1 Mindset for Success in University
Alice Macpherson
University is a new world for most students. How do you navigate this new world and achieve success? You want to be able to use your thinking and learning skills to succeed in a very challenging environment. Here are a few things to think about as you enter this new world.
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Responsibility in University |
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It is all about You! You are expected to behave in accordance with policies set by the University. You need to take control and responsibility for what you do and don’t do, as well as for the consequences of your decisions. |
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Classes in University |
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It’s up to you to spend considerable time reading, deciphering, and completing the assigned materials (see the course syllabus). In-class work, essays, and projects proceed from the assumption that you’ve already done the other work before coming to class. You need to attend each class and interact with the instructor, materials, and fellow students. |
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Instructors/Professors at University |
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University is a learning environment in which you take responsibility for thinking through, applying what you have learned, and testing yourself on your knowledge. While you may be presented with and acquire facts and basic skills, you will also be required to go beyond the basics to create new knowledge. |
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Learning in University |
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Besides the basic learning levels of remembering, comprehension, and application, you will also need to spend the hours needed to analyze, evaluate, and creatively synthesize knowledge into new forms. This will then be transferred to the next courses in the same or related subject areas. |
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Writing in University |
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Previously, you will have learned the basic skills of expressing yourself in writing. |
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Assessments in University |
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While you have been expected to reproduce what you were taught generally in the form in which it was presented to you, or to solve types of problems you were shown how to solve, success in university comes with your ability to apply what you are learning to new situations and to solve new kinds of problems. Self-testing is critical to ensure that you have learned. The knowledge from courses that you complete will be added to by new courses at higher levels. |
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Results in University |
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Results count and there will be multiple assessments to thoroughly examine what you know and can do. Though effort is important it will not substitute for actual results in the university grading process. |
Take control of your own education. Get to know your instructors as they are your single greatest resource. Be proactive and create your own support systems with classmates and others. Look for help when you realize you may need it. Think of yourself as a scholar and pursue knowledge.
Take advantage of the Learning Centre for workshops, learning strategies, and tutoring sessions.
http://www.kpu.ca/learningcentres/tutoring
http://www.kpu.ca/learningcentres/online-workshops-and-tools
https://www.kpu.ca/learningcentres/learning-aids