Whether this is your first semester in college or just your first semester at Texas A&M University, welcome! We’re so excited you’re here! We’ve put together a few handouts to help you mentally prepare for what’s ahead. Use these study and learning handouts and short videos as a guide to planning your first semester. YouTube Playlist “How to Be Successful in College” Tips for Success in Online Classes During Coronavirus Outbreak Fixed Commitment Calendar 5 Day Study Plan

Student Starter Pack

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First Thing At the start of each day, check your email and eCampus course pages for any announcements, especially during this time with so much changing on a daily basis. If you use Outlook or Gmail for email, you can create folders for your classes and then set rules to forward incoming messages to a particular folder. That will help you separate the important emails from the “junk.” Don’t let online classes fool you Working from home and taking all online classes might seem like a break, but in reality, online courses often require more self-discipline and self-learning compared to in-person classes. It’s tempting, for example, to do things like sleep in, stay in your pajamas all day, “skip” online lecture sessions, and drop your exercise routine. Short term, these things feel good, for sure; but the long-term effects can be detrimental to your overall health and your academic success. For example, we recommend preparing for your online exams the same way you would if they were given in person. Instructors will likely have to alter testing material to accommodate an environment where students are taking exams unmonitored. If this is the case, it’s tempting to think you can rely only on notes in lieu of studying. Do not fall into this trap. Instead, focus on staying organized to avoid academic mishaps. Organize your notes and books using tabs to mark different sections. Keeping lists, formula sheets, and vocabulary terms in one place will help you quickly reference important information whenever you need it—especially when it’s time to study or during an open book/notes exam. Be understanding For this situation in particular, be understanding. Moving all classes online is likely new for a lot of instructors also. Be courteous and gracious when mistakes are made. If you notice mistakes, focus on communicating the problem clearly and politely and avoid using blaming or angry language because that will only exacerbate the situation. Remember, we’re all in this together. Spend time, right now, planning your day STOP. Take time right now to create a consistent schedule for yourself. If your instructor updates their syllabus for the rest of the semester, use that syllabus as a guide. Make "going to class" a regular part of your schedule. If your class met face to face from 9:10 – 10:00, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, you should continue to go to class at that same time. You’ll be there virtually for mandatory lectures. If there is not a mandatory virtual lecture that day, then use that time for viewing online lectures, reading the required materials, working on homework, and staying current with course material. This point in the semester and with the switch to online is not the time to change what you’ve been doing up to this point. Consistency is key to success in the online environment.

Tips for Success in Online Classes During Coronavirus Outbreak

Tips for Success in Online Classes During Coronavirus Outbreak 2

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If you already had a schedule in place, look at your most recent daily or weekly schedule and find the activities that will be most difficult to recreate during a period of isolation. If you didn’t have a daily or weekly schedule written down before, don’t stress. Grab a calendar and watch our Fixed Commitment Calendar video to help you get started. Find ways to recreate workouts you can do at home or outside, but do keep social distancing rules in effect. If you regularly attended anything that contributed to your mental, physical, or spiritual health, keep those things in your schedule and find ways to attend or participate online. Create a dedicated workspace Some of you might be spending the rest of the semester at home with parents, other family members, roommates, or possibly friends. Even if you’re not, it’s important to create a good working and studying environment. Find a space that you can dedicate to “attending” online classes and studying. It might be your dining table, it might be a home office, it might be your mom’s sewing room—regardless, set it up so that your brain knows “when I’m in this space, it’s time to focus.” Set boundaries Talk with the people you live with about creating a situation that respects your time and study space. It’s hard to focus if your mom is calling for you to take out the garbage while you’re watching a Zoom lecture. Share your plan and schedule with everyone so they know what to expect. Take a full lunch break You’re likely spending more and more time at home. While this gives you more free time because you don’t have to do things like commuting, it’s important to still take that break in the middle of your work day, whenever that is. Go for a walk around your neighborhood or a park, remembering to follow social distancing rules. Eat outside. Listen to some music while you enjoy a calming activity. Giving your brain a rest is just as important as putting in the study and class hours. Be your own advocate While there are wide variety of resources and people available to help you with school, taking charge of your learning is the best strategy for a successful semester. Being your own advocate might sound like this:

• “Hi [instructor, SI leader, therapist], I am feeling nervous about how the transition to all online classes will affect my academic performance. What advice are you telling other students to help them deal with this?”

• “I really don’t understand x, y, z concept—can you work with me or recommend online resources to better explain it?”

• “Hi, I need to make an appointment with an academic coach because I am struggling with time management and need more accountability right now.”

• “I am not feeling well. Can we work out an alternate due date for this assignment so I can rest?” Prepare for possible technology issues Consider how your academic performance might be affected if you lose access to technology during important times, like taking an exam or doing online homework. If you’re sharing internet with multiple people think about how that might impact your connectivity during an online exam or while giving a zoom presentation, for example. Talk to your family/roommates about creating a schedule that gives you maximum access during those times. If you can’t submit a homework assignment or project because of technology problems, don’t forget to email your

Tips for Success in Online Classes During Coronavirus Outbreak 3

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instructor to let them know what’s going on. Be sure to include the file/homework/project as proof that it was done on time. Screenshots are also useful tools when communicating technology problems. Bonus tips if your course is synchronous (presented online live)

• Use your webcam if possible. Instructors read students’ faces and body language to gauge if they need to slow down or explain things differently.

• Mute yourself during lecture and then unmute if you need to speak. This minimizes distracting background noises for participants.

• Resist the temptation to look at other websites during lecture. Avoid ‘multi-tasking.’ • If it’s comfortable for you to do so, consider taking notes by hand despite being on a computer. • Sign into the meeting 5-10 minutes early to ensure you can connect. Your instructor may answer questions

during this time. • Your instructor may stay connected once lecture is over to answer questions from students, so don’t log out

right away. • Ask your instructor if they (or someone else) will be reading the chat box. If so, feel free to use it, but

understand that there will likely be a delay. • In Zoom you can use the ‘Raise your hand’ feature to let your instructor know you have a question. In very large

classes this may not be as useful since your instructor can only see 49 people on their screen at a time. • Consider using a headset with headphones and a microphone (or AirPods). This keeps the noise level down in

your study area and allows for better audio when speaking. Bonus tips if your course is asynchronous (recorded lectures posted online)

• Don’t try to write down everything your instructor says. Take notes as you usually would in person (without the ability to stop the instructor or relisten).

• Do not skip ahead in the recording. Listen to everything. • Listen to the recording until it is done playing. Your instructor could wrap it up and say goodbye and then

remember one more thing to tell you. • Listen to recordings soon after they are posted. Your instructor could make an announcement about an

assignment or opportunity for you that you could miss out on if you wait. • If your course uses discussion boards, aim to be one of the first people to post/reply. Contribute to the

discussion with thoughtful posts. Write more than ‘I agree’ and ‘Good point.’ • Follow up with your instructor with any questions you may have. Visit their virtual office hours or send an email.

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Managing your time effectively is crucial to your success. For students transitioning from high school to college, one of the most difficult things to do is schedule study time. In high school, you spent more time in class than you do now that you are in college. In college, it is up to you to make sure you are studying as much as you need to. Successful students report that they spend 2-3 hours outside of class studying for each hour they’re in class. This means that students taking 15 semester hours need to spend at least 30 hours studying outside of class. The best way to ensure that you’re not wasting time and studying sufficiently is to make a schedule that you commit to keeping. To do so, you might consider using a fixed-commitment calendar (FCC). Directions A fixed-commitment calendar provides you with an opportunity to set a schedule using one-hour blocks of time, filling in all 168 hours in a week.

• Start by scheduling in your class times, including labs. If possible, schedule preview and review time (5-30 minutes) before and after each class. Before class, look over both your notes from the previous class meeting and what you are scheduled to cover in the upcoming class. After class, summarize what happened in class, edit your notes, look over any assignments that were given, and/or write down any questions you have for your instructor.

• Fill in any other commitments you have, such as work, organization meetings, etc. • Add time for normal chores or routines, such as showering, doing laundry, cleaning, breakfast, lunch,

dinner, exercise, etc.

• Schedule study time, keeping in mind that you want 2-3 hours of studying for every one hour spent in class. Try to keep your study blocks to no more than 2 hours at a time. Ideally, you make time to study for each class, every day. You might also designate where you’ll study, such as the library, MSC, coffee shop, or a lounge area.

• Schedule time for sleep. Eight hours per day, being consistent in the times you fall asleep and wake up, is ideal. You might give yourself the opportunity to stay up and sleep a little later on weekends, but don’t stay up until 3am and sleep until noon if you go to bed at 11pm and wake up at 7am during the week. Your brain prefers a sleep routine.

• Make time for downtime, socializing, and exercise. These are important but, like sleeping, don’t go crazy. While it might be nice to veg out and watch 3 hours of television in the middle of the week, is it going to help you succeed academically? Probably not. Give yourself an hour or so of down time each day, along with brief breaks to call, email, or text family and friends.

• Multitask! Eat with friends so that you socialize then. Save your bigger blocks of down time for the weekend, rewarding yourself for sticking to your class and study schedule during the week. Weekends are for studying, too, however.

Fixed Commitment Calendar

Fixed Commitment Calendar 2

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Using every day to study helps you stay on top of your coursework—and have a life! Remember, the idea is not necessarily to be perfect, but to minimize wasted time. (Scroll to next page for a printable version of the Fixed Commitment Calendar)

Fixed Commitment Calendar 3

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Fixed-Commitment Calendar

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 5 a.m. 6 a.m. 7 a.m. 8 a.m. 9 a.m. 10 a.m. 11 a.m. Noon 1 p.m. 2 p.m. 3 p.m. 4 p.m. 5 p.m. 6 p.m. 7 p.m. 8 p.m. 9 p.m. 10 p.m. 11 p.m. Midnight 1 a.m. 2 a.m. 3 a.m. 4 a.m.

Hours available for study ____ Hours needed for study ____

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We’ve all heard of college students pulling infamous “all-night” study sessions before exams. And you might have excelled in high school just by cramming in a study session the night before an exam. In college, however, you need to alter your approach. College exams will likely require you to recall and think critically about more material than you can study in one all-night session. On top of that, researchers have found that students learn more effectively by spreading out short study sessions over multiple days or even weeks than in one or two lengthy sessions. The baseline recommendation for college test-preparation is that you adopt at least a Five Day Study Plan. With a Five Day Study Plan, you set yourself up for success by starting early and pacing out your study sessions in a way that maximizes your learning potential so you can ace your exams. How to Create a 5-Day Study Plan Step 1: Space out your exam preparation over a period of at least 5 days, devoting 2 - 2 ½ hours

each day to studying. Step 2: Divide your material into 4 or more sections or chunks. Each chunk of information will

be either prepared or reviewed in a two-hour study session. Step 3: In each study session, prepare and cover a new section of material, then review what you

studied the previous day. Step 4: Use active strategies to prepare and review study materials. Step 5: Self-test. Attempting to recall information from memory is scientifically proven to aid

learning better than repeated review. Examples of Ways to Prepare and Review Each preparation strategy (left column) has a corresponding review strategy (right column).

Preparation Strategies Review Strategies

Develop study sheets Recite study sheets

Develop concept maps Replicate concept maps from memory

Make word cards Recite word cards

Make question cards Recite question cards

Make formula cards Practice writing formulas

Make problem cards Work problems

5-Day Study Plan

5-Day Study Plan 2

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Make self-tests Take self-tests

Do study guides Practice study guide info out loud

Re-mark text material Take notes on the re-marked text

Make a list of 20 topics that might be on the exam Recite the list of 20 possible exam topics

Do problems Do “missed” problems

Make an outline Recite notes from recall cues

Summarize material Recite summary out loud

Make charts of related material Re-create chart from memory

List steps in a process Recite steps from memory

Predict essay questions Answer essay questions

Answer questions at the end of the chapter Practice reciting main points

Prepare material for study group Explain material to study group

The 5-Day Study Plan Table Choose one of the strategies from the table above, or your own, and use them in the “Action” columns below.

Day (Days need not be consecutive)

Action Material Approximate Time Needed

1 Prepare Oldest/hardest chunk of material 2 hours

2 Prepare Review

2nd oldest chunk of material 1st chunk of material

2 hours 30 minutes

3 Prepare Review Review

3rd chunk of material 2nd chunk of material 1st chunk of material

1.5 hours 30 minutes 20 minutes

4

Prepare Review Review Review

4th chunk of material 3rd chunk of material 2nd chunk of material 1st chunk of material

1 hour 30 minutes 20 minutes 10 minutes

5-Day Study Plan 3

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5

Review Review Review Review Self-test

4th chunk of material 3rd chunk of material 2nd chunk of material 1st chunk of material All material

30 minutes 20 minutes 10 minutes 10 minutes 1 hour

Total time 11 hours

6 TEST!

Example 5-Day Study Plan Sample 5-day study plan for an Animal Science course:

Day Action ANSC Material Approximate Time Needed

Saturday Prepare Make question cards over History of

the Horse 2 hours

Sunday Prepare Review

Make question cards over Breeds of Horses Review History of the Horse

2 hours 30 minutes

Monday

Prepare Review Review

Make question cards over Methods of ID Review Breeds of Horses Review History of the Horse

1.5 hours 30 minutes 20 minutes

Tuesday

Prepare Review Review Review

Make question cards over Anatomy, Conform, and Gaits Review Methods of ID Review Breeds of Horses Review History of the Horse

1 hour 30 minutes 20 minutes 10 minutes

Wednesday

Review Review Review Review Self-test

Review Anatomy, Conform, and Gaits Review Methods of ID Review Breeds of Horses Review History of the Horse Self-test all material

30 minutes 20 minutes 10 minutes 10 minutes 1 hour

5-Day Study Plan 4

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Total time 11 hours

Thursday TEST!