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Academic Discipline
- Do you schedule study time?
- When you find a class challenging, do you seek tutoring?
- Do you keep a calendar of important deadlines?
The above questions all relate to academic difficulty, which is the amount of effort that you put into your schoolwork. By scheduling daily study time, seeking assistance in challenging courses, and keeping a daily planner with important deadlines (tests, term papers, etc.), you can help increase your academic discipline.
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Planning and Managing my Time
Procrastination
Setting Priorities
Academic Self-Confidence
- When an instructor calls on you in class, are you nervous that you won’t give the correct answer?
- Do you feel incompetent if you ask for assistance on a project?
- Do you get anxious before you take an exam?
- Do you get anxious about team projects?
Academic self-confidence, which relates to the questions above, refers to how you feel about your ability to perform well in your classes. Scheduling and making the most out of study time can help ease anxiety. Taking advantage of your instructor’s office hours to discuss concerns can also be helpful in building academic self-confidence.
The Counseling and Testing Center on campus provides assistance regarding academic self-confidence and test anxiety.
More about…
Building my Self-Confidence
Dealing with Setbacks
Overcoming Pessimism
Reducing Test Anxiety
Commitment to College
- Do you feel frustrated when you see the income of your friends who have started working right after college?
- Is attaining a college degree important to you or your parents?
- Are you ready to dedicate yourself to four years of continuous study?
When examining your committment to college, assess both your short-term and long-term goals. Attaining a bachelor’s degree requires four or more years of hard work and dedication.
Do your long term goals require you to have a college degree, and if so, are you prepared to make the commitment to college at this time? Whether or not to attend college is a decision that should be based on your personal goals.
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Is college really worth it?
Planning for my career/choosing a major
Communication Skills
- Is it hard for you to listen if there are other activities happening around you?
- Does your note-taking reflect what the professor is discussing in class?
- Are you comfortable asking questions in class?
Good communication involves active listening, as well as the ability to appropriately express your needs. Active listening requires you to focus on the speaker, and indicate that you understand what he/she is discussing. Such indicators may include physical gestures such as nodding or smiling, or taking notes.
Look for clues from the speaker to identify key information. These may include vocal inflections, gestures, or information presented in a PowerPoint or written on the board. Being aware of these clues can help you to take appropriate class notes.
Have you ever been told that there is no such thing as a bad question? This is true, particularly when you are learning new information. Chances are that at least one other student has the same question. If you are very uncomfortable asking a question in front of the class, begin by asking another student or asking your professor outside of class.
More about…
How to approach faculty for help
Improving my listening skills
Living with a roommate
Resolving conflicts and arguments
General Determination
- Do you tend to commit yourself to too many activities?
- Can you stay focused on assigned tasks, or are there previous commitments that might get in the way?
- Do you lack the self-discipline to start early and work consistently on your assignments?
- Do you struggle to find motivation?
In college, setting priorities is a necessity, and dedication to your classes should be on the top of your to-do list. Keeping track of all of your commitments in a planner can help you to effectively evaluate how much time and effort you have to devote to your courses. If you find you do not have enough time to complete your homework and studying, it may be necessary to reduce the number of extra-curricular activities that you are involved in.
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Building professional relationships
Improving my commitment to obligations
Goal Striving
- What are three things you would like to learn during your time at NAU?
- What is your personal definition of success?
- What habits must you change in order to achieve greater success?
It is important to set both short and long term goals in college. Short term goals help those long term goals seem not so far away. Choose to engage yourself with people and activities that lead you toward your goals—and toward success.
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Achieving my goals
Identifying and setting goals
Planning for my career/choosing a major
Social Activity
- Do you have a large group of friends?
- Are you comfortable being the center of the attention?
- Do you spend more time alone or with friends?
- Do you struggle when initiating conversations?
Part of the adjustment to college requires you to balance your social life with your academics. You may find that you need to reduce some of your social engagements in order to be successful in your courses, or you may choose to schedule study time with your friends, to maintain friendships. If you know few or no people at NAU, begin by initiating conversations with classmates or become involved in student groups to meet other students.
Student Life provides information on the many student organizations and clubs on campus.
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Balancing my social life
Overcoming shyness
Social Connection
- Have you participated in any campus events since you arrived at NAU?
- Do you live on campus? If so, do you eat alone or with friends?
- Are you having difficulty making friends?
Part of the college experience is building social connections and networks. It is important for every student to feel that they have a support network at NAU. Becoming involved in groups and clubs on campus makes college life more enjoyable, and provides opportunities for you to take much needed breaks from studying.
Student Life can help you to find student organizations that you may be interested in, which will help you form connections on campus.
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Living with a roommate
Overcoming homesickness
Steadiness
- When you are angry, how do you manage it?
- Are you comfortable expressing your emotions in front of others?
- How do you handle stressful situations?
- Do you have difficulty setting personal boundaries?
In college, you are likely to experience many ups and downs. While this is inevitable, how you handle these situations is controllable.
The Counseling and Testing Center is available to helps students learn strategies to effectively express their emotions. Also, Residence Life can help you manage any difficulties you are having with your roommates.
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Expressing my emotions
Managing anger
Managing my stress and finding ways to relax
Study Skills
- How many hours do you typically study for a test? What kinds of grades do you get?
- Where do you study?
- Do you study better in a group or alone?
- Do you schedule study time?
Every student has different study methods, and it is important for you to find what methods work best for you. Typically, students find it best to study in an environment with few distractions.
It is also important for you to pay attention to what time of day studying works best for you. Are you more alert in the morning or in the evening? It may take some time for you to discover what methods are most effective for you.
The Learning Assistance Center at NAU offers assistance in building study skills.
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Creating the ideal study zone
Finding an ideal study location
Improving my memory
Planning and managing my time
Problem-solving skills
Reading and writing skills
Test-taking skills