Student Survival Guide

FINAL PROJECT: STUDENT SURVIVAL GUIDE

An extremely important fact to remember while in school is to use the available resources as efficiently as possible. One of the numerous resources at a student's disposal is the college library. According to "Keys to College Studying: Becoming an Active Thinker," when conducting research one should always "start with a road map." Getting to know the college library will save valuable time when performing research. "Almost all college libraries offer orientation sessions on how to find what you need. If you need help, take a real or virtual tour and sign up for training."

Starting a search in the library-be it online or otherwise-one should always use a step-by-step search. When performing a search start with a general search and work towards a detailed or more specific search. A search strategy is an excellent way to find information on the topic for which the search is being done. The six steps below will prove invaluable while performing research.

1. Think carefully about what you want to locate.

2. Use subject directories to isolate sites under the topic being researched.

3. Explore these sites to get a general idea of the material of what is out there.

4. Move on to a search engine to narrow your search.

5. Evaluate the number of links that appears.

6. When you think you are done, start over.

While utilizing the vast resources available in the college library and on the internet, there is a large amount of useful data. Always be careful to uphold academic honesty. There are numerous resources in the library which can help achieve this. One of the tools available at the University library is the plagiarism detector. After listing all references in a paper, use the plagiarism detector to double check the assignment. The tool will check the submitted material for its similarity to other works.

To prevent plagiarism document everything you find on note cards. Write these notes when you consider a book or an article interesting enough to look at again. They do not signal that you have read a source carefully, only that you plan to review it later.

Preparation prior to beginning the paper is an important key to not plagiarizing someone else's work. Always cite the works of others. It is okay to use another's work, as-long-as the original creator gets the credit.

Setting and achieving goals could be one of the most important things to learn early in school. Being able to design a plan and complete it, can make-or-break your collegiate career. Setting goals will not only help in college, but also in continued success throughout life. Being mindful of the choices made in all daily decisions, has a critical impact on successfully completing what is planned. Be careful to pay attention to what goals or tasks are planned.

It is imperative to set goals in advance. Start with long term goals and work back to the short term goals. Create a written mission statement, or personal values statement. Link long term goals to life long values or a personal mission statement. Once this is completed write everything down and place the goals as tasks on a calendar. Be specific and look at the list daily to make adjustments.

Time is the glue that binds our goals and achievements together. With time anything is possible. Without time goals are missed and achievements postponed or cancelled. Keeping strict attention on time can yield