WHAT THREE RIVERS COLLEGE

INSTRUCTORS EXPECT FROM YOU

ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK ‘HOW TO GET GOOD GRADES IN COLLEGE’ BY LINDA O'BRIEN

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION

STEP 1: WHAT TO EXPECT IN COLLEGE

NEED FOR CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

MORE EMPHASIS ON TESTS AND INDEPENDENT STUDY YOU ALONE ARE RESPONSIBLE

CONSEQUENCES FOR LOW GRADES ACADEMIC PROBATION OR WITHDRAWAL

FROM THREE RIVERS

STEP 2: ATTEND EVERY CLASS!

• IF YOU MISS CLASS…

• ATTEND CLASS PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY • PARTICIPATE IN CLASS LECTURES• INCREASE CAMARADERIE BETWEEN

PEERS

• MISSING CLASS DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE

80% OF THE FINAL EXAM WILL BE BASED ON THE ONE LECTURE YOU MISSED AND THE ONE BOOK YOU DIDN'T READ.

THIRD LAW OF APPLIED TERROR

STEP 3: BE ORGANIZED!

USE A STUDENT PLANNER

ORGANIZE AND SAVE COMPUTER WORK

KEEP ALL RETURNED/GRADED PAPERS

GET CONTACT INFORMATION FROM CLASSMATES

STEP 4: MANAGE YOUR TIME

DON’T OVEREXTEND YOURSELF

SCHEDULE STUDY SESSIONS FOR YOURSELF

MAKE EFFICIENT USE OF YOUR TIME

LEARN TO SAY ‘NO’

STEP 5: BE SUCCESSFUL IN CLASS

LEARN HOW TO ADAPT TO DIFFERENT INSTRUCTORS

BE PREPARED FOR EACH CLASSSIT IN THE FRONT OF CLASS

WHENEVER POSSIBLECOMMUNICATE WITH YOUR

INSTRUCTORS

STEP 6: TAKE GOOD NOTES

BE AN ACTIVE LISTENERRECOGNIZE IMPORTANT INFORMATIONTAKE NOTES THAT ARE EASY TO READGO OVER YOUR NOTES AFTER CLASS

WHEN REVIEWING YOUR NOTES BEFORE AN EXAM, THE MOST IMPORTANT WILL BE ILLEGIBLE.

FIRST LAW OF APPLIED TERROR

STEP 7: HOW TO READ A TEXTBOOK

SCANREAD SUBTITLES TO CHAPTERS, WORDS IN BOLD AND

ITALIC PRINT, SUMMARIES, CHARTS, AND REVIEW QUESTIONS

READ WITH A PURPOSETRY TO TURN EVERY SUB-HEADING INTO A QUESTION

THAT YOU FIND THE ANSWER TO WHEN READING THE TEXT.

REVIEWSCANNING THE MATERIALS AGAIN CAN HELP YOU

CHECK YOUR COMPREHENSION

STEP 8: STUDY SMART

FIND A GOOD PLACE TO STUDY

DON’T PROCRASTINATE

ORGANIZE YOUR STUDY TIME

KNOW HOW TO STUDY FOR TESTS

KNOW HOW TO USE TECHNOLOGY

STEP 9: USE TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES

• COME PREPARED

• READ/LISTEN TO DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY

• MARK QUESTIONS YOU WANT TO RETURN TO

• CHECK YOUR ANSWERS

• GO OVER ALL RETURNED TESTSIF YOU ARE GIVEN AN OPEN-BOOK EXAM, YOU WILL FORGET YOUR BOOK.

FIFTH LAW OF APPLIED TERROR ***IF YOU ARE GIVEN A TAKE-HOME EXAM, YOU WILL FORGET WHERE

YOU LIVE. COROLLARY TO THE FIFTH LAW OF APPLIED TERROR

STEP 10: USE AVAILABLE RESOURCES

• YOUR ADVISOR• FOR MORE INFORMATION: MYTRCC PORTAL

AT WWW.TRCC.EDU

• ACADEMIC RESOURCE CENTER• RUTLAND LIBRARY• TUTORING AND LEARNING CENTER

• HONORS PROGRAMS• CONTACT DR. CAROL SWAIN-LEWIS OR

MAIREAD RYAN-ANDERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION