Top

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

Study and Critical Thinking Skills in College

by: McWhorter, Kathleen T.

Study and Critical Thinking Skills in College

by: McWhorter, Kathleen T.

ISBN 13:
9780205734801
ISBN 10:
0205734804
Edition: 7th
Format: Paperback
Copyright: 02/25/2010
Publisher: Pearson
Newer Edition

Rent

Sorry, this item is currently unavailable.

Free Shipping On Every Order

Note: Supplemental materials are not guaranteed with Rental or Used book purchases.

Extend or Purchase Your Rental at Any Time

Need to keep your rental past your due date? At any time before your due date you can extend or purchase your rental through your account.

Study and Critical Thinking Skills in College > ISBN13: 9780205734801

Summary

Study and Critical Thinking Skills in College presents a unique integration of study and critical thinking skills to help students become academically competitive. The author discusses active learning strategies and techniques and emphasizes how to apply study skills to academic disciplines.

Brief Contents

Detailed Contents ix

Preface xvii

Reading Between the Lines: Thinking Critically

PART 1 College: Strategies for Success

1 The College System: An Orientation

2 Taking Charge of Your College Career

3 Establishing Goals and Managing Your Time

4 Managing Your Life and Coping with Stress

5 Communication Skills for the Classroom

6 Thinking Critically and Solving Problems

PART 2 Learning and Thinking Strategies

7 Learning Styles and Teaching Styles

8 Learning and Memory

PART 3 Applying Your Skills to Academic Disciplines

9 Study Strategies for Academic Disciplines

10 Learning Specialized and Technical Vocabulary

The College Student’s Troubleshooting Guide

PART 4 Mastering Course Content

11 Thought Patterns of Academic Disciplines

12 Note Taking for Class Lectures

13 Learning from Textbooks, Graphics, and Online Sources

14 Organizing and Synthesizing Course Content

15 Critical Reading and Thinking About Course Content

PART 5 Exams: Thinking Under Pressure

16 Preparing for Exams

17 Reasoning Skills for Objective Exams

18 Taking Essay Exams

References

Endnotes

Credits

Index

Detailed Contents

Preface xvii

Reading Between the Lines: Thinking Critically

Introduction

The Benefits of Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking in College

1. Examine Your Opinions and Beliefs

2. Recognize Emotional Appeals

3. Look For What Is Not Said

4. Pay Attention to the Power of Words

5. Learn How Numbers Can Mislead

Study and Critical Thinking Skills in College

PART 1 College: Strategies for Success

1 The College System: An Orientation

Information Sources

College Services

Campus Diversity

Course Organization

Grades and the Grading System

Thinking Critically . . . About Grades

Skills in Action: Using the Pass/Fail System to Your Advantage

Classroom Success Tips

Skills in Action: Analyzing Your Strengths and Weaknesses

2 Taking Charge of Your College Career

Coping with New Expectations

Thinking Critically . . . About Course Content

Taking Charge

Skills in Action: Taking Charge of Your Learning After Exams

Early Warning Signals of Academic Difficulty

Skills in Action: Considering an Instructor’s Effects on Your Learning

Active Versus Passive Learning

Using Levels of Thinking

Building Academic Integrity

Skills in Action: Checking Your Academic Integrity

3 Establishing Goals and Managing Your Time

Establishing Life Goals

Organizing Your Life for Success in College

Skills in Action: Organizing Your Life: A Case Study

Analyzing Your Time Commitments

Building a Study Plan

Making Better Use of Time

Skills in Action: Examining Your Time Wasters

Time Management Tips for Returning Adult Students

Time Management Tips for Commuters

Thinking Critically . . . About Procrastination

Concentration Tips

Skills in Action: Using Self-Rewards

4 Managing Your Life and Coping with Stress

Finances: Planning and Managing Your Money

Skills in Action: Thinking About the Cost of Credit

Maintain Your Health

Thinking Critically . . . About Drinking

Skills in Action: Improving Health and Diet: A Case Study

Managing Your Part-Time Job

Managing Relationships

Skills in Action: Fine-Tuning Your Communication Skills

Identifying Symptoms and Causes of Stress

Changing Your Thinking and Habits to Reduce Stress

Thinking Critically . . . About Accomplishing Tasks

Skills in Action: Coping with Stress: A Case Study

5 Communication Skills for the Classroom

Listening Critically

Participating in Class

Asking and Answering Questions

Thinking Critically . . . About Meaningful Questions

Working with Classmates: Group Projects

Planning and Making Oral Presentations

Skills in Action: Playing on Your Strengths

6 Thinking Critically and Solving Problems

Thinking Critically About Decision Making

Skills in Action: Identifying Alternatives

Problem-Solving Strategies

Problem-Solving Processes

Thinking Critically . . . About Alternatives

Keys to Problem Solving

Skills in Action: Problem Solving: Case Study

PART 2 Learning and Thinking Strategies

7 Learning Styles and Teaching Styles

Analyzing Your Learning Style

Interpreting Your Scores

Deciding What to Learn

Thinking Critically . . . About the Intent to Learn

Using Learning Style to Choose a Study Method

Adapting to Various Teaching Styles

Evaluating Your Learning

Skills in Action: Evaluating Your Learning Through Self-Monitoring

8 Learning and Memory

How Learning and Memory Work

Skills in Action: Memory and College Vocabulary

Strategies for Improving Encoding, Storage, and Retrieval

Thinking Critically . . . About Learning Strategies

Skills in Action: Creating an Envionment for Learning and Remembering

PART 3 Applying Your Skills to Academic Disciplines

9 Study Strategies for Academic Disciplines

Approaching New Fields of Study

Skills in Action: Coping with a Challenging Course

The Social Sciences and History

Skills in Action: Thinking Like a Social Scientist

The Life and Physical Sciences

Mathematics

Literature and the Arts

Thinking Critically . . . About Literature

Skills in Action: Reading Literary Criticism

Career Fields

10 Learning Specialized and Technical Vocabulary

Terminology: The Key to Course Mastery

Mapping Related Terminology

Skills in Action: Adapting Vocabulary Learning to Teaching Style

Thinking Critically . . . About Vocabulary

Learning Core Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes

Skills in Action: Using Word Parts to Decipher Meaning

Developing a Course Master File

The College Student’s Troubleshooting Guide

1. Setting Goals and Priorities

2. Textbook Reading Assignments

3. Note Taking

4. Grades and Taking Tests

5. Writing Skills

6. Technology

7. Interpersonal Conflicts

8. Safety and Security

9. Living and Commuting Arrangements

10. Wellness Issues

PART 4 Mastering Course Content

11 Thought Patterns of Academic Disciplines

Thought Patterns: Guides to Learning

Order or Sequence

Comparison and Contrast

Cause and Effect

Classification

Definition

Listing

Mixed Patterns

Thinking Critically . . . About Patterns

Skills in Action: Using Thought Patterns

12 Note Taking for Class Lectures

Sharpening Your Listening Skills

How to Start with an Advantage

Skills in Action: Starting with an Advantage: Case Study

Recording Appropriate Content and Organization

Taking Notes on Your Laptop

Working with Various Lecture Formats

Thinking Critically . . . About Lectures

Skills in Action: Analyzing Your Current Courses

Note Taking and Learning Style

Using the Lecturer’s Thought Patterns

Editing and Reviewing Your Notes

Skills in Action: Assessing Your Effectiveness at Note Taking

13 Learning from Textbooks, Graphics, and Online Sources

Features of Textbooks

Previewing Your Textbooks

Thinking Critically . . . About Previewing

Using the SQ3R Reading/Study System

Learning from Graphs, Tables, and Diagrams

Skills in Action: Making Your Own Graphics

Learning from Nontextbook Reading Assignments

Reading Internet Sources

Evaluating Internet Sources

Skills in Action: Researching on the Web: Case Study

14 Organizing and Synthesizing Course Content

Textbook Highlighting and Annotation

Thinking Critically . . . About Highlighting

Skills in Action: Highlighting and Annotating Your Textbook

Note Taking to Organize and Condense Information

Mapping to Show Relationships

Skills in Action: Practicing Your Mapping Skills

Using a Computer to Synthesize Course Content

15 Critical Reading and Thinking About Course Content

Synthesizing Information

Skills in Action: Synthesizing Information Across Courses

Distinguishing Between Fact and Opinion

Evaluating Differing Viewpoints

Evaluating Generalizations

Testing Hypotheses

Thinking Critically . . . About Data and Evidence

Skills in Action: Analyzing Statements

Asking Critical Questions

Skills in Action: Evaluating Internet Sources

Skills in Action: Thinking Critically About Tone

Examining an Argument

Skills in Action: Researching and Understanding Opposing Viewpoints

PART 5 Exams: Thinking Under Pressure

16 Preparing for Exams

Organizing Your Review

Thinking Critically . . . About Group Study

Thematic Study

Strategies for Particular Types of Exams

Skills in Action: Expanding Your Exam Comfort Zone

Strategies for Specific Academic Disciplines

Controlling Test Anxiety

Skills in Action: Controlling Anxiety Through Breathing Exercises

17 Reasoning Skills for Objective Exams

Starting with an Advantage

Skills in Action: Allotting Your Time on Exams

Skills for Objective Exams

Thinking Critically . . . About Practicum Exams

Skills in Action: Using All Your Exam-Taking Skills

Achieving Success with Standardized Tests

18 Taking Essay Exams

Writing Effective Essay Exams

Skills in Action: Outlining Your Essay Exam

Thinking Critically . . . About Returned Exams

Achieving Success with Competency Tests and Exit Exams

References

Endnotes

Credits

Index

Supplemental Materials

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.