620 College Success 160 classes

Prerequisite(s): English VI (or equivalent)

Textbooks: Carolyn H. Hopper, Practicing College Learning Strategies, Houghton Mifflin, 2004 (or comparable text).

Course Description: While developing English language skills, College Success is designed to inform students about American colleges and teach strategies that aid college success. The course will be taught in a small class environment with lecture, discussion, small group work, and individual student presentations. Course topics will include an overview of American higher education and an introduction to the college application process, to learning psychology, and to life and lifelong learning strategies that make for successful postsecondary learners.

Objectives: By the end of the course, students are expected:

• to understand English language explanations of the American system of education;
• to communicate about differences between American and home country colleges;
• to read American college catalogs and other postsecondary promotional material and demonstrate understanding of concepts and terminology;
• to locate and understand information for international students on college web-sites or in college publications;
• to write an autobiographical or other personal essay in English in a format typically found on college applications at the Advanced ESL/TOEFL level; and
• to read, write, and talk about learning styles and other aspects of cognitive psychology affecting individual learning.

Instructional Methods: Students will listen to mini-lectures, take notes, read textbook and source material, work in small groups, discuss, present, and write shorter and longer responses to questions arising from classwork. Textbook reading and exercises will be supplemented with actual college catalogs, model syllabi, and resource material such as the CUNY Undergraduate Admissions Guide

Grading: The final grade is based on the following:

Class Participation	25%
Assignments	50%
Exams	25%
Total	100%

The grading scale is: A=90-100%, B+=85-89%, B=80-84%, C+=75-79%, C=70-74%, D=65-69%, F=60-64%

Course Outline:

Weeks	Topics	Assignments and Tests
1-2	Understanding American colleges: terminology of American education Practice accessing college information on the web.	PP. 1-35, CUNY Guide, question formation and explanation of a degree program of interest.
3-4	Applying to college. Transcript and transfer credit evaluations for international students.	Read pp. 236-23. Compile a checklist of CUNY application requirements for international students. Complete the sample CUNY admissions application
5-6	Understanding American classroom culture. Estimating the time required for assignments	Read pp. 245-46. Read pp. 15-16. “What’s Your Advice?” case--p. 251 summarize her problems and make recommendations with reasons..
7-8	Using chapter map and other textbook learning aids. Locating and understanding bibliographic information. Mapping (textbook note-taking). Learning styles.	Read "practice with mapping" p. 133 “What’s Your Advice?” case study-p. 120—summarize problems and provide recommendations with reasons Read pp. 115-116, 125, 127-30. Complete the exercise on p. 126. Complete practice quiz 129.
9-10	Mapping. Individual learning profiles. Review for exam, week 8.	Map Chapter 7. Read pp. 147-156. Do questionnaire on pp. 149-151. Bi-monthly exam, week 8.
11-12	Understanding how you process information. Sensory modes of learning. Multiple intelligences	Read pp. 157-170. Answer all questions, in writing. Complete the Sensory Modality Inventory, pp. 158-160. Complete the "Social Inventory." p. 164.
13-14	Using multiple intelligences to make decisions. Compiling individual learning profile.	Complete the learning profile inventory on p. 174. “What’s Your Advice?” case study-176. Summarize the students’ problems and provide recommendations.
15-16	Understanding and improving memory Review for exam, week 16.	Read pp. 67-71. Summarize the passage. Read pp. 74 (bottom) to 92. Answer all questions. Explain in writing how Kelly puts these memory principles to work as described on p. 83. “What’s Your Advice?” case study, p. 96. Summarize Marlene’s problems and provide recommendations. Bi-monthly exam, week 16.
19	Lifestyle management and college success: time, stress, and financial management. Typical distribution of exams, assignments, and other requirements in a 15-week semester. Analogies.	5-day Time Log exercise, p. 19. Explain the analogy between spending time and spending money in the critical thinking exercise, p. 16. “What’s Your Advice?” case study, p. 35. Summarize Philip’s problems and provide recommendations.
20-21	Stress management American concept of self-help therapies. Review for exam, week 16.	Read pp. 229. “What’s Your Advice?” case study, p. 233. Summarize John’s problems and provide recommendations. Bi-monthly exam, week 16.
22-23	Financial management: Estimating college costs. Video : Master Your Future. 8 video worksheets : budgeting, banking, credit card statements, etc.	Obtain a credit card promotional offer. Explain all the costs associated with having that credit card Explain why Jenny needs a credit reality check, based on the data in Worksheet 8.
24	Test-taking strategies Defining the level of critical thinking required for the 15 questions on p. 205.	Rate your test-taking strategies using the inventory on pp. 179-180. Read pp. 179-204 and 213 and complete all exercises. “What’s Your Advice?” case study, p. 219. Summarize the students’ problems and provide recommendations
25-26	Literacy and information literacy. Complete on-line Tutorial #1: Spanish-American Institute Library Catalog: Basic Searching. Narrowing searches. Complete on-line Tutorial #2: Spanish-American Institute Library Catalog: Advanced Searching. . Obtaining a public library card. Review for test, week 24	Read pp. 253-269, doing all exercises. E-mail a library catalog listing for a search about dogs to yourself, print it out, and bring to class. Present proof of a NYPL card Bi-monthly exam, week 24.
27-28	Information literacy: using on-line electronic periodical databases. On-line Tutorial #3: Searching Periodical Database. Narrowing the search. Using other libraries’ on-line databases. Finding, downloading, and e-mailing a full-text article.	Chapter 11 readings and exercises, as assigned. Repeat the assignments for weeks 35-38, substituting searches in periodical databases for book titles. What’s Your Advice?” case study, p. 271. Summarize Nathan’s problems and provide recommendations.
29-30	Thinking critically. Learning hierarchies.	Read pp. 37-44 doing all exercises.. “What’s Your Advice?” case study, p. 47. Summarize Nenia’s problems and provide recommendations.
31-32	Developing good Internet research skills. Complete on-line Tutorial #4: Spanish-American Institute Library Catalog: Developing Good Research Skills Using the Internet. Assessing information validity. Review for exam, week 32	Read pp. 263-266 and do all exercises. Locate three on-line references for a famous person—a book, a periodical article, and an Internet site with complete bibliographical information. Describe why each is a valid source. Bi-monthly exam, week 32.

rev.10/06, 2/07; 5/08