The Gaetz Aerospace Institute is an enhanced concurrent enrollment program. You will be taking the same course offered to students on the Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach campus, and you will be assessed accordingly. You will have the added benefit of support from familiar teachers and counselors; nevertheless, the course will be a challenge – one that will stimulate you, inspire you, and prepare you for your college career. University courses differ from high school courses in significant ways. As a concurrent enrolled student, you:
- Move from teacher-supported to student-directed learning. This means you need to take on more personal responsibility for time management, effective study skills, and content knowledge.
- Apply university-level study skills. Strategic learning skills that you need to apply include note taking; active reading; active listening; writing with purpose (including planning, drafting, revision, and editing); effective presentation and speaking; content synthesis and application; time management; and memorizing and mnemonics.
- Read, understand, and synthesize at a university level. The number of textbook pages assigned increases from what you are accustomed to, and concepts and vocabulary are more challenging.
- Think conceptually. Don’t just report information. Engage; think about diverse perspectives and ideas.
- Read assigned material even if it is not covered in class. Professors often use textbook chapters to complement and amplify their lectures and seminars. Even if the reading assignment is not raised in class, content from it may still be part of an assignment or test. Use your technology, i.e. Facebook and Twitter, to connect with other students along with Google Scholar and YouTube for supplemental materials.
- Take extensive and competent class notes. Because much of the course material will be transmitted via lecture and seminar discussion, the notes you take in class are as crucial as the material in your textbook. Don’t let your notes sit - you need to actively engage with your notes; ideas include creating outlines, graphic organizers, and other summaries.
- Keep pace with the course. University courses – especially survey courses – move swiftly through content, covering many concepts and time periods over a semester.
- Study an appropriate number of hours outside of class. Typically a university student is expected to study, during a three-credit course, three to five hours outside class per week.
- Be prepared for different kinds of assessment. University courses can use a combination of class participation, pop quizzes, short tests, long exams, long research papers, short papers, portfolios, group assignments, and presentations as forms of assessment.
- Understand that quality will count more than quantity. Although effort is appreciated at the university-level, the majority of your grade will be based on an assessment of your grasp of a course’s concepts and materials and your ability to apply them at a university-level.
- Show integrity. Academic integrity is expected of all students doing University work. You must commit to the values of honesty, trustworthiness, fairness, and respect. Cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty are not tolerated. See Embry-Riddle’s Academic Integrity Policy.
- Form peer groups for mutual support. Teamwork is a highly valued skill, so consider forming a peer group to support your note-taking, test-reviewing, brainstorming, and proofreading of essays.
- Take advantage of support materials and structures. For instance, your textbook might come with a CD-ROM/DVD, websites, self-tests, or checklists. Learn to use all of these as study aids. In addition, learn to use the Hunt Library database and other scholarly websites that support your subject. If your instructor holds office hours, take advantage and go to them armed with intelligent questions.
- Get organized. If you do not yet keep a planner – hard copy or electronic – start one to help you manage your time effectively as you juggle studying, extra-curricula activities, jobs, family commitments, and socializing.
- Seek balance. Remember that too much studying can be detrimental to your health and your ability to do good work. Organize your time so that you balance work with stress-reducing activities such as athletics/fitness, friends, and hobbies.