Motivation and Learning Strategies for College Success : A Self-management Approach

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286 APPENDIX A

You have learned that your ability to manage or control factors asso-

ciated with your motivation, methods of learning, use of time, and

physical and social environment will enhance your academic per-

formance. These factors include your beliefs, perceptions, physiologi-

cal responses (e.g., in the case of anxiety), feelings, and behaviors.

There are a number of ways you can determine what aspect of your

behavior to study and modify. First, you may have come into this

course with an understanding of some aspect of your academic behav-

ior that needs to be modified. Second, you can take a diagnostic test

such as the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI;

Weinstein, Schulte, & Palmer, 1987) to identify your strengths and

weaknesses. Your instructor may have used this instrument or some

other study skills assessment in your course. Third, you can identify

one of the self-management components—motivation, methods of

learning, use of time, or physical and social environment—you are

concerned about, and then complete the related self-observation exer-

cises in this book. Table A.1 provides a list of these exercises accord-

ing to the self-management component addressed.

By completing some or all of these exercises, you will learn about

(a) behaviors that you never, sometimes, or always engage in that

TABLE A.1

SELF-OBSERVATION EXERCISES

Self-Management Self-Observation Chapter and

Components Exercises Exercise #

Motivation Analyzing my personal and 3.1

sociocultural background

Analyzing classroom experiences 3.2

Identifying your values 4.1

Assessing emotions Chapter and 5.1

Assessing self-talk Follow-up 5-4

Exploring anxiety-producing Follow-up 5-5

situations in school

Method of learning Assessing reading strategies 8.1

Assessing note-taking strategies 9.1

Assessing exam preparation 10.1

Use of time Assessing time wasters 6.1

Assessing use of time 6.2

Identifying your escapist Follow-up 6-3

techniques

Identifying your favorite Follow-up 6-4

procrastination beliefs

Physical and social Evaluating study 7.1

environment environments