Learning Guide Unit 3
Site: University of the People Printed by: Pride Lafon
Course: UNIV 1001-01 Online Education Strategies - AY2025-T1 Date: Monday, 23 September 2024, 11:43 PM
Book: Learning Guide Unit 3
Table of contents
Overview
Time Management, Graduation, and Career Planning
Time Management
Time Management Strategies
Planning for Graduation and Career
Career Service Center
Advisement Resources
Discussion Forum
Learning Journal
Self-Quiz
Graded Quiz
Reading and Other Resource List
Overview
Unit 3: Time Management, Graduation, and Career Planning
Topics
Time management strategies
Career planning
Program advisement
Learning Objectives
By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:
1. Identify time management strategies
2. Use resources for career development
3. Recall how to navigate to Advisement Resources
Tasks
Read the Learning Guide and the Reading Assignment
Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, and comment in the Discussion Forum)
Complete an entry in the Learning Journal
Take the Self-Quiz
Take the Graded Quiz
Time Management, Graduation, and Career Planning
Introduction
Let's begin!
Be sure to go through the entire Learning Guide.
Since you’re reading this now, chances are very good you’re already on your learning
journey. That means you’ve already set at least one goal for yourself—to get a college
education—and that you’ve been motivated to come this far. You should feel good
about that, because lots of people don’t make it this far. You’re off to a great first
step!
But did you know that in many colleges in the United States, almost half of first-year
college students will not make it to graduation? This varies widely among different
colleges. Ask your instructor if he or she knows the graduation rate at your college, or
you research this topic on your own. Knowing this can be important, because peer
pressure (whether to succeed or to be lax and possibly drop out later) can be an
important factor in your success.
If you want to be among the students who do succeed, it’s important to accept that college is not easy for most students. But we’re not
trying to scare or depress you! The evidence shows that the huge majority of those who really want to finish college can do so
successfully, if they stay motivated and learn how to succeed. That’s what this course is all about. But it may take some effort.
Succeeding in college involves paying attention to your studies in ways you may not have had to in your former life.
In fact, time management skills can make the difference between those who graduate from college and those who drop out. Time
management is actually all about managing yourself: knowing what you want, deciding how to get what you want, and then efficiently
and effectively getting it. That applies to fun things, too. In fact, you may want to think of the goal of this unit as not just managing your
time for studying but ensuring that even as you do well in your studies, you’re still enjoying your life while in college!
READ: College Success Chapter 2: Staying Motivated, Organized, and On Track. Pay special attention to the introduction of this chapter,
as well as section 2.3, Organizing your Time.
Tips for Success
Practice time management. Just like being organized is important, it also goes hand-in-hand with time management. Time
management makes it possible to optimize your time and use it wisely. By being able to get more done in the same amount of
time, you will be able to reduce feelings of stress.
Time Management
While we will explore time management strategies in Unit 7, it’s never too early to think about time management. The TED talk from Tim
Urban and example study plan below are here to help you start thinking about how to manage your time as a new college student.
Watch: Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator
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this issue, please update your settings to allow 3rd party cookies.
Tim Urban knows that procrastination doesn't make sense, but he's never been able to shake his habit of waiting until the last minute to
get things done. In this hilarious and insightful talk, Urban takes us on a journey through YouTube binges, Wikipedia rabbit holes and
bouts of staring out the window -- and encourages us to think harder about what we're really procrastinating on, before we run out of
time.
READ: UoPeople's Example Study Plans (PDF) to help prepare you for studying in college.
Time Management Strategies
We will now explore some strategies that you can begin using immediately to make the most of your time. From the list below, select
each of the strategies to reveal details on how to successfully achieve them.
Prepare to be successful.
Use your best—and most appropriate—time of day.
Break up large projects into small pieces.
Do the most important studying first.
If you are having trouble getting started.
If you're feeling overwhelmed and stressed.
If you’re really floundering, talk to someone.
Take a break.
Use unscheduled times to work ahead.
Keep your momentum.
Reward yourself.
Just say no.
Have a life.
Use a calendar planner and daily to-do list.
Planning for Graduation and Career
We all have life goals or objectives—some are clearer than others, but they are there.
You may think of your objectives in terms of finances (to hold a job that allows you to
be financially independent, for example), or perhaps your goals are more personal (to
be married and have a family). They might be specific (pay off my student loans
within three years of leaving college) or very general (to do good). Regardless of what
they may be, they are all important because they influence the decisions you are
making today about your future.
Understanding what motivates your goals and aspirations is essential because you
are then better able to prioritize your thoughts about the future and identify new options that you may not have thought of before that
will bring you fulfillment. Beware of accepting dreams others may have for you as your own (“I want to finish college to make my parents
proud” or “I want to complete my associate’s degree because my friend says I can get a better job”). These are not necessarily bad
dreams to pursue, but they will lead to genuine fulfillment only if they are your dreams.
READ: College Success: Chapter 12: Taking Control of Your Future.
Career Service Center
University of the People’s Career Service Center (located in the Student Portal and not Moodle) offers career guidance and advising for
professional discovery and success during, as well as following, the completion of a UoPeople degree. The University of the People
Career Service Center offers students comprehensive, expert guidance as well as tools to improve vital professional skills pertinent to
the business world, including:
Resume building and cover letter writing
Job searching skills
Interviewing techniques
Professional networking skills
Career planning in the area of one’s major (i.e. business, computer science)
The Career Service Center is accessible to students throughout the course of their studies, as well as after they become graduates.
Whether students are thinking about their first professional job in the workplace, wish to enhance their skills in their current field, or are
considering a career change, the Career Service Center offers vital tools to help them succeed.
As part of our commitment to further serve our students and alumni from admission through graduation and beyond, we are pleased to
offer the UoPeople Career Service Center.
Watch: UoPeople Career Center and Life After College
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Knowledge Check
Read the question, then click on the question to reveal the answer.
How can UoPeople help me with my career?
Advisement Resources
The Office of Program Advising is a unique program offered to our students in order to provide support and guidance throughout their
academic journey at UoPeople.
Each student will be connected with a personal Program Advisor at the commencement of their studies, who will remain with them until
graduation.
The student’s personal Program Advisor acts as his/her support system throughout their studies by serving as the individual point of
contact at UoPeople. He/she will be happy to answer any questions the student may have, discuss course selection, and offer
encouragement throughout the student’s studies. The Program Advisor will help to minimize student’s challenges, and guide them
throughout their academic studies. You may contact the Program Advising Office [email protected].
Program Advising Guidance
Take a moment to review the following guidance documents (PDF download) provided by the Office of Program Advisors to learn more
about your program of interest.
Program Advising Guidance for Business Administration (PDF)
Program Advising Guidance for Computer Science and Information Technology (PDF)
Program Advising Guidance for Graduate Education (PDF)
Program Advising Guidance for Health Sciences (PDF)
Discussion Forum
After reviewing the readings for the week, share with the class which time management strategies you are currently using or are going
to start using. If you have already started, what is going well? What is not going so well? If you are starting new habits, what do you
need to change in your routine to be successful?
Your post should be between 150 and 300 words. Remember to post as early as possible, preferably by Sunday evening, in order to
allow time for you and your classmates to contribute to a meaningful discussion.
Discussion Responses
It is your responsibility to respond to three classmates by providing comments, asking questions, or having a conversation about their
main post. Feedback should be appropriate, meaningful, and helpful. For instance, refer to how your own experience
supports/contradicts the opinions developed by your peers. If you think they are too general or not rooted enough in personal
experience, you may also ask for more detailed examples supporting these opinions. In particular, make sure that the examples
provided are properly referenced and that you are able to access them. Overall, your comments should contribute positively to the
conversation by broadening or clarifying it. Feedback should be at least 3-4 complete sentences (100 words).
Grading Rubric
You will be graded using this rubric.
Academic Integrity
If at any time you suspect that a post in this Discussion Forum violates UoPeople's rules regarding plagiarism and/or any aspect of
UoPeople’s Academic Code of Conduct, please notify your instructor immediately.
NOTE: Your instructor will be assessing your posts/responses for this discussion.
Learning Journal
Reflection Topic: Planning for Graduation and Career
There are two parts to this assignment. Both the parts are to be answered.
Part 1:
Go to the University catalog and look at the required courses for your degree program. Copy and paste the following questions into your
assignment and then answer the questions.
1. My desired degree is:_______
2. I plan to take this many classes per term____. It should take me ____ terms to finish my degree.
3. I am looking forward to these classes: (list at least 2 and explain why)
4. I am a little nervous or concerned about these classes (list at least 2 and explain why)
Part 2:
Read the following from Chapter 12 Section 4 of our text, College Success, which shows a list of transferable skills. There is a list of forty
skills in Exercise 3.
Select five skills you believe you have mastered and then describe specific ways in which you have used each skill successfully.
Then, select five skills you think are important to your career that you have not mastered yet. Describe specific steps you plan to take to
master those skills.
Your writing for this week should be between 300 and 500 words. It will be graded using the attached rubric.
Grading Rubric
The rubric detailing how you will be graded for this assignment can be found within the unit's assignment on the main course page.
Self-Quiz
The Self-Quiz gives you an opportunity to check your understanding of what you have learned so far. Reviewing and analyzing your
results will help you perform better on future Graded Quizzes and the Final Exam.
The results of the Self-Quiz do not count towards your final grade, but the quiz is an important part of the University’s learning process
and it is expected that you will take it to ensure understanding of the materials presented.
The Self-Quiz will remain open until the end of the term and allow unlimited attempts.
NOTE: To access the Practice Quiz, navigate to the main course homepage; it will be listed inside the Unit.
Graded Quiz
The Graded Quiz will test your knowledge of all the materials learned thus far. The results of the quiz will count towards your final
grade.
Please access the Graded Quiz on the main course homepage; it will be listed inside the Unit. After you click on it, the quiz’s introduction
will inform you of any time or attempt limits in place.
Good luck!
Reading and Other Resource List
Below is an annotated APA list of all the reading and other resources found within this unit's learning content.
College success . (2015). Minnesota Libraries Publishing. http://open.lib.umn.edu/collegesuccess/ or download the College Success
[PDF] .
Read Chapter 2: Staying motivated, organized, and on track.
Read Chapter 12: Taking Control of Your Future.
University of the People. (2018). Example study plans [PDF].
University of the People. (2020). UoPeople Career Center and life after college [Video]. University of the
People. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpeNiCMqarQ&ab_channel=UniversityofthePeople
Urban, T. (2016, February). Inside the mind of a master procrastinator [Video]. TED, Made available through Kaltura
Inside the mind of a master procrastinator. Transcript [PDF].
