Life

                Well it is the last week of my first quarter and it has gone by pretty fast. I have learned a lot like learning more about statistics and probability and also more about arguments and how to write excellent essays. But the thing I learned the most is that life is tough and it is nothing like when you are in high school. In high school everything is handed to you on a platter. But college you must really work hard to make it out alive. You must work about school, work, time management, bills, everything around you, you must do it yourself. There are days harder than others but you must forget the past and move day by day to stay afloat.

Zak

Well…

Well I have been updating this blog for the last couple weeks and my goal was to learn and explore about how to better myself throughout college. I have learned some really good tips but one thing I am still lacking in is procrastinating. I still wait till the night of to do a project or paper and it stresses me out. Even with this blog I am waiting till the night before it is due until I do it. It is very frustrating and I wish I could stop it. If anyone has tips or ways to stay motivated please help me out because I will not bea able to keep up with this style of learning for much longer throughout college.

Thanks,
ZAK

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Ways of managing your money while in college:

1. Avoid credit card debt and student loan debt as soon as possible
   
2. Stay close to only 4 years in school
   
3. Find the best job possible
   
4. Be responsible and avoid credit cards if you can
   
5. Look and research for the best loans out there
   
6. Write everything down you buy in a week and think about what you can get by with without buying
   
7. Apply for financial aid
   

Time and money go together in college. If you work and you go to college, your work load and your college course load must balance. If you don't consider this you will have more debt and it will take more time to graduate.

Zak

Instructors and Students

This week in my freshman seminar class, we discussed good and bad qualities of students and teachers.

For good teachers, they must be able to hold that student’s attention, be relatable, have clear expectations, give respect and also be professional. Bad teachers will be late to class, speaks softly, have extremely bad hand writing, and won’t know much about what they are talking about or they just get off topic really easily.

Good students will show great worth ethic, contributes in class, is always prepared and is on time. Bad students will not even go to class, are disruptive, have missing assignments, gives excuses, sleeps in the middle of class and the list goes on and on.

For you to get the most out of a class, the relationship between you and an instructor should be a good one where you know he/she is there to teach you and you are going to get your monies worth with a good education and the instructor wants to know that you are there ready to learn and contribute and really engage yourself. Since you are in college you have the ability to choose your own classes so that means you can also select your own teachers. Do whatever is possible to find out about the instructor before you sign up for that class because you will be stuck with the instructor for 11 weeks.

If for some reason you feel like you are receiving disrespect from and instructor you have the right to gain it by going to the guidance office or finding a solution for it.

Zak

Myths of College

Here are 8 myths of college that a lot of students believe:

1. It doesn't matter if I come to class late or if I come at all
   
2. If I don't have my book or if I haven't read the assignment, it really won't matter. All I have to do is listen to the lecture or get information from other students.
   
3. All that matters is showing up for class. If I read that paper or do homework for another class, that's my business.
   
4. I don't have to raise my hand in class. I can also chat with my neighbor if I feel like it as long as I don't talk to loud.
   
5. It's okay if I bring a snack or a can of pop to class, when I have don't have time to eat before class.
   
6. I can bring my cell phone to class since my work needs to get in touch with me at any time.
   
7. If I work really hard and do everything my instructor tells me to, I will get a good grade.
   
8. The instructor is really nice and seems to like his students. I guess that means he's an easy grader.
   

Your instructor is human just like you and I, and the instructor will always form opinions on you. You want to leave a good impression with your teacher, especially the first one.

Zak

Schedule

In my freshman class, we have to fill out our quarter to quarter plan. We have to have every quarter for the rest of our time at CSCC. What i have learned through this is that it is tough to do on your own. I will need to meet with an advisor because i really have no idea how to plan for that long of a time. I learned that all the teachers are there to help you and they really do want you to have success.

We also learned that being nice to your teachers and being a good student can go a long way. The class will go by a lot faster and if you are not disruptive. Everything will go smoother from class to your whole life just for small things.

Zak

Friday was my first exam. It was really easy and I got done fairly quickly. It was a lot easier then I thought it would be. But I think it was easier for me because I actually studied for the exam. Throughout high school I never studied and it affected my grades. I found a really helpful site that helps you learn how to study for almost and subject. Try it out and let me know what you think.

www.how-to-study.com

Zak

Procrastination

    Procrastinating has been a big issue with me all the way from middle school. I would procrastinate until the day before something is due or even the class before. Somehow I would manage to finish it but it would be really stressful. In high school the first two years I tried really hard on to start projects the day it was assigned but then I would end up putting it off to the side. Junior year I did really well until the last couple months and it all went downhill from there. Walking into senior year I was determined not to procrastinate. Well by the second week I got this disease call "senioritis" and I just didn't care. Now that I am in college, I really regret following the habits I once had.

    I find myself doing the same thing again and I can see it affecting me. This time it's not more of that I don't want to do it but I am just was too that when I finally get time to sit down and do the homework I am way too tired to even pick up the pencil. I need some serious help and advice on this subject. I do not like spending three hours typing up an essay the night before it is due when I could have had it finished two days before it was due.

HELP!

Zak

Study Groups

Study Groups can very effective. The best way to learn is to teach and when you study with more then just your self you can teach others and learn at the same time.

 The benefit of study groups are:

• If you lose notes to one class someone else might have them
• You can share you strengths with others and also learn theirs
• You can cover more material
• You have a support system and can rely on others to help you acheive
• It is more fun to study with others

Even though they are effective there are a few things to remember: Always be prepared, take turns teaching, make sure everyone knows the goals and objectives, and also to stay focused.

Critical Thinking

     This week in both my freshman seminar class and english class, we learned about critically thinking. "Critically thinking involves recognizing, analyzing, and defining problems, drawing logical well-supported conclusions and testing them against relevant criteria and standards. Critical thinking also includes examining issues by identifying and challenging assumptions (including one's own), devolping alternative solutions and stratergies and evaluating practical and ethical implications."

     There is a process to critical thinking.

1. Obtain information in a way in which you interact with the material, be an active listener and make your own opinion based on the information.
2. Know that the only answer is the opinion based on all considerations
3. Ask many questions. A lot.
4. Make assumptions and look for assumptions.
5. Make an conclusion based on all the facts.

Critical thinking is a must for college students to be successfull.

Note Taking

I am currently enrolled in a Freshman Seminar class at my school. This week we covered good note taking skills and how to get the best out of lectures and here is some things that I learned.

• Lecture Note Taking
• Be in class early
• this way you do not miss any part of the lecture
• Be more then a passive note taker
• Just don't sit through class, be engaged
• Actually take note
• Taking notes forces you to listen during the lecture
• Resist Distraction
• Ignore distractions and try to stay focus
• Study your notes before and after lectures
• This will help you remember what is being said
• Stay organized
• Keep notes organized so when you go back to read it is easy too.

I have been practicing with these and they seem to be working.

Zak

New Week

Well I find myself getting better. I have been looking around the web and found many websites that give lots of pointers and tip. A lot of them I take into consideration and have been practicing. One website I like is http://www.studygs.net/. It pretty much has everything I wanna learn through this blog. So I will continue to search through the site and learn more.

 My favorite concept that I learned what the motivation lesson. It talked a lot about how to help and it got me thinking... If I wanna be a doctor of some sort, no patient would want go to a doctor that recieved all B's in college. They would rather get a Doctor that had all A's and really tried hard.

That is enough motivation for me to keep me going.

First week

Well last week was my first week of college. It was an eye opener. I can no longer glide through schooling like I did in high school. Before I could just pay attention in school and not study for test. Then after taking the test I would end up with an A or B. I was fine with those grades.

But now I have studied every night just to keep up. I work on homework every night and make sure I remember everything from earlier that day. My first quiz was friday. I should know soon how I did.

Walking around campus I found flyers for time management skills. It says that I will aquire them over time and that it takes practice. I cant just pick it up out of no where. It also says it will be hard for someone that  does have much experience in the first place.

Hopefully I will be able to manage and grow my skills.

Zak

The Start of College

Hello,
      My name is Zakary Smith. This blog will be about college success. What does one person need to succeed in college? I do not know a lot because I got through high school without studying and preparing for class and I still had good grades. I know in college you have to do everything by yourself and you can't get by with out it. I do not know the best ways to come about this and these skills that are required. Thats what I hope to learn and explore. I wanna know time management skills, how to stay motivated, and the best study skills.
      Three things about me is:

• I love to watch sports and also to play. My favorite team is the Ohio State Buckeyes. My second favortie team are the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• I spent two years at Central Crossing High School and two years at Grove City High School. I was in the band at both high schools and I had won a championship in each band.
• When  I'm not working or at school I like to hang out with my girlfriend. She is my best friend and I would be nothing without her.

This is my girlfriend and I

Here is a link to my favorite website. This is what I do in my free time on my laptop... http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/

Well if you wanna post please post and give me tips, encouragement, or whatever else you think would help

Zak