Transition Culture Shock

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Transition Culture Shock

• Students Academic Adjustment to Drake

Chrystal Stanley, PhD
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Transitioning to the Next Environment

• Cultural Awareness
• Language
• Expectations
• Values

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Language

• Higher Education
• Provost/Dean
• Degree Audit
• Academic Progress
• Drake
• Halls
• Engaged Citizen (service learning/internship)
• Alphabet Soup
• AOI, PCDS, CAPS, FYS, etc.

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Expectations
High School Drake University
You will usually be told what to do and corrected if behavior is out of line. You are expected to take responsibility for what you do and don't do, as well as for the consequences of your decisions.
You will usually be told in class what you need to learn from assigned readings. It's up to you to read and understand the assigned material lectures and assignments proceed from the assumption that you've already done so.
Mastery is usually seen as the ability to reproduce what you were taught in the form in which it was presented to you, or to solve the kinds of problems you were shown how to solve. Mastery is often seen as the ability to apply what you've learned to new situations or to solve new kinds of problems.
Effort counts. Courses are usually structured to reward a "good-faith effort." Results count. Though "good-faith effort" is important in regard to the professor's willingness to help you achieve good results, it will not substitute for results in the grading process.
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Values Differences

• High School
• Teachers, support staff, and parents advocate for
  student needs.
• Values effort on the part of the student.

• Drake University
• Students are expected to advocate for themselves.
• Values action, independence, and results on the
  part of the student.

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Understanding the Next Environment

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The Freshman Myth

• Overly optimistic and confident in their ability
  to manage the challenges they will encounter at
  college
• SKNSB Syndrome
• Success in high school will translate into college

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The Freshman Myth

• An estimated 18 million students enrolled in
  college in 2010 nearly 34 dropped out in the
  first year because they were over confident,
  under-prepared and lacked realistic expectations
  about college.
• From U.S. Census and American College Testing
  Program

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Preparation is Key to Success

• How YOU as an FYS professor can help!

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Understand Learning Styles

• Visual
• Auditory (Verbal)
• Kinesthetic (Active)
• Reflective
• Sensing (facts)
• Intuitive (possibilities relationships)
• Global (big picture)
• Sequential (linear)
• Pashler, H., et. al. (2009). Learning styles
  Concepts and evidence. Psychological Science in
  the Public Interest, 9 (3), 105-119. - See more
  at http//www.facultyfocus.com/articles/learning-
  styles/whats-story-learning-styles/sthash.LSJGRKh
  U.dpuf

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Advice to Students

• Take control of your own education think of
  yourself as a scholar.
• Get to know your professors they are your single
  greatest resource.
• Be assertive. Create your own support systems,
  and seek help when you realize you may need it.
• Take control of your time. Plan ahead to satisfy
  academic obligations and make room for everything
  else.
• Stretch yourself enroll in at least one course
  that really challenges you.
• Make thoughtful decisions don't take a course
  just to satisfy a requirement, and don't drop any
  course too quickly.
• Think beyond the moment set goals for the
  semester, the year, your college career.

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Invite Academic Achievement Staff to Class

• Chrystal Stanley Academic Achievement Career
  Exploration
• Bryan Thomas, Jr. Success Programs
• Michelle Laughlin Disability Services

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Questions and Comments

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