Learning AND YOUR LIFE Essentials of Student Success Robert S. Feldman University of Massachusetts, Amherst P.O.W.E.R. LEARNING AND YOUR LIFE: ESSENTIALS OF STUDENT SUCCESS Published by McGraw-Hill, a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, 10020. Copyright © 2011 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written consent of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., including, but not limited to, in any network or other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning. Some ancillaries, including electronic and print components, may not be available to customers outside the United States. This book is printed on acid-free paper. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 RJE/RJE 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 ISBN 978-0-07-337520-5 (student edition) MHID 0-07-337520-9 (student edition) ISBN 978-0-07-737539-3 (annotated instructor’s edition) MHID 0-07-737539-4 (annotated instructor’s edition) Vice president/Editor in chief: Elizabeth Haefele Vice president/Director of marketing: John E. Biernat Publisher: Kenneth S. Kasee Jr. Sponsoring editor: Alice Harra Developmental editor: Kristin Bradley Editorial coordinator: Vincent Bradshaw Marketing manager: Keari Green Lead media producer: Damian Moshak Digital developmental editor: Kevin White Director, Editing/Design/Production: Jess Ann Kosic Lead project manager: Susan Trentacosti Senior production supervisor: Janean A. Utley Senior designer: Marianna Kinigakis Senior photo research coordinator: Jeremy Cheshareck Photo researcher: Allison Grimes Digital production coordinator: Brent dela Cruz Interior design: Maureen McCutcheon Typeface: 11/13 Minion Compositor: Laserwords Private Limited Printer: R.R. Donnelley Cover credit: Front cover (left to right): Thinkstock/CORBIS; ©IMAGEMORE Co, Ltd./Getty Images; ©RubberBall Productions; Burke/Triolo Productions/Brand X/CORBIS. Back Cover (left to right): ©Jose Luis Pelaez, Inc./Getty Images; ©CORBIS Premium RF/Alamy; ©IMAGEMORE Co, Ltd./Getty Images Credits: T he credits section for this book begins on page 267 and is considered an extension of the copyright page. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Feldman, Robert S. (Robert Stephen), 1947- P.O.W.E.R. learning and your life: essentials of student success/Robert S. Feldman. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN-13: 978-0-07-337520-5 (student edition: alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-07-337520-9 (student edition: alk. paper) ISBN-13: 978-0-07-737539-3 (annotated instructor’s edition: alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-07-737539-4 (annotated instructor’s edition: alk. paper) 1. College student orientation. 2. College students—Life skills guides. 3. Study skills. I. Title. II. Title: POWER learning and your life. LB2343.3.F438 2011 378.1’98—dc22 2009046162 The Internet addresses listed in the text were accurate at the time of publication. The inclusion of a Web site does not indicate an endorsement by the authors or McGraw-Hill, and McGraw-Hill does not guarantee the accuracy of the information presented at these sites. www.mhhe.com Dedication To my students, who make teaching a joy. r o h ROBERT S. FELDMAN t u R obert S. Feldman still remembers those moments of being overwhelmed when he started college at A Wesleyan University. “I wondered whether I was up to the challenges that faced me,” he recalls, “and— although I never would have admitted it at the e time—I really had no idea what it took to be suc- cessful at college.” h T hat experience, along with his encounters with many students during his own teaching career, led to t a life-long interest in helping students navigate the critical transition that they face at the start of their own college careers. Professor Feldman, who went on t to receive a doctorate in psychology from the Univer- u sity of Wisconsin–Madison, teaches at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he is the Dean o of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. He directs POWER Up for Student Success, the UMass b first-year experience course for incoming students. P rofessor Feldman’s proudest professional A accomplishment is winning the College Outstanding Teaching Award at UMass. He also has been named a Hewlett Teaching Fellow and was Senior Online Instruction Fellow. He has taught courses at Mount Holyoke College, Wesleyan University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. Professor Feldman is a Fellow of both the American Psychological Associa- tion and the Association for Psychological Science. He is a winner of a Fulbright Senior Research Scholar and Lecturer award and has written some 100 scientific articles, book chapters, and books. His books, some of which have been translated into Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Chinese, include I mproving the First Year of College: Research and Practice, Understanding Psychology, 9/e, and Development Across the Life Span, 5/e. One of his most recent publications, P sychology and Your Life, afforded Professor Feldman an opportunity to work closely with returning and commuter students. It was through that experience that he devoted research and development to applying the P.O.W.E.R. Plan to a text devoted to this underserved and highly career-motivated student population. The result was this text. Professor Feldman’s research interests encompass the study of honesty and truthfulness in everyday life, development of nonverbal behavior in children, and the social psy- chology of education. His research has been supported by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Disabilities and Rehabilita- tion Research. W ith the last of his three children completing college, Professor Feldman occu- pies his spare time with serious cooking and earnest, but admittedly unpolished, piano playing. He also loves to travel. He lives with his wife, who is an educa- tional psychologist, in a home overlooking the Holyoke mountain range in western Massachusetts. iv fs e t in r 1 P.O.W.E.R. Learning: Becoming an Expert Student 1 Be 2 Making the Most of Your Time 30 t n 3 Taking Notes 54 o 4 Taking Tests 76 C 5 Reading and Remembering 1 03 6 Careers 129 f 7 Technology and Information Competency 158 o 8 Making Decisions and Problem Solving 1 89 9 Diversity and Relationships 2 12 e 10 Juggling: Stress, Money, Family, and Work 235 l b A Final Word 2 63 a Glossary 2 64 T Endnotes 266 Credits 267 Index 268 v s t n e 1 P.O.W.E.R. Learning: Becoming an Expert Student 1 t n Looking Ahead 2 Discovering Your o Learning Styles 1 6 Why Go to College? 2 Try It 4: What’s Your Receptive C Try It 1: Why Am I Going Learning Style? to College? 3 PERSONAL STYLES 20 Journal Reflections Speaking of Success f My School Experiences 5 C’Ardiss Gardner 25 o P.O.W.E.R. Learning: Looking Back 26 The Five Key Steps Key Terms and Concepts 2 6 e to Achieving Success 5 Resources 27 l Prepare 6 Taking It to the Net 28 b Try It 2: What Are The Case of . . . a Your Goals? 8 Doubting in Denver 29 Organize 9 T Course Connections Looking at the Big Picture 1 0 Work 1 0 Evaluate 1 2 Try It 3: Examining the Causes of Success and Failure WORKING IN A GROUP 1 3 Rethink 14 Career Connections P.O.W.E.R. Learning and the World of Work 15 2 Making the Most of Your Time 30 Looking Ahead 31 Try It 2: Create a Time Log 34 Try It 3: Set Priorities 3 6 Time for Success 31 Course Connections Prepare: Learning Where Time Is Study Time: How Much Is Enough? 37 Going and Where It Should Go 32 Journal Reflections Try It 1: Find Your Time Style Where Does My Time Go? 38 PERSONAL STYLES 33 Organize: Mastering Set Your Priorities 3 3 the Moment 38 vi Work: Controlling Time 43 Taking It to the Net 52 Try It 4: Find Your The Case of . . . Procrastination Quotient 46 Time Crunched 53 Career Connections On-the-Job Time Management 4 8 Evaluate: Checking Your Time 48 Rethink: Reflecting on Your Personal Style of Time Management 48 Speaking of Success Edmund Fixico 50 Looking Back 51 Key Terms and Concepts 5 1 Resources 51 3 Taking Notes 54 Looking Ahead 55 Try It 3: Evaluate Your Class Notes 66 Rethink: Activating Your Memory 66 Taking Notes in Class 55 Try It 4: Practice Your Prepare: Considering Your Goals 55 Notetaking Skills 6 9 Organize: Getting the Tools of Notetaking Together 56 Taking Notes as You Study 6 9 Journal Reflections Career Connections How Do I Take Notes? 5 7 Taking Notes on the Job: Meetings of the Minds 71 Work: Processing—Not Copying— Information 58 Speaking of Success Geraldine Mathey 72 Try It 1: Determine Your Listening Style Looking Back 73 PERSONAL STYLES 59 Key Terms and Concepts 7 3 Try It 2: Outline a Lecture Resources 73 WORKING IN A GROUP 6 2 Taking It to the Net 74 Evaluate: Thinking Critically about The Case of . . . Your Notes 65 Not Missing a Thing 7 5 4 Taking Tests 76 Looking Ahead 77 Prepare: Readying Your Test-Taking Strategies 78 Getting Ready 7 7 Try It 1: Complete a Test Journal Reflections Preparation Checklist 82 How I Feel about Tests 78 www.mhhe.com/power TABLE OF CONTENTS vii Try It 2: Measuring Speaking of Success Your Test-Taking Style Sonia Sotomayor 98 PERSONAL STYLES 8 3 Looking Back 99 Course Connections Key Terms and Concepts 9 9 Special Techniques for Dealing with Math Anxiety 84 Resources 99 Taking It to the Net 101 Try It 3: Form a Study Group WORKING IN A GROUP 8 6 The Case of . . . That Sinking Feeling 102 Organize: Facing the Day of the Test 86 Taking the Test 87 Work: Tackling the Test 87 Try It 4: Understand Action Verbs in Essay Questions 91 Career Connections Tests for a Lifetime 93 Evaluate: Taking Your Own Final Examination 93 Rethink: The Real Test of Learning 95 Try It 5: Take a Test-Taking Test 96 5 Reading and Remembering 103 Looking Ahead 1 04 Sharpen Your Reading Try It 3: Discover Your Attention Span and Memory Skills 1 04 PERSONAL STYLES 1 11 Course Connections Journal Reflections Textbook Tips: Starting Off My Reading Preferences 105 on the Right Page 113 Prepare: Approaching the Try It 4: Mark Up a Book Page Written Word 1 06 WORKING IN A GROUP 1 16 Try It 1: Discover How Advance Organizers Help 107 Try It 5: Do-It-Yourself Acronyms and Acrostics Organize: Gathering the Tools of the Trade 108 WORKING IN A GROUP 119 Dealing with Learning Try It 2: Create an Advance Organizer 109 Disabilities 121 Work: Getting the Most Out of Your Reading and Using Proven Strategies Evaluate: What Does It Mean? to Memorize New Material 110 What Do I Know? 122 viii TABLE OF CONTENTS www.mhhe.com/power Career Connections Taking It to the Net 127 The Job of Reading 123 The Case of . . . Rethink: Getting It the Second Time 123 The Five-Hundred-Pound Reading Packet 1 28 Speaking of Success James S. Cook 125 Looking Back 126 Key Terms and Concepts 1 26 Resources 126 6 Careers 129 Looking Ahead 1 30 Career Planning 1 30 Journal Reflections Thinking about Work 131 Prepare: Identifying Your Career Goals 131 Career Connections Organize: Finding Career Starting Over: Once You Have a Opportunities 131 Job You Want 149 Try It 1: Identifying Your Long-Term Career Goals 132 Using the Web in Your Job Hunt 1 49 Work: Creating a Career Portfolio 135 Job Interviews: Putting Course Connections Your Best Foot Forward 1 50 Instructors as Career Guides 1 36 Try It 4: Interviewing 152 Try It 2: Cataloging Your Personal History 138 Speaking of Success Dr. Ben Carson 154 Try It 3: Creating a Résumé 142 Looking Back 155 Evaluate: Getting Feedback on Your Résumé and Cover Letter 146 Key Terms and Concepts 1 55 Rethink: Reconsidering Your Resources 155 Career Choices 146 Taking It to the Net 156 Your References: Who The Case of . . . Says What About You 147 Interviewophobia 1 57 www.mhhe.com/power TABLE OF CONTENTS ix 7 Technology and Information Competency 158 Looking Ahead 1 59 You and Technology 1 59 Journal Reflections Could I Live without Technology? 160 Course Connections Getting the Most Out of Instructors’ PowerPoint Presentations 1 62 Using the Internet and the Web 162 Using E-Mail Effectively 163 Writing Effective E-Mail Rethink: Reflecting on What Messages 164 and How You Have Learned 173 Try It 1: Using E-Mail Netiquette 167 Fact Finding: Developing Distance Learning: Information Competency 1 74 Classes without Walls 169 Try It 4: Work the Web: Information, Please! 181 Try It 2: Assess Your Course- Taking Style Career Connections PERSONAL STYLES 1 70 Using the Web at Work 183 Prepare: Identifying Distance A Final Word 183 Learning Course Possibilities 171 Speaking of Success Try It 3: Get Some Distance Jordan M. Miller 1 84 on the Problem WORKING IN A GROUP 1 72 Looking Back 185 Organize: Obtaining Access Key Terms and Concepts 1 85 to Technology 172 Resources 186 Work: Participating in a Distance Learning Class 173 Taking It to the Net 187 Evaluate: Considering The Case of . . . Your “Classroom” Performance 173 The Empty Page 1 88 8 Making Decisions and Problem Solving 189 Looking Ahead 190 Organize: Considering and Assessing the Alternatives 191 Making Good Decisions: Work: Making and Carrying A Framework 190 Out the Decision 192 Prepare: Identifying Your Goals 191 Try It 1: Use Freewriting 193 x TABLE OF CONTENTS www.mhhe.com/power