COUN 160: Strategies for College Success

Citrus College Course Outline of Record

Citrus College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Spring 2024
Credits: 3
Total Contact Hours: 54
Lecture Hours : 54
Lab Hours: 0
Hours Arranged: 0
Outside of Class Hours: 108
Total Student Learning Hours: 162
Strongly Recommended: ENGL 101.
Transferable to CSU: Yes
Transferable to UC: Yes - Approved
Grading Method: Standard Letter

Catalog Course Description

A course designed to give students the opportunity to create and change their habits and vision in order to have a rich, full, and rewarding scholastic life through adoption of positive attitude and critical thinking techniques. The course integrates the intellectual, physiological, social, and psychological aspects of being a college student. Learning strategies will be introduced that can be immediately and continuously applied so that students leave the course with confidence, enthusiasm, and a passion to succeed. 54 lecture hours.

Course Objectives

  • Personal Growth and Values
  • develop study skills required to comprehend and synthesize college level assignments
  • appraise principles of learning and forgetting and practice mnemonic devices and concentration techniques
  • apply lecture notetaking technique to lectures from the current semester
  • assess textbook studying techniques and employ them to current textbooks
  • compare and contrast study techniques for math, science, and liberal arts courses
  • formulate test taking strategies for both objective and essay exams prepare practice exams and practice exams questions
  • employ the use of computers to library research
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • examine critical analysis techniques and demonstrate those techniques using problem solving and decision making models
  • apply decision making skills on an individual basis related to long and short term academic goals
  • analyze personal growth and values, assess study strategies and critical and creative thinking methods
  • analyze motivations and examine interactions within local college and world communities with respect to developing intercultural awareness
  • develop attitudes necessary for success emphasizing personal responsibility
  • develop decision-making skills related to long and short-term personal goals
  • assess wellness concepts, including stress, diet, sleep and exercise and develop a personal health assessment and action plan
  • evaluate learning styles including multiple intelligence's and apply them to life-long learning
  • examine personal and educational values and compare those values to those of diverse cultures
  • develop and implement effective communication techniques that promote academic success including effective instructor student relationships
  • Academic Study Strategies

Major Course Content

  1. Personal Growth and Values
    1. Life Management
      1. Setting goals and priorities, making decisions
      2. Time and energy management
      3. Motivation and procrastination
      4. Taking responsibility and overcoming fear
      5. Self-esteem and self-awareness
      6. Application of management skills to current classes
      7. Organization
    2. Learning Styles
      1. Active and passive learning
      2. Brain dominance: left and right brain learning
      3. Learning styles
      4. Self-directed and collaborative learning
      5. Visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile learning modes
      6. Application of learning styles theory to current classes
      7. Multiple intelligences
    3. Personal and Educational Values
      1. Personal values, identity, and cultural
      2. Taking responsibility for educational goals
      3. Educational and intellectual values
      4. Life span transitions and how this effects decision making
      5. Exploration of college majors and careers
    4. Communication Strategies and The College Environment
      1. Instructor requirements and student responsibilities
      2. Assertive and passive behaviors
      3. Speaking and listening in the classroom
      4. Networking with other students
      5. Communication and academic freedom
    5. Maintaining Health
      1. Healthy, balanced lifestyle and the mind/body interplay
      2. Managing stress and relaxation techniques
      3. Dietary, sleep, and exercise requirements
      4. Drug and alcohol usage
      5. Academic Study Strategies
  2. Academic Study Strategies
    1. Strengthening Memory and Concentration
      1. Principles of learning and forgetting
      2. Short and long term memory
      3. Recognition and recall techniques
      4. Concentration techniques and self-discipline
      5. Mnemonic devices
      6. Application of memory and concentration to current classes
    2. Lecture Notetaking
      1. Active listening
      2. Key lecture notetaking techniques
      3. Class participation
      4. Application of lecture notetaking to current classes
    3. Textbook Study Systems
      1. Survey of textbooks and chapters
      2. SQ5R, SOAR and other textbook study techniques
      3. Textbook reading techniques: topic sentences, main ideas, summarizing
      4. Textbook notetaking techniques: lists, cards, mapping, outlining, summarizing
      5. Textbook marking
      6. Application of textbook study systems to current classes
    4. Subject-Specific Study Techniques
      1. Math
      2. Science
      3. Liberal Arts
      4. Application of subject-specific study techniques to current classes
    5. Text Taking
      1. Test-taking anxiety; visualization and relaxation techniques
      2. Text preparation and test-taking strategies
      3. Objective exams
      4. Essay exams
      5. Application of test taking to current classes
    6. Using the Library
      1. Research materials and techniques
      2. Use of computers for library research (the library's two hour orientation is highly recommended)
    7. Exploring Higher Education at Citrus College
      1. Philosophies of higher education and the higher education systems
      2. Exploration of Citrus College support systems
      3. Formulating a student educational plan
      4. Degree requirements
      5. Transfer issues and requirements
      6. Career and transfer centers tour
      7. ASSIST and what it can do for you
      8. EUREKA
  3. Critical and Creative Thinking
    1. Critical Analysis and Problem Solving
      1. Qualities of a critical thinker
      2. Problem solving and decision making strategies
      3. Analytical and systematic approaches to problem solving
      4. Assumptions, evidence, arguments, judgment, evaluation, explanation
      5. Application of critical analysis and problem skills to academic classes
    2. Creative and Visual Thinking
      1. Relational, affective, lateral thinking style
      2. Idea generation, intuition, imagination, puzzles, patterns, curiosity
      3. Mind mapping
      4. Application of creative and visual thinking skills to academic classes
      5. Brainstorming, collaboration, risk-taking

Suggested Reading Other Than Required Textbook

Assigned Readings

Examples of Required Writing Assignments

Write UC Personal Statement.

Examples of Outside Assignments

1. A 2-3 page educational profile 2. Written reflection on long term, mid term, short term educational and personal goals 3. 2-3 page outline of educational research 4. 5 page term paper on educational path

Instruction Type(s)

Lecture, Online Education Lecture