ENHANCING YOUR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

 

I chose to attend college because:

 What do you plan to do with your college degree after you graduate?

What kind of academic/personal concerns do you have about attending college?

Typically, it is much easier to achieve your goal when you know why you want to

accomplish it

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO ATTEND COLLEGE?

Reflect on these things so you can do something about it…….

ACTIVITIY TIME NEEDED PER WEEK

Credit Hours of Class  15.5 hours

Study Hours (2 hours for every hour spent in class)

 (15.5 x 2)= 31.00 hours

Sleep (7 days x 8 hours/night)

56 hours (40% of college students do not get a reasonable amount of sleep each night)

Meals  (.30 x 21.00)= 6.30 hours

Practice/Work/Meetings

20 hours

Shower/Getting Ready in the AM or PM

 7 hours

Commute/Walking Time

 1 hour

Family/Phone Time  2 hours

Internet Surfing Time  3 hours

Time with Friends  8 hours

Other  5 hours

TIME MANAGEMENT/BALANCE

Total hours you need:__155_____Number of hours in a week_168

Extra Hours:__13___

Reflect on these things and then you can do something

about it

adapted from: http://www.housing.sc.edu/ace/pdf/ASR/AcademicBalanceWorksheet.pdf

• VISUAL (SIGHT)• You like to see what you are learning (photographic memory)• Pictures, images, graphs, and/or colors help you understand ideas or organize

information better than an explanation (i.e., lecturers use gestures/picturesque language)

• AURAL• Prefer a spoken message• May need to hear your own voice to process information• READ/WRITE (most dominant in college level course)• Prefer reading and writing (taking notes, organizing materials on paper or

computer)• KINESTHETIC • Tactile learner (you want to touch/experience what you are learning, “hands-on”

learner)

Go to www.vark-learn.com to discover your learning style(s)

WHAT IS YOUR LEARNING STYLE

Reflect on these things then you can do

something about it

• Become familiar with your personal study habits• How can you improve your study habits?

How do you currently study?(i.e., alone, in a group, with a friend/classmate, in my

room/library, quite setting):Introverts- usually study by themselves (no distractions)

Extraverts- usually study with others/with music (distractions can be a problem)

 What is your ideal study environment? 

What are your biggest challenges when you study? 

Do you study better in the morning, afternoon, or evening?

HOW DO YOU STUDY?

Reflect on these things and then

you can do something about

it

SCALE SCORE

If applicable, explain why this scale/strategy is weakness for you

ANX: ANXIETY    

ATT: ATTITUDE    

CON: CONCENTRATION    

INP: INFORMATION PROCESSING

   

MOT: MOTIVATION    

SFT: SELF-TESTING    

SMI: SELECTING MAIN IDEAS

   

STA: STUDY-AIDS    

TMT: TIME MANAGMENT

   

TST: TEST STRATEGIES    

LASSI(LEARNING AND STUDY STRATEGY INVENTORY)

Organizes your responses into categories that

have been shown to contribute to

academic success

Feel free to stop by the Student Success Center

to take this inventory

• Alcohol (all research supports that the more you drink alcohol, the lower your GPA will be)

• Drugs• Unhappy with Academic Major• Academically Underprepared• Difficulties with a Professor• Failing to Attend Class

• Family Crisis• First Generation College Student

• Homesickness• Illness

• Learning Disability- not utilizing services such as the NOEL program• Over Involvement In Activities• Poor Time Management Skills• Relationship Problems• Roommate Problems

• Taking Too Many Credit Hours• Working Too Many Hours• Financial Concerns

FACTORS THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO POOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Reflect on these things and then

you can do something about it

Do you have an encouraging Academic Support Network?

(i.e., family, friends, classmates, employer, professor, staff member, advisor)

 

Who is (or will be) a part of your academic support network?

   

CREATE YOUR PERSONAL ACADEMIC SUPPORT

NETWORK

Reflect on these things and then

you can do something about it

Course/Grade Factors that contributed to my

success

Strategies I used in this course that I should use again

 Chemistry/A *Studied with a group of friends three times a week (each session was 1 hour)*Rarely missed class*Compared class notes with Anna*Enjoyed the class material*Exercised routinely*Established healthy eating habits

*Talked with professor about questions I had in class*Went over completed assignments with the professor*Reviewed my notes daily (30 minutes a day)*Made meaning of information rather than memorizing information*Rewarded myself with a snickers bar and a cola after I studied

REFLECT ON YOUR ACADEMIC SUCCESS

Reflect on these things and then you can do something

about it

Course/Grade Factors that contributed to the lower grade

What I could have done to improve my grade

 History/C • Did not take adequate class notes (were not organized or meaningful)

• Did not pay attention during class (not getting enough sleep)

• Did not go over returned exams

• Did not understand material in text book, and I did not ask questions about the material

• Went over completed exams with Professor

• Highlighted information I didn’t understand, talked with professor about these areas

• Rearranged my study environment

• Sat in the front of the classroom

• Established a better sleeping pattern

HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE?

Reflect on these things and then

you can do something about it

Course Realistic grade I hope to earn

Specific study skills I will need in this class

Resources on campus to help me with this

class

History 101  B Keep a time tracker/use phone to organize assignment due dates

Take organized notes-have the professor review my class notes

Ask the professor for practice test questions

Review class text or notes 30 minutes a day

Peer Tutoring

Professor Office Hours

Writing Center

SETTING ACADEMIC GOALS

Reflect on these things and then

you can do something about

it

 

What GPA do you hope to achieve this semester? ________________________

http://gardner-webb.edu/academics/academic-services/registrar/registration-records/gpa-calculator/index.html 

 

GRADE POINT AVERAGE CALCULATOR

DEVELOP YOUR FOUR YEAR PLAN

• Institutional Attendance Policy• Academic Probation/Suspension• Adding or Dropping Courses

• Academic Calendar • Withdrawing from a S ingle

Course• Withdrawing from Gardner-Webb

University

KNOW GARDNER-WEBB ACADEMIC POLICIES

• Motivation: do you have academic/personal goals, direction, and interest?• Self-Concept: do you have confidence in your ability to succeed?• Habits: do you have the skills/behaviors necessary for academic/personal

success? (i.e., involvement in class-asking questions is an important factor)• Personal Style: do you know your learning style, your academic

strengths/weaknesses, how you study best?• Balance: do you maintain levels of physical, intellectual, social, emotional

and mental behavior?• Support: do you have a family/social network? Are you utilizing campus

resources?• Stability of Mood: are you able to control anxiety, depression, and/or

frustration while enhancing relaxation? How are you able to deal with stress? This is the most significant variable in how you will perform while you are in school.

HOW YOU MANAGE THESE KINDS OF DIMENSIONS WILL REFLECT YOUR GRADE POINT AVERAGE

FACTORS IN SUCCESSFUL STUDENT LEARNING

“The feeling or belief that you can do the work.”

This is a very predictable factor in student success

1. You must have self-efficacy to perform well 2. If you don’t believe in yourself, you will underperform

3. Being overconfident can be a problem4. Freshmen tend to have high self-efficacy, but their study

habits and behaviors are incongruent5. As students mature, typically by their senior year, they

are more certain about themselves

SELF-EFFICACY

• Early Warning ReportsFall- Mid September

Spring- Mid February• Mid-Term Reports

Fall- End of October

Spring- End of March

• AbsencesUniversity Policy- Must attend 75% of classes

MWF (cannot miss more than 11 classes)

TR (cannot miss more than 7 classes)

Professor can set a more stringent attendance policy@F- what does this mean?

STUDENT SUCCESS

You are placed on Academic Probation when your Gardner-Webb Grade Point Average falls below the minimum standards listed below:

Freshmen 0 to 29 hours- 1.5Sophomores 30 to 59 hours- 1.7

Juniors 60 to 89 hours- 1.9Seniors 90 hours and above- 2.0

During the Probationary Semester:

You cannot register for more than 15.5 hours

You must achieve the minimum required cumulative grade point average to be removed from Academic Probation

You must achieve the minimum required semester grade point average to avoid Academic Suspension

ACADEMIC PROBATION

Academic SuspensionWhile on Academic Probation , if you do not meet the required minimum grade point average at the end of the semester, you will be Academically Suspended

Freshmen 0 to 29 hours- 1.5Sophomores 30 to 59 hours- 1.7

Juniors 60 to 89 hours- 1.9Seniors 90 hours and above- 2.0

First Academic Suspension:Cannot register for GWU classes during the semester of suspensionTransfer credit cannot be used to improve your academic standingReapply for admission- if approved, return on academic probation

Second Academic Suspension Cannot register for GWU classes for two semesters

Transfer credit cannot be used to improve your academic standingMust reapply for admission- if approved, return on probation

ACADEMIC SUSPENSION

Gardner Webb allows six repeats for courses in which you earned a D or F

Repeated courses must be taken at GWU

Should I repeat a course where I received an F or a D? Contact your Academic Advisor

Generally speaking, you should repeat a course in which you have received a failing grade

How soon should I repeat a course?You don't gain anything by postponing the inevitable

All the material you remember from the first time should help you do better the second time

REPEATING COURSES

Professor Office HoursAsk questions that may not have been answered in classYou can use the time to review tests and quizzes with the professorCommunicating regularly about your academic work can help you identify and address problems before they become insurmountableBuilding a relationship with your professor can help ease class anxiety

Academic Advisor(Log into the Web Connect portal to get this information)Register for classesReview your four year plan

Student Success Center (Academic Advising)(http://www.gardner-webb.edu/academics/academic-development/undergraduate-advising/index.html)Location: 3rd floor- Tucker Student CenterPhone: (704) 406-4563

GARDNER- WEBB UNIVERSITY ON-CAMPUS

RESOURCES

Career Services(http://gardner-webb.edu/student-life/student-services/career-services/index.html)Location: 3rd floor-Tucker Student CenterPhone: (704) 406-2170

Counseling Center(http://gardner-webb.edu/student-life/student-services/counseling-services/index.html)Location: 3rd floor-Tucker Student CenterPhone: (704) 406-4563

Noel Program/Disability Services(http://gardner-webb.edu/student-life/student-services/counseling-services/index.html)Location: Frank Nanney Hall (behind Craig Hall (English Building))Phone: (704) 406-4270

RESOURCES

Peer Tutoring/LEAP (http://gardner-webb.edu/academics/academic-development/learning-enrichment-and-assistance-program/index.html)Location: 3rd floor- Tucker Student CenterPhone: (704) 406-4390E-mail: leap@gardner-webb.eduWriting Center(http://gardner-webb.edu/academics/academic-development/writing-center/index.html)Location: 2nd floor-Tucker Student CenterPhone: (704) 406-4393E-mail: writingcenter@gardner-webb.eduCampus Ministries/Pastoral Care Counselor(http://www.gardner-webb.edu/student-life/christian-life-and-service/pastoral-care/index.html)Location: 2nd floor- Tucker Student CenterPhone: (704) 406-2176Library(http://www.gardner-webb.edu/library/index-2.html)Location: in front of the Suttle Wellness CenterPhone: (704) 406-4298

RESOURCES

ARE YOU READY TO MAKE A CHANGE?

READINESS TO CHANGE

Contact Meredith Garrett704-406-4396

mpgarrett@gardner-webb.eduStudent Success Center within the Tucker Student

Center (3rd floor)

QUESTIONS?