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Getting the Most from Your Classes

You are fortunate to be an undergraduate at an institution like Westminster College.  Courses within your major will be relatively small and taught by experienced faculty members rather than teaching assistants.  You have the opportunity to study with psychologists who are recognized scholars, supervisors, consultants, and national speakers.  In fact, several faculty members in psychology have received awards for their teaching

However, the leap from high school to college is challenging to students in many ways.  Some of you are well prepared academically but will have difficulties with time management.  Others will adapt quickly to new social situations but will struggle with demanding classes.  One of the more difficult challenges for most entering first year students is the transition from merely learning facts to analyzing and applying concepts to real world situations.

No one expects you to make the transition overnight.  Your professors are here to guide you, and resources are available on campus should you have difficulties.  However, YOU HAVE FINAL RESPONSIBILITY for YOUR education.  You must decide what you want to take away from your years at Westminster.

 

  • Do attend every class.  Lectures and classroom learning activities do not simply repeat what is in your textbooks.  They will present additional material, clarify important points, and offer opportunities to ask questions.

 

  • Do arrive to class on time.  Late arrival demonstrates a lack of respect to your professors and student colleagues.

 

  • Do keep your syllabus and refer to it frequently.  This is the table of contents for your course.  It sets out expectations, and contains contact information, reading lists, assignments, grading scales, and important dates for the semester.

 

  • Do ask questions.  If you don’t understand, chances are that others are confused as well.

 

  • Do know when to be quiet.  The classroom is a shared learning space.  Make sure that your voice is heard, but leave room for others to be heard as well. 

 

  • Do learn to take accurate notes.  Your professors share information that they believe is critical for understanding the topic.  If you have difficulties, seek help from fellow students, your professor, or the START center.

 

  • Do not text, check Facebook, or email during class.  You can communicate with your friends and family after class.  You cannot replicate the classroom experience.  Further, texting, etc. are disrespectful and distracting to those in the room who are earnestly engaged in education.

 

  • If you miss class, ask a classmate for a copy of her/his notes.

 

  • Do type and proofread your papers. 

 

  • Do staple your papers.

 

  • Back up all your work!  Computers crash, jump drives get lost, printers malfunction.

 

  • Keep up with your reading and assignments.  Most students find the amount of reading required in college courses to be challenging.  It is easier if you don’t fall behind.

 

  • Do every assignment no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.  It has been assigned for a reason (to solidify your learning).  Remember also that a few points here and there add up over a semester and can mean a difference in your final grade.

 

  • Grades are EARNED not given.  Do not ask your professor why she “gave” you a certain grade.  Grades reflect the professor’s best and honest appraisal of your mastery of course material.  There is no such thing as an ‘A’ student.  Every assignment is judged on its own merit.  If you do not understand your grade, reread the syllabus and assignment, then reread your work and honestly ask yourself how thoroughly and clearly you communicated your knowledge.  If you still are uncertain why you earned an assigned grade, then ask your professor for feedback so that you may improve on future assignments.  Remember a college education is first and foremost about LEARNING, not grades.  Being unhappy with a grade, parental disproval, or the potential loss of a scholarship is unrelated to grades assigned and is NOT grounds to appeal a grade.

 

  • Do learn to speak up in class.  Effective communication is an important part of every job.

 

  • Do attempt to get the most from every class you take.  Your degree will cost a lot in time and money.  Make the most of it!  There is something to be gained in EVERY class, even those required outside your major.  You are not here to be entertained.  You are here to develop your thinking. 

 

  • Don’t let small problems become big problems.  If you are having difficulty, talk to your professor, a counselor, or an advisor right away.

 

  • Don’t be afraid of mistakes.  We often learn the most from our failures.

 

  • Don’t blame your instructor if you are struggling or doing poorly in a class.  You will work with many different and challenging people throughout your life.  Instead of blaming others, use the opportunity to grow.  Ask yourself, “Did I study long enough? Early enough? Diligently enough?”  “Did I read and understand all assigned materials?”  “Did I understand classroom material?” “Did I understand what was being asked of me?” “Was my work thoughtful, accurate, and grounded in theory or concepts?”  “Did I follow writing conventions including punctuation and grammar?”  “Do I need help with study skills?”  If necessary, have a conversation with your professor on how to improve your performance on the next exam or assignment.

 

  • Get sufficient sleep. 

 

  • Adapt your schedule to your biological clock if possible.  If you can’t stay awake after lunch, try to schedule your most difficult classes at another time.

Avoiding Plaigarism

Students sometimes intentionally or unintentionally commit writing errors that constitute plagiarism.  It is YOUR responsibility as a writer not to commit such errors and to be aware of correct forms of citations.  These guidelines are designed to help you do that.  You also may be guided by consultations with the Writing Center or using the Publication Manual of APA.    First, you must think about when to include a citation.  You need a citation 1) in order to make distinctions between your ideas and those of others; 2) to answer the question “how do you know that?” for readers of your paper; and 3) you must provide readers with the information they need to find your sources.  If you are stating a “fact” or putting forth an argument that has been ascertained or developed by someone else, you must credit them for their work.  This is an act of honesty and integrity.

 

The Psychology Department follows the American Psychological Association style for citations and references (see APA Publication Manual and/or www.apa.org).  The style is simple and efficient; if you follow it, you should have no problems with plagiarism.

 

  1.  Using the exact words of another author.  If you use the exact words of another, the material must have quotation marks around it, and the author(s), year of publication, and page number must appear in parentheses at the end of the quotations.  For example,

 

  1. “The sexual revolution of the 1960s was a response to long-term social changes that affected the structure of the family and women’s role in it” (Hite, 1976, p. 303).

 

The complete listing of the Hite source from 1976 should then appear in the list of references at the end of the paper.  Note that this style is efficient because it does not require footnotes, endnotes, or the inclusion of the journal or article title in the body of the text.  If the quotation is more than three lines long, it should be indented.

 

As a general rule, if you use more than half a sentence directly, it should receive quotation marks.  However, psychologists do NOT generally favor extensive quotations in papers.  The preferred alternative is to put material in your own words.

 

  1. Using the results or ideas of another, written in your own words.  In this case, the author(s) and date of publication in parentheses acknowledge the source of the ideas or results, but quotation marks are unnecessary because the exact words are your own. 

 

  1. It has been argued that the sexual revolution was not the cause of recent changes in the American family, but rather that changes in the American family occurred first and caused the sexual revolution (Hite, 1976). 

    •  

  2. Hite (1976) argued that the sexual revolution was not the cause…

 

Students sometimes have difficulty knowing how frequently a source must be cited.  For example, if three successive sentences are from the same study, must it be cited in each sentence?  The best guide here is clarity.  That is, if it is clear to the reader that the succeeding sentences are about the same study, it does not need to be cited again.  If it is unclear what the source is, then there should be another citation.  For example, the following sequence would require no citation in the second sentence:

 

  1. Hite (1976) argued that the sexual revolution was not the cause but rather the result of changes in family structure.  Her data provided evidence supporting her argument in the case of premarital sex.

 

However, a citation in the second sentence would be necessary in this sequence:

 

  1. Hite (1976) argued that the sexual revolution was not the cause but rather the result of changes in family structure.  There is evidence supporting her argument in the case of premarital sex (Jones, 1981). 

 

  1. Paraphrasing.  The best advice is DON’T.  The paraphrase is a no person’s land between direct quotation and using your own words.  It makes appropriate citation almost impossible.  Consider the following:

 

  1. The sexual revolution of the 1960s was a response to social change that affected sex roles and the structure of the family (Hite, 1976).

 

The above would be considered plagiarism.  Note that all that has been done here is the deletion of a few words, the substitution of a synonym, and the reversal of the order of two phrases of (1).  If all of the words that came from the original sentence were put in quotations, there would be little remaining in the sentence.  Paraphrasing of this sort, should not be used ever.  If you understand the material, you should be able to put it in your own words.  Remember, writing is an act of thinking.  If you can’t say it, you don’t really understand it and require further study. 

 

  1. Secondary Sources.  A primary source is the original source of a result or idea.  A secondary source is another source that refers to the primary source.  For example, if Hilgard and Atkinson’s Introduction to Psychology refers to Hite’s work, Hite (1976) is the primary source and Hilgard & Atkinson is the secondary source.  The appropriate citation would be:

 

  1. Hite (as cited by Hilgard & Atkinson, 1979) argued that the sexual revolution…

 

Hilgard and Atkinson must then be included in your reference list.

 

Proper citation is a habit.  It also is an act of integrity.  Ideas and findings must be appropriately cited.  See the student handbook and faculty syllabi for consequences of academic dishonesty. 

 

The above is adapted from “Guidelines for avoiding plagiarism” Denison University Psychology Department.

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