Study and Critical Thinking Skills in College

by McWhorter, Kathleen T.

• ISBN13: 9780321089236
• ISBN10: 0321089235
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-01-01
• Publisher: Longman

Summary

Presenting a unique integration of study and critical thinking skills designed to help readers achieve college success,Study and Critical Thinking Skills in Collegediscusses the active learning strategies and techniques that develop readers' proficiency in interacting with academic material.The author emphasizes the cognitive approach to learning, the basis for how to apply study skills to academic disciplines, and how to identify early warning signs of academic difficulty. Critical thinking tips and activities are included in every chapter. The book includes comprehensive coverage of how to apply study skills to academic disciplines and instruction on how to identify early warning signs of academic difficulty. At the end of every chapter, "Thinking Ahead" sections offer readers pragmatic motivation for excelling in college: their success in work depends on it. This integrated coverage of workplace material is exciting and unique. Integrated coverage of using electronic channels to enhance various study skills emphasizes the importance of mastering these new forms of communication and research.For those interested in developing their study skills.

Table of Contents

Preface.

Student Review Panel.

Quick Guide.

I. COLLEGE: STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS.

1. The College System: An Orientation.
Information Sources.
College Services.
Campus Diversity.
Course Organization.
Grades and the Grading System.
Thinking Critically…About Grades.
Classroom Success Tips.

2. Taking Charge of Your College Career.
Coping with New Expectations.
Thinking Critically…About Course Content.
Taking Charge.
Early Warning Signals of Academic Difficulty.
Active versus Passive Learning.
Critical Thinking: The Key to College Success.

3. Managing Your Life.
Managing Your Finances.
Managing Your Health.
Managing Your Part-Time Job.
Managing Relationships.
Thinking Critically…

4. Establishing Goals and Managing Your Time.
Establishing Life Goals.
Organizing Your Life for Success in College.
Analyzing Your Time Commitments.
Building a Study Plan.
Making Better Use of Time.
Time Management in the Electronic Age.
Time Management for Returning Adult Students.
Time Management Tips for Commuters.
Thinking Critically…About Procrastination.
Concentration Tips.

Managing Your Life.
Managing Your Finances.
Maintaining Your Health.
Managing Your Part-Time Job.
Managing Relationships.
Thinking Critically…

5. Managing Stress.
What Is Stress?
Symptoms of Stress.
Causes of Stress.
Changing Your Thinking to Reduce Stress.
Changing Your Habits to Reduce Stress.
Thinking Critically…About Accomplishing Tasks.

6. Communication Skills for the Classroom.
Listening Critically.
Participating in Class.
Asking and Answering Questions.
Thinking Critically. . .About Meaningful Questions.
Working with Classmates: Group Projects.
Planning and Making Oral Presentations.

7. Thinking Critically and Solving Problems.
Thinking Critically…About Decision-Making.
Problem-Solving Strategies.
Problem-Solving Processes.
Keys to Problem Solving.
Thinking Critically…About Alternatives.

II. LEARNING AND THINKING STRATEGIES.

8. Learning Styles and Teaching Styles.
Analyzing Your Learning Style.
Interpreting Your Scores.
Deciding What to Learn.
Thinking Critically…About the Intent to Learn.
Using Learning Style to Choose a Study Method.
Adapting to Various Teaching Styles.
Evaluating Your Learning.

9. Learning and Memory.
How Learning and Memory Work.
Strategies for Improving Encoding, Storage, and Retrieval.
Thinking Critically…About Learning Strategies.

III. APPLYING YOUR SKILLS TO ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES.

10. Study Strategies for Academic Disciplines.
Approaching New Fields of Study.
The Social Sciences and History.
The Life and Physical Sciences.
Mathematics.
Literature and the Arts.
Thinking Critically…About Literature.
Career Fields.

11. Learning Specialized and Technical Vocabulary.
Terminology: The Key to Course Mastery.
Mapping Related Terminology.
Learning Core Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes.
Thinking Critically…About Vocabulary.
Developing a Course Master File.

IV. MASTERING COURSE CONTENT.

12. Thought Patterns of Academic Disciplines.
Thought Patterns: Guides to Learning.
Academic Thought Patterns.
Thinking Critically…About Patterns.
Applying Your Knowledge of Patterns.

13. Notetaking for Class Lectures.
Sharpening Your Listening Skills.
How to Start with an Advantage.
Recording Appropriate Content and Organization.
Working with Various Lecture Formats.
Thinking Critically…About Lecturers.
Notetaking and Learning Style.
Using the Lecturer's Thought Patterns.
Editing and Reviewing Your Notes.

14. College Textbooks and Electronic Resources.
Features of Textbooks.
Previewing Your Textbooks.
Thinking Critically…About Previewing.
Learning from Graphs, Tables, and Diagrams.
Thinking Critically…About Graphs and Statistics.
Learning from Visual and Electronic Media.
Learning from Supplemental Reading Assignments.

15. Organizing and Synthesizing Course Content.
Textbook Highlighting and Annotation.
Thinking Critically…About Highlighting.
Notetaking to Organize and Condense Information.
Mapping to Show Relationships.
Using a Computer to Synthesize Course Content.

16. Critical Analysis of Course Content.
Synthesizing Information.
Recognizing and Evaluating Subjective Content.
Asking Critical Questions.

V. EXAMS: THINKING UNDER PRESSURE.

17. Preparing for Exams.
Organizing Your Review.
Thinking Critically…About Group Study.
Thematic Study.
Strategies for Particular Types of Exams.
Strategies for Specific Academic Disciplines.
Controlling Test Anxiety.

18. Reasoning Skills for Objective Exams.
Starting with an Advantage.
Skills for Objective Exams.
Thinking Critically…About Practicum Exams.
Achieving Success with Standardized Tests.

19. Taking Essay Exams.
Writing Effective Essay Exams.
Thinking Critically…About Returned Exams.
Achieving Success in Competency Tests and Exit Exams.
Request for Your Ideas.
References.
Endnotes.
Credits.

Index.