About Try College 101

This course is designed to equip you with the basic academic, professional, and personal skills you will need to be successful in college. You are probably already familiar with some of the skills and topics covered; others will be brand new ideas. For example, perhaps you have already learned some effective test-taking strategies that work well for you, but you have never heard of the concept of learning styles. Or, maybe you do know your learning style, but you want to improve your listening skills. Each student will have a different skill set when they start this course. In addition, some of the skills this course presents may take a lifetime to master! The point of the course is to give you, a new college student or a person considering a college education, a purposeful, thorough review of the many tools and skills needed for success and to help you understand how you can improve each of the tools and skills over time. Keep in mind that the terms "tools" and "resources" can refer to emotional and social skills or techniques, not just to physical objects like books and supplies. You may be tempted to dismiss some of the broad learning outcomes as not important for your immediate success. For example, you may wonder whether it is really worth your time right now to think about your long-term career goals or your exercise habits. However, having a sense of purpose that motivates you and a lifestyle that supports your ability to focus on your goals are the basic building blocks of success in college and beyond. Therefore, the first unit of the course will help you determine what your goals for your college education are. In other words, you will have the opportunity to thoughtfully answer the question, "why am I doing this?" Knowing the answer to this question will help you stay motivated when you are under stress throughout your college experience. Units 2 and 3 will show you how to manage your space and time to maximize your ability to learn, and then Units 4-7 will help you understand the learning process itself and the different skills and tools you can use to improve your learning and academic performance. Unit 8 focuses on tests and test taking, a subject that can cause great anxiety for many people, and Unit 9 follows with general strategies for managing stress, anxiety, and other factors that affect your overall health. Staying healthy, both physically and mentally, are crucial components of your success, and being a college student can present unique and new challenges to your health. Finally, Unit 10 will equip you with some tools to prepare for your career after college. As you complete this course, keep in mind that the topics here are chosen and designed to help you be successful in your other courses. Please take the lessons and skills you learn and try to apply them right away to what you are doing in other classes, and see if they help you! Banish skepticism, if you can, and just give them a try.