Student Success Class Units 2-8 200 each unit

200 words each Student Success Class

Week 1: Tell Us Your Story

In this post, you are going to share a personal story. The post should contain all of the following:

· A personal story about a time when you were successful at developing a skill or an ability that you either were not very good at or that you had never tried before.

· A description of the skill you needed.

· An explanation of why you needed to develop the skill.

· How you felt about developing that skill. (Was it your idea or someone else’s idea? Did you think you could do it? Why?)

· How you accomplished your goal.

· Was it easy or hard to accomplish? Why?

· How long did it take to accomplish your goal?

· Did you have support? Friends? Family? Boss?

· An explanation of how the development of that skill benefitted you.

Week 2: Who Will Succeed?

Click here to open the case study for this week's discussion forum.

You will meet 4 students who are attending ABC University. Your task is to determine who is the most likely to succeed at ABC University. In your post, do the following.

· Select the student you believe is most likely to be successful. Begin your post with a declaration “I believe that _______________________ is most likely to be successful.”

· Explain the barriers the student is facing. There may be multiple ones.

· Explain the behaviors the student is demonstrating, and how those behaviors either help the student succeed or are getting in the way of success.

· Conclude your post with why you feel that of the 4 students, the one you chose is most likely to succeed.

Week 3: The Unforeseen Event

Click here to view the scenarios for this week's discussion.

Even with the best of planning, life happens. Similar to last week, you will meet four hypothetical students who are attending ABC University. An unforeseen event happens to each one of them, and this event causes issues in their courses.

Read each scenario and then:

1. Determine which student is the most likely to successfully navigate the unforeseen event and be able to remain in school. Explain why you selected that student.

2. Explain what behaviors or characteristics were problematic before the unforeseen event and how those behaviors/characteristics may have contributed to a harder challenge for them to navigate.

3. Identify the behaviors/characteristics/circumstances that were helpful to the student as the unforeseen event occurred.

Week 4: Is This Cheating?

Click here to view this week's mini-scenarios for the discussion forum.

You will see 9 mini-scenarios. In each scenario, you will read about a student in a course who is engaging in some type of behavior. Your job is to determine if the student’s actions are cheating, not cheating, or “it depends.”

1. Create a list from 1-9, and after each number, write your determination (cheating, not cheating, it depends).

2. If you write “it depends” – you must explain your reasoning.

3. Then select ONE of the 9 answers that was “cheating” and explain why it was cheating.

Week 5: Failure Happens. Where Do You Go Next?

We don’t always succeed at everything we try, but failure is not necessarily a bad thing. What is really important regarding failure is what we do AFTER we fail.

Sometimes we learn something about ourselves, make changes, try again and succeed… the point is that a failure can be a true learning experience and/or a growth experience.

In this post, you will:

1. Share a personal experience of a failure which became a lesson or growth experience.

2. Describe the situation.

3. Share your feelings at the time of the failure and your feelings at some point after the failure.

4. Describe how you found the courage/strength/grit to move forward, try again…

5. Explain what the experience taught you and how you will continue to apply what you learned.

Week 6: Where Does the Time Go?

It’s pretty common to hear people say, “I don’t know how I am going to get this all done.” We may think we manage our time well and know how to multitask, but there are always tips and tricks that help us make the most of our time.

For example, every day after school, one mother usually waited for her son 10-15 minutes in the parking lot of the elementary school. She realized that sitting there was simply a waste of her time. She then chose to log in to her online class with her cell phone and read her textbook during this time. At the end of the week, she realized that the time in the car was 50-75 minutes of reading time!

Likewise, a father carried 10 flashcards each day in his pocket. He took 5 minutes on each of his breaks at work to review the cards. He found that he retained so much more information by taking 5 minutes here and there to review concepts. Tips like this help students balance school, work, family, and other life demands.

In this post, you will:

1. Explain time management in your own words.

2. Explain how a person truly knows if he or she manages time well. What evidence supports the idea that someone manages time well?

3. Provide at least two time-saving tips that you use/ have used at school, at work, or in life, and explain how they have helped you.

4. Explain how “I need” statements can help with time management.

Week 7: How Do I Respond to This?

In this scenario, you are part of an online class business class which is studying diversity in the workplace and diversity training. The prompt asked about the purpose of diversity initiatives/trainings, and how they can benefit business. A student posted what he experienced at his workplace diversity training not too long ago. A second student replied to his post, but with a very different “take” on the topic.

Here is a copy of the second post:

You got lucky. My job makes us attend these stupid trainings for diversity every year, and they are a complete waste of time. I mean, I am not going to be mean to lazy people who don’t do their work because they come from cultures where people don’t work hard. I know it’s not their fault that they were raised that way, and I guess they do ok for who they are and all, but that doesn’t mean I have to like picking up their slack. But that’s the world today, we have to accept everyone and everything.

Your job is to respond to the  second post and maintain professionalism while you do. Your response should defuse the situation (rather than make it worse).

For your follow-up, respond to two of your classmates’ posts. Evaluate how your classmate responded to the inappropriate post in terms of how well they defused the situation.

Week 8: A Glimpse Into the Future

It is now five-ten years in the future, and you are a Grantham alumnus. Congratulations! You are working in the field you have chosen.

In this post, you will:

1. Introduce yourself to the class as the person you are in the future.

2. Describe your workplace and your job title.

3. Explain one way your life has changed as a result of your college experience at Grantham.

4. Predict what you will be doing next. (What are your new goals?)