Leaving The Nest

Leaving the Nest Five Steps to
Survival in College and Your

Future Career

Nikole Knight

The Bronx Community College of the City University of New York

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Table of Contents

Thank you to Contributors vii

Acknowledgements ix

About the Author xi

Prelude xiii

Introduction xvii

STEP 1  Developing Your Career Goals 1
STEP 2  Understanding the Power of Communication and
11
Its Importance 17
STEP 3  Professionalism, Interpersonal Skills, and Solid Ethics 27
STEP 4  Deep Learning 75
STEP 5  Test-Taking Skills and Strategies

Bibliography 109

iii



Thank you for Divine Intervention that always guides me to go with the grain instead of against it.
Prof. Ghafoor, thank you for always inspiring me to “write something.”



Thank you to Contributors

Special thanks to the following contributors:
Honorable Eddie J. McShan
Prof. James Simpson—Bronx Community College
Tica Frazier—Bronx Community College
Cierra McGruder (Graduate Student)
Alicia Winfield (Graduate Student)
Leah Johnson (College Graduate)
Genette Willis (College Graduate)
Justin Kittrell (College Graduate)
Rosalba Garcia (College Student)
Maliyah Graham (College Student)

vii



Acknowledgements

I would like to thank several people without whom this project would never have materialized.
Paul and Howie, thank you for believing in me and taking a chance on this project. Ray, thank you
for opening the door to my life as a professor. Maliyah Graham, my paralegal mentor, thank you for
reading and providing input on each chapter. Thank you to those who guide me every day. Auntie,
Gram, Mommie, and Aunt Ma Ma for always pointing me in the right direction. To my family
(especially Lana) and friends who listened endlessly to my reading drafts aloud; your patience is
amazing. To my amazing sister Sharron, for every card, snack, and text; I am eternally grateful.
Pumpkin and Freddie thank you for the Friday night pick me up face time calls. Dee, Anoeska, and
Stacey sisters and friends to the end. Iris Cortes you are a true friend and mentor (WFL). Carmen
(Madre) . . . Te quiero mucho. Ms. Wiley (Mommie) simply thank you. To Brooklyn/Ba Ba for
making me understand the best way to move forward is to get out of my own way. Sharon and
Eddie, you made me take a look at the professional me and realize that the possibilities are endless.
StNicks exercise goes a long way in achieving success and so does true friendship. L.F., you taught
me every day that life goes by so fast and kindness and love last a lifetime the best for last (Bestest).
Finally, to my students who teach me more than I could ever teach them. Thank you for keeping me
grounded and helping me to complete this project.

Nikole Knight, Esq.

ix



About the Author

Nikole A. Knight is the Director of the Paralegal and Legal Studies Program at Bronx Community
College. After receiving her undergraduate degree from Fordham University, CLC, she attended
Syracuse University of College of Law. She later received her Masters Degree in Labor Studies
from the CUNY School of Professional Studies. She is a licensed attorney who has taught paralegal
studies for over 14 years.

xi



Prelude

“College is the foundation for my future career and your future as well. I’m a first generation college stu-
dent. Educating ourselves gives an opportunity to decide and see a better path for the future. Without a
college education it is not that easy to achieve what you really want in life. Life is difficult and you need
to have a college mindset so you can accomplish your goals and become a professional. This will enable you
to do whatever you love to do in this life and to set an example for the beautiful kids you may have in the
future.”—Rosalba Garcia (college student)
So, you are in college something that may or may not have been a goal you set for yourself. Many
reasons exist why students enroll in college as highlighted by Rosalba Garcia’s quote. No matter
your reasons, you need to be able to make decisions that will benefit you and your future. There are
choices you must make immediately as well as those that are not so urgent. Things like declaring
a major. Managing course loads and deciding how it will fit in your plans after college are some of
the more pressing concerns.

Welcome to the Pressures of Higher Learning

This book is written for all students who are presently in college whether you have just started or you
are well into your studies. Too often even students who are close to graduation have not yet made
sense of the process and are not yet secure in how college will help them be successful in their future.
Students are considering what professional skills they should be developing and how college is fine
tuning those skills for their future career.This book is written to try and help you answer some of these

xiii

xiv  Prelude

questions, irrespective of whether you are just starting out or you are midway through your academic
career. REMEMBER, even if you haven’t understood everything up to this point, at this very moment,
you may be able to turn things around by applying some of the steps that are offered in this book.

As you engage with the material discussed in this book, be mindful of the fact that college is a process.
It can create a support system that will lead you to the next steps in your life. This includes whether
you enter the workforce immediately, pursue an additional degree or somehow manage to do both.
Whatever your decision, if you begin to make sense of your purpose in life, you will begin the practice
of actively investing in your goals, decisions, and future.

How to Use this Book

This book is designed to be a guide to unraveling some of the mysteries of college life. It is a
self-help manual to remind you that the journey doesn’t always have to make sense, but if you
explore some of the persistent questions that keep recurring, it will begin to take shape. I have
attempted to provide answers to some of the persistent questions students have while in college.
My goal is to assist you in actively making decisions regarding key issues during your academic
career. Upon completing the reading and activities in this book, you will have a more purpose-
ful and clear understanding of college and its connection to your career as well as your life.

Chapter Sequence and Material

The chapters are organized in a sequence of steps, in the order of the importance of each skill.
Each step provides you with a quote or story from actual students. These contributions were pro-
vided to give you as a reader, a chance to connect to other students and to make the material more
relatable. As a reader, I encourage you to use their valuable stories as a way of enhancing your own
life and as a way to truly make sense of the connections between college and your future career. In
addition to the quotes and stories, I start every chapter with an overview. This is a guide to assist
you in focusing on key information that you should be taking from each step. Finally, there are
exercises that require you to work with material that you have read, by performing a task or simply
working through hypotheticals. This is provided to encourage critical thinking about the steps and
the material in each of the exercises. These exercises don’t provide answers, allowing you to decide
your own conclusions and provide practical answers to questions that you may be faced with in the
future. The last two steps focus on the key academic tasks you are expected to perform in college
including; taking lecture notes, completing reading assignments, studying, and test-taking. Specific
research-based and brain-based strategies for tackling these tasks are highlighted. Your ability to
implement these strategies will enable you to learn on a much deeper level than rote memorization
not only in your college courses, but throughout life.

P relude  xv

Step five explores the idea of effective test-taking as both an art and a science. This chapter supplies
you with a systematic set of strategies for improving your performance on both multiple-choice
and essay tests. It identifies strategies that can be used before, during, and after tests, as well as
practical tips for becoming more “test wise” and less “test anxious.” You should use these tips along
with the practical exercises, to improve and develop critical thinking skills to be used as you move
from your academic to professional career.



Introduction

College should provide students with more opportunities to engage in their future career. Students need
to feel confident that they can perform their craft expertly on their own. The college experience must allow
students a platform to have practical experience in their future career while studying. Students should
be able to perform their craft with expertise upon graduation. Students whose future careers involve
becoming doctors and nurses are allowed to attend school and experience hands on learning, All majors
should provide similar incentives. College should not limit a students’ opportunities to have both substantive
and practical knowledge of their craft. No student should be confused about how their academic studies will
allow them to achieve their future career goals.—Asha Knight (College Student)

Similar to Asha, many students seem to feel there is a disconnect between their college experience
and how it will apply to an actual career.Students often have questions about which skill development
they should be refining while in college, in preparation for their career. Many students are confused
about the approach that should be taken towards studying, note-taking, and being successful on
college exams. These are some important questions that will be addressed in this book. Each step
was created with these questions in mind. As you read through the steps, the information will allow
you to explore and gain helpful insight into the true essence of college and how it can elevate your
future career. This book has five steps that create a practical roadmap to your success in college
and professional development. The first three steps will focus on your future career and those skills
that you should presently be learning and developing in college. The last two chapters will give you
strategies for achieving academic excellence and providing a competitive edge to your grade point
average. I hope the chapters and exercises will not only challenge you, but will transform your
current approach to your college experience.

xvii



Get as much education as possible and see it as the ultimate investment in yourself and your future. Allow
yourself to grow and continue to push yourself forward throughout the growing pains that are sure to come.
Breathe, and trust in your divine purpose because once those pains subside, you will blossom into wherever
you are planted.—Cierra McGruder (College Student)



STEP 1

Developing Your Career Goals

When I was an adolescent my grandmother would say, “The fastest way to make
GOD laugh is to have a plan, but don’t leave home without one. As I became older
I learned to respect the quote and saw the significance of having multiple plans to
expand my options. It is for this reason I think people should formulate career goals.
As you explore your options it will become clearer which career path will best suit
your priorities. – Genette Willis (College Graduate)
Overview: This step will underscore the importance of fine-tuning career goals
as part of your academic career. As a student, you should have an idea about your
short and long-term goals. This chapter will offer practical guidelines on setting
some goals and the steps you will need to take to incorporate them into your
academic career.
What does it mean to have career goals? This question seems so basic, yet
it often eludes students. An essential part of being in college is formulating
career goals while in college. Most students choose majors and never actively
incorporate their career in their academics. This thought might be surprising,
but not all students have a plan while in college. Students blindly take courses
to meet requirements of their major and they attend these courses without
consciously categorizing each one into the playbook of their future career.

1

2  STEP 1: Developing Your Career Goals

Active Engagement Exercise

Write down your major. Choose three courses that you have taken in your major
and briefly jot down how you think these courses will be useful in your future career.

Breaking it Down—What to Ask Yourself?

Now that you have considered your major and how it will generally fit in
your life plan, it’s time to consider the next step. I want you to consider these
additional important questions. Have you made any concrete decisions about
your future career? Have you thought about how you are going to make your
degree assist you in fulfilling your chosen career? If not, let’s begin by assessing
why you may or may not have made a career choice and how you can begin to
do so by setting short and long-term goals for yourself to aid in your decision.

If you haven’t thought about a career choice, let’s actively start your thinking
about this important step by determining some of your short-term and long-
term goals. Career planning involves three key steps. The first step is defining
your long-term goals.The second involves deciding on the short-term goals and
adjusting them to meet the realities of the job market. The third step involves
reevaluating your goals after you have some practical experience. Organization
of these steps requires you to first distinguish how long-term and short-term
goals fit into these steps.

Active Engagement Exercise

If you have already chosen your career, jot down three reasons why you made
this choice. If you have not decided, consider three careers that you might
pursue and why these options appeal to you as potential career choices.

Making Sense of Short- and Long-Term Goals

Now that you have started to give some thought to your career, let’s further
explore your decision by considering how short- and long-term goals can put
this in perspective. Setting long- and short-term goals enables you to reach
your full potential. It is essential to have a clear vision of both in order to meet
your personal and professional life dreams.

STEP 1: Developing Your Career Goals  3

Short-term as well as long-term goals can give you a roadmap that will enable
you to make career choices by raising some important issues. What are you
looking for in a career? Why do you want to pursue this particular career path?
What type of work do you like to do?

These broad questions about your personal preferences will help you more
clearly define your overall professional goals and create a clearer picture of your
short- and long-term goals.

Distinguishing between both short- and long-term goals require both personal
reflection and assessment. To develop momentum in the journey of achieving
your dreams, it is important to establish long-term goals as a means of
prioritizing your short-term goals (Stemmie 2019, 4). Management of your
goals in this order will help you follow your plan closely and almost guarantee
success of your life dream.

Making Sense of Long-Term Goals

Long-term goals are defined as those things that we hope we will achieve over
many years or a lifetime (Stemmie 2019, 3). These goals may encompass a vision
of who we see ourselves becoming in the future (Stemmie 2019, 3).These are big
dreams that illuminate our life path and give us something to work toward.

Long-term goals are difficult to accomplish and require a blueprint in order to
realize them. Thus, it is important that baby steps, short-term goals, must be
taken to manifest them. Ideally, long-term goals take into account your per-
sonal life, relationships, and financial matters (Stemmie 2019, 4). They require
deliberate planning, hard work, commitment, and a significant amount of time.

Long-term goals may seem large scale due to several aspects of your life that
must be accounted for. Things such as money, resources, and family must be
factored in as part of your long-term goals. An effective and well - planned
strategy must be a part of achieving these objectives. This means you must nav-
igate the direction and shape that these goals will take in your life.

As part of envisioning your long-term goals, you must consider the approach to
meet them. This means you must explore the direction and shape that these goals
will take in your life (Stemmie 2019, 4). You must create a timeline to achieve
long-term goals. This requires considering the amount of time needed to bridge
the gap between accomplishing your short- term goals, which in essence will
allow you to reach your long-term goals.

4  STEP 1: Developing Your Career Goals

Active Engagement Exercise

Take a moment to consider your long-term goals. Make a list of specific long-
term goals that you have set for yourself. Outline a strategy for achieving your
long-term and include a timeline for when you anticipate that they will be met.

What Are Short-Term Goals?

Short-term goals on the other hand are defined as the steps that are taken to
realize long-term plans. Hence, short-term goals are something to be accom-
plished in the near future. These goals assist in building the foundation for
achieving long-term goals. They create smaller steps that make time consum-
ing goals more manageable.

A great way to prioritize these goals is to develop categories. Some classifi-
cations associated with your short-term goals may address productivity, effi-
ciency, educational and personal development. By using this process to create
smaller objectives, you will be able to maintain focus and motivation.

Active Engagement Exercise

Take a second and consider the above categories. Think about where you are in
college and your life at this moment. Write down three steps that you can take
in each category, to achieve success, and what steps you can actively take in the
here and now that will play a significant role in affecting your career.

Some Final Thoughts

“If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans,” is a famous quote
that you should remember. Sometimes you have to roll with the punches.
As your life circumstances change, your goals may change as well. More-
over, you may find as you are completing your short-term goals, your vision
for your life may change. Many people start with one career only to realize
that it isn’t right for them, placing them back at square one.

Before completion of your short-term goals, you will be able to recognize if
you are still passionate about where you are headed. As you gain experience
and your life circumstances alter, you may decide that some of your goals are
no longer in alignment with your life plans.

STEP 1: Developing Your Career Goals  5

Although it may be true that God may be laughing as you make your plan
and your long-term goals may change over time, effective planning is still an
important component of a successful future. By laying out each of your goals,
you will be able to make your ideal life into a reality. You will maximize your
performance and be able to evaluate your progress along the way. By creating
goals for yourself, you will not only become a visionary, but you will be able to
begin to live life on your own terms.

Your Goals May Change as You Explore
New Challenges

As you begin unraveling your career path, new opportunities may arise.
Changes may develop in your profession over the course of time. In addition,
experiences you will acquire may play a significant role in modification of your
goals. Remember, that even if you change course, you still have gained valuable
skills. Experience can help you achieve long-term goals in the future even if
does change the projection of your original plan.

6  STEP 1: Developing Your Career Goals

HOW TO KEEP YOUR GOALS ALIVE EVEN WHEN FACED WITH SET BACKS

The word motivation derives from the Latin root movere, meaning “to move.” As its root meaning
implies, motivation involves overcoming inertia. Motivated people get off their butts and get moving,
and once they get moving, they maintain momentum and keep moving until their goals are reached.
Studies show that goal setting is just the first step in the success-seeking process; it must be
followed by a strong, effortful commitment to that goal until it is reached (Locke 2000; Locke
and Latham 1990). Goal setting establishes the intention to act, but motivation transforms that
intention into action.
Thus, reaching challenging goals requires maintaining motivation and sustaining effort over an
extended period of time. Listed next are strategies you can use to stay motivated and continue pro-
gressing toward your goals.
Put your goals in writing and keep them visible. A written goal can operate like a written contract—a
formal statement that holds us accountable for following through on our commitment. Placing a
written goal in a place where we cannot help but see it on a daily basis (e.g., on our laptop cover,
refrigerator door, or bathroom mirror) ensures that we don’t “lose sight” of it and are continually
reminded to pursue it. Said in another way: what stays in our sight, stays on our mind.
The next best thing to actually doing something is to write down our intention to do it, which keeps
our intention visible (and memorable).
Visualize reaching your long-range goals. To maintain motivation over time, we need to keep the “big
picture” in mind and keep our “eye on the prize.” One way to do so is by creating vivid mental images
or pictures of reaching our goal and experiencing its positive consequences. As a college student,
your long-range goal is graduating from college, so you could visualize a crowd of cheering family,
friends, and faculty at your graduation ceremony. (You could even add musical accompaniment to
your visualization by playing a motivational song in your head, e.g., “Roar” by Katy Perry.)

What Doesn’t Kill Us Makes US Stronger—
Motivational Exercise

Alicia’s Story: My name is Alicia Winfield. I was 34 years old and was the single
mother of two boys. Sean was going to turn 14 and Robert was 8. One day my
boys were running around the house as normal, and Sean fell. After a few weeks he
started complaining that his leg was in pain and he also started limping. I took him
to the emergency room on three separate occasions and finally to his primary doctor.
His primary doctor sent us to a specialist. She was a young African American doctor
who listened to my concerns and recommended that Sean take a cat-scan.

STEP 1: Developing Your Career Goals  7

The very next night I had about 15 missed calls and voicemails both on my cell phone
and home phone from multiple doctors (not the resident who issued the test). When I got
home that evening around 9pm I returned the phone calls. The doctor urged me to take
my son to the hospital the very next day. By the end of the night Sean was admitted
into the hospital for the weekend without any word of what was happening. I was told
the doctors needed to run more extensive tests and to have close family members arrive
on Monday morning for a meeting with the team. On Monday morning we sat down
with a team of doctors, social workers, nurses, and child life advocates. This is when
we were told Sean had cancer. Sean was diagnosed with a rare cancer named Ewing
Sarcoma at the age of nine. Ewing Sarcoma was so exceedingly rare that it was said to
only effect teenage Caucasian males. So how in the hell did my son get it?

“There is nothing else that we can do for you Miss Winfield, Sean’s time is limited” is
something I heard about seven times prior to his passing. After multiple chemother-
apy regimens, radiation treatments, clinical trials and a 25-hour surgery where he
had to learn to walk again over a 5-year period, I thought it would be the last time I
heard this statement. Both of my boys were doing well in school. I was working from
home full-time, taking classes full- time at Bronx Community College and taking
Sean to his necessary check-up appointments. A month before the death of my son
everything seemed to be going smoothly. At least that is what I thought.

It was my last semester and the first day of spring classes and I was running late. Sean’s
school called me and advised me that he was having trouble breathing and wanted to
know if I wanted the DNR on file still honored. At that point I started crying.

My son passed away on February 12, 2018. I took a couple of weeks off from school, but
I was determined to finish. My son would not have wanted me to stop attending classes.
I graduated with my Associate’s Degree in Paralegal Studies at the end of that semester.
I started John Jay college the following fall and I also landed a job as a paralegal that
October with a well-known law firm. Presently, I am enrolled in a Master’s Degree
program.

Like Alicia, we all have faced obstacles and challenges, maybe not as traumatic,
that we felt we were not capable of overcoming. It may have required determi-
nation, thought and in some cases many hours of self-therapy to get through it.
However, we made decisions, maybe very difficult ones, allowing us to embrace
our situation. Today, similar to Alicia, you are still standing and all the more
strong because of it.

We have all faced obstacles and challenges that we believed,at that time, we
could not overcome. It took determination, thought and in some cases many

8  STEP 1: Developing Your Career Goals

hours of self-therapy to get through. However, by and by we made decisions,
maybe very difficult ones, allowing us to embrace the overwhelming situation.

Think about something you achieved in your life that involved considerable
dedication, determination, and perseverance. What was it? Do you see ways in
which you could apply the same qualities to achieve success in college or in your
career choice? Take a moment and make a list of five things you did to motivate
yourself when you were faced with a difficult and almost insurmountable situ-
ation. In reflection, recall all of the feelings you felt. Think of and jot down five
words that described what it took to help you move forward and overcome this
obstacle.

In addition to the list you have created, I would like you to add the word grit
and adopt it as part of your motivational list. The meaning behind this word
will offer sustainable support as you work toward achieving your goals. When
a person sustains significant effort, energy, and perseverance over an extended
period of time to achieve a goal, that person is demonstrating grit (Duckworth
et al. 2007; Stoltz 2014). People with grit have been found to possess the qual-
ities of courage passion perseverance and self-control.

It takes courage not to get discouraged. A gritty person bounces back from
setbacks and turns them into comebacks. What happens is not as important
as how you react to what happens.—Thaddeus Goals, Lazy Man’s Guide to
Enlightenment How we initially react (mentally and emotionally) to a setback
can determine the action we take in response to it.

For instance, if you react to a poor test grade by berating yourself with put-
downs (“I’m a loser” or “I screw up every-thing”), you’re likely to become dis-
couraged and give up. Notice that these reactions have two resilience-destroying
characteristics: they’re permanent—a “loser” is always a loser—and pervasive—
screwing up “everything” means not screwing up one thing, but all things.

A permanent and pervasive explanation for a setback turns a molehill into
a mountain (Seligman 2006). Be mindful about how you react to setbacks.
If you catch yourself engaging in negative self-talk, put an immediate stop to
it. Replace it with positive self-talk that reacts to the setback as temporary (not
permanent) and specific (not pervasive). For instance, respond to a setback by
saying: “I’m not going to let this one disappointment define who I am; I’ll learn
from it and use it as motivation to get it right next time.” “The harder you fall,
the higher you bounce.”—Chinese proverb Self-Discipline.

Many people associate grit with passion. High achievers, when asked about what
it takes to be successful, refer to the word passion as relatable to the concept of grit.

STEP 1: Developing Your Career Goals  9

As grit researcher Angela Duckworth puts it: “Grit is about working on some-
thing you care about so much that you’re willing to stay loyal to it. It’s doing what
you love, but not just falling in love—staying in love” (Duckworth 2016, 54).

Perseverance is another term that is used to describe the characteristics of
gritty people. People with grit pursue goals with relentless determination.
If they encounter something along the way that’s hard to do, they work harder
to do it. Studies of highly successful people—whether they be scientists,
musicians, writers, chess masters, or basketball stars—consistently show that
achieving excellence requires repeated effort and dedicated practice (Charness
and Schultetus 1999; Levitin 2006).

This is even true for famous people whom are often thought to be naturally tal-
ented, brilliant, or gifted. For example, before they burst into musical stardom,
the Beatles performed live an estimated 1,200 times over a four-year period,
and many of these performances lasted five hours or more per night. They per-
formed (practiced) for more hours during their first four years together than
most bands perform during their entire career.

Similarly, before Bill Gates became a computer software giant and creator
of Microsoft, he logged almost 1,600 hours of computer time during one
seven-month period alone, averaging eight hours a day, seven days a week
(Gladwell 2008). These extraordinary success stories point strongly to the
conclusion that reaching goals and achieving success takes dedication, deter-
mination, and perseverance. Being successful is not just an inborn gift; it takes
a lot of grit.

People with grit also have self-control—they keep their actions aligned with
their goal, stay on course, and keep moving in the right direction—despite
distractions and temptations (Halvorson 2010).They resist the impulse to pur-
sue instant gratification and the temptation to do what they would like to do
instead of what they need to do to reach their goal.

They’re able to sacrifice immediate, short-sighted desires and impulses to
do what has to get done to get them where they want to go in the long run.
Setting long-range goals is important but having the self-discipline to reach
them is equally important. Each day, whether we’re aware of it or not, we’re
tempted to make choices and decisions that interfere with our ability to reach our
goals. We need to remain vigilant about whether our choices take us off course
or keep us on track. Responding with grit and all the characteristics embodied
in this powerful word will allow us to keep moving in the right direction.



STEP 2

Understanding the Power of
Communication and Its Importance

“Communication is an essential aspect of life whether it be nonverbal or verbal, eye
contact, body language, facial expressions etc. Without it society would be in disarray
and without direction. Your audience dictates how you will communicate and engage
with them and this may change instantaneously depending on the flow and/or energy
of the crowd. My style of communication is a mixture of all sorts from subliminal cues
to blunt straight forward candor. It’s all dependent on the recipient of the informa-
tion”—Justin Kittrell (College Graduate)

Overview: This step highlights the importance of effective communication
and acknowledges the fact that there is a very specific language style in every
profession. Grasping and understanding this skill will be key in your future
career. A practical guide will be discussed for how to connect this skill in both
the classroom and in your community.

A college education helps you acquire a range of knowledge in many sub-
jects, as well as advanced knowledge in specific subjects. College also increases
your ability to think critically and learn how to express thoughts coherently in
speech and in writing.

As a student, you learn to communicate effectively on many different levels for
a variety of purposes. Often students devalue the importance of learning this
skill and its practical purpose both academically and in their future. Students
often think that they understand the various levels involved in mastering the
art of communication. The challenge of this chapter is to demonstrate that

11

12  STEP 2: Understanding the Power of Communication and Its Importance

there is more to this process and illustrate the relevance and importance of
communication in your daily lives.

Making Sense of Communication Skills

Students often believe that they fully understand communication skills.
They believe that if they can talk, that must be all there is to communi-
cation. Students identify spoken and written skills as a common—sense
technique that everyone naturally understands and can do effectively. This
misconception plays a major role in students taking written and spoken
skills for granted. To make sense and develop communication skills, it is
important to not only understand the theory of this art, but to consistently
develop its practical purpose.

PRACTICAL EXERCISE

Consider the different ways you communicate with family, friends, colleagues,
and society on a whole. Think about and jot down five practical purposes of
both verbal and written communication.

Tackling and Developing Communication
Skills

As a student, you will draft papers as well as complete assignments that may or
may not require intensive writing. Many of the same principles that apply to
these projects will be required in the future as a part of your career. In this step,
I will discuss what to consider when receiving a written assignment and how
to present a well-written product.

PRACTICAL EXERCISE

Create two lists on a piece of paper. On one side, write the ways you commu-
nicate with your family and friends and on the other side how you perform
this same task with your professors, employers, and people in your professional
work environment. Consider the two and compare the major ways that the lists
are different and if there are any similarities.

STEP 2: Understanding the Power of Communication and Its Importance   13

FIRST THINGS FIRST

It is important to realize that good interpersonal skills are integral in every
aspect of your life. In addition, failure to develop this skill early on can be dam-
aging and destroy your ability to achieve success in college, work, and later in
your career. In general, poor communication skills can harm your reputation,
hurt relationships with family and friends, and decrease your chances of being
able to efficiently work with others.

Good communication skills involve a host of things including speaking, listen-
ing, as well as reading and writing. By being able to understand the importance
of these principles, you will be able to examine and refine your own skills in
these areas. You will begin to appreciate and critique the use of language and
make thoughtful choices regarding self-expression in both your personal and
professional life.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

Using language and terminology that people understand is essential in estab-
lishing a good relationship. Identifying and avoiding terms that will not clearly
be understood or will make others feel uncomfortable, shows concern and
interest in your audience. As a student, it is important for you to make this
connection. The challenge for students is to understand how people communi-
cate, and to develop and sharpen their understanding of this process.

You should constantly identify the different mechanics and wide range of styles
involved in communicating. This practice will invest confidence in your own
basic skills of communication and reinforce the feeling of how this can be
translated and refined within your profession.

THE INS AND OUTS OF BUILDING EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Four key styles of communication are verbal, nonverbal, visual, and written. All
these styles are ways in which we share information with one another. These
four categories are used interchangeably with friends, family, academically, and
professionally to express ourselves and to work with one another.

Verbal communication is the transfer of language through speaking or sign
language. Nonverbal communication is the use of body language and gestures

14  STEP 2: Understanding the Power of Communication and Its Importance

to convey information. Written communication is the act of writing, typing,
or printing letters and numbers to convey information. Visual communication
is the act of using photographs, art, drawing, sketches, and charts as well as
graphics to convey information.

These skills can be refined and utilized both academically and professionally
by determining the proper way to communicate within the appropriate set-
ting. Building effective discussions and arguments requires crafting content
that not only engages your audience, but successfully highlights what is sought
to be communicated. When thinking about these styles and using them to
exchange ideas and information, several vital decisions must be taken into
account regarding your audience.

Verbal communication, for example, can be one to one, over the phone or in
group settings. The medium of the message is generally oral and requires an
active participation in the dialogue. Verbal communication requires gauging
responses and in some instances being conscious of the body language of the
person(s) with whom you are communicating.

Developing verbal skills involves using a strong speaking voice and asserting
confidence about the material or information being presented. Active listen-
ing is a key aspect of verbal communication as well. Active listening involves
not just hearing the spoken words, but intently listening to the other party.
Another technique to improve your verbal communication skills is to avoid
unnecessary words known as “fillers.” Filler words such as “um,” “like,” “so,”
and “basically” result in your message being mundane and less effective. Using
breaths to replace filler words can strengthen your presentation and allow your
message to flow more smoothly. As you work on these tactics, your competence
as a communicator will begin to grow.

Nonverbal communication involves sending and receiving wordless messages.
Body language, gestures, and facial expressions are some key ways of using this
type of communication to convey messages. Nonverbal communication is a vital
part of reinforcing verbal communication and is another means of imparting
thoughts and feelings. Enhancing nonverbal skills may be achieved by devel-
oping an awareness of your body language. Finding certain facial expressions
or body gestures that will be beneficial in certain settings will make nonverbal
communication more effective.

Written communication is present everywhere and consists not only of tra-
ditional paper and pen, but letters, texts, chats, emails, as well as all types of
electronic documents. Good writing skills are essential to success. This type of

STEP 2: Understanding the Power of Communication and Its Importance   15

communication is indispensable in the workplace and can allow the sharing of
information through books, pamphlets, blogs, letters, memos, and more. Writ-
ten communication is essential because not only is it a way to convey messages,
but it acts as a record of information for future use. This form of communica-
tion requires that it be clear, well organized, free of errors, as well as following
the rules of grammar and punctuation. As a rule of thumb, it is important to
remember that written communication may represent you, your employer as
well as others in general. You must therefore be very critical and cognitive of
the way you write.

Some essential pointers for creating good writing skills involve striving for
simplicity, taking time to review your written communication, practicing writ-
ing and also watching the tone and style of your writing. Written communica-
tion should be as simple, clear, and understandable as possible.

Another important way to enhance your writing skills is to set aside time to
review your work and identify mistakes. You can do this by objectively reading
your work, allowing a friend to read it, or by reading it aloud. All of these sug-
gestions are helpful ways to catch mistakes, add finesse to your writing and aid
you in becoming a more competent writer.

Practicing writing is also an important way to become more efficient at this
form of communication. The saying, “practice makes perfect” could not be
more applicable than when it is attributed to this form of communication. All
types of writing including blogs, journals, and letters are helpful in improving
your ability to write well.

The tone of your writing style is another aspect in fine tuning your ability
to communicate in writing. Paying attention to the tone in your writing is
important to ensure that your message is received in the manner in which it
was intended. Jokes, sarcasm, and excitement may be taken out of context if, as
a writer, you don’t consider the tone that your writing is taking.

The style of your writing is also very important. Style takes into consideration
the manner in which you are writing. It embraces the way you want your reader
to react and the effect you intend to have on them. For example, using slang
may be acceptable when writing to a friend. However, you should refrain from
using it in a professional or academic document. Keeping this behavior to a
minimum, even when writing friendly letters, texts, or emails to friends or
family is important because it can become unintentionally habit forming and
permanently impede your ability to create well-written presentations for work
or school.

16  STEP 2: Understanding the Power of Communication and Its Importance

Visual communication is another way to interact and add value to commu-
nicating with others. As discussed previously, this method of communicating
uses visual aids, color, illustrations, drawings, and so on to communicate with
your audience. Visual communications can be a way to replace written commu-
nication. “A picture is worth a thousand words” is an adage that demonstrates
the power of visual communication.

Using visuals as a form of communication requires taking into consideration
the adaptability of your audience to the type of visual being used and the infor-
mation that you are hoping to convey. You can improve this form of commu-
nication by encompassing these two very important details when opting to
incorporate or present information in this format.

Visuals can sometimes cause confusion or make ideas become muddled.There-
fore, considering your audience is essential before deciding to utilize visuals.
Providing explanations and clarifications to accompany the visuals are addi-
tional ways to keep your audience engaged. It is key to remember that your
visualizations should always refrain from content that encompasses any type of
subject matter that is violent or patently offensive.

PUTTING YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS
INTO ACTION WITH YOUR INTENDED CAREER

Adaptability to these various styles of communication are important as you
excel in your academic career. Development of these skills will play a major
role in contributing to your ability to succeed and interact in society. If you
are willing to explore and eagerly embrace these skills, you will appreciate the
value and impact that these forms of communication will have on your life and
career.

STEP 3

Professionalism, Interpersonal
Skills, and Solid Ethics

Attending college was one of the best decisions I made. My curriculum was combined
with academics that addressed ethics. Learning how ethics improves interpersonal
skills was one the greatest payoffs from a college education because it taught me how
to be professional and successful in the workplace.—Leah Johnson (College Graduate)

Overview: This step considers the importance of three vital skills: profession-
alism, interpersonal skills, and solid ethics and how each can work to enhance
your academic and future career performance. In this step, you will learn tools
that will enable you to work well with others, identify professional ethics and
explore ways to build collaborative relationships within a team structure. First
things first, let’s come to a clear understanding of the meaning of each of these
very essential techniques.

Ethics versus Professionalism

When you think of ethics and the principles involved in defining this word,
do you automatically think of professionalism? Are the words interchangeable
or are they completely different? Do these words hold a different meaning
depending on how and in what manner they are being applied?
Although, these two words are used synonymously, there are major differences
that exist between the two. People in corporate and business settings often use
these words interchangeably to address the conduct of employees and employers
(Difference Between.com, January 2015).

17

18  STEP 3: Professionalism, Interpersonal Skills, and Solid Ethics

The word ethics can be described as a set of guidelines that encourages peo-
ple to work transparently with one another. Alternatively, professionalism
addresses a person’s ability to demonstrate a conscientious, courteous, and
business-oriented manner while on the job. As you can see, there are strong
similarities when considering these words within a business setting. This per-
spective changes if we examine the meaning of these two words more closely.

Fine Tuning the Differences Between Ethics
versus Professionalism

Ethics are guidelines for individuals, which clearly state the do’s and don’ts.
It includes a number of features such as confidentiality, privacy, respect, honesty,
transparency,and competency (Difference Between.com, January 2015).Ethical
principles are usually stated whereas professionalism is usually personally
cultivated (Difference Between.com, January 2015). Professionalism is defined
as the skills and the conduct that is displayed by an individual of a certain
profession. Moreover, professionalism addresses a specialized knowledge in a
particular field (Difference Between.com, January 2015). It is not just polite
behavior or academic competence, but it is an important asset that allows an
individual to perform well (Difference Between.com, January 2015).

Practical Engagement Exercise—Can you tell the difference?

Do you believe that ethics and professionalism are independent of each
other? Draft on a piece of paper the skills that are needed to be professional
and the skills required to be characterized as ethical. Compare the two lists.
Did you determine that a difference exists?

FOR EVERY ACTION THERE IS A COSTLY
REACTION

Now that you have an idea of some of the key differences between ethics and
professionalism, let’s see how this can be made applicable in both an academic
and a work setting. Students preparing for a career in today’s society must have
a clear understanding of both ethical and professional requirements to be suc-
cessful in their profession. This begins with developing as well as fine tuning
these skills while in college.

STEP 3: Professionalism, Interpersonal Skills, and Solid Ethics  19

It is essential for you to have the capability to make ethical decisions through-
out your career. Ethical behavior allows you to work in harmony with other
people and build a relationship on the basis of trust. Failure to practice ethical
behavior can cause poor working relationships and a disharmonious environ-
ment. It can also result in permanent damage to your reputation, but more
importantly, it can cause you to lose self-respect. For example, suppose you
had an opportunity to cheat on an exam. Would you? Do you think that your
conscious would bother you if you received a perfect score? Would it make
a difference if some of your peers knew that you cheated on the exam? Do
you think it will affect the way other students in the class think of you? These
questions are important considerations that may assist you in seeing the bigger
picture of why ethical behavior is so important.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “For every action there is a reaction?” What
this means, is that there is a consequence for everything you do. Remember,
even if no one discovers that you cheated, it will still have an effect . . . the effect
will be on your conscious.

Ethical behavior has far-reaching consequences. It may not only affect our
self-perception, but it may have an impact on those that are looking to us for
guidance on proper behavior. In the example above, consider that your actions
may encourage other students to cheat in the future because you didn’t get
caught. Consider if every student in the class that knew you cheated also took
the opportunity to cheat because you were successful. Can you imagine the
major imbalance that this may create?

WIN, WIN When Everyone Behaves
Ethically

In your future profession, it is inevitably that you will be faced with many
opportunities to be dishonest. If you practice, even at this stage, to make eth-
ical decisions, it will become a habit that will be easy to follow in your career.
In the future, professional decisions offering opportunities to be dishonest will
not present a dilemma, but will be decided with relative ease. These situations
will cause you to focus on the big picture first and avoid the risk involved in
unethical behavior.

20  STEP 3: Professionalism, Interpersonal Skills, and Solid Ethics

Practical Exercise—Consider This . . .

Suppose you were assigned the position of a manager in a computer company.
Your job has an opening for a computer technician. You have a best friend
who just lost their job and is struggling to support their family. You tell them
about the position and offer them an opportunity to interview for it. There are
ten other eligible candidates also applying for the position. The interviewing
committee has selected your friend and one other candidate as finalists. Both
your friend and the other candidate seem to have equal qualifications. The
committee leaves the final decision up to you as manager. In your review process,
you find that the other candidate is certified in a new technological software
skill that will advance your company. This puts the candidate’s eligibility higher
than your friend. Do you select your friend because he needs the job or do you
choose the most eligible candidate who will allow the company to advance in
the computer industry? What are some questions that you should consider?
Is it unethical to give your friend the position? Who are some of the people
that you must consider in your decision? Would this be a difficult decision to
make? Most importantly, do you make this decision by applying ethical or
professional principles? The following will help you decide the answers to these
questions.

PROFESSIONALISM

People will judge you not only by your actions and words but also your appear-
ance and attitude. Professionalism is made up of this as well as other factors. In
your academic life as well as career, it is important for you to be professional.
This means that you should act responsibly and be reliable in order to gain
the trust and respect of friends, colleagues, and supervisors. Professionalism
requires that you meet challenges competently, courteously, and respectfully
even if others don’t rise to the occasion.

A professional attitude increases your admirable attributes and makes you
marketable. You can develop professional skills in college by displaying a polite
demeanor when addressing professors and other students. When interacting in
class, you can demonstrate a professional attitude by putting aside any personal
bias or emotions that interfere with working with your classmates.

It is important that you meet academic deadlines and present projects that
are free from error and display a quality of work that meets the challenges of
your assignments. All of these key tools are relevant not only to your academic

STEP 3: Professionalism, Interpersonal Skills, and Solid Ethics  21

career, but are applicable to your future career as well. As the saying goes,
“practice makes perfect” and applying these skills, while in college will only
enhance your capabilities when you enter the job market.

Practical Exercise in Professionalism

Suppose some of your friends are making fun of a student because they have
a very heavy accent. Every time the student responds in class, they are being
mimicked. Would it be unprofessional if you laughed? Consider why or why
not? Ask yourself, the same question, but change the facts. Suppose it was a
manager in your company who at lunch mimicked a client’s accent? Would it
be unprofessional to laugh? Does it make a difference that it was a manager
who was the individual making fun of the client? Why or why not?

PROFESSIONALISM IS IMPORTANT, OR IS IT?

Previously, we discussed the importance of ethical behavior and its far-reach-
ing impact on society. Is this same ideology true of professionalism? If we don’t
meet deadlines, complete tasks, and are not detailed-oriented or accurate in
our work, will this make an overall difference in society?

A short analysis confirms that professionalism holds an equal amount of
importance as ethical behavior. Professionalism, like ethics,  is clearly linked
to the honorable aims of providing services to individuals and society.
Professionalism considers issues addressing honesty. For example, it guides
whether someone will perform minor infractions if they feel no one is watching.
Professionalism encompasses all of these ideals as well as a host of other
components that guide a person’s moral compass when faced with difficult
decisions. These guidelines prevent potentially harmful acts from occurring,
such as bullying and discrimination.

Many of the traits embodied in ethics are also represented in professional-
ism. Professionalism and ethics, although distinctive, have standards that are
interchangeable. Both characteristics encompass a variety of dimensions that
cultivate a respectable and honest society. These two traits build morally sound
guidelines that provide for a safer environment and prevent major conflicts
from arising. As a student, it is your job to enhance your skills in both these
areas and to practice trustworthy and ethical behavior in all of your decisions.
Remember the behavioral patterns that you set for yourself today will be the
behavior patterns that you will follow tomorrow.

22  STEP 3: Professionalism, Interpersonal Skills, and Solid Ethics

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Interpersonal skills are another aspect of ethics and professionalism. Interper-
sonal skills, also known as soft skills or people skills, are related to the way we
interact with others. These soft skills, are an important part of the evaluation
process in employee hiring.

Many careers require a collaborative or teamwork effort and these skills aid you in
performing this part of your job successfully. Interpersonal skills, are important
even if your career has limited interaction with others. Employers want to be
confident, that if required, you will be able to communicate and collaborate
with others. These skills are an important part of any candidate’s portfolio and
must be demonstrated along with their ability to excel in the technical areas of
their profession.

UNCOVERING INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Good interpersonal skills are critical to every profession. The ability to
communicate, listen, have a positive attitude and show empathy are crucial. A
part of being successful in your career, is the extent to which you can effectively
use these skills to interact with clients, supervisors, and your colleagues. While
in college, it is important to create a step-by-step approach to become proficient
in each of these areas. Here is a brief blueprint that will guide you in mapping
out a plan for building proficiency in each of these particular traits.

Communication is a key interpersonal skill that combines a variety of things as
discussed in Step II.This skill can be complicated because it involves numerous
traits beyond speaking and listening. Communication also involves your ability
to interact using written skills.Poor communication skills can damage a business
relationship with supervisors, clients, as well as other employees. Therefore, it
is essential for you to work on developing superior communication skills to
ensure that you will be a more productive member of any professional team.

CHECKLIST ON IMPROVING COMMUNICATION
SKILLS

● You should always attempt to keep things simple. This includes when using
both verbal and written communication. Extra verbiage can sometimes

STEP 3: Professionalism, Interpersonal Skills, and Solid Ethics  23

cause confusion and misunderstandings. The K-I-S-S (Keeping It Simple
Stupid) is always the most helpful method when writing or speaking.
● “A picture is worth a thousand words” Remember that nonverbal
communication is as important as verbal communication. Body language,
facial expressions, tone of voice, and body stance are key. Research has
shown that 55% of all communication involves body language (Shethna, 5).
Therefore, always be mindful of your body language. Remember a silent
message can be sent without uttering a word.
● Written communication requires that you strive for simplicity.Take the time
to review your written communications and to ensure that your thoughts
are relatable and considerate of the characteristics of the audience you are
addressing.
● When using verbal communication, always use a strong, confident speak-
ing voice. Be sure to always use active listening when speaking with others.
Avoid filler words such as um, uh, like, okay, right, and you know. These
words are meaningless and they add nothing to a conversation. Filler
words are often distracting and they take away from the point that you are
attempting to make.
● Remember the following:
“If you just communicate, you can get by, but if you can communicate skill-
fully, you can work miracles”—Jim Rohn

LISTENING as an Interpersonal Skill

Listening is an important interpersonal skill. While it is important to be able
to communicate with others, it is just as important to listen to others. This skill
assists with making clients, employers, colleagues, and employees feel respected
and valued (Doyle, November 2020). Developing proper listening skills can
promote effective working relationships by ensuring accuracy, conflict resolu-
tions and a respectful work environment.

CHECKLIST ON IMPROVING LISTENING SKILLS

● Be attentive when listening. This requires that you stay in the moment and
give the speaker your full attention. Be sure to mentally screen out distrac-
tions and try not to focus on your responses to the speaker’s comments.
Think only about what the speaker is saying.

24  STEP 3: Professionalism, Interpersonal Skills, and Solid Ethics

● Keep an open mind. Listen without judging or jumping to conclusions. It
is important to listen to others without inputting your own thoughts or
feelings.

● Don’t interrupt the speaker. Good listening skills require that you refrain
from interjecting your own ideas and solutions. Additionally, interrupting
to have the speaker clarify points may cause him or her to lose their train
of thought and take them off course. Being silent and patiently waiting
for the entire thought of the speaker may result in your pending questions
being answered.

Positive Attitude as an Interpersonal Skill

A positive attitude as an interpersonal skill is invaluable. A positive attitude
creates a friendly work environment and enhances workplace rapport between
employees.This positive attitude decreases the stress level of the job by providing
a friendly and positive environment. Employers consider this skill an important
attribute when interviewing candidates.

CHECKLIST FOR IMPROVING A POSITIVE
ATTITUDE

● Develop Rapport—Listening to others and interacting with them makes
for an environment that promotes a feeling of excitement and joy about
attending school or work.

● Friendliness—Be friendly. No one is saying that you have to provide jokes
and laugh all of the time. Sharing a smile, being courteous and showing
kindness on the job or in your classes will foster a positive environment.

● Avoid gossip—Gossip can impact morale and cause friction between col-
leagues. At any cost, do not promote or entertain conversations of this kind.
Gossip will only lead to confusion and lead to a poor working environment
that will not benefit anyone.

● Avoid Complaining—Complaining is a dark cloud that reduces positivity
and fosters a counterproductive work environment. It is important to refrain
from being a Debbie or a Donny Downer. No one appreciates someone
who is always discontented. Your ability to show optimism and embrace
difficult situations will foster your rapport with others and increase the
desire of others to want to work with you.

STEP 3: Professionalism, Interpersonal Skills, and Solid Ethics  25

Empathy as an Interpersonal Skill

Empathy is a key skill that will help you get along with others at the work-
place. This skill requires you to put yourself in the shoes of the others and to
understand the situation from their point of view. This skill improves rela-
tionships between your peers, employers, clients, and employees, by reducing
conflict and tension.

CHECKLIST FOR IMPROVING EMPATHY SKILLS

● Imagine yourself in someone else’s position before making judgments.
● Practice not just hearing, but actively listening when you interact with

colleagues, friends, clients, and employers.
● Try to engage your colleagues, taking into account their emotions and

feelings.
● Look at any biases that may play a role in your ability to successfully

interface with others.

Making sense of these very important skills can play a pivotal role in how you
conduct yourself in your academic as well as future career. Therefore, it is crit-
ical not to take for granted the importance of these three attributes and the
underlining meaning that each one has for you now as well as in the future.
Remember that these skills are like the complex process of building muscles;
the more hard work you put in, the greater the results you will receive.



STEP 4

Deep Learning

STRATEGIC NOTE-TAKING, READING, AND STUDYING

The key academic tasks you’re expected to perform in college include
taking lecture notes, completing reading assignments, studying, and test-taking.
This chapter provides specific research-based and brain-based strategies for tack-
ling these tasks. Implementing these strategies will enable you to learn at a much
deeper level than rote memorization in all your college courses and throughout life.
Develop a collection of effective strategies that will enable you to study smarter,
learn more deeply, and better retain what you have learned.

Think about It—Journal Entry 4.1

What would you say is the key difference between learning and memorizing?

What Is Deep Learning, and Why Is It
Important?

Learning is the fundamental mission of all colleges and universities, and it’s
something that doesn’t stop after graduation. It’s a lifelong process that is

27

28  STEP 4: Deep Learning

important for personal and professional success, but has become even more
so in the 21st century. Currently ongoing growth of information technology,
coupled with a knowledge-based economy and increasing global interdepen-
dence, is creating a high demand for college graduates who have “learned how
to learn” and who can apply their learning skills throughout life in different
occupational roles and cultural contexts (Secretary of Education’s Commission
on the Future of Higher Education, 2006; Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2012).
When college students learn deeply, they dive below the surface of shallow
memorization to build mental bridges between what they are learning and
what they already know (David, 2015; Piaget, 1978; Vygotsky, 1978). Deep
learning doesn’t take place if information is passively absorbed into the brain,
as if it were a sponge. Instead, it involves actively building new ideas onto ideas
that are already stored in the brain. When this happens, the memorization of
isolated facts and bits of information is transformed into a deeper learning
process that builds conceptual knowledge—networks of connected ideas stored
in the brain that involve actual physical (neurological) connections between
brain cells (LeDoux, 2002). (See Figure 4.1.)
Studies suggest that most college students are not in the habit of engaging in
deep learning (Arum & Roksa, 2011; Kuh, 2005; Nathan, 2005). They show
FIGURE 4.1:  Networkof BrainCells

Deep learning involves making connections between what you’re trying to learn and what you already know.
When you learn something deeply, it’s stored in the brain as a link in an interconnected network of brain cells.

©Jurgen Ziewe/Shutterstock.com

STEP 4: Deep Learning  29

up for class most of the time, copy down some notes, highlight information in
their textbooks, get assignments done right before they are due, memorize what
they think they’ll be tested on, and restate what they’ve memorized on exams.
These practices may get students through high school, but different methods
are needed in excel it college—methods that promote deep learning, long-term
retention of what has been learned, and application of learning to life.

Stages in the Learning and Memory Process

Learning deeply and retaining what you’ve learned is a process that involves
three key stages (Myers, 2016):

1. Sensory input (perception)—taking information into the brain.

2. Memory formation (storage)—transforming that information into
knowledge and storing it in the brain.

3. Memory recall (retrieval)—bringing that knowledge back to mind when
you need it.

These three stages are summarized visually in Figure 4.2. The stages are simi-
lar to the way information is processed by a computer: (1) information is first
entered onto the screen (input), (2) then saved in a memory file (storage), and
(3) the saved information is retrieved (recalled) when needed. This three-stage
process can serve as a framework for using the two major routes through which
you will acquire knowledge in college: lectures and readings.

FIGURE 4.2  KeyStages inthe Learning and Memory Process

Stage Stage Stage
1 2 3

Sensory Perception → Attention → Working Memory → Memory Storage → Retrieval

Hearing (lectures) (Studying) (Long-Term Memory) (Test-Taking)
Seeing (readings)

©Kendall Hunt Publishing Company

Effective Lecture-Listening and
Note-Taking Strategies

The importance of listening skills for academic success was highlighted in a
classic study of more than 400 students who were given a listening test at
the start of their college experience. At the end of their first year in college,