Chapter 1 You and Your College Experience
Figure 1.1
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Where Are You Now?
Assess your present knowledge and attitudes.
| Yes | Unsure | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. I understand all the benefits of a college education for my future life. | |||
| 2. I have clear-cut career interests and have already planned my college program to prepare me best for my future work. | |||
| 3. I am aware of how my previous educational background has prepared me for college work. | |||
| 4. I have all the personal traits of a successful college student. | |||
| 5. I know how the learning process functions and make an effort to maximize my learning at each step in this process. | |||
| 6. I know my personal learning style and use it to my advantage when learning new things. | |||
| 7. I know how to pay attention to gain the most from my classes. | |||
| 8. I am aware of my college’s policies for academic honesty and behavior on campus. | |||
| 9. I know where to find all the resources of my college that can help me succeed both academically and personally. | |||
| 10. I am confident I can earn the grades I need to achieve success in my college courses. | |||
| 11. I know the first year of college will be the most difficult, but I am fully prepared and take responsibility for my own success. | |||
| 12. I am taking steps every day to ensure I am successful in every aspect of the college experience. |
Where Do You Want to Go?
Think about how you answered the questions above. Be honest with yourself. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your present skills for succeeding in college?
| Not very strong | Very strong | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |||||||||
In the following list, circle the three most important areas in which you think you can improve:
Relating my personal values to education
Choosing a program or degree major
Finding the best career for my interests and skills
Being prepared for college-level work
Developing a positive attitude for college
Successfully using each step of the learning process
Adapting and broadening my personal learning style
Getting the most out of classes large and small
Following all college policies
Taking advantage of all college resources
Getting the best grades I can get
Successfully transitioning to college and completing the first year
Doing everything I can every day to ensure I succeed in college
Are there other areas or skills that need more attention in order for you to succeed in college? Write down other things you feel you need to work on.
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****INSERT CCBC PROGRAM VIDEO HERE - SEE BUSINESS, CRIMINAL LAW AND JUSTICE SAMPLE BELOW****
Business, Law and Justice
How to Get There
Here’s what we’ll work on in this chapter:
Viewing college in terms of your personal values
Recognizing the importance of making a commitment to succeed in the first year of college
Discovering what career and college major best match your interests and skills
Understanding the obstacles students like you may have to overcome when transitioning into college
Figuring out how to learn best in each step of the learning process
Using your personal learning style effectively while also expanding to include other forms of learning
Staying motivated and succeeding in large lecture classes as well as small discussion classes
Working with your academic advisor to select courses and plan your program
Discovering what resources your college offers students to succeed not only in classes but also in their personal and social lives
Understanding why grades matter
Understanding why the first year of college is so critical and how to ensure you make it through
Knowing what steps you can take starting today and every day to ensure your success in college