CHAPTER 2 COLLEGE STUDENT
Our richly diverse heterogeneous society, evident in college campuses across the country, poses
advantages and challenges for students wanting to succeed. The projects in this chapter encourage
students to think about and reflect on who they are, what they value, and what they want to achieve.
These variables, in conjunction with hands-on time management projects, factor into whether or not
students will ultimately succeed at managing their time.
A number of the projects integrate MyStudentSuccessLab.com so that students can take advantage of
its asynchrony to accelerate or decelerate their learning in order to accommodate both their personal
schedules and learning styles. You may want to introduce the labs early in the class schedule and then
set completion dates at intervals throughout the semester.
CHAPTER 2 PROJECT SUMMARIES
Project 1
Project Type:
Project Inquiry:
Learning Objective:
Know Thyself
Individual
Why is important to understand your current roles as a student?
Students will evaluate how their life roles affect them as a student.
Project 2
Project Type:
Project Inquiry:
Learning Objective:
Personal Motivation
Individual
How do your values affect your motivation?
Students will relate how values affect motivation.
Project 3
Project Type:
Project Inquiry:
Learning Objective:
Goal Setting
MSSL
How do you set effective short and long term goals for college?
Students will create effective goals for college.
Project 4
Project Type:
Project Inquiry:
Learning Objective:
Time Management
MSSL
How can you manage your time wisely in college?
Students will manage their time wisely in college.
Project 5
Project Type:
Project Inquiry:
Learning Objective:
Actions & Outcomes
Individual
How do your choices influence your college success?
Students will explain how their choices can influence their college
success.
Project 6
Project Type:
Project Inquiry:
Learning Objective:
Problem Solving
MSSL
What approaches can you take to solve problems?
Students will describe approaches that they can apply to solve problems.
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Project 7
Project Type:
Project Inquiry:
Learning Objective:
Time Management Situations
Group
What methods can assist you avoiding and resolving problems?
Students will evaluate ways to resolve time management issues.
Project 8
Project Type:
Project Inquiry:
Learning Objective:
Stress Management
MSSL
How do you manage stress?
Students will describe methods to manage stress.
CHAPTER 2 ANSWER GUIDE
PROJECT 1 KNOW THYSELF
This quintessential project appears deceptively simple yet is critically important for college success.
Unless a student knows who he or she is, what strengths can be tapped on during times of duress,
students may fail to negotiate obstacles that inevitably cross their path. While this project is an
individual project, the project experience can be enriched by having students discuss in groups or with
the whole class their observations and conclusions about their life roles. Students react to and relate to
one another's self-analysis, often pointing out how, what one person perceives as an "obstacle", can be
viewed as a strength. This project typically builds a sense of community and understanding in the
classroom.
PROJECT 2 PERSONAL MOTIVATION
Much of what we do in life is driven by personal motivation. Valuing financial security, a majority of
students are motivated to attend college because they understand the relationship between a college
education and their future life. This project helps students probe more deeply to discover intangible
reasons as well. For Part B Creating Personal Motivation, ask students to make multiple copies of their
personal motivation statements, copies to hang on a wall, to carry around, and to give to you. Your
knowledge of what motivates students can provide insight and enable a meaningful personal dialogue
between you and your students.
PROJECT 3 GOAL SETTING
The MSSL Instructor Implementation Guide provides a detailed description of each activity, teaching
suggestions, estimated student time on task for each exercise, and a grading rubric for the final activity.
Learning Path: A First Step: Goal Setting
Topic Overview (Learning objectives for the module addressed by the practices and activities)
 Identify and prioritize your values (Practice 1)
 Analyze goals to determine if they are “SMART” (specific, measureable, attainable, realistic, and
have a time frame) (Practice 2)
 Revise poorly written goals (Practice 2)
 Evaluate goals (Practice 2)
 Monitor progress towards goals (Practice 3)
 Adjust goals as needed (Practice 3)
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Create long-term academic goals (Activities 1 and 2)
Create short-term goals that support a long-term academic goal (Activities 1 and 2)
Demonstrate the relationship between your values and goals (Activities 1 and 2)
Recommend strategies for reaching your goals (Practice 3, Activity 1)
Video: A First Step: Goal Setting Student Interviews
The video run time (12:03) shows students discussing different goals and values they had before
entering college and how college has changed or shaped their goals and values.
Practice 1: Understand What's Important: Why Values Matter
This activity requires students to name and order their top values.
Practice 2: Act on What’s Important: Setting Long-term and Short-term Goals
This activity requires students to identify and evaluate choices and select options that are stated in the
SMARTest terms. Students also develop a short-term goal.
Practice 3: Analyze and Build the Skill Further: Reaching Your Goals
The required tasks in this activity include writing an appropriate adjustment strategy, developing their
own long-term goals, and planning times to assess their progress.
Activity 1: Essay - Taking the First Step: Goal Setting
This activity requires students to identify and write down their goals; construct supporting short-term
goals; plan and schedule check points for determining their progress; and to evaluate their thoughts and
feelings about their values and goals.
Activity 2: Journal - Taking the First Step: Goal Setting
Students reflect on two goals that they identified in Activity 1.
PROJECT 4 TIME MANAGEMENT
The MSSL Instructor Implementation Guide provides a detailed description of each activity, teaching
suggestions, estimated student time on task for each exercise, and a grading rubric for the final activity.
Learning Path: Time Management Module
Topic Overview (Learning Objectives addressed in the Learning Path practices and activities)
 Identify effective time management strategies (Practice 1 and Practice 2)
 Explain the advantages and disadvantages of various time-management tools (Activity 2:
Journal)
 Apply your understanding of planning tools to academic situations (Practices 1 and 2, Activity 1:
Essay)
 Explain the importance of prioritizing activities (Practice 2)
 Prioritize tasks to improve how you manage your time (Practice 2)
 Plan for different time periods (Practice 1 and Activity 1)
 Evaluate how your time management plan compares with how you actually managed your time
(Activity 2: Journal)
 Recommend strategies for avoiding time-management pitfalls (Activity 2: Journal)
Video: Time Management Student Interviews
The video (run time: 06:01) contains interviews of students talking about managing their time wisely in
college.
Practice 1: Understand What’s Important: Using a Syllabus to Plan Your Time
Outcomes include planning for college work using a time management tool (a syllabus and a monthly
calendar), identifying important dates, and learning about calendaring sufficient time to meet course
responsibilities.
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Practice 2: Act on What’s Important: Creating a To-Do List and Prioritizing
This Practice involves daily planning using a time management tool (a to-do list), learning the A-B-C
prioritization system, identifying and listing tasks, and prioritizing those tasks. The prioritization requires
analytical thinking skills to read the scenario and decide how to prioritize tasks.
Activity 1: Essay - Time Management
Overview: This activity is a variation on the Time Log activity.
Activity 2: Journal - Time Management
Students identify and explain their biggest challenges to staying on track with their time.
PROJECT 5 ACTIONS AND OUTCOMES
Tell students "If you do nothing, you get nothing" and some students will nod their heads in affirmation
and other students will look at you blankly. Unfortunately many students have not experienced any type
of substantive consequence for doing nothing. They don't do their homework in high school, so they
make it up after school. They don't hand in a paper, so they’re allowed to earn extra credit later on.
They don't pass a test, so the test results are graded on a curve.
Until students stop and think about what they are doing – or not doing – they will be at the mercy of
circumstance. This project requires students to think critically about themselves so they can learn what
behaviors they need to change if they are to be successful in college.
PROJECT 6 PROBLEM SOLVING
The MSSL Instructor Implementation Guide provides a detailed description of each activity, teaching
suggestions, estimated student time on task for each exercise, and a grading rubric for the final activity.
Learning Path: Problem Solving Module
Topic Overview (Learning objectives addressed in the practices and activities in the module)
 Identify problems (Practice 1 and Activities 1 and 2)
 Define problems (Practice 1 and Activities 1 and 2)
 Analyze your problem (Practice 2 and Activities 1 and 2)
 Brainstorm possible solutions (Practice 2 and Activities 1 and 2)
 Gather information about your possible solutions (Practice 2 and Activity 1: Essay)
 Evaluate the pros and cons of possible solutions (Activity 1: Essay)
 Decide on the best possible solution. (Activities 1 and 2)
Video: Problem Solving Student Interviews
The video (04:01 run time) is a series of student interviews discussing different ways they have
approached and solved problems or challenges in college.
Practice 1: Understand What’s Important – Identifying Problems
Students will read, identify, and analyze scenarios to practice defining a problem. Students must use
critical thinking skills to complete this activity.
Practice 2: Act on What’s Important – Generating Possible Solutions
Students use critical and creative thinking skills to gather information and brainstorm possible solutions
for a problem.
Activity 1: Essay - Problem Solving
This Activity provides further development of students’ critical thinking and decision making skills. The
activities continue the problem solving process by asking students to consider potential pros and cons
and to reflect on the influence of personal, subjective factors.
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Activity 2: Journal - Problem Solving
Students consider the structured problem-solving process they just completed in Activity 1. They are
asked to reflect on how they feel about their problem-solving skills; what they learned about themselves
in this module; and what they will do differently in the future.
PROJECT 7 TIME MANAGEMENT SITUATIONS
These projects are based on real-life situations suggested by faculty and staff. While the specific details
may change, the time management dilemmas represented in each scenario are ones your students face
as well. The steps required to complete this project are a template for problem solving. As students
work through a scenario they are practicing becoming effective problem solvers by figuring out the
problem, studying it, distinguishing what aspects represent obstacles, figuring out solutions, and
carefully analyzing choices.
After each group presents their project to the whole class (either face-to-face or online), invite the class
to contribute additional ideas and suggestions. Students relate well to this project as many have
experienced similar aspects of time management problems.
The following exemplifies how students could answer the five questions per situation. You may find it
helpful to discuss Situation 1 whole class before assigning Situations 2 – 10 to individuals or groups.
Situation 1
1. John has to decide whether to study for his statistics test or to help his friend Sonia who needs a ride
to the airport so she can get to the hospital where her mother is hospitalized.
2. Either way, John will experience stress. If he does not help Sonia, he may feel he has left down a
friend during a time of need. If he does assist Sonia, he will feel stressed regarding his preparation for a
challenging test and he may feel physically stressed by driving back and forth to the airport.
3. If John has a network of friends, he could possibly access their help in giving Sonia a ride to the
airport.
4. One obvious choice is that John stays home and studies for his accounting test. With this choice he
will feel that he is well prepared to take his statistics test the following day. With a good grade in a
statistics course he is well-positioned for subsequent courses. However, a consequence is that Sonia
may not understand his decision which may jeopardize their friendship. The second obvious choice is to
bring Sonia to the airport. With this choice he will lose two hours of studying which he feels he needs
given that he finds statistics challenging. As a result he may not achieve the A on the test that he hopes
for. Depending upon how many tests are in the course, this may cost him an A for a final grade. Less
obvious choices include asking Sonia to drive while he studies in the car. This may not be practical given
Sonia’s stress level and it may be too difficult for John to read in the car. John can call a friend to see if
someone else could drive Sonia to the airport. An expensive alternative would be to call a taxi service.
5. In terms of being proactive, if we assume the professor had distributed the review handouts in
advance, John should have already studied from the review handouts. The night before a major test
should be just a quick review of information that has already been studied. In that case, John could have
driven his friend to the airport and still have felt well prepared for the statistics test the following day.
Situation 2
Stacey has to decide between spending an evening writing a five-page research due the following day in
freshman English or going to a party.
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Situation 3
Ryan has to decide between working on an online assignment due at midnight or spending quality time
with his fiancé he has not seen all week.
Situation 4
Charlie has to decide between missing his computer science class which has a strict attendance policy or
taking his girlfriend to the her scheduled U.S. Immigration regional office appointment since her
interpreter had an emergency.
Situation 5
Jan has to decide between buying her math textbook and being late for class or being on time for class
without her textbook or her homework.
Situation 6
Mark has to decide between studying for his third psychology exam or going to work where they are
short-staffed.
Situation 7
Melanie has to decide between missing an appointment for the second time with her history instructor
to understand why she is struggling on the tests or missing her ride home.
Situation 8
Josh has a migraine; he has to decide between meeting for his group presentation in his
communications course or to take his medicine, miss class, and jeopardize the group grade.
Situation 9
Maryam has to decide between participating in a state debate competition or helping to translate for a
suspension meeting that involves her younger brother.
Situation 10
Janice has to decide between doing without her human anatomy notes for a test or confronting a
classmate who has not returned her notebook.
PROJECT 8 STRESS MANAGEMENT
The MSSL Instructor Implementation Guide provides a detailed description of each activity, teaching
suggestions, estimated student time on task for each exercise, and a grading rubric for the final activity.
Learning Path: Stress Management Module
Topic Overview (Leaning objectives addressed in the module’s practices and activities)
 Identify your current stress levels (Practice 1)
 Identify side effects of stress (Practice 1 and 2)
 Analyze and recognize causes of stress (Practice 1 and 2)
 Evaluate moderate stress levels and appropriate stress management strategies (Practice 2 and
Activities 1 and 2)
 Identify high stress levels (Practice 3)
 Gather information about academic, mental, physical, and financial aid resources to help with
stress (Practice 3 and Activity 1: Essay)
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Develop a stress management plan (Activities 1 and 2)
Build awareness of your stress management abilities (Activity 2: Journal)
Video: Stress Management Student Interviews
The video (run time: 06:39) shows students discussing different strategies for relieving stress and
maintaining a positive and healthy attitude.
Practice 1: Understand What’s Important- What Are My Current Stress Levels?
Students identify early warning signs and symptoms of stress as well as prevention strategies.
Practice 2: Act on What’s Important-What to Do When You Miss the Warning Signs
Students develop a deeper understanding and recognition of early warning signs and prevention
strategies. They will understand the difference between prevention strategies and intervention
strategies.
Practice 3: Analyze and Build this Skill Further: High Stress Levels and Interventions
Students identify more serious implications of a negative stress zone and develop an intervention plan.
Activity 1: Essay - Stress Management
Students synthesize and apply all the skills used in the Practice activities and develop an effective,
meaningful stress management.
Activity 2: Journal - Stress Management
Students reflect on how well they manage stress, in terms of their stress management strengths and
weaknesses. They describe how they plan to handle stress differently this term, if at all, after working
through the activities in this module.
CHAPTER 3 STUDY SKILLS
The projects in this chapter are both practical and comprehensive. As a mainstay in all college success
courses, study skills are often taught in a didactic, prescriptive do-it-this-way approach. It is significantly
more effective to engage students in projects where they use and connect what they have experienced
about school and studying, success and failure, and to seek new ideas and concepts that they believe
will work. Similar to Chapter 2, a number of the projects integrate MyStudentSuccessLab.com so that
students can accelerate or decelerate to accommodate both their personal schedules and learning
styles. You may want to introduce the MSSL modules upfront and then set completion dates at intervals
throughout the semester.
CHAPTER 3 PROJECT SUMMARIES
Project 1
Project Type:
Project Inquiry:
Learning Objective:
Study Skills Basics
Group
How do you study effectively?
Students will analyze factors that contribute to how they learn and
study.
Project 2
Project Type:
Project Inquiry:
Learning Objective:
Listening & Taking Notes
MSSL
How do you take good notes in class?
Students will explain how to listen for and take good notes in class.
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