Fall 2011, Volume 3
Check out Info The residence halls will close on Friday, December 16th at noon. All residents must be checked out by this time. To make an appointment to check out, please see your RA. If you are not returning for the Spring, make sure to let the Area Coordinator’s office know and fill out the necessary paperwork. You will be assessed a cancellation fee and will lose your deposit. If you are returning in the Spring, make sure to do the following to ensure building safety and security:
Turn off all room lights Unplug all electrical appliances Defrost refrigerators and leave open to dry Discard all perishable food items Take valuables home Lock your door Check mailbox prior to leaving
The halls will reopen on January 12, 2012. Dining (FFCo) will reopen on January 14, 2012.
So...What’s On the Final? As the stresses of finals start to become overwhelming, you find yourself wishing you knew exactly what would be asked on the final. With this information, you would know what to study and what to omit. Some instructors give practice exams or review sheets to help prepare for the final. These can be very detailed or may be so vague that it’s almost like you weren’t given anything. Creating your own practice questions is a great way to help prepare for the final exam. This is easy to do if you were given a review sheet. But how do you know what to ask if the professor didn’t give you any insight into the final? Predicting test questions isn’t as hard as you may think. By now, you have had a few exams, quizzes, and/or homework in class. These assignments are clues to your professors thought process. By reviewing the wording, complexity of problems, and types of questions asked, you are able to predict test questions. Professors have a plan when creating the test. They do not sit and randomly collect ideas or problems and throw them on a page. When predicting test questions, try to put yourself in the professor’s shoes. If you were teaching, what information would you want to make sure students grasped? What types of questions would you use to test this knowledge? Try making up your own test questions and see if you can answer them. You can also get together with members from your study group and try to answer each other’s practice test questions. If you aren’t sure where to start when trying to think of test questions, look in your notes. A lot of time, students will flag, highlight, or mark something with an asterisk only to forget why later. This was probably something that was stressed in class, needed further explanation, or was stated to be on the exam. Try making up questions that help you identify the information and also test yourself for understanding of the material by asking questions like “Why is this significant,” “How can this be applied,” or “What are other related concepts?” When creating questions, try to avoid what is known as the “illusion of knowing.” Make sure you have a true understanding of the material and not assume you know all you need to just because you are able to recall one small fact about it. After you have prepared your test questions, answer them under testing conditions. It is easy to look something up and copy an answer. However, you are not testing your actual knowledge of the material. You won’t likely have the book in front of you during the final...or your notes. Give yourself a set amount of time to work on the questions. You need to make sure that you not only know the material, but will be able to complete the exam in the time allotted. After you have worked through your practice questions, check for errors. Try to understand why you made the mistake you did so you can correct it and not repeat the same mistake on the final. Additionally, be honest with yourself. You know if you need to put in more work to really understand the concept or idea. Don’t find the correct answer and then try to convince yourself that you knew it all along, you just got it mixed up this time but will remember it for the final. This can be checked by retesting yourself at a later time. Once you have done all that you can to get ready for the final and you feel you have mastered the material, relax. Go into the exam calm and confident.
Fall 2011, Volume 3
Tips from a College Graduate
Making the Most of Your Winter Break The semester is drawing to a close and all you can think about is the winter break. You probably envision sleeping late, plenty of home-cooked meals, hanging with friends all day, and watching TV all night. It’s been a stressful semester and now it’s time to just relax. Sounds like a great plan...but is it? One of the many realities you will face as you return home over the break is that while you were planning on a mini vacation, your parents may have other ideas. Having found a new independence away from home, you have already planned what you will and will not do over the next month. At the same time, your parents have also planned what they want you to do. The two plans are seldom the same. This is why it is important to have a discussion with your parents prior to going home or over dinner when you get there. You will need to find some common ground...a compromise, if you will. By talking to your parents, you help foster a new dynamic where your independence isn’t thrown in the closet and locked away “as long as you are under [their] roof.” It helps your parents transition into seeing your as the adult that you are instead of the little kid they remember. It also lets you know what things/behaviors are expected during your time at home, because it won’t be exactly as it has been while you were on your own. After you have been home for a little while, you will start to experience the Winter Break Blues. You will realize that you actually miss some of your college friends...and maybe even your roommate. You will also grow weary of doing nothing and having what seems to be never ending free time. You will even start to miss the mental stimulation and challenges that your classes provided. As strange as it sounds, you kind of miss being in school. Fortunately, there are several options of which you can take advantage. First, there are winter mini sessions offered by a large number of schools (including UH). These winter sessions allow you the opportunity to take a course that would normally last fifteen weeks in as few as four weeks. Just make sure you check to see if the credits will transfer to UH—most of your freshman/sophomore level core courses will. Keep in mind that these shortened courses still cover the same amount of material as a regular, semester-long course. While you will only be in class for about four weeks or so, the course will move at a quick pace and you will likely have assignments to do daily. If taking a class isn’t something that you would rather spend your winter break doing, then try to focus on activities that will help boost your resume. Spend time volunteering for a cause that you feel passionately about. Get involved with community groups. Find an internship or try to shadow someone that does what it is you wish to do after graduation. If you want something with more flexibility and less commitment, then start networking with companies that are in your field of study. Reach out to individuals at the company and offer to take them out for a cup of coffee to learn more about what it is they do and what steps they took to get there. Just remember that informational interviews are not a time for you to try and land a job.
Your first college semester is almost over! If you are one of the fortunate few who doesn’t have a final, congrats! For the rest of you, dead week is over and it’s time to put everything you’ve learned to the test (no pun intended). Finishing the semester strong includes doing well on your last tests and final exams so don’t run out of energy when you’re close to the finish line. It sounds cliché, but eating right and getting enough sleep are critical to doing well on your exams. Even though classes are officially over, try to avoid the temptations of sleeping late and bumming around; keep your mind sharp and your body active. If you’ve got multiple exams, be sure to reward yourself with a break, a nice meal, or a night off if you can afford it. After your last final exam, it is important not to dwell on your pitfalls but instead reflect on your accomplishments from the past 5 months. You may realize that you study best during a certain part of the day, or that study groups help you succeed on tests, or even that you’re not a morning person so you can enroll in classes that are later in the day when your mind is sharper. Carrying these lessons onto the next semester will drastically improve your habits and ultimately your grades. College isn’t just about learning academic material; it’s learning about yourself. So be sure to take notes! Lastly, use the winter vacation to recharge yourself for the spring! The spring semester only has one off week in the middle for spring break so make sure to take time for yourself . ENJOY THE BREAK!