College Academics
College Reading
In college, you will read more than you ever did in high school. This section describes how active reading helps you understand what you read. More information about the KWL technique described in the following video clip is available at: http://www.studygs.net/texred3.htm
College Writing
In college, you will write more often, write many different kinds of papers, and write to learn. In high school, one draft of a paper was OK. In college, you are expected to write several drafts.
Research Papers
In many college classes, you are expected to write research papers and use sources beyond a textbook and Wikipedia. Need help learning how to do research? The Rutgers RIOT will help. The RIOT is an interactive, online tutorial that will assist you in selecting a topic, finding sources, completing searches, identifying citations, and evaluating sources. It is located at: http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/lib_instruct/riot/
Reflection 23: What do you do when you read assignments for class now? Is being an active reader different from the way you read now?
Reflection 24: How can the KWL strategy help improve your reading?
Reflection 25: How is college writing different from the way you write papers now?
College Technology Skills
College computer skills involve much more than downloading music and checking Facebook. To succeed in college, you need to know how to do word processing, attach documents to an email, and use the Internet for research.
Online Classes
Many college classes are taught completely online using learning management systems (LMS) like Blackboard or Moodle while others are hybrid or web enhanced classes with some instruction done face to face and some done online with a LMS. Courses taught completely online can be a great option for experienced college students since they offer more flexibility for when and where they can complete coursework. However, online courses require much greater self-discipline, more writing, stronger computer skills, and more time than traditional face to face courses do.
Think you are ready to take an online course?If you cannot answer yes to these questions, then you should wait: http://online.waketech.edu/info/assess.html We recommend taking several semesters of traditional face to face classes before enrolling in a completely online class.
Reflection 26: Rate your technology skills compared to those mentioned in the video.
Reflection 27: Is taking an online course easier than a traditional face to face class? What challenges are there in taking online classes?