastination
Stop putting things off! Use post-its and make lists of things you have to do today, things that should be done sometime during the week, and any other lists that will help you to not procrastinate.
Q is for Quitting
It’s a new year and it’s time to make a resolution – or two. Kick those bad habits and start this semester off on the right foot.
R is for Resume
Build your resume this semester by improving your GPA, getting involved in research, an internship, an SA club, or volunteering!
S is for Sleep
Make sure you are catching enough zzz’s every night! You’ll laugh, but you should shoot for 7-8 hours every night.
T is for Time
It’s not always easy managing a billion things at once, but it is easy to waste time. Make sure you are aware of your priorities and responsibilities before spending hours using the new application on facebook or trying to master your roommate’s guitar hero!
U is for Undergraduate Catalog
Use the online version of the undergraduate catalog to look up course descriptions, the various academic programs, policies and procedures at UB, and more!
V is for Volunteering
Give a little bit of yourself this semester! You’ll enjoy doing it, and it looks good on a resume. Check out some great opportunities and learn more about how you can volunteer at United Way.
W is for Workshops
Attend Life and Learning Workshops! There are so many workshops in a wide array of topics – check one out this semester.
X is for XLII
Whether you’re in it for the football or commercials, don’t forget to get together with some friends to watch the Superbowl XLII on February 3rd!
Y is for Yourself
With all your responsibilities and obligations during the semester it can be hard to find some time for yourself, but make sure you are still enjoying some “me time”!
Z is for Zoo
Visit the Buffalo Zoo this semester! Go check out the new Amur tigers that were born last fall - I hear they are becoming quite playful!
UB’s Methods of Inquiry program provides excellent information on how to help students approach learning, predict exam questions, enhance understanding, and improve their grades.
Do you want to take the Methods of Inquiry (GSE 155) class this spring? There are still several sections open. Don’t miss this opportunity to take an excellent class that’s all about thinking and learning!!!
The following are 15 GENERAL TEST-TAKING SUGGESTIONS recommended by the Methods of Inquiry program to help you prepare for your FALL FINAL EXAMS:
• Avoid rushing. Get to the test early.
• Pick a good spot to sit and recite notes calmly. The best spot is usually your normal seat, which is hopefully close to the front, and away from distractions.
• Get rid of undue anxiety using relaxation techniques, positive self-talk, and focusing only on the task at hand.
• Wait for oral instructions. Do NOT begin the test as soon as you receive it. You may miss vital information or clues if you do not listen to instructions.
• Jot down memory clues before you begin. If there are dates, names or other items you are afraid you may forget, jot these down on the back of the test. This may relieve some stress immediately.
• Skim the entire exam, reading directions carefully. As you quickly look over the test, look for:
1) Point Allotment - Spending the most time on items worth the most points.
2) Type of Questions - Which will take more time for you? What order would be best to answer the questions?
3) Clues - Test questions often may have clues farther on in the test or you may even find the answer.
• Ask specific questions, if needed, after the instructor has had time to explain AND you have had time to skim the test.
• Do the easy questions first. This will help your confidence level and allow you to have the rest of the time to concentrate on the harder questions.
• Skip the harder ones and mark them so you will remember to come back to them after you have completed the easier ones and warmed up.
• Do all tests four times. You need to go through the following four steps to do your best:
1) Skim the test.
2) Do the easier questions while you mark and skip the harder ones.
3) Return to do the harder ones.
4) Look over the entire test to check that you have answered all questions.
• Change your answer if needed. Recent research seems to point that when an answer is changed, more often than not it is changed from a wrong answer to a right one. But you also need to analyze your pattern. If the answer was clearly just a guess, perhaps your first guess IS your best answer. But, if after second thought you feel the need to change the answer, do so.
• Budget your time. In addition to considering the point value of each question, make sure you allow enough time to complete the whole test with time to double-check.
• Never leave blanks! A guess is better than a miss.
• Write answers clearly.
• Make the test serve you after it’s over. Don’t purposefully try and put the test out of your mind. Talk about strategies with other students. Look up the questions you weren’t certain about. You will remember the answer much longer than any other questions if you do.
Source: Ahuna, Kelly H. and Tinnesz, Christine G. (2003). Methods of Inquiry: Applied Critical Thinking. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
Caitlin is a senior at UB and one of our Peer Assistants in Student Advising Services. You can contact our Peer Assistants at sas-peer@buffalo.edu or visit them in 109 Norton Hall!
Cailtin’s thoughts and suggestions regarding taking your first exams are:
Believe it or not, we’re almost one-third through the semester and most of you have taken your first test. How did you do? Some of you may be satisfied with your grade and feel your studying paid off – keep up the good work! Maybe you aren’t so happy with your first exam grade? Don’t get too upset – it’s only the first test! Here are some suggestions as to how you can learn from your first exam and still do well in the course.
1) Review previous exams and quizzes. They indicate the type of information to learn for future tests. Try to figure out where your mistakes came from. Did you have an “illusion of knowing,” or a confusion of whether you actually understood the information? Did you study the wrong information? Were you out of touch with the teacher’s objectives?
***If you are in a large class you may not receive your tests back, but you can usually visit your professor or TA’s office hours to go over the exams. This is also a good way to show instructors that you are interested in their course and want to do well – eventually you will need letters of recommendation for internships, jobs, etc. Additionally, this will set you apart from the 400 other students in a big lecture hall.
2) Start studying for each test the first day of a new unit. Do not feel you do not need to study for a certain class just because you had a test the past Thursday or so. The way you study the material being learned the first week of a new section will determine your test grade just as much if you cram the night before an exam!
3) Speak with other classmates and form a study group. You can learn from each other’s mistakes, as well as share tips for doing well on the exams. Again, start your study group early so you can meet a few times before the next test.
4) Take advantage of several resources available if you are looking for additional assistance. These resources can help you with academics and study skills, test anxiety, time management, etc.
*Student Success Workshops
*The Learning Center - Offers FREE Math and Writing tutoring to UB undergraduates!
The Math Place - 209 Baldy Hall, 645-2394
The Writing Place - 209-A Baldy Hall, 645-2394
*Other Tutoring Assistance
*Consider taking Methods of Inquiry (GSE 155) for the Spring 2008 Semester!
Do you have a question that you would like answered from fellow undergraduate students? Would you like to hear from two seniors who are happy to share their experiences with you as well as offer support and information to help you succeed in the classroom and beyond?
If so, then don’t miss this opportunity to talk with Caitlin Haskell and Vanessa Alibrandi from UB’s Student Advising Services! E-mail them your questions at sas-peer@buffalo.edu or visit them in 109 Norton Hall.
Caitlin is a senior at UB. She is pursuing a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Education. She will be graduating next May in hopes of going onto graduate school for School Counseling. Some of her interests include tennis, music, reading, art, photography and traveling.
Vanessa is a double major in Psychology and Health and Human Services (with a concentration in Community Mental Health). She is also doing a minor in Education. Vanessa first entered UB as an undecided major and explored the different opportunities and majors that UB has to offer. UB has helped her realize what it is that she loves to do. Vanessa is planning to attend graduate school for School Counseling, and she loves being part of the UB community and enjoys helping students.
Caitlin’s Advice to UB Students this Week is: “Use spare moments you have to catch up on some work or get ahead in reading. Think of the 10 minutes or so waiting for a class to begin or when you are just waiting to meet a friend. I recommend having a book or notebook with you at all times in case you find a spare moment to read a few pages or review some notes. You’d be surprised how much of a difference it makes.”
Vanessa’s Advice to UB Students this Week is: “Start off the semester on the right foot. Everyone on the first day of classes has an A. Try to maintain this A by organizing your calendar and writing down all of your important dates. Also try to stay on top of the reading so you won’t fall behind. This will help prepare you for that first exam and you will feel more confident on test day.”
UB provides a variety of tutoring assistance for undergraduate students. If you are experiencing academic difficulty, don’t wait! Take advantage of these tutorial services today.
The Following Offices Offer FREE Tutoring Services:
Blake Academic Complex
(Various Subject Areas) ♦ www.ub-housing.buffalo.edu/blake
716.645.2008 ♦ 167 Millard Fillmore Complex (Ellicott Complex)
Undergraduate Biology Association
(Biology 200) ♦ wings.buffalo.edu/sa/uba/index.html
716.645-2950 ♦ 350 Student Union (North Campus)
Chemistry Student Club
(Chemistry Courses) ♦ 716.645-2148 ♦ 446 Natural Sciences Complex (North Campus)
Math Department — Math Help Center
(Mathematics Courses) ♦ www.math.buffalo.edu
716.645.6284, ext. 100 ♦ 244 Mathematics Building (North Campus)
The Learning Center
(The Math and Writing Place) ♦ tlc.buffalo.edu
716.645-2394 ♦ 217 Baldy Hall (North Campus)
WHAT IF TUTORING IS NOT AVAILABLE? - TRY THESE RECOMMENDATIONS:
* Ask your Instructor/TA for extra assistance and regularly attend their office hours.
* Ask your Instructor/Department for contacts in the major (successful students) who may be able to offer tutoring assistance.
* Speak with your classmates and form a study group. Especially look for students who love the class.
* Post signs around the department indicating you are looking for tutoring support.
