Tools for Success

Success Tips

• Arrive on time
• Do not leave early

Be prepared

• Read and process text before class; ask questions for clarification
• Review notes
• Practice problems, brainstorming, outlines

Sit close to the front

• Listen actively
• Take notes
• Ask questions

Seek assistance

• Visit instructor during office hours with questions, concerns
• Get peer tutoring assistance
• Have a study buddy
• Go to the learning centers (reading, writing, or math)

Hand in work on time and do not miss exams

• Have college-level work ready to hand in on due date
• Do not use excuses to rationalize lack of preparation

Use a calendar, schedule time realistically, and follow course syllabi

• Write down assignments, tests, projects in your calendar
• Schedule study time – 2 hours of study for each hour in class
• Account time for family, social life, work, class, study, and transportation
• Remember a 15-unit semester load = a full-time job

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Choose Classes

Step 1: Identify and/or Clarify Your Educational Goal

See a counselor if you need help clarifying your educational goal.

Step 2: Review General Education Requirements for your educational goal. Choose from:

General Education for Associates Degreesfound in the General Catalog and Schedule of Classes
IGETC for transfer to UC and Cal State University campuses
CSU Certified Plan for Cal State campuses only
Individual, specific pattern for independent (private) or out-of-state campuses

Step 3: Identify General Education Courses You Still Need to Complete

Mark requirements still needed
Pay special attention to the "Basic Four"(see below)

• Oral Communication (for CSU only)
• Written Composition
• Critical Thinking
• Math/Quantitative Reasoning

Note courses with prerequisites that involve multi-semester sequences such as math, chemistry, physics and English
Courses must be completed with C grades or better

Step 4: Identify Major Preparation Courses | use the General Catalog or www.assist.org

Make a list of the major preparation courses noting which may also satisfy General Education requirements
If you have a transfer major such as engineering, computer science or liberal studies for elementary teaching, note that there are different General Education requirements. See a counselor.

Step 5: Prepare Your Schedule

Make math, English, critical thinking and speech classes a priority (use the charts in the Schedule of Classes). Take the next level of math and/or English if you have not yet reached the levels required for your educational goal. Fill these in first.
Identify any prerequisites needed for classes in future semesters. Fill these in next.
Identify the courses required as preparation for your major. Add these.
Identify General Education courses from Step 3 which remain. Add these.

Step 6: Choose Your Classes

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Calculate GPA

Calculating Your Grade Point Average

Step 1 List courses taken for letter grades, record the letter grades you received, and the course units. Do not list courses recorded as Credit/No Credit, Incomplete, or Withdrawal.

Step 2 For each course, multiply the units by the grade points (A = 4 pts; B = 3 pts; C = 2 pts; D = 1 pts; F = 0 pts). This will give you the total grade points for each course.

Step 3 Add the total number of units you have taken.

Step 4 Add the total grade points.

Step 5 Divide your total grade points by the total units.

Example:

Class	Units	Grades	Grade Points (GP)
English 28	3	A	12
Math 125	5	C	10
P.E.	1	A	4
PD- 40	3	B	9
Psychology 1	3	B	9
TOTAL	14 Units		44 GP

If you divide 44 GP by 14 units your GPA will be 3.14.

CAUTION:In the computation, do not mix quarter units with semester units. First, convert to either semester or quarter units.

Quarter units = 1.5 times semester units
Semester units = Quarter units divided by 1.5

Online GPA Calculator http://www.foothill.edu/counseling/gpacalc.php

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Academic Probation

Academic Probation: Students placed on academic probation achieved less than a cumulative 2.0 GPA when attempting 12 or more units.

Progress Probation: Students placed on progress probation attempted 12 or more cumulative units and "W", "I" and "NC" units reach or exceed half the cumulative units attempted. Students may be removed from progress probation status when the cumulative number of "W", "I" and "NC" units recorded is less than half the cumulative units attempted.

Consequences

• Continuous probation could result in dismissal from Pierce College and the district
• Suspension of Financial Aid
• Classes with substandard grades may need to be repeated
• Expenses for repeating classes to raise GPA
• Graduation and/or transfer delays or complications

Dismissal

Students may be dismissed from LACCD if academic or progress probation continue for more than three consecutive semesters.

Petition for Reinstatement After Dismissal

A dismissed student may petition for readmission after a lapse of one academic year. The student must present positive evidence of a serious intent to succeed and have a realistic academic goal identified. If the petition is granted, the student will be admitted with enrollment limitations.

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Time Management

Plan time for reading, studying, and preparing for classes. You are expected to be ready for each class before the class begins. No time is given "in class" for study.

A college unit is a measure of time involved in class instruction.

For a 16-week semester:

A three-unit class typically requires three (3) hours of classroom time per week.
A one-unit (1) lab typically requires three (3) hours and 20 minutes of lab-time per week.

Schedule two (2) hours per unit per week for studying

Example for a 12-unit course load:

In-Class Time = 12 Hours Per Week
Study Time = 24 Hours Per Week (2 Hours Per Unit x 12 Units = 24 Hours)
Total Time = 36 Hours Per Week (That's why 12 units is considered full-time student status.)

Avoid Overloading Your Schedule

Recommended combinations for managing work and school obligations:

Tips for Managing Study Time

When to Study

• Plan two hours of study time for every hour you spend in class.
• Study difficult subjects first.
• Avoid scheduling marathon study sessions. Take breaks when needed.
• Be aware of your best time of day. Experiment studying at different times of the day.
• Use time between classes, lunch breaks or time waiting for appointments for study.

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Top 10 Taking Strategies

1. Dump your brain. When you first get your test, write down any information that is difficult to remember such as formulas, dates, keywords, etc. on the back of the test. Then, you can reference it while you're taking the test without worrying if you'll remember it correctly.

2. Skim through the entire test. When you first get your test, skim through the entire test and mark the questions you know that you can answer or questions that you don't know right off the bat. Sometimes professors like to put easy questions at the end of the test.

3. Skip the questions you don't know. Don't waste time on questions you're unsure of. Mark them with question marks and move on. You can go back to it later.

4. Double check your work. If you have extra time after you've finished the exam, take a few minutes to double check your answers, make sure you've followed all the directions, and haven't skipped any pages.

5. Look elsewhere on the test for answers. Sometimes the answer to one question may be found on another section of the test worded differently.

6. Pace yourself. Being able to take a test quickly yet carefully is essential. If necessary, wear a watch or periodically keep your eye on the clock so you are aware of your time left. Also, don't get anxious if you hear other students finishing their tests early.

7. Ask questions. If you're confused about the wording or meaning of a question, ask your professor. Don't risk getting a question wrong because you misunderstood it.

8. Carefully read all of the directions. Most students get a lot of points taken off because they were careless and didn't fully read all of the directions.

9. Follow your gut instinct. Most of the times when students second guess themselves, they choose the wrong answer.

10. Relax. It is important to keep your head during a test. There can be a lot of pressure on you to succeed, but remember that stressing out works against you. You risk panicking and/or forgetting information you've studied

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Learning Resources

The Center for Academic Success is dedicated to empowering students to enhance their academic success. Students may utilize the services of our Tutoring Center and Computer Lab for their academic work.

http://www.piercecollege.edu/departments/

The information you will find on these sites will help you better understand the science of learning, and teach you how you to utilize this information to improve your decision making, concentration, motivation, and overall learning.

Assess/understand your strengths and weaknesses

There are sites that help you analyze your personal strengths and weaknesses, and provide solutions for problems you may be encountering.

Multiple Intelligence:

http://www.uen.org/utahlink/activities/view_activity.cgi?activity_id=7119

Self-Motivation Assessment:

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_57.htm

Personality Pathways:

http://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory.html

Stress Coping Index:

http://www.assessmentgenerator.com

California Career Zone (Cost of Living):

http://www.cacareerzone.org/index.html

Learning Strategies/Study Skills

Award-winning university websites with specific study skill tips and strategies that will help you learn more effectively and with greater ease.

University of Victoria:

http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learning/study-skills/

Virginia Tech:

http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/stdyhlp.html

Georgia

http://www.gpc.edu/~duniss/study_skills.htm#generalskills

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