academics 101

ACADEMICS 101

An overview for 1st

-year

students Learning Strategies, Student Academic Success Services

Stauffer Library, 101 Union Street

Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, K7L 5C4

Website: sass.queensu.ca/learningstrategies/ Email: [email protected]

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike2.5

Canada License.

Learning Strategies, Student Academic Success Services, Queen's University, Kingston, ON http://sass.queensu.ca/learningstrategies

http://sass.queensu.ca/learningstrategies/

mailto:[email protected]

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How to have a positive experience and get good grades

Welcome to Queen’s! Congratulations on making the leap from High School to University. This

primer will give you an overview of some of the new approaches and ways of thinking that

successful students use at Queen’s. The strategies you used at high school worked in that

situation, but most students discover that university is a different ball game, with new

expectations, demands and pitfalls.

Adapting to the educational style of university can be easier if you have an idea of what to

expect, and what is expected of you. Some aspects of university stand out, like the fast pace of

learning new material, and the complexity and volume of material to be learned. Other

significant features of university education are the high degree of independence you need to

manage your learning, your social life, and your routines while away from home.


I. New academic expectations

1. What’s new and different for you?

It’s all about active learning.

Active learning means being intellectually engaged with the content, not just “doing learning

activities”. Some classes will involve critical discussion, some will involve small group

participation in labs, some will involve listening to lectures but your job is to participate in the

class and learn intentionally. Reading and memorizing will be important, but that is not enough

– you need to think!

There isn’t “one right answer” in most cases.

Learning the “nuts and bolts” of a course includes developing the vocabulary, knowing what the

symbols mean in a particular formula, the important facts of the topic, etc. As content becomes

more difficult or abstract, you will need to become more comfortable with ambiguity and

conflict among ideas or theorists. There may be several “right” answers, but some will be

“better” than others.

University students are responsible for their own experience.

Many students say the biggest change is that they are freer than in high school. You will be free

to set your own routine, make new friends, choose your courses, attend class or not, i.e. free to

think and act for yourself. At university, you are also free to accept the consequences of your

choices.


2. How are courses taught?

Courses are delivered using various teaching methods, but roughly speaking, students should

estimate about 120 hours of work per course per term, which equals about 10 hours per 3 unit

course per week, with studying for exams on top (an additional 10-20 hours per course,

roughly).

There is a range of teaching contact hours (i.e. how much face-to-face time students have with

their professors) and a range of independence required in learning course content. E.g.

students in traditional lecture courses have professors teach and reinforce key concepts while

students in on-line courses are primarily responsible for their own learning. Many courses use a

mix of teaching methods.

Type of instruction Traditional

lecture course

Blended online +

in-class course Online course

Lecture- in person by

professor

~ 3 hours / week 1 hour/week x

Lecture- video by prof. x Optional x

Readings (paper or on-

line)

Yes, may supplement

lecture, or be main

source of content

Yes, completed

before class; main

source of content

(estimate 6-8

hours/week)

Yes, main source of

content

Group work, learning lab Optional, Yes for

Commerce, APSC

1 hour/week Optional group work

on-line

Tutorial or science lab optional optional no

Assignments, homework yes yes yes

Quizzes, tests (in- class

or on-line)

yes Yes, usually on-line Yes, on-line


http://sass.queensu.ca/learningstrategies/online-courses/

3. What do ‘efficient learners’ do at university?

Prepare for class.

o In a fully lecture based class or lab (estimate 15 minutes to several hours)

o In a blended on-line + in-class course (estimate up to 6-8 hours)

Go to the scheduled classes, or plan regular on-line learning time in your week.

Learn to take notes or modify printed Powerpoint slides: Information is delivered

mainly through lecture or readings, but labs and group work should be recorded also.

Review notes after class (a skim read is better than nothing!).

Write a brief synopsis of the lecture, lab or tutorial in your own words, to capture the

big picture: “What was this class about?”

Efficient learners also:

Do homework: the content is complex, and there is a lot of material to be learned.

Keep up: The pace is fast and constant.

Engage and think: ask for help if you don’t understand.

Manage their attention: control e-distractions by unplugging or using site blocking

software.

How can YOU learn well?

Separate your Learning from your Studying

Learning is a process by which we acquire, understand and apply information. The key activity

in learning is thinking. In contrast, studying improves retention and retrieval from memory, and

involves the key activities of repeating or practicing, and self-testing.

Students sometimes overlap their learning and their studying, usually right before an exam.

While they might pass the exam, they will probably have neither good understanding nor good

recall of the course for later use.

Ideally, you should spread your learning over the term so that associations and connections

between ideas or theories or applications can be made, and then focus on studying and drilling

before a test or exam. Think of learning in small steps, and studying as drilling, or practicing the

material and skills.


Separate step-by-step learning from drilling to improve memory.

Why is it helpful to separate your learning from your studying?

When you sit down to do homework, you will be more focused and have a clearer

understanding the purpose of your homework. Ask yourself: what am I trying to do?

“Am I trying to understand this new material?” or “Am I trying to practice this or drill

this into my memory?”

Learning as you go along means you will understand better and more easily as the

content becomes more complex. Some courses are taught by building on previous

lessons (e.g. in math, accounting and physics) so learning in gradual steps is required.

When you are studying for exams, you can avoid cramming the learning and the drilling

into a short period of time. If you learned the material throughout the term (i.e.

memorized new terms or formula, found connections between ideas and organized

ideas into concepts or meaningful patterns), then you can focus on studying to improve

your speed and accuracy.


In what ways are you expected to think at university?

Generally speaking, in high school, you earned high grades primarily through participation,

memorizing facts and some integration of more complex material. At university, the

assumption is that you can memorize, and the professor wants to know if you can apply or

analyze data or ideas, and eventually if you can make judgments or evaluations of complex or

conflicting evidence or needs or data. A useful model of thinking is described in Bloom’s

Taxonomy of Learning (2002) as shown below.

Levels of thinking

Some 1st year courses are very fact and memory based, like Biology or Psychology, but even in

those courses you are expected to see relationships among ideas and be able to compare and

contrast key theories or systems. Conceptual thinking is the goal.

Math, accounting and physics are not just a series of endless problems. Rather, problems are

multiple examples or applications of a very limited number of elegant concepts, and your task is

to recognize the core concept, understand the general problem-solving approach for that

concept, and know how to solve the specific example.

In courses like Sociology, Music History or Politics you may be asked to memorize details about

specific theories or systems, understand how ideas connect, and be able to analyze an

argument, apply a theory to a new situation, or compare and contrast different approaches.


How can you shift between different levels of thinking?

The chart below describes some ways to think more deeply, although thinking is not “linear”

with each level building directly from the previous one. As we learn, we flip among levels or

depths of understanding until a rich web of interconnections is formed in our minds. The study

methods you choose will reflect the type of material to be learned (e.g. memorize the

procedures to analyze a blood sample; describe the social impact of various political

movements; compare and contrast theories of personality) and may involve methods from

several different thinking levels.

From thinking level: To thinking level: How? Possible study methods

Memorizing Repeat, recite, do

practice questions

Cue cards, multiple readings,

self-testing of facts or

calculations

Memorizing Understanding Paraphrase, look for

relationships or

connections among

ideas.

Add own definition to cue

cards, write short lecture

summaries. Self-test requiring

“explain or describe”.

Understanding Conceptual thinking

(analyzing, applying)

Summarize by creating

an organizing

structure for material

based on general

topics, principles,

concepts.

Make mind maps, charts, math

problem concept summaries.

Self-test requiring “solve,

apply, analyze,

compare/contrast, prove,

justify”

Conceptual thinking Evaluative thinking Assess the

assumptions, the logic

of an argument and

data and research

implications, to form

judgments about

conflicting data or

theories.

Study groups, practice cases

An example might help to understand what is meant by “conceptual thinking.” Memorizing

facts for each theory of personality you learned is less useful than organizing a structure to see

any connections between theories: make a chart of the theories of personality and then


memorize information for each according to major topics (age group, key ideas, social context

of theory, applications, limitations, etc.).

You can check whether you are doing homework and studying that helps you learn deeply.

Memorizing is necessary, but deeper conceptual thinking is the goal. Stop and think:

What does this material mean?

Does it connect to other things we’ve been learning?

How can I use this information?

What’s the SO WHAT or significance of this chapter or unit or concept?

How might this be applied?

How could I organize and condense it?

When you pay attention to the level of thinking you are practicing, and always trying to go

deeper, you will be preparing yourself for the type of questions your professor may ask you on

exams.


II. New skills

1. Managing your time and your self

University presents a wonderful opportunity to grow, explore, create and meet new people.

Balancing new opportunities, school work and healthy living is often challenging and missing

out on one of these elements can lead to a dissatisfying year.

Maintaining your physical health and a positive outlook by eating well, sleeping enough (7-9

hours a night is the average requirement for an adult), and exercising will help keep you

motivated for school. Queen’s Peer Health Educators can help you with health habits.

How much homework time might you need to keep up?

A common issue is estimating how much time to spend on homework. A rule of thumb is this:

School is a full time job!

The number of homework hours needed will depend on how your courses are taught

(traditional lecture, blended on-line + in-class, or fully on-line). The total course learning hours

will be about 120 hours, i.e. 10 hours per course, per week.

Keep track—are you close? For all course types, homework consists of these activities:

Studying for mid-terms and finals will require more time in addition to the regular homework.


http://www.queensu.ca/studentwellness/health-promotion

Mid-term exams are challenging when regular course work continues (like in Arts & Science

courses), and studying is added on. Try assigning your time, to do regular course work in the

day, and study on evenings and weekends. It is usual to get a bit behind during mid-terms; aim

to be caught up in all readings and assignments by the last day of classes each term.

Balancing the workload across all your courses

Many students find getting the work done in all their courses is the biggest challenge, and

especially in courses with lots of reading or many small assignments. Each course may have

multiple weekly quizzes and assignments, in addition to the regular readings, problem-sets and

homework. Sometimes you may fall behind, but knowing what is due when and how many

marks the assignment is worth are important so you can make good choices about how you use

your time.

You will need to find a way to keep track of commitments, including homework time, that

works for you.


In our Time Management section, our Weekly Time Use hand-out can be used as a check of

whether your actual activities (classes, homework, sleeping, socializing, etc.) reflects what you

are hoping to experience or achieve at university. Other convenient hand-outs include the term

calendar to help you organize and the Assignment Calculator to help you complete papers.

Managing your attention

Learning on-line leads to constant temptation: check me, check me! Efficient learning depends

on focused attention. Make a wise choice!

Ask yourself: Do I need my phone or computer right now for this work?


http://sass.queensu.ca/learningstrategies/topic-time-management/

http://www.queensu.ca/qlc/assignment-calculator

2. Effective reading

First year students often need to improve their reading skills in order to keep up with the pace

and volume of readings, and figure out the key aspects of those readings.

Why are readings important? Reading at university is a fundamental way of obtaining

information on a topic. An Arts and Science student may be asked to read a 30 page chapter or

more for each course each week, and an English literature student could have a book a week

assigned in a course. Engineering students have fewer and shorter readings, but preparing for

the labs may require reading with close attention to detail.

In blended in-class + on-line courses, students learn content independently through reading.

Keeping up with readings is essential, because the professor may use the 1 hour of class time to

build on key ideas contained in the readings. The class will make much more sense if you did

the reading beforehand!

How can students begin to improve their reading skills? Ask yourself:

What is the purpose of this reading assignment? How does this reading tie in with the

course overall?

Am I reading this journal article to get an overview of a research procedure?

Am I reading the text to learn new terms and concepts?

Am I reading the novel to be able to discuss themes and writing techniques?

When you do your readings will depend in part on the purpose of the reading. For example, in

traditional lecture courses, if the prof. lectures on the key ideas in the text, you might try

skimming the chapter before class, and then read more thoroughly after the lecture (it usually

takes less time if you have a general understanding from class).

For strategies to increase reading effectiveness, visit our online resources about Reading and

Note-making.


http://sass.queensu.ca/learningstrategies/topics


3. Tests and exams

Tests and exams can be stressful, but planning ahead definitely reduces the pressure! Start be

reading the Learning Objectives in the course syllabus, in the lecture slides, or handouts. This

will indicate what is most important to know in the course.

Exams can have different formats including multiple choice, short answer, essay, quantitative

problem-solving, or image recognition (e.g. slides in Anatomy or paintings in Art History).

Memorization is the foundation of knowledge, but the goal on most tests is to tap conceptual

thinking. Re-reading or re-writing notes won’t be enough to create deep thinking; you should

also summarize themes in an organized structure, do practice problems, drill, and self-test.

Deeper level conceptual thinking can be tapped in many ways. You may be asked to compare

and contrast 2 theories of population change or systems for moving water through the earth;

analyze an argument, a tonal pattern in music, a theme in a poem, or some data; or apply a

new theory to existing data, a formula to a particular mathematics problem, or a therapeutic

technique to someone with a spinal cord injury.

Multiple choice exams (as well as short answer, essay and problem-solving exams) can tap

application and analysis questions in addition to facts and details. Don’t be surprised by the

“analyze” or “compare and contrast” questions on a multiple choice style exam!

Exam questions tap different levels of thinking

For strategies on preparing for and writing exams, visit our online resources on Exam and

Midterm Prep, or for on-line exams or quizzes, go to the During the Course/On-Line Test Taking

section of our Online Courses resource.




http://sass.queensu.ca/learningstrategies/online-courses/

Writing tests online

Each course may have a different format to the on-line quiz or test, so ask the professor how

the quiz will be structured. For example, multiple choice, short answer and essay type

questions could all be part of an on-line quiz.

Many quizzes are designed to be completed during a window of time (e.g. on Tues. between

9am and 9pm) but once you login, the clock starts and every student will have (e.g.) 30 minutes

to complete the quiz.

Understand test logistics, and ask questions well in advance if you are not sure. For example:

What is the procedure to login to the test?

Can you save your answers throughout the test?

Can you return to questions if you skip them initially?

How do you submit the test?

Will you receive an alert message about unanswered questions?

How does the grading system work?

Queen’s uses the cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) system, which has a range of 0.0 to

4.3. Depending on the Faculty regulations, students are expected to maintain a minimum

cumulative GPA across all courses. Students who fall below the Faculty requirement may be

placed on probation, which means they can return to Queen’s the following year, with

conditions applied. Students in upper years who don’t meet the Faculty requirement may be

asked to withdraw.

Students should become familiar with the Regulations for their faculty. For example:

Arts & Science requires a minimum of 1.6 cumulative GPA.

Engineering and Applied Science requires a minimum of 1.6 cumulative GPA.

Commerce requires a minimum of 2.0 cumulative GPA.

Nursing requires a minimum of 1.7 cumulative GPA

Speak with an academic advisor or professor from your faculty for details about your situation.

Within every Faculty, there is an appeal process that students can use, depending on their

circumstances, to challenge decisions based on the academic regulations.

Some faculties offer a voluntary Bounce Back program in the winter term of first year, for

students whose estimated GPA is below a pre-determined threshold. The Faculty of Engineering

and Applied Science offers a voluntary “Section 900” (sometimes called “J-section”) which

extends the school year until June, to enable students to re-take core courses if needed.


page%20http:/sass.queensu.ca/learningstrategies/online-courses/

http://www.queensu.ca/artsci/academic-calendars/regulations/academic-regulations/regulation-13

http://engineering.queensu.ca/Calendar/2013-2014/Regulation_10_Failure_of_Year.html

http://business.queensu.ca/bcom/academic_calendar/browse_calendar/2013_14_started/academic_regulations/progression_in_the_commerce_program.php

http://nursing.queensu.ca/downloads/2011-12_School%20of%20Nursing%20Calendar.pdf

http://queensu.ca/studentaffairs/firstyear/bounceback.html

http://engineering.queensu.ca/Current-Students/First-Year-Studies/Section900/index.html

III. New independence

1. Balancing academics and life

Students achieve a sense of success at university when they have a positive experience and

positive outcomes. This is more likely when students think for themselves, and then make wise

choices, about

“What would a good life at university look like?”

and

“What do I want to achieve this year, or during the next 4 years?”

Students who learn to make wise choices in regulating their health and activities usually have a

more positive experience at Queen’s combined with better academic achievement. Good

health is usually thought of as a state of well-being in several areas:


2. How can you cope if you feel overwhelmed?

There will be times when students aren’t up to date, and not able to do everything to 100% of

their ability. This is normal! Making strategic choices is part of being an efficient student.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can try to:

get a good sleep and re-assess the situation.

follow some of the familiar routines from home, such as bedtimes and eating times.

control your distractions, including social media, Netflix, your phone, and friends.

use a 4 month term calendar to map out what is due, when and how much it is worth.

set daily priorities, including school work and down time.

talk to the Professor or TA to clarify the assignment, to see if your assignment is on the

right track, or to get an idea of the focus of a reading.

organize a homework schedule that includes study plus class time (a full time job),

eating, exercise, sleep and some personal time. See our weekly schedule template.

use campus resources such as

o your professor or Teaching Assistant (TA) for encouragement or direction

o academic support services including Learning Strategies or The Writing Centre

use the Queen’s Learning Commons in Stauffer Library, for work space and academic

support services

speak to librarians for help researching a paper

see the Faculty Academic Advisor in the general administration area of the faculty (e.g.

Room F200 in MacCorry Hall for Arts & Science students, or 1st Floor Goodes Hall for

Commerce, or Student Services in Beamish-Munroe Hall for Engineering)

talk to your residence don

make an appointment with a Counsellor at Health, Counselling and Disability Services

speak with the University Chaplain

Welcome to Queen’s. We are glad you are here.

We want to help you have a great first year. Just ask.


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IV. Additional information

1. University-level writing

It is expected that students will be capable of expressing themselves clearly and coherently

using correct grammar, in English.

The Writing Centre is a heavily used resource by undergraduates and graduate students, for

free consultations with professional writers or trained upper-year students. Many resources are

also available online at the Writing Centre website. Credit courses in Writing are also available

through the Centre for Distance Education.

2. What is plagiarism?

Plagiarism occurs when someone uses the words, thoughts or products/designs of another

person without giving them credit or seeking their permission. This is strictly forbidden at

Queen’s, and is grounds for serious punishment. Plagiarism and other aspects of academic

integrity are described in the Arts and Science Academic Regulations.

To avoid plagiarism, students can refer to the information on proper referencing methods from

the Writing Center or can ask their professor what system he or she wants them to use.

3. Computers

Many students will bring their own computer, and perhaps printer, with them to Queen’s.

There are a limited number of public computing sites and kiosks across campus, providing

access to networked computers, software, printing and Internet services. You are encouraged

to contact your department or faculty to see if your program has any specialized software

requirements.

Remember to back up the system regularly and avoid the awful situation of losing all the files.


http://sass.queensu.ca/writingcentre/

http://www.queensu.ca/artsci_online/courses

http://www.queensu.ca/calendars/artsci/Regulation_1____Academic_Integrity.html

http://sass.queensu.ca/writingcentre/tipsheets/

4. Working in groups

Group work is common in Engineering, Commerce, Nursing and many Arts & Science courses.

Students may be assigned to groups, choose their groups, work on only one project together,

work for a year together, and be graded together or individually depending on the course and

professor.

Group work can be challenging if students have different understandings of the assignment,

have different work styles, and have different personal goals.

Positive experiences in working closely together to solve a common issue or problem are more

likely when students:

Organize the group

o discuss and agree on the goal, assignment, or purpose of the group. What are

you supposed to do?

o look at the timeframes, and set a reasonable working schedule to meet the

deadline.

o settle where and when will you meet. Do you really need to meet starting at

11:30pm?

o talk about expectations for attending group meetings, and what might happen if

members are always late, don’t do their part of the work, or drop away entirely.

At what point might the group talk to the professor for guidance?

Develop a project task list, and then determine the order of completing them, by when.

Create a work plan. Who will do what?


o talk about what each person is good at, and also what new skill he or she might

specifically want to learn.

o talk about personal work-styles, and how some might fit better for some tasks

than others. Last minute worker? Do the editing, not the initial research!

Choose your battles. Avoid big blow-ups within the group by talking together about

what is working well and what is not. Solve small disagreements as they come up. Some

of the lessons in group work include how to cooperate, share responsibility, solve

problems and maintain a sense of humour!

5. Services for students with disabilities

The mission of Accessibility Services, in partnership with faculty, staff and students, is to

promote educational equity for students with disabilities, and to assist those students in

pursuing a university education.

A number of services provide support for various aspects of university life, including

preparing for university at the Transition Resource Guide (link:

http://www.transitionresourceguide.ca/resources)

living in residence using the Special Consideration Form (link:

http://residences.housing.queensu.ca/forms/SpecialConsiderationForm.pdf)

academic support through Accessibility Services (link:

http://www.queensu.ca/studentwellness/accessibility-services)

adaptive technology, library services, and assistive technology at the Adaptive

Technology Centre (link: http://queensu.ca/atc/home)

learning, study and self-management skills at Learning Strategies, Student Academic

Success Services (link: http://sass.queensu.ca/learningstrategies)

Students are encouraged to meet with the Accessibility Services Advisors as early as possible to

discuss the type of support they may wish or need.

6. Services for international students

Queen’s University International Centre (QUIC) staff provide information about orientation to

campus and the community, banking, housing and visas. New international students are

encouraged to pick up an information package about QUIC, its services and opportunities, as

well as services provided by other groups to all members of the Queen’s Community.


http://www.queensu.ca/studentwellness/accessibility-services

Transition%20Resource%20Guide

http://residences.housing.queensu.ca/forms/SpecialConsiderationForm.pdf

http://queensu.ca/atc/home

http://queensu.ca/atc/home


http://quic.queensu.ca/international-students-and-staff/

academics 101

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