Student Survival Guide Essay Example for Free

Student Survival Guide Essay To survive my academic career at University of Phoenix, many things will help me while going through the program. This Survival Guide will remind me about: the general Internet skills needed to be successful, how to use my student website and the University Library resources, how to set up and achieve my goals, how to uphold academic honesty, how to manage my time wisely, how to foster my reading comprehension and retention, and how to adapt my work habits to fit my personality. General Internet Skills. The University of Phoenix Associates Level Material: Appendix D (2012) states, there are four different forums with different purposes where discussions take place: Main, Chat Room, Course Materials and an Individual Forum. Main Forum Used for class discussion, Discussion Questions, and to reply to discussion questions Only instructor posts new threads Under Questions thread for each week, post general questions that could benefit the entire class regarding an assignment Use a professional tone Chat Room. students can create new threads or messages and reply to other messages discussion about things not related to an assignment or discussion question use a more casual tone Course Materials Forum only instructors can post in this forum syllabus, weekly assignments, and course information is posted here reading links or other materials will be posted here Individual Forum private messages between me and my instructor about my grade or specific questions about my assignment use profession communication. Keeping my audience in mind allows me to use the correct tone and wording when communicating with others in writing. When performing research for a writing assignment or for use in a forum, looking for unbiased work, a peer reviewed source, one that cannot be changed by the public, has an author, or ends in . edu or . gov are likely to be reputable and worth reading. Reading the synopsis of a webpage will help to determine if the work is politically biased or if it will pertain to the assignment. Validated resources should always be used. University of Phoenix and University Library Resources. While taking courses through University of Phoenix I am given access to my Student Website where all of my classes will be held and where I can use the school’s resources. Many different resources are available under the Library tab: Technological Tools Available University Library Library services Research/peer reviewed material Ask a librarian Useful links Reference and citation generator APA information Grammar and writing guides Center for Writing Excellence Writing and style guidelines Tutorials and guides Submit a paper for review WritePoint Plagiarism Checker. Center for Mathematics Excellence Building math confidence Live tutoring Phoenix Career Services Job Market Research Explore jobs in particular geographical areas Search jobs by type of work, employer, or degrees Career plan Career Interests Profiler Competencies Work culture preferences Reasoning aptitude Resume builder Upload current resume Create new resume Import resume from LinkedIn Career resources Exploring careers Career profile videos Executing your job search Job search tips Advice for employees looking to change careers Marketing yourself Interviewing Interview Preparation video  Resumes and Cover Letters Sample resumes and cover letters Managing your Career Employment partners More resources are available, but these are ones I can see myself using. In the Center for Writing Excellence, the most useful resources are WritePoint, Plagiarism Checker, and the resource and citation generator. The features of Phoenix Career Services will be useful when looking for a job, creating a resume, or needing career advice. Conducting research using the University Library can save time since all of the items have already been verified and are from reliable resources. Tutoring and activities to refresh my math skills prior to taking a math class are available in the Center for Mathematics Excellence. Setting and Achieving Goals The Phoenix Career Services Career Plan home page has a list of my long-term goals with due dates. To meet those goals, short-term goals must be met, and this page must be reviewed often and necessary changes made in order to keep realistic deadlines. Using the SMART goals system: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time Frame; will ensure my goals are things that will be achieved. Creating exact goals with specific details, measurable progress, attainability, relevance, and a time frame will help reach my goals. (Chapter 4, Page 102, Carter, Bishop, Kravits, 2011) Obstacles may force me to reevaluate my goal deadlines to verify they are still attainable. Long-term goals can be flexible, but should never vanish completely. A degree from University of Phoenix will allow me many opportunities when looking for a job. Upholding Academic Honesty To uphold academic honesty I need to review the Student Code of Academic Integrity at least once a year or if there are changes to it. A violation of the Student Code of Academic Integrity could have severe consequences including expulsion from school, depending on the severity of the dishonest action. Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, double-dipping or dovetailing, fabrication of information, unauthorized assistance, copyright infringement, misrepresentation, and collusion are all academically dishonest. (University of Phoenix, 2011) I can avoid academic dishonesty by citing every resource I use, submitting my work to the Plagiarism Checker, and making sure my work is no more than 20% copied information. Managing Time Wisely Awareness of how much time is spent on different activities throughout the day and adjusting those activities accordingly, can allow me to effectively manage my time. Keeping a diary of activities for a couple of days every few months will allow me see how much time is spent doing certain activities, and can help me shift time from one activity to another. Caring for my family will always be my first priority. Since I am not working outside of the home, school is my second priority. Allowing myself time to de-stress and relax is important, but needs to be kept to a minimum so I am not spending hours on end playing games or reading Facebook. Fostering Reading Comprehension and Retention Using the SQ3R method in all of my academic reading assignments will enhance my reading comprehension. (Chapter 7, Page 191, Carter, Bishop, Kravits, 2011) â€Å"SQ3R is an acronym for survey, question, read, recite, and review. † (Chapter 7, Page 190, Carter, Bishop, Kravits, 2011) Surveying reading assignments allows me to look for bold words and headings which I can write my questions about. (Chapter 7, Pages 191-192, Carter, Bishop, Kravits, 2011) Finding the main idea of what I am reading, prioritizing key points, and highlighting information that stands out will help during the review phase. (Chapter 7, Page 196, Carter, Bishop, Kravits, 2011) Reciting the answers to the questions I raised will help me commit the information to memory. (Chapter 7, Page 197, Carter, Bishop, Kravits, 2011) Reviewing my questions and answers, summarizing the highlighted portions, and quizzing myself on different aspects of the material during the review phase will also be helpful. (Chapter 7, Page 198, Carter, Bishop, Kravits, 2011) Another study technique is using flashcards so I can memorize important information, especially vocabulary words or historical dates. Using study skill that work with my multiple intelligences can be helpful. Moving around while reviewing flashcards, listening to music while reading, or cutting and pasting material I have read into documents with similar ideas could all be advantageous to my studying skills. (Chapter 7, Page 204, Carter, Bishop, Kravits, 2011) When highlighting I should avoid over marking and use a regular pen or pencil instead of a highlighter. (Chapter 7, Page 205, Carter, Bishop, Kravits, 2011) Making notes in the margins will help master content. (Chapter 7, Page 206, Carter, Bishop, Kravits, 2011) Adapting Work Habits to Fit My Personality Located in the Phoenix Career Services tab on the Library page are items to survey different areas of my personality: career interests, personal competencies, work culture preferences, and reasoning aptitude. Knowledge of my personal competencies can be advantageous in all aspects of my life. I am one to follow instructions, to cooperate, and to adhere to values. University of Phoenix’s My Career Plan page defines following directions as â€Å"appropriately follows instructions from others without unnecessarily challenging authority; follows procedures and policies; keeps to schedules; arrives punctually for work and meetings; demonstrates commitment to the organization; complies with legal obligations and safety requirements of the role. â€Å" (University of Phoenix, 2013) I do not like to be late no matter what. I thrive when there are policies, procedures and schedules to follow. I do what I am asked, remain organized, and confirm compliance with any laws when necessary. Defined on University of Phoenix’s My Career Plan someone who cooperates â€Å"shows respect for the views and contributions of other team members; shows empathy; listens, supports and cares for others; consults others and shares information and expertise with them; builds team spirit and reconciles conflict; adapts to the team and fits in well. † (University of Phoenix, 2013) Working as a team where I can share information with others respectfully, support each other’s ideas and expertise, and have an environment that is well designed with all the necessary resources in order for me to do my job well are also part of my personality. (University of Phoenix, 2013) Adhering to values means I do not change what I believe in or who I am, but University of Phoenix’s My Career Plan defines adhering to values as â€Å"upholds ethics and values; demonstrates integrity; promotes and defends equal opportunities, builds diverse teams; encourages organizational and individual responsibility towards the community and the environment. † (University of Phoenix, 2013) My reasoning aptitude page says, â€Å"Your profile shows you could work well in careers that use both cognitive abilities and practical skills. You may be attracted to practical work or to analytical work, or to careers that allows you to combine practical skills and thinking. † (University of Phoenix, 2013) I love having challenges in my career, and learning new skills or trying new tasks. Conclusion This Survival Guide provides information for continued success throughout my academic career at University of Phoenix. Keeping my goals up-to-date with deadlines will ensure that I meet my long-term goals, and do not lose sight of what I have set out to accomplish. I will review my goals and this guide often as a reminder of everything available to me for my success. References Appendix D. (2013). University of Phoenix: Associate Level Material, Version 10(Unknown), , 1. Carter, C. , Bishop, J. , Kravits, S. L. (2011). Keys to Effective Learning: Study Skills and Habits for Success (6th ed. ). Boston, MA: Pearson. University of Phoenix. (2011). Student Code of Academic Integrity. Retrieved from https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/secure/aapd/studentdocuments/uophx/academic_integrity. htm University of Phoenix. (2013). Phoenix Career Services: My Career Plan: Career Competencies. Retrieved from.