Succeeding at Psyc 3310

Psychology is in general a straightforward topic, although contrary to public opinion, it is not all common sense.  Many students do well in this course, though a significant number of students do have difficulty.  So here are my top 10 tips for failing and succeeding in this course, as well as some additional pearls of wisdom:

  1. Top 10 Ways to Fail at Psyc 3310
  2. Top 10 Ways to Succeed at Psyc 3310
  3. Paper Writing 911
  4. Test Taking 911

Top 10 Ways to Fail at Psyc 3310

  1. Login to WebCT for the first time the day after the final exam.
  2. Marathon the readings the night before the exam
  3. Marathon the lectures the night before the exam.
  4. Marathon both the lectures and the readings the night before the exam (are there enough hours in the day to actually do that?).
  5. Believe that studying definitions will be enough to pass the exam.
  6. Ignore the deadlines in the syllabus -- they're flexible, right?
  7. Wait until the last minute to turn in your writing assignments (If you believe in Murphy's Law, you'll be guaranteed that the deadline will strike before you get your paper fully uploaded and submitted).
  8. Plagiarize Plagiarize Plagiarize!!
  9. Ignore the instructions on the assignment sheet.
  10. Don't participate in the course discussions.

Top 10 Ways to Succeed at Psyc 3310

  1. Make time for class -- just because it's distance ed doesn't mean it takes less work or time than a traditional class; in fact, it often takes more time!  Pretend this is a traditional course -- lock yourself in the bathroom if you have to, but set aside an uninterrupted period of time to watch the lectures every week, and to read the assignments and actively engage the material.
  2. Check WebCT daily -- most of the time you'll spend only a few minutes online, just to check mail and discussion board announcements. 
  3. Read the assigned readings first (including those outside the texts!), then watch the lectures every week (usually a lot of what is in the readings is clarified in the lectures)-- Don't wait till the night before the exam!
  4. Make sure you know when all the deadlines are, and make sure you're on top of them -- all deadlines are listed in both the syllabus and the calendar tool... and they're non-negotiable.
  5. Start studying for the exam at least a week in advance -- do a little every day, instead of waiting till the night before.
  6. Study more than definitions for the exam -- understand the theories we learn about in class, and how they might apply in real situations; a great study technique is to write test questions based on the material;  What do you think the test makers do?
  7. Have your written assignments ready a day before the deadline -- that way you'll have plenty of time to submit your assignment and deal with any problems that may arise. 
  8. Follow instructions on the assignment sheet, and do what is asked of you. 
  9. Follow APA style when writing your assignments. 
  10. Don't ignore course discussions.  They are worth an entire letter grade!. 

Paper Writing 911

For your second paper in particular, you'll need to be adept at writing in the scientific style of psychology.  Most papers in psychology include some kind of literature review -- this is what you need to be good at, as it will be the evidentiary support for the points you will make in your paper.  There are several good books and resources that can help you on this matter, if you are not already familiar with this style:

Rosnow, R. & Rosnow, M. (2002).  Writing Papers in Psychology, 6th ed.  Wadsworth Publishing.
Sternberg, R. (1993).  The Psycyhologist's Companion:  A Guide to Scientific Writing for Students and Researchers, 3rd ed. Cambridge University Press (Note:  great book for writing papers, but not for APA style tips:  there have been two editions of the APA Publication Manual since this book was published -- see below for APA style help)
Gelfand, H. & Walker, C., eds. (2002).  Mastering APA Style:  Student's Workbook and Training Guide.  American Psychological Association.
APA Style Helper 3.0 [computer software]
APA Style Tips (APA's list of FAQ about APA style)

I also highly encourage you to avail yourself of the Writing Center on campus.  They are thoroughly familiar with APA style, scientific writing in psychology, and can help you better organize your papers so that your assignments will be a success.  Visit them in Agnes Arnold Hall or call them at 713-743-3016.

Test Taking 911

The best thing I can tell you about succeeding on your Psyc 3310 tests is don't memorize!!  Well, or at least, don't just memorize.  Think about the concepts that we discuss in class would apply to real situations.  Make up scenarios and think about how the scenario would play out according to the theory or concept in question.  One of the best strategies you can use for this course is to make up your own exam questions, and make sure you know the answers to them.  What do you think test writers do?  If you write questions and I write questions about the same material, chances are we're going to come up with some questions that are similar. 

And again, I encourage you to take advantage of Learning Support Services if you have problems or difficulty taking exams.  They can help you with better note taking strategies, better preparation for the exam, and stress reducing techniques for those of you who get anxious at test time.  Visit them in the Social Work Buildinger, or call them at 713-743-5411.