Glossary
- nontraditional students:
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those who may attend college at any time after receiving a diploma or GED, work to support themselves and fund their education, and may have dependents and households to maintain
- traditional students:
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those who attend college immediately after high school, graduate within four or five years, have no dependents, and often have family resources for funding their education
- abstinence
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the practice of abstaining from sexual contact
- academic articles
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a stand-alone text authored by a specialist in a given field, and typically peer-reviewed by other scholars
- academic dishonesty
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any violation of scholarly ethics, such as plagiarism or the fabrication of data, that can lead to serious disciplinary consequences
- academic honesty
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a set of sound scholarly practices that includes keeping careful notes when researching, scrupulously citing one's sources, and only claiming credit for thinking and phrasing that is the result of one's own work
- accessibility
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the goal of making education accessible to all, and providing effective support to students, faculty, and staff with disabilities
- action plan
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a set of sequential steps you have identified to help guide you through the process of achieving your goal, often within a certain timeframe and with the help of others
- active learning
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student strategies that involve doing something, such as completing a project or giving a presentation, as opposed to passively receiving information without consciously processing it
- active partner
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the self-regulating status that a college student assumes in contrast to the ready-made schedules of high school, which entails greater responsibility for managing one's own time within the parameters set by one's teachers
- active reading
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a form of metacognition where one takes notes while reading so as to be more aware of questions or connections evoked by the material
- affective domain
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the category of learning skills that addresses what you should care about
- anorexia nervosa
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an eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and extreme weight loss either through restriction or cyclical bingeing-purging
- anxiety disorder
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a condition diagnosed if an individual has an inappropriate fear and dread response to a situation, cannot control the response, and has an altered way of life as a result of the anxiety
- asynchronous learning
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an online learning environment where participants may participate on any schedule that suits them
- behavioral interview questions
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those that leave you more latitude to tell a story about how you accomplished a task or solved a problem
- binge-eating disorder
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excessive food consumption associated with feelings of loss of control and shame surrounding eating
- Boolean operator
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terms such as AND, OR, and NOT that can be inserted to categorically focus an online search
- budget
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a specific financial plan for a specified time, consisting of three elements: income, saving and investing, and expenses
- bulimia nervosa
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an eating disorder characterized by a cycle of eating large amounts of food (bingeing) at least two times a week and then vomiting (also purging)
- campus resources
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the array of services and specialist advisors available to help students navigate financial aid, career planning, residential life, and other matters that are key to student success
- career
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a consciously crafted plan for work that leads to increased mastery, professional development, and personal and financial satisfaction in a long-term sense
- career development
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a lifelong process in which we become aware of, interested in, knowledgeable about, and skilled in a career
- career-ready
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the status of one who has gained the necessary knowledge, skills, and professional behaviors to enter the workplace and succeed
- civility
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the practice of working through disagreements while maintaining respect for others’ points of view
- cognitive domain
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the category of learning skills that addresses what you should know
- cognitive skills
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capabilities such as remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating, any of which may be assessed by an exam
- college costs
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in an obvious sense, tuition and room and board, but also fees, books and supplies (including technology), transportation, and other personal expenses
- community of inquiry
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an understanding of learning spaces that prioritizes opportunities for affective expression, open communication, and a sense of group cohesion
- compounding interest
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this is effectively interest paid on interest, which can snowball and result in an unmanageable debt load later on
- Conscious Competence
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the more advanced learning stage where we understand and confidently repeat the skills we need to practice
- Conscious Incompetence
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the more focused learning stage where we understand what we do not know and will need to learn
- consent
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an agreement between participants to engage in sexual activity, which should be clearly and freely communicated
- Cornell System
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a note-taking method where the notebook page has one section for in-class notes, one for related questions formulated after class, and a third for a summary of the lecture material
- course format
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one of the different class types you can choose, such as lectures, seminars, or labs, any of which may be offered with or without an online component; knowing how to tailor your student behaviors for each unique environment is crucial to your success in college.
- cover letter
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a short letter of introduction that explains to a potential employer why you are well-suited to a position
- creative problem-solving
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a practice that seeks new and novel solutions to problems, often by using imagination rather than linear reason
- credit score
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a number derived from one's credit report that reflects payment history and other metrics and largely determines future credit-worthiness
- critical thinking
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clear, reasonable, reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do, often as a result of challenging assumptions
- cultural competency
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the ability to recognize and adapt to cultural differences and similarities
- daily interest
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what credit card issuers charge each day from the date of making a card purchase
- daily top three
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the time management strategy that requires making a list of three top priorities to achieve each day
- deductive argument
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one whose conclusions can be established with absolute certainty, often as a result of their form
- deep learning
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the ability to create, analyze, synthesize, problem-solve, and be consciously aware of the process of problem-solving
- deliberate practice
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repeated, close focus on improving a skill
- depression
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distinct from passing sadness, this is a condition characterized by persistent feelings of emptiness, hopelessness, and irritability, which can be accompanied by physical symptoms such as fatigue, body aches, and dietary issues
- digital civility
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the practice of leading with empathy, kindness, and mutual respect in all online interactions
- Direct Subsidized Loans
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student loans that do not accrue interest during the student's enrollment
- Direct Unsubsidized Loans
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student loans that accrue interest during a students' enrollment, an arrangement that can add significantly to the overall debt
- distraction-free environment
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the ideal work space whose features do not not interrupt our focused thinking or workflow, thus enabling maximum productivity
- diversity
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the great variety of human characteristics, especially those that may significantly affect some people’s perceptions of others
- drug
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a chemical substance that can change how your body and mind work
- eat the frog
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the time management strategy that suggests we should get the hardest task done first, which reduces anxiety and makes subsequent tasks seem easier
- eating disorders
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mental health illnesses that involve emotional and behavioral disturbance surrounding weight and food issues
- educated
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a status where one effectively thinks, understands society and the world, and responds to problems and new situations
- Effective listening
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engaging with the speaker and the material you hear in an active way, perhaps by taking notes and paraphrasing the material
- effective social interactions
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those which are beneficial and lead to growth for all involved, ideally resulting in a healthy interdependence
- equity
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the name for policies that level the playing field so that everyone’s needs are anticipated and everyone has an equal starting point
- experience-based interview questions
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those keyed to the accomplishments and experience summarized in your cover letter and resume
- FAFSA
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the standard, annual form that students fill out to determine their eligibility for most forms of financial aid
- first-year experiences
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the range of orientations, introductory seminars, remedial coaching, and other forms of outreach intended to help new college students establish a solid foundation for success in their future work
- food insecurity
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limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, or limited or uncertain access to acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways
- formative assessments
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an inquiry into what a student is learning during a still-unfolding period of instruction
- forward-looking interview questions
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those that inquire about your action plan for the future and how it matches the position
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
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the standard, annual form that students fill out to determine their eligibility for most forms of financial aid
- generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
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excessive, intrusive anxiety and worry that are present more days than not for at least six months about a variety of situations, such as home, work, school, and/or relationships
- getting to know you interview questions
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broad "ice-breaker" questions that are not typically focused on details of the position or company
- goal
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a desired result that you envision and then plan and commit to achieve, often in accordance with a particular timeline
- Grants and scholarships
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forms of free student aid that do not have to be paid back, and that may come from a variety of federal, state, local, and private sources
- gross pay
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the larger paycheck amount that is listed on your pay stub prior to deductions for taxes
- group interview
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a format that allows the interviewer to save time and to observe how applicants conduct themselves in a group setting
- Group presentations
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one in which you will collaborate with others to divide the work and perhaps to focus individually on different aspects of the topic
- group work
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a study format where students work together to address material, solve problems, and present ideas and interpretations to each other
- habits of mind
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the personal commitments, values, and standards you have about the principle of good thinking
- hard skills
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clearly defined, more job-specific abilities such as working with computers, speaking a language, or operating a machine
- healthy diet
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the beneficial outcome of making food choices that contribute to short- and long-term health
- homework journal
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a week-to-week written record of your online math homework, which will help you keep track of the material as you progress through it
- hybrid learning
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a combination of online and face-to-face instruction
- implicit bias
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internalized assumptions that influence one's judgments and perceptions of others
- inclusion
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the idea that there should be a multiplicity of voices, skills, and interests represented in any given situation
- Individual presentations
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one in which the preparation, research, and delivery are entirely your responsibility
- inductive argument
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one whose conclusions can only be established with a high degree of probability
- information literacy
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knowing how to access the sources you need to gain knowledge and complete a research project
- interactive
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the unique quality of online texts that allows a reader to move in a non-linear fashion to hyperlinked material and mixed-media resources
- interdependence
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interdependence: the mutual reliance, or mutual dependence, between two or more people or groups
- intersectionality
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the idea that identities, for example "Black" and "woman," combine in specific and inseparable ways
- intrinsic motivation
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the impetus to achieve our goals that comes from our sense of enjoyment and a genuine interest in the work
- iterative process
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one that can be repeatedly applied
- job
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what one does in exchange for a paycheck, an arrangement that allows for a minimal level of financial security but is purely transactional
- learning management systems
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an interactive online learning environment such as Canvas or Moodle
- learning outcomes
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goals that specify what someone will be capable of as a result of a learning experience
- level of interest interview questions
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those meant to gauge your level of investment in the position as well as your motivations for pursuing it
- life stage
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a concept from the social sciences that addresses how our values will shape our behaviors and priorities during different phases of our life plan
- lifelong learning
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a popular phrase that acknowledges the many resources available to us for ongoing professional self-improvement, it refers to a broadly applicable understanding of the learning process itself and not to any one skill
- literature
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typically refers to novels, short stories, poetry, and drama
- logic
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the study and evaluation of arguments to distinguish good reasoning from bad
- logical fallacy
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a commonplace error in one's thinking or rationale that undermines and discredits an argument
- loneliness
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distinct from enjoyable solitude, this condition is characterized by feeling feeling empty, unwanted, or isolated
- lunch interview
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a semi-casual format where the interviewee is invited to a meal but still needs to conduct herself in a professional manner
- major
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a specialized focus on a particular discipline within one's college studies, typically in preparation for a line of work that requires a relevant credential
- mental health
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a state of well-being in which the individual realizes their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to their community
- mental illness
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disorders or health conditions characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior (or some combination thereof) associated with distress and/or impaired functioning
- metacognition
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thinking about thinking, or being in a state where we are aware of our own
- microagressions
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acts of insensitivity that reveal our inherent biases, cultural incompetency, and hostility toward someone outside of our community
- microsleeps
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very brief episodes of sleep in an otherwise awake person, often a mark of sleep deprivation
- mind maps
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a more visual note-taking method where a central idea is positioned in the middle of a page and the supporting ideas branch out from it
- multimodal learning
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the strategy of employing more than one learning approach, which can be helpful for students who do not have any set ideas about a single approach that works best for them
- multitasking
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a popular term describing the ability to successfully execute multiple tasks simultaneously, a capability that is not realistic according to research
- Mutual monogamy
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a sexual relationship in which both partners agree to only have sexual contact with each other
- net pay
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the smaller paycheck amount that remains after taxes and other deductions; this is the number you should use to plan a budget
- net worth
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the total measure of one's wealth, calculated by subtracting what one owes (liabilities) from what one owns (assets)
- netiquette
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guidelines for ethical and appropriate behavior in online environments, including interactive learning spaces
- networking
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the process by which people build relationships with one another for the purpose of helping one another achieve professional goals
- news articles
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a general interest piece found in a newspaper, magazine, or website
- nonfiction books
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history, biography, reference materials, creative nonfiction, or stories told from real life
- nontraditional students
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those who may attend college at any time after receiving a diploma or GED, work to support themselves and fund their education, and may have dependents and households to maintain
- obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
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a condition marked by repeated, upsetting thoughts called obsessions
- one-on-one interview
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the most common and likely in-depth format, consisting of one interviewer and one interviewee
- opinions
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statements offered without supporting evidence
- panel interview
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a format where several representatives from different departments within the organization interview the applicant at once
- panic disorder
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a condition where one experiences panic attacks, or sudden feelings of terror for no reason, sometimes accompanied by physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, chest pain, and dizziness
- personal values
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one's core beliefs and guiding principles; carefully assessing them can help us make effective decisions when planning our educational path
- phobia
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a strong, irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger
- phone or web conference interview
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a format aided by communication technology to account for geographical barriers to an in-person meeting
- phrase searching
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the online research technique that involves placing quotations around a phrase, which tells a search tool to look for those words together
- Physical fitness
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a state of well-being that gives you sufficient energy to perform daily physical activities without getting overly tired or winded
- plagiarism
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a form of academic dishonesty in which a student claims credit for thinking or phrasing which is not her own
- policies
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broad institutional and course-specific rules that outline expectations and define requirements
- pomodoro technique
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the time management strategy that uses a timer to break large tasks into smaller, more manageable segments
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
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a lingering stress and fear response that follows from living through or witnessing a traumatic event
- Preview
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getting a first impression of a text by reading the title, back cover, and table of contents
- prioritization
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the process of deciding which tasks are the most important and in what order we plan to complete them
- privacy
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the degree of control we have over who sees our online data and identity
- Private loans
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distinct from federal loans, these are offered by private lending institutions and are best avoided, as they typically have higher interest rates and few of the protections and repayment options available to federal loan borrowers
- privilege
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a right or exemption from liability or duty granted as a special benefit or advantage
- procrastination
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the act of delaying some task that needs to be completed, often for subtle psychological reasons that are worth understanding and addressing
- Proofreading
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a final step that involves checking one's spelling, grammar, punctuation, formatting, and other technical details
- psychomotor domain
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the category of learning skills that addresses what you should be able to do
- Read
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in an academic context, best done with a pen in hand so you can actively engage with the text, highlighting, circling key terms, and annotating as you go
- reevaluation
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the process of honestly assessing the relationship between our values, goals, and sense of enjoyment, which may require us to change our action plan
- responsibilities
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expectations we meet in both institutional and personal settings, often in accordance with existing rules and the attainment of our goals
- résumé
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an inventory of your education, work experience, job-related skills, accomplishments, volunteer history, internships, residencies, and/or more
- Review
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revisiting the reading to refresh your memory, especially before a class discussion, exam, or other activity keyed to the material
- Revision
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to revisit a draft for the purpose of gaining a fresh perspective and thus improving the next draft
- Safety consciousness
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a term describing your awareness of hazards and your alertness to potential danger, ideally in operation no matter where you are or what time of day it is
- screening interview
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a shorter format, often conducted over the phone for the purpose of quickly narrowing down a sizable cohort of applicants
- security
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the degree to which we protect our online data and identity
- serial interview
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a format consisting of repeated short interviews by different representatives from the organization
- Sexual assault
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any type of sexual activity that a person doesn't agree to
- Sexually transmitted diseases
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those passed from one person to another through sexual contact, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes, human papillomavirus (HPV), syphilis, and HIV
- sidetracked
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getting derailed from our action plan, often as the result of an emergency or unexpected obstacle
- signal phrases
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a verb phrase that tells your reader you are about to summarize, paraphrase, or directly quote a source that is both correctly cited and listed in your bibliography
- situational interview questions
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those that propose a hypothetical workplace scenario to gauge how you would effectively respond
- sleep debt
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a cumulative sleep deficit for which your body will eventually need to compensate
- social conflicts
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obstacles to successful student life such as excessive party-going, academic struggles, and homesickness
- social roles
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those identities we assume in relationship to others
- soft skills
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more universal and transferable abilities such as habits of mind, ways of communicating with and listening to people, and collaborating effectively
- starting salary
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the amount of money you can expect to make after graduation at the start of your career; this number should help you decide on a realistic debt load
- stereotype threat
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a form of test anxiety in which students fear they will confirm a stereotype that predicts poor performance become distracted from this worry, which in turn measurably affects their result
- stress
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a condition characterized by symptoms of physical or emotional tension in response to a situation in which one feels threatened or anxious
- student organization
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one that is created and run by current students, sponsored by an executive officer, dean, or director, and focused on work that is consistent with the mission of the college
- student success
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the standards we set for ourselves to assess whether or not we are meeting our academic and broader life goals, a question that can be usefully informed by metrics such as individual course grades and GPA (grade point average)
- study myth
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a misconception, perhaps of long standing, that keeps one from adopting new, more effective study methods and self-understandings
- study myths
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a misconception, perhaps of long standing, that keeps one from adopting new, more effective study methods and self-understandings
- substance use disorder
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a condition in which one has a pathological pattern of behaviors related to the use of a substance
- Summarize
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writing up a condensed overview of the material that can help you process the material and provide you a quick reference for studying
- summary
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a writing task that asks the student to restate in shorter form what the source says
- summative assessment
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an inquiry into what a student has learned at the end of a specified period of instruction
- synchronization
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the practice of checking for schedule alignment between your student responsibilities and other areas of your life such as family and work commitments
- Synchronous learning
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an online learning environment where participants attend the session together at a scheduled time
- task urgency
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the degree of importance we ascribe to different tasks, a measure that helps us place them in an appropriate order
- teaching styles
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the variety of techniques that teachers employ in learning spaces; knowing them can make you a more versatile, active learner
- tech-ready
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a state of adequate preparation where a student has the necessary computer skills, hardware, and connectivity to complete her schoolwork
- test anxiety
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a mental and embodied sense of threat in response to an imminent exam, a reaction that can disrupt the learner's attention and working memory
- text coding
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an active reading practice where one takes notes and poses questions to keep track of one's evolving understanding of the material
- textbook
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an assigned academic text that typically addresses one subject area
- time management style
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one's particular way of organizing workload in accordance with deadlines and other requirements
- time ratio
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in an academic context, this refers to the number of hours a student should plan to work for each hour spent in a scheduled class
- Traditional students
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those who attend college immediately after high school, graduate within four or five years, have no dependents, and often have family resources for funding their education
- transferrable skills
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those which are widely applicable, such as speaking, writing, critical thinking, and problem-solving, which are valued by prospective employers and can be cultivated within many different college majors.
- truncation
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the online research technique that places an asterisk after a term to find terms that include and extend from the original term
- Try It
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https://assess.lumenlearning.com/practice/609d4ba4-0ffb-43e9-b043-459da627aedf
- Unconscious Competence
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the final learning stage where we can execute a task without thinking because we have successfully done so many times
- Unconscious Incompetence
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the initial learning stage where we do not know what we do not know and are perhaps merely curious
- undefined-topic assignments
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a writing task based on a broadly identified topic that the student is expected to pull into focus
- valid argument
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one whose premises guarantee the truth of the conclusion
- vetted
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a term describing an authoritative text that has been carefully reviewed, edited, and most likely peer-reviewed by qualified scholars
- warning signs
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early indicators of a potential for self-harm, such as expressing a desire to self-harm, looking for ways to do so, or sharing feelings of being trapped or hopeless (among others); such indicators are serious and require one to seek help or to assist others in getting help
- whole-person approach
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a view of testing that considers our student role within the broader context of our other roles in life such as caregiver, employee, athlete, homemaker, etc., ideally producing a healthy and sustainable balance
- work space
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the environment in which you can effectively study, write, and collaborate, ideally at an optimal time of the day or night and with the most appropriate technology available to you
- writing process
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the steps one follows when completing a writing assignment, which may include drafting a thesis statement, completing an outline, turning in a rough draft, and participating in a peer review
- writing prompt
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instructional material provided by the teacher explaining the purpose of the assignment, required parameters, and criteria for evaluation