Sample Syllabus for use with

Research Stories for Introductory Psychology

 

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

I love to teach and I work very hard at it. While I hope the class will not be dull and boring, I do not think teaching should be confused with entertainment. Sometimes I think that some students' expectations are that classes will be as entertaining as television. There are several reasons why this is not likely to happen. An hour of television costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. We do not have that level of funding to put into an hour of class. More importantly, the producers of television generally do not care if you learn anything or not. They want to you to buy something because they have packaged you up and sold you to their sponsors. That is what television does: it sells you to the highest bidder.

In contrast I want you to learn something.  That is about all I want. Of course I would like it if you were happy and excited all the time, but I cannot guarantee that. Your mood is basically up to you. As far as I am concerned, you have learned something from the class if: (1) you see the world differently than you did before class and (2) you can do some things that you could not do before class. The first of these is a cognitive goal and the second is a behavioral goal. I will try very hard to teach you but I cannot make you learn. However, I believe that you will learn if you work as hard at learning as I work at teaching.

GOAL

The goal of this course is to introduce you to representative areas of psychology and to teach you to think like a psychologist. Your reading will consist of contemporary research studies. In this course, psychology will be treated as an empirical science. My goal is to help you to develop an understanding of research methods and their outcomes. You will not be working with the usual type of textbook because these books do not give you the tools that you need in order to evaluate information about cognition and behavior. Textbooks often focus on examples of outcomes of psychological studies. In doing so, the excitement and adventure of psychological investigation is lost. In contrast to the usual textbook-based course, I propose to include considerable coverage of the way in which new information is discovered.

ATTENDANCE
Attendance will be taken, but will not count toward your grade. In order to succeed in this class, however, you must attend it. I keep records of your class attendance in order to help you identify ways to improve your performance in the class. If your attendance is good and you are performing poorly, you may want to work on your note-taking or study skills. But if your attendance is poor, the first step to improving your class performance will be improving your attendance.  If, for any reason, you do not sign the attendance sheet as it is being passed around in class, you must take the initiative to come up and sign it at the end of class in order to avoid being considered absent.  Falsification of any signature on the attendance sheet will be dealt with in accordance with the university policy on academic dishonesty.  

To be successful in this course you need to attend class meetings and arrive on time. Except in emergencies, it is impolite and unprofessional to arrive late or to get up and leave during a class meeting without having previously discussed your late arrival or early departure with the instructor.

You are responsible for all material presented, handouts, announcements, and changes in scheduling that are made whether you are in class or not.

PARTICIPATION
A significant part of your grade will involve the evaluation of the quality of the remarks that you make during class discussions.  I will frequently call on you, by name, to ask you questions about the assigned reading and other course material. I will grade your answer on the spot and your total performance at this activity will become your participation grade.  In order to get credit for your participation you will have a sign in front of you with your last name clearly written on it. I will supply the materials for name signs. You will also have to speak loudly enough to be heard by the entire class in order to get credit. You are addressing the entire class, not just the instructor. Speaking to a group is a valuable life skill. If you plan to refuse to answer questions in class or to persist in answering so softly that you cannot be heard, then this is not the class for you. 

Former students have considered the participation requirement to be a valuable learning tool. This is an opportunity for you to sharpen your oral presentation skills as well as your ability to think on your feet.  You will have to attend class and to be ready to answer questions.  The third time in a row that I call on a student who is either absent or has no answer whatsoever, I will cease trying to call on that person. He or she will lose the credit available for participation. It is possible to pass the course with a zero for participation, but it is difficult to get a very good grade without participation.  The reason for this policy is that I refuse to waste the time of students who are prepared and who are present while I am calling names and waiting for those who are not.  As you will see, the questions that I ask can reasonably be answered by anyone who has read and understood the class assignments.   If there is something that you do not understand in the reading, you can prevent being called upon to discuss it by raising your hand and asking a question about it in class.  I plan to ask you many questions and I certainly do not object if you ask me questions.

SEATING
You should not sit behind the row that is designated to be the back row of the lecture theatre except on exam days. Later in the semester, the designated back row may be changed if the numbers attending class dwindle. The reason why you should not sit elsewhere is because it can be difficult for your answers to be heard if you sit way in the back of the room. It can also be difficult for you to hear answers from other students. Each day that you sit behind the designated back row your course grade will be lowered by 1%. You should not come in late, but if this happens, you should not use tardiness as a reason to sit beyond the designated areas.

HOMEWORK
There is homework due for each reading assignment from the text by Duntley, Shaffer, & Merrens. All homework must be written in grammatically correct, complete sentences.  The dates found on the reading assignment list are the dates upon which the readings and homework are due.

The written assignments for this course are quite short. The reason for this is that I want you to spend your time reading the assigned material and learning it. The thinking you do in order to complete the written homework will help you to learn the material. 

For each chapter in the book your written assignment will be to address each of the following issues.  You should number your homework to correspond to the items listed below. 

1. Identify the research method(s)

2. Identify the relevant variables

3. Write a summary of the findings that is not more than two or three sentences long and that confines itself to a description of the relationships found between the variables.

4. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the research design, and explain why they are strengths or weaknesses. 

Summaries points should be numbered as above, address all of the points listed, and be written in complete, grammatically correct sentences. 

For all written work, avoid the use of quotations at all costs! You will only receive credit for your own writing. 

IDENTIFYING THE RESEARCH METHOD OR METHODS USED IN A STUDY

While there may be more than one, you should identify what you believe to be the primary research method in each chapter. The primary method will almost always be one of three: a within-subjects experiment, a between-subjects experiment or a quasi experiment. In addition, studies may also be longitudinal, correlational, or use techniques such as surveys or naturalistic observations.

Identifying the variables in the study: If the study is an experiment, it will have independent and dependent variables. If the study is not an experiment, identify the other variables that are relevant to the study.  Examples include characteristics already possessed by the participants (subject variables), such as sex or age, and the behavior or cognition that is measured (outcome variables). For studies that are experiments with additional quasi experimental outcomes, list independent and dependent variables as well as the other relevant variables of the quasi experiment.

Here are some examples of methods identification and variable identification.

Study example 1: Age differences in the understanding of the causes of HIV. Male and female ten-year-olds, 15-year-olds, and 20-year-olds are given a structured interview asking them to recognize causes and non-causes of HIV from a list. It is found that all ages correctly recognize causes ("HIV can be transmitted in blood and blood products..."), but that younger people are less successful at the identification of non causes ("You can catch HIV from a drinking fountain...")

Method: This is a quasi experiment because the groups are defined by age, not random assignment. It is also a cross sectional study and an interview.

Subject variable: Age

Outcome variables: Correct identification of AIDS causes, correct identification of non-causes of AIDS

Study example 2: Male and female college students are randomly assigned to participate either in (1) a program designed to increase self-esteem or (2) to be in a control group that receives a program about lawn care. After the programs, participants from both groups are individually observed in a social interaction with a complete stranger. This encounter is taped and coded for evidence of self esteem by trained raters. It was found that students who received the self-esteem program showed higher levels of self-esteem. Additionally, females in the self-esteem group showed more self-esteem than males. Within the self-esteem group of females, seniors showed less benefit from the program than freshmen.

Method: This is a between subjects experiment because the students were assigned to self-esteem or lawn care training at random. It was also a quasi experiment and a naturalistic observation.

Independent variable: self esteem training or lawn care training

Dependent variable: ratings of self esteem in social interaction

Subject variables: sex, class level

Outcome variable: ratings of self esteem in a social interaction

Study example 3: A single episode of the preschool educational program Blue's Clues was shown once or repeated on 5 consecutive days to 3- to 5-year-old viewers. A comparison group watched a different program one time. Children were assigned to groups by matching their ages and other characteristics whenever possible. Viewer behavior was videotaped and comprehension and learning of Blue's Clues content was tested. With repetition, looking at the TV screen remained at a high level. Only 5-year-old boys looking time decreased. Verbal and non-verbal interactions with the program (such as answering questions and pointing at the screen) increased, especially during educational content. Comprehension improved with repetition.

Method: This could be considered a between subjects experiment if one is willing to overlook the absence of actual random assignment to groups. It was a within subjects experiment for the comparison of children with themselves over successive viewings of the program. It was a quasi experiment for comparisons of age and gender. It also used a longitudinal approach and some naturalistic observation.

Independent variables: repeated viewings, content of tape (Blue's Clues or other tape)

Dependent variables: viewing behavior, verbal and non verbal, while watching the tape, test scores of comprehension and learning

Subject variables: age, gender

Outcome variables: viewing behavior, verbal and non verbal, while watching the tape, test scores of comprehension and learning

Homework must be submitted to Turnitin.com before class begins—not thirty seconds later, not even two seconds later—on the day the assignment is due. Late homework, regardless of the reason, will receive no credit. Owing to the large number of students in the class and the potential for bookkeeping errors on grade entry, I cannot accept emailed or faxed homework except in the case of an unforeseen emergency. Use your own good judgment about when to fax or email homework. In the event of an unpredicted, sudden emergency, be assured that missing one or two homework assignments will not affect your grade. If you hand in your homework late by any means--such as running up to the front of the classroom after class has started, putting it in my mailbox, sliding it under my office door, or what-have-you, it will still be considered late. Excuses, even high-quality excuses, do not render late homework acceptable for credit. You may view your homework on Turnitin.com to assist you in studying for the exams. 

I certainly encourage students to discuss course material including homework outside of class. However, your homework should be individually written and not be a communal project.  Copying the homework of another student defeats the purpose of the assignments, is academically dishonest, and will result in a grade of “F” for the course. 

Turnitin.com Login Information
Class ID: ########
Password: somethingclever

Be sure not to inadvertently include spaces in the username or password. Turnitin.com recognizes these as characters and won't give you access to the site.

LATE HOMEWORK
Late homework will not be credited, as described above. However, if you have done the work but not submitted it in on time and want me to look at it, I will be happy to do so. I keep a separate late homework file where all late homework is stored. At final grading time, I try to find reasons to move grades up when they fall a tiny bit below one of the grade cutoffs. In looking for reasons, I will look at the late homework file. I will also consider the total amount of class participation, quality of participation, and quality of homework. If one or two homework assignments have been completed but handed in late, I will probably use that as a reason to raise your grade the couple of tenths of a point required to get you into the next grade category. Do not confuse this procedure with the idea that late homework gets credit—it does not. Whether you have a lot or a little of late homework, it can only get you a few tenths of one percentage point when it comes to final grade time. The reason for this is that anyone can have an emergency or two in which homework ends up being late. If you cannot submit your homework on time this is not a good section of CRIM2141 for you to take.

Sometimes students will say that the homework policy is arbitrary, rigid, and unfair. Two of these critiques are correct. I agree that the policy is arbitrary and rigid. All due dates are, in some sense, arbitrary. The point is that homework has to be due sometime. There has to be some deadline after which homework will not get credit. I could make that deadline the end of day on which the assignment is due; Friday of the week in which the assignment is due; the day before the final exam; or the minute before I take final grades to the registrar. All of these are arbitrary. No matter which one of them I choose, someone could come running up with late homework and miss the deadline.

The deadline is rigid because I want you to know in an unambiguous way when your homework is due. It would not be good for you if I was unclear, saying, for example, "submit your homework anytime." There would, of course, be some point after which it would not count, but you would not know when that deadline had passed. With the policy I use in this course, you know precisely when homework is late.

I disagree with those who say that a rigid homework deadline is unfair. Anything other than a rigid deadline is unfair because it would mean that some students get credit that was denied to others. The only way to be fair is to have clear course policies and stick with them.

EXAMINATIONS
There will be four hour exams in this course. Each will consist of 50 multiple choice questions. These exams will not be offered at any time other than the time for which they are scheduled. There will also be a comprehensive final during final exam week. The final examination is required, not optional. In addition to counting as an exam score, the score (% correct) you obtain on the final exam will be used to replace the 0% on any regular exams you missed. The final exam can be used to replace any number of missed hour exams, from one to all four. I strongly advise all students to prepare for and take each of the regular hour exams but, if emergencies arise and this is not possible, the final exam will serve as the make-up.

Students arriving more than 15 minutes late on an exam day will not be admitted to the room and will receive a score of zero for that exam. You are responsible for bringing number two pencils and an eraser to exams. If your name, last name first, is not coded by coloring in the dots on the back of the answer sheet, the score on that exam will be reduced by 5%.

Exams will not be returned to you.  Exam scores will be posted on Blackboard.  I encourage you to visit my office hours and go over your exams with me. 

I will not hold review sessions, prepare study sheets, or prepare review sheets for the exams.  We will discuss course material during our class time.  Your class notes, the textbook, and other materials posted on Blackboard are the best resources you can use to study.  Invariably, review sessions, study sheets, and review sheets would not cover all of the important material you need to know for exams.  I would not be helping you learn the material by providing these “study aids” to you.  In fact, a more appropriate name for them would be something like “learning stoppers.”   

I reserve the right to exempt students from the final exam in cases where, in my opinion, performance has been consistently outstanding up to that point. This means that exams are consistently in the "A" range, homework is complete and on time, and participation is excellent. I call this the Poppinsien Exemption because, like Mary Poppins, you have to be practically perfect in every way in order to get it. Do not ask about whether you are going to be granted a Poppinsien Exemption. If you meet the criteria, you will be notified by me. The policies in this course have been crafted to assure that all students receive the same treatment. The application of all policies is subject to the discretion of the instructor.

CLASS DECORUM
I will treat every student in the class with courtesy and respect.  All students in the class are also expected to behave professionally at all times.  Students who disrespect their classmates by consistently arriving late, getting up to leave class early, failing to share drafts of documents in time for classmates to complete assignments, being disrespectful to others in class, etc. will have 5 points deducted from their final course grade for each offense.  Except in cases of egregious violations of class decorum, students will be given one warning in writing before having points deducted. 

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Academic dishonesty is the willful misrepresentation of all or any part of another's work as one's own. Copying another's answers or giving or receiving unpermitted aid during classroom examinations, assignments, papers, research reports, and projects is cheating. Plagiarism in all its forms is cheating.

Students have an obligation to themselves and to their peers to uphold the integrity of their institution by not participating either directly or indirectly in acts of cheating and by discouraging cheating by others. A student who aids another in cheating shares guilt for the offense. In this course, the penalty for any kind of academic dishonesty will consist of a final course grade of "F".  You should also be familiar with the statement of academic honesty in the Stockton College Student Handbook available on-line at: http://talon.stockton.edu/eyos/page.cfm?siteID=67&pageID=2

INCOMPLETES
The instructor will not assign a grade of incomplete.

EXTRA CREDIT
No extra credit is offered in this course.

ELECTRONIC MEDIA DEVICES
No electronic media devices other than your computer terminals may be used in class.  During class, all such devices should be turned to silent or off (not vibrate) and put away from the desk.  Any person using an electronic media device during a quiz or exam will receive an “F” for that quiz or exam.

EXCUSES AND FAIRNESS
The reason that these policies are so detailed is that I want to be fair to everyone. My job requires the evaluation of the quality of your performance in this course, but I cannot evaluate the quality of excuses. If I start to make exceptions to the course policies based upon excuses for lack of performance, it would be impossible to be fair to all students. For example, imagine that a family member of a student experiences the sudden onset of a serious illness. I understand that the sudden serious illness of an immediate family member might result in a missed homework assignment. Missed homeworks cannot be made up.  If I were to make an exception and accept your homework late, I would have made a judgment about the seriousness of the illness and the closeness of the family member. Is a heart attack serious enough? Probably. Is flu serious enough? Maybe. It depends on other support persons available. Is a mother a close enough family member? Probably. Is a second cousin close enough? Maybe.  I suppose it depends upon the history of the relationship with the second cousin. Do you see what I mean? I cannot possibly fairly evaluate these things, so I must restrict myself to evaluating performance in the course.

The policies in this course are very forgiving. Attendance for any particular day is not required. A missed homework assignment or two will likely not affect your grade. However, massive absences from class with the resulting lack of homework submission will negatively affect your grade because those things are part of your evaluation.

COLLEGE EMAIL & BLACKBOARD
I will sometimes communicate with the entire class by sending bulk email that automatically addresses each of you at your college email account. For this reason, you will have to check your college email regularly. I know that the college accounts tend to fill up with "@All" junk email, but this seems to be part of modern life and you should clean this stuff out of your account regularly. I cannot send to non-college email addresses (hotmail, aol, etc.) to send bulk emails to the entire class because those services filter out messages to multiple recipients. If you have a non-college email, then you will have to do what I do: check both and keep the junk cleared out.

You should consider all email messages you send to me or anyone else in the Stockton community to be a form of professional communication.  Use proper spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar.  Be sure to indicate what class you are writing to me about and type your name at the bottom of your message.  Unintelligible messages will not receive a response. 

In addition to utilizing email to communicate with the class, I will make use of BLACKBOARD throughout the semester.  There I will post answers to your questions, course grades, and links to supplementary materials for the course. 

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
The Richard Stockton College complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Students with disabilities who seek accommodations should make their request by contacting the Learning Access Program located in the West Quad Building, Suite 110 or by calling 609-652-4988.  Additional information on the program may be obtained from Stockton web site at: http://www2.stockton.edu/wellness/lap.htm.  If you require accommodations, you must let the instructor know during the first two weeks of class. 

GRADING
Your grade in this course will be my evaluation of your performance. I will base this evaluation on your demonstrated competence on homework assignments, class participation, your research proposal, and exams. No partial credit will be given for any late assignment.  The proportional contribution of each will be:

Hour Exams (14% each) 56%
Final Exam 14%
Participation 15%
Homework 15%

Final grades will be based on the percentage of points earned out of the total.
A          93.0-100%                  A-         90.0-92.99%                B+        87.0-89.99%
B          83.0-86.99%                B-         80.0-82.99%                C+        77.0-79.99%
C          73.0-76.99%                C-         70.0-72.99%                D+       67.0-69.99%
D          62.0-66.99%                F          61.99% or BELOW

Your course grades and course policies are not a matter for debate.  I know that this is a required course for CRIM majors and that a grade of C or better is necessary to receive credit for the course.  To be sure that you get the grade you want or need, work hard and perform well on the course requirements.  Do not attempt to approach, beg, threaten, blame, or otherwise coerce your instructor into giving you a grade that you did not earn.  The ONLY grade you will receive in this course is the grade that YOU EARN. 

WHY IS DUNTLEY SUCH A MEAN PROFESSOR?
Sometimes students will look at all these course policies and ask themselves the question that begins this section. Really, mean is not the correct concept, demanding is a bit nearer the mark. There is a simple answer: The world is demanding and I want to prepare you for the world.

In your professional life after Stockton College:
1. Excuses will not replace performance.
2. Reading will sometimes be difficult.
3. Things will have to be done on time.
4. Consistent, not erratic, performance will be rewarded.
5. You will have to communicate ideas to others.

I would be shirking my responsibility as your instructor if I did not do my utmost to help you to build these transferable life skills. You may be able to find some four credit experiences that are less demanding than this course. This will not deter me in any way whatsoever from offering you the highest quality educational experience that I can provide. That is why I am here.

Go for it. Do it to it.  Give me the chance to help you become all you are capable of being.

COURSE TEXTBOOKS
Duntley, J. D., Shaffer, L. C., & Merrens, M. R. Research Stories for Introductory Psychology, 3^rd  Edition. New York: Allyn & Bacon.

Other readings and assignments TBA.

COURSE SCHEDULE

This schedule is subject to change based on student mastery of materials covered in class. 

 

Class	Expected Materials
1/21	Introduction to class
1/23	Chapter 1 – Oh Rats!
1/26	TBA
1/28	Chapter 2 – Psychics and Scientists
1/30	Chapter 3 – You’re Driving Me Crazy
2/2	Chapter 4 – Zipping Up the Genes
2/4	Chapter 5 – The Nose Knows
2/6	Chapter 6 – Being Sick of the Hospital
2/9	Chapter 7 – Yoking Smoking
2/11	Chapter 8 – I Do!
2/13	EXAM 1
2/16	Chapter 9 – The Wolf in Sheepdog’s Clothing
2/18	Chapter 10 – Now You See It, Now You Don’t
2/20	Chapter 11 – Adolescents Will Be Adolescents
2/23	Chapter 12 – Kids Say the Darndest Things
2/25	Chapter 13 – Flash in the Pan
2/27	Chapter 14 – They Don’t Look the Same to Me
3/2	Chapter 15 – Mad about You
3/4	Chapter 16 – Pants on Fire
3/6	EXAM 2
3/9	Chapter 17 – Aggression Breeds Aggression
3/11	Spring Break
3/13 – 3/22	Chapter 18 – Some Like it Hot
3/23	Chapter 19 – Going to Pot
3/25	Chapter 20 – To Catch a Cold
3/27	Chapter 21 – Spaced Out
3/30	Chapter 22 – Weight Loss that Works
4/1	Chapter 23 – I Think I Can, I Think I Can
4/3	Chapter 24 – Betting on the Winners
4/6	EXAM 3
4/8	Chapter 25 – Behavioral Treatment to Change Vocalization Patterns in a Person with Schizophrenia
4/10	Chapter 26 – Tokens Against Aggression
4/13	Chapter 27 – I Confess
4/15	Chapter 28 – I’m OK, You’re Not
4/17	Chapter 29 – It’s in the Bag
4/20	Chapter 30 – Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Ad?
4/22	Chapter 31 – I’m Warning You
4/24	Chapter 32 – Does TV Violence Sell?
4/27	EXAM 4
4/29	COURSE WRAP UP
5/1	Final Exam 11:30 am - 2:00 PM – All of Duntley, Shaffer, & Merrens; Online Research Methods Ch. 1 – 7

 

Course policies are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. 

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I meet with you to ask questions about course content I do not understand or to further discuss topics or issues in statistics, criminal justice, or psychology?

CERTAINLY. You can meet with me during office hours, you can make appointments for other times, or you can sit with me if you see me in the cafeteria for lunch. You can also ask questions via email if that is easier for you.

 

Can I meet with you to discuss my grade?

THERE WOULD BE NO POINT. Unless I have made a recording error, grades are determined by performance not by discussion with me.

 

Am I permitted to wear headphones during regular class meetings or exams?

NO.

 

Can you tell by the expression on my face when I don’t understand something you cover in class or I read in the textbooks? 

No.  It is your responsibility to ask questions when you encounter something you don’t understand.  Even though I wish I could, I cannot read minds. 

 

Is there extra credit available in this class?

NO.

 

Do the textbooks cover everything we will discuss in lectures and labs?

NO.

 

Do lectures and labs cover everything that is discussed in the textbooks?

NO.  You need to attend class and read the textbook to learn the things that will help you to be successful in this course. 

 

If I am very sick, should I come to class anyway?

Please don’t!  Your time would be better spent getting well.  You can get the notes from a classmate.  If you would like me to help you get a copy of a classmate’s notes, let me know. 

 

If I am absent because I am ill on a class day, do I lose my homework points?

Only if your homework is handed in late.

 

If my homework is late for some very good reason, do I still lose credit for it?

YES

 

What if I am ill on a quiz or exam day?

If you are too sick to come to class on that day, stay home and your score on the final will replace the grade you missed.

 

Will I really be turned away if I show up more than 15 minutes late for an exam?

Yes.

 

Do you want me to bring you doctor's notes, athletic event schedules, or other excuses for absence?

NO.

 

If I am in class but I do not sign the attendance sheet will I be counted absent?

YES. If, for whatever reason, you are there and have not signed the sheet, you should come up at the end of class and sign it.

May I go over exams with you?

YES, during the period between an exam and when the next exam is given. 

 

Do I have to know how to use the internet and email to be successful in this course?

YES.

 

Can I surf the web and check email while class or lab is in session? 

NO.  Doing so will distract you and those around you. 

 

If my printer fails to function as I am frantically trying to print my proposal immediately before class, can I hand write it and still get credit?

NO. There is no reason why you should leave the printing of your proposal until shortly before class. The assignments are made well ahead of time: Be professional and complete them with sufficient time to deal with computer malfunctions.

 

What are some ways to lower my grade?

You can fail to hand in homework or fail to do the homework carefully and thoughtfully. If you really want to lose, the easiest way is to not show up to take the final exam.

 

Do you offer extra tutoring or study skills help in the course?

NO. Refer to the section below entitled "How to Study." If you need additional help you should see experts in places such as the Basic Skills Center.

 

If I cannot make it to class, can I sit in on the other section of this course?

NO.

 

Do you bring pencils or erasers to exams in case I show up without one?

NO.

 

Can I withdraw from this course after the final withdrawal date?

NO. The final withdrawal date for the semester is published in the college catalog.

 

SUGGESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO STUDY
1. Do the assignments by the time they are due, a little bit at a time. No athlete would prepare for a big game by sitting around doing nothing for weeks and then staying up late the night before intensively working out. The same principle applies to learning. LEARN THE MATERIAL AS YOU GO ALONG. I have tried to assist you with this by having small amounts of reading due on specific days. You will have to take responsibility for learning the material as you go along. You should not have to spend hours studying for the exams. By the time the exam is near, you should already know the material.

2. Take responsibility for your own performance. Blaming roommates, textbooks, time of class meetings, the instructor, or whatever will not improve your performance. If you are not spending two to three hours in good, dense, quiet study for each hour that you spend in class, you are not doing enough.

3. At the end of each paragraph in your reading, stop and ask yourself what you have learned--if the answer is "nothing" read it again, and--if necessary--again. As you find important things, mark them with a highlighter or something in the margin--highlighting the lines themselves makes the book difficult to read. Important things are not just definitions. They also include study findings and summaries of areas of research. Read for about 45 minutes or so--after that your efficiency drops. Stop and do laundry for 15 minutes or something like that before you go back to reading.

4. At the end of each reading session, take the important things that you have found and write them out as questions--without answers--elsewhere in your notes or, better yet, on 3 X 5 cards. Put the text page numbers on them instead of answers. Alternately, put the answers on the back of the cards. If you have answers in front of you this will not be a good study aid. Do the same with your notes from class. Write these as multiple choice style questions, that is, put as much information as you can in the question. The answer will usually be a single word or two. Test yourself with these at intervals. If you can get someone else to do this too, ask them your questions and have them ask you theirs.

5. Study in a place which is quiet and where you will not be disturbed. Plan to work very hard when you read and study. Many failing students think that studying is nothing more than reading the book over and over with the stereo blasting or the TV on and people running in and out while the phone rings. They spend hours at this, but they are not really doing anything useful. To make an analogy--it would be like trying to increase physical fitness by walking slowly and having an ice cream cone every two blocks. This is fun, but it does not result in a hard body. Laying around in front of a TV chatting with friends while scanning a book is also fun, but it is a complete waste of time as far as learning is concerned. To get fit, one must work the muscles, get out of breath and that sort of thing. In order to learn, one must WORK hard and intensely, focusing on the task at hand. No pain, no gain.

6. Study in the time of day during which you are most alert. Do not put studying off until you can hardly keep your eyes open. Successful students report that they make good use of the situation where they have an hour or two between classes. It is easy to waste that time by returning home and doing things of little consequence. Much work can be accomplished during the day by finding quiet places that are near to where your classes meet and hitting the books.

7. It is probably not worthwhile to re-copy your lecture notes after class. It is a very good idea, however, to take notes as thoroughly as possible in class, leaving some space as you are taking them. Then, as soon after class as you can, review the notes and clarify things you have not recorded in sufficient detail. This would also be a good time to work up the questions mentioned in Suggestion 3, above.

8. Tell the stories of the course to other people: parents, friends, partners, or anyone. If no one will listen, tell the stories OUT LOUD to your dog, spider plant, or desk lamp. I tell them to my dog Daxie.  The chapters in the textbooks are stories. Before exams, you should be able to tell these stories in considerable detail, without notes. That is how you can tell you know the material. At first, as you are learning the story, you will have to refer to notes, but as you tell it over and over, you will need the notes less and less.

Hint: point four (4) above is usually ignored by students who do poorly. Following these steps exactly will not be easy at first. If you do poorly on an exam, the first thing you will have to admit is that you have to do something DIFFERENT if you expect your grades to be different. A second thing you could have to admit is that you may have managed to get through high school and subsequent life without maximum efficiency in learning how to learn. Most students who do not do well are either (1) not working long enough or (2) not working efficiently.