Issue #17

April 15, 2008

Welcome to the seventeenth issue of the First Year Weekly Newsletter. The First Year Weekly Newsletter provides you with information, tips, and strategies to help you be successful at Cal Poly. Each Wednesday, you'll receive a copy of the newsletter. If you do not want to receive the newsletter, please send a reply to the email your received with "Please remove me from this list - along with your first initial and last name" as your reply message.

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Study Skills Tip of the Week: Six Tips For Studying Smart

In Real College: The Essential Guide to Student Life , Douglas Stone and Elizabeth Tippett offer six tips that don't take much extra effort, but can have a big payoff in terms of learning.

Study in Groups : Studying can be like working out: if you involve a friend, you're more likely to do it. Talking about material with others, moreover, makes it more interesting and helps you remember it. If you can explain it to someone else, you probably really know it.

'Study' the Syllabus : Don't think of the class syllabus as just a bunch of reading assignments. Instead, think of it as a blueprint for the course. Use the syllabus to help you identify the big questions of the course.  As you study for an exam, imagine that it will ask, "Why is the syllabus organized the way it is and what does that tell us about my view of what we are learning?"

Ask Yourself: "Why Are We Reading This?" Read with questions in mind. Why does the reading belong in the course? How does the reading relate to other material we've read?

Find the Right Role for Your Own Opinions: Your opinions matter, but you need to earn the right to critique a reading. Before thinking and clarifying your own reactions to a text, make sure that you understand the author's insights or argument. Most folks will be more willing to listen to your opinions if you can demonstrate that you really understand the text you're responding to.

Don't Gloss Over Contradictions:   Don't assume everything fits neatly together or that your argument has to account for everything. Pay attention to the things that don't fit. Be aware of the limits of your argument and acknowledge the things that don't fit. If you pay attention to the things that don't fit, you'll make stronger arguments.

In Math and Science, Do Practice Problems : You need to go beyond "plug and chug" and memorizing formulas. You need to understand the formulas and be able to apply them to new situations. Make sure that you look at the sample problems in the book. Try doing them before looking at the solutions. Try doing some problems that aren't assigned as you prepare for tests.

 

Healthy Living Tip of the Week: Hearing Loss and MP3 Players

Do you own an MP3 player? Do you listen to music frequently with headphones? Do you plan to have your hearing at the age of 30? 40? 50? Hearing experts are concerned that MP3 players such as the iPod can cause permanent hearing loss. Unfortunately, the loss may not be apparent for years to come and we don't feel hearing loss occurring. The American Speech Language Hearing Association recommends replacing the popular earbud-style speakers since they may lead to more hearing loss than noise-canceling or more traditional headphones. More traditional headphones cover the ear and block more background noise allowing you to play your music at lower volumes. So how do you know if your music is too loud? According to the Mayo Clinic, your music is too loud if:

•  Your MP3 player volume is set higher than 60 percent of the maximum

•  You can't hear conversations going on around you

•  People near you can hear your music

•  You find yourself shouting instead of talking when you respond to people nearby

The National Institute of Health, moreover, recommends that you limit your use of portable music players with headphones to no more than one hour per day! Remember, by playing your music too loudly, you can do permanent damage to your hearing. To read more about hearing loss and portable music players, check out: CNN Hearing Risk

 

Resource of the Week: Open House

Open House is an annual Cal Poly event that showcases the campus to admitted and current students, their supporters, alumni, and the San Luis Obispo community. The three-day event is the culmination of an entire year of hard work and dedication by a committee of student volunteers working under Student Life & Leadership's Orientation Programs, in collaboration with the community, student clubs, faculty, and staff.

Open House began in 1994 and has its roots in Poly Royal with the added Friday activities such as University Welcome, College Welcomes, Friday Nite Invite, and many more fun activities.

Cal Poly's Admitted Students' Preview Day is a great way to get to know the Cal Poly campus. Students and their supporters will have a chance to hear from President Baker; visit with college deans, faculty, and current students; discover the many available resources and take tours of the campus.

Saturday's events are open to the public. The day starts off with a parade that includes Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo organizations. After the parade, the Club Showcase begins. This includes demonstrations and concession booths representing more than 200 campus groups. There will also be a Kids' Fair with many kid- and family-friendly activities.

Important Parking Message for the Cal Poly Community
Open House is welcoming more than 7,000 guests to Cal Poly on Friday, April 18th! Please help us make this a great experience for both you and our guests by using an alternate form of transportation to avoid the expected traffic. Thank you for keeping Open House open!  

For more information go to Open House

 

Quote of the Week:

The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by
the compassionate actions of its members, a heart of grace, and
a soul generated by love.
-Coretta Scott King