By Jonathan resendez/south news editor
Chris Carcerano, coordinator of the center for academic success, told students that financial and life successes are linked to college during his How to Study seminar Jan. 29.
Students filed into the darkened room throughout his presentation, eventually becoming a full audience that interacted with Carcerano ’s personality.
Carcerano, who holds two degrees in acting, gave a presentation full of information the students responded to with nodding approval and sparked discussion.
Therese Kirkpatrick, self-employed massage therapist who recently returned to school, said she enjoyed the seminar and found it useful.
“ It’s like a free class,” she said. “I’ve been out of school for 24 years. I need all the help I can get.”
Carcerano told the students, a majority of whom were returning to college after many years, that because college is less structured than previous schools they have attended, they would have to use more self-monitoring.
Because there is more academic competition, Carcerano said, and less contact with professors, students are responsible for their actions, learning, successes and failures.
He said opening up a good line of communication at the beginning of the semester is the key to making it run smoothly. Students pay for teachers to give them as much help as they can, Carcerano said.
“ I encourage you to be a pain in the butt,” he said with a smile.
Carcerano, who teaches theater appreciation on SE, said he remembers and responds to students better when he has communicated with them the whole semester.
He said more than motivation is required to be successful.
“ Learning is a skill,” he said. “Many intelligent people do poorly for lack of refining their skills. Cars drive themselves. Doing so well requires skill.”
Preparation before the class is even chosen is important, Carcerano said. He encouraged students to go to www.ratemyprofesssor.com and use MySpace’s tool for rating TCC professors as well.
Carcerano said students should even out a schedule by taking both hard and easy classes.
He stressed the importance of planning out a week. For example, if students spend three hours outside of class for every hour they spend in class, which he recommends, that’s 48 hours a week for a student taking 12 hours. School combined with a 40-hour work week and 46 hours of sleeping makes for 134 hours.
“ There’s only 168 hours in a week,” he said. “And you still have to find time for yourself.”
He said students should buy a calendar and start breaking down assignments into manageable chunks as soon as they are received.
“ Procrastination will kill you quicker than anything else out there,” he said. “It makes you more worried about finishing it than doing it well.”
Carcerano compared having and using good study habits to women applying makeup daily, saying they don’t do it differently each time. Studying should be no different.
Students should study in a comfortable, quiet place with few distractions, he said. He also recommends simulating the testing environment.
“ If you aren’t going to be able to eat and drink during the test, don’t do it while you study,” he said.
Carcerano referred to the University of Mississippi’s Reading- SQR3: Method for Reading Comprehension as a study outline. He said it is probably the best and simplest study method.
