Making the Grade - How to Study at the College Level- by Mark Pruitt
What is the hardest thing about college? Right - the studying part... Are your students ready? Making the Grade -How to Study at the College Level by Mark Pruitt gives you the tools you need to make sure they have developed the study skills they will need.
Mark Pruitt is the Associate Director of Admissions at Harding University. He has written this study skills program to help your college students develop great study skill and "dominate" their college classes with excellent study skills.
The Course consists of three components:
- The Book - a 200 + page, softcover guide.
- The Student Workbook - 10 days of lessons with worksheets, quizzes, and a final exam
- The DVD - 3 sections.
Let me tell you about each part. First, the book. It's really much more than just how to develop great study habits, it's also filled with inspiration on time management and college life skills! A perfect book for your high school or college age student to read. Mark's book is written directly to the student, broken down into short, easy lessons. Each short chapter is actually a lesson. Some lessons are only a page long, making this an easy addition to your student's schedule.
The basic study skills program is a 4 step system (you'll have to buy the program to learn them). What I love is how this author relates to students. His experience with college students shows through in his writing. Now that I have 2 college students myself, I relate!
The section on time management s filled with bits of wisdom for students. From daily naps to "spontaneity kills" these chapters will help your student with practical steps to getting control of their most precious resource and defeating common "time bombs" of stress and discouragement.
The final section - "Pruitt's Course on College Life" is my favorite. It's basically a pep talk for college - what to expect, how to succeed and an honest look at some "dos" and "don'ts".
The Workbook is a companion with both student and teacher sections. It takes the lessons in the book and creates a 10 day, self-paced study course with the book and DVD . This should be a required course for your high school students that are heading off to college!
The focus is on learning to take great notes, write papers, read effectively, take tests, turn in great projects, manage time, and generally have a great college experience.
The DVD is broken into 3 sections: How to "Dominate your College Classes", "How to take Great Notes" and "How to Manage your Time so you can have a life". Mark teaches directly to the student on these recorded lessons. I enjoyed watching him myself, it's a great introduction to college style learning!
Overall, I was genuinely impressed with Making the Grade. My two oldest are current college students. I asked them to read it, and watch some of the teaching. They both agreed it was filled with practical tips they could easily implement. Their first semester grades reflected what they had learned... both have 4.0 GPA and made the Provost's List!
I highly recommend Making the Grade! It's practical and easy-to-use. Mark Pruitt generously shares his years of wisdom with your student, it's like getting a personal college counselor. I think, this book would also make a great graduation gift for those Seniors in your life. If you have students heading off to college, do them a favor and buy them this program!
Disclaimer:
I was given a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.
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