Student Advisory Magazine

Spring 2014

Content

Tips for Online Quiz Taking

Ask an Instructor

CourseSmart eTextbook Reader

Using Skype

Class Discussion & Teamwork

Overcoming the fear of failure

Tips for Online Quiz Taking Written By: Allison Noble

Does the sight of a quiz make you cringe and feel nervous? Well, worry no longer! Below are some helpful and insightful quiz tips that will make you feel less nervous! First and foremost, wait until the end of the week to tackle that quiz. You will want to make sure you understand the material by completing the necessary readings before just jumping feet first into the quiz. As you are reading the material, highlight and quiz yourself. Also its a good idea to review anything that you are unclear on and to make yourself flashcards. This way you can quiz yourself before taking the actual quiz to make sure you are clear on the material. So now youre prepared and are mentally ready to take the quiz! But wait! Theres more! Before clicking on that quiz button, make sure that you have enough time to dedicate to the quiz. Since you know the time allotted for your quiz, why not make sure to use all the time to your advantage? With that said, remember to balance your time wisely. Dont spend too much time getting stumped on one question. If you dont know the answer, move on and come back to it later.

Take your quizzes when no one is home or get into a room with no distractions. Shut your phone off, close that door and really give yourself that quiet time to concentrate on the quiz. Its also good to maintain a relaxed and comfortable body posture throughout taking the quiz. This will help you relax and let your knowledge flow naturally. So next time you have a quiz for the week, dont fret about it. Taking these steps to prepare for a quiz should help you feel better and be successful.

Ask an Instructor Written By: Danisha Bethune

Everest University Online (EUO) has various courses and each course has unique requirements and demands. Yet all of our courses have one thing in common they require time management, study skills and participation for academic success. A students study skills will vary for each individual. For example, some students study early in the week (Monday through Wednesday), and some students study during the middle of the week (Tuesday through Thursday) depending on the responsibilities they have in their lives. I recently interviewed Clifton Hurd, an instructor for various marketing classes at EUO regarding study skills and he agreed that time management was an important study skill for college students. Students should realize the importance of time management. For example, they should realize their peek study time; some students study early in the morning or afternoon, said Hurd. He then discussed the importance of reading the course syllabus. The course syllabus is considered to be the foundation for any course. The syllabus is probably the most important thing in the course. It is the roadmap and it leads the student to success. This is very important because you cant successfully understand the course without understanding what you need to know, said Hurd. Hurd also identified what would assist his own students in any future marketing courses. He believes that having a general real-world background in marketing would help students with learning new concepts. They should have a minor idea about the power of marketing in their lives. This will help them grasp interesting marketing concepts, said Hurd. Marketing involves a lot of strategy (from product design and development to pricing/placing the product in stores and promoting the product to customers), (www.businessdictionary.com). Thinking about how marketing affects life today in that context will put students ahead in those courses. Hurd gave other specific study skills guidelines as well: Map out a daily schedule Study one course at a time; leave some time to absorb and learn the information Read the chapter summary for clarity Do not read or try to study when you are very tired Understand yourself and your study habits so you can manage your time and other

responsibilities accordingly EUO wants its students to succeed and that mainly comes from being committed to ones classes, focused on school work and cognizant of time management. Happy studying!

CourseSmart eTextbook Reader

http://youtu.be/16kT9EgGkD0

Using Skype Written By: Catherine Dugdell

What is Skype? Calling, Seeing, Messaging and sharing with others wherever they are. Skype will allow you to send a message you can see, hear and feel with video messaging. Skype is a great resource to utilize to communicate with your Academic Advisor and your instructors Skype Features:

Using Skype continued Written By: Catherine Dugdell

Skype Features:

Using Skype continued Written By: Catherine Dugdell

Skype Features:

Use one Skype account across all your devices:

Skype is very easy to use just follow the directions below and you will be using Skype like a pro in no time. Go to http://www.skype.com/en/ and click Join Us 1. Create your Skype account

Using Skype continued Written By: Catherine Dugdell

2. After you create your Skype account you must log in by entering your Skype User name and password.

Skype. (n.d.). Retrieved 04 04, 2014, from www.skype.com: http://www.skype.com/en/what-is-skype/

Using Skype continued Written By: Catherine Dugdell

Class Discussion & Teamwork Written By: Amy Ramirez

Whether you are new to the online learning environment, or a seasoned student, discussion board posts and teamwork pose a challenge. You wonder why your instructors require you to work as part of a team. You wonder if there is a purpose for discussion boards beyond earning grade points or attendance. You feel awkward posting your ideas on a discussion board, or feel offended if other students dont agree with you. The majority of my college coursework has been in the online environment, and Ive asked many of the same questions. As an online student, I learned a lot about how to get the most from class discussions and teamwork assignments. I will share a few pointers that you will find helpful as you think about how to be successful in these two areas. First, as an online student, you are part of an exciting trend in higher education. More universities are offering online courses, and many, like Everest University Online, offer entire degree programs in the online format. As an online student, you have a unique opportunity to interact, contribute your ideas, and share your experience with a diverse group of students. Our students live in every state, and some in other countries. Unlike most ground campus classrooms, you have more opportunities to get to know and work with other students by sharing on the discussion board, and working on teamwork projects. In many ground classes, students do not have time to hang out before and after class getting to know each other. Here, its as easy as logging into class. The discussion board is the backbone of the online learning environment. Dr. Andy Hauk, program director for Everest University Onlines Business program shares that class discussion is the place where the real learning happens as students interact with the instructor and each other. He notes that the discussion board is the place where instructors and students share real life experiences. Here, ideas are shared and

opinions challenged (politely). Such intellectual exchanges can be woven into personal and work lives. In each Everest University Online course, the instructions for discussion posts are posted in the syllabus, and often in the course announcements. The word substantive is usually found in the instructions and is the key to successful posts. What makes a substantive discussion post? One of my instructors often refers to chewy discussion posts. A substantive or chewy post should demonstrate serious engagement with the discussion question and the targeted reading material. It means writing a post that creates a conversation between class members. Sometimes this means a paragraph or two, but not always. Longer is not always better, especially if a student pads their comments. In most of my classes, 75-100 words are sufficient. As a student, you need to show your instructor you understand the course material, but even more important, you want to talk to others about how you feel about the topic, and give others a reason to share their ideas with you.

Class Discussion & Teamwork continued Written By: Amy Ramirez Usually, writing the main discussion post is not as challenging as figuring out what to say in response to fellow students. The response posts are the place where the real action takes place between students and instructors. By responding to others, you have an opportunity to offer your opinions, and share why you think the way you do about ideas and issues presented by discussion questions. This is where you get to know each other. Teamwork is the other area where students contribute their own ideas and talents as they work in a small group on projects. Teamwork can present significant challenges, especially when one or two members are stuck with the majority of the project. Teamwork is important. Most jobs require people to work on teams. Teams usually are made up of individuals with different work styles and different skill levels. Even so, a successful team invites input from everyone and finds ways to use each members unique talents and ideas. Teamwork at Everest helps prepare students to work as effective team members, making them more invaluable as employees. I talk to students every day who are frustrated with teamwork but there are things students can do to make teamwork a more enjoyable and successful classroom experience. First, dont wait for someone else to volunteer as the team leader. Step up at the beginning of the week and communicate with other team members letting them know you will act as team leader. Make sure everyone on the team understands deadlines so the final project isnt thrown together at the last minute. Be open to communicate often with other members of the team during the week. As the

team leader, make sure the final draft of the project is put together early enough for everyone to read the draft and contribute suggestions. This helps ensure the final product is polished and helps the entire team get a good grade. Finally, as a team member, dont wait until the last minute to get your part of the assignment to the team leader, or worse, dont be the team member who doesnt even bother to complete your part of the project. Never think of discussion posts and teamwork projects as just another task used to get a grade. Enjoy the opportunity to get to know and work with fellow students. Often through discussion and teamwork, students form friendships and add to their network of contacts, which is helpful as you move from being a student to a graduate looking for a job in your new career field.

Overcoming the fear of failure Written By: Linda Kimmons

Overcoming the fear of failure is relative to fear of being criticized and the fear of rejection. Fear of failure can stop your dreams to a screeching halt. The good news is there are ways to overcome your fears and empower yourself to accomplish your goals. Many articles and blogs have been written on this topic so you need to know you are not alone. We often think mistakes are failures; however, they instead are opportunities even when challenging. Part of the process of learning and growing is making mistakes. Failure is an event, never a person. ~William D. Brown, Author of Welcome Stress! By taking action, you do not allow your thoughts get the better of you. Your success coaches often recommend students to try a resource, set a goal and evaluate to see if that suggestion was helpful or successful. Understanding when something isnt working is an important exercise in learning to be persistent to reach a successful outcome. Patience and trial and error is key to finding the right combination. For example, you set a schedule for the upcoming week and you run out of time to complete all of your assignments. Do you give up and quit or do you try something different the next week until you find the right combination of tasks to successfully complete all of your coursework? If you try hard at something and dont succeed the first time, do you take it personally? Remember that it is the actions and behaviors that have a direct correlation to your success or failure. You can change your actions and behavior. Be willing to open your mind and your behaviors to overcome the fear of failing. I have not failed. Ive just found 10,000 ways that wont work. Thomas Edison When you know something you have done isnt achieving positive outcomes, it is time to make a shift. Change is a huge part of your growth and development; growth doesnt just come with age, it comes with educating yourself. Making yourself a little vulnerable allows you to open your eyes to the possibilities.

Thank You for reading!

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Contributions by Amy Ramirez

Linda Kimmons

Danisha Bethune

Brittany Stevens

Allison Noble

Catherine Dugdell

Benson Tong

Bradley Govender

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