Triboro News

This week, SLC Peer Tutor Hope gives us some advice on transitioning to the new term. 

It’s the start of week 8, which means all of the hard work you’ve put into your class is about to come to a close. What a relief! Being a student myself, the next thought I have is, “Oh no, the next term is starting on Monday!” as a wave of panic washes over me. 

I have heard from many students that a lack of break is daunting and causes a lot of burn out, which I have experienced in my own learning career. Unfortunately, we cannot control whether or not there are scheduled breaks between terms; however, we can control what we do with our time during transitions between old and new classes. I reached out to my fellow students and asked how they handle the lack of structured break. Here’s what they had to say:

“I make sure I have everything done for finals properly submitted and then take the free time I have for self-care. Catching up on sleep, doing laundry, etc. When I have that stuff achieved, I feel refreshed and like I can move on. I can tell you guys, don’t be like me and work yourself to death! I made the mistake of doing that and could have taken care of myself better. There were weeks during finals where I would feel sick and lose my voice because of the stress I put on my body. TAKE CARE OF YOU!!!” 

⁠—Zip Delong, Motion Graphics Alumnus

“Finals to new term for me, is almost always a full week of napping when my toddler naps. Catch up on sleep, treat myself to favorite junk foods, movies and a dinner out with my husband. It’s the best :)”

⁠—Ellen Uttmark, Fashion Design Major

Remember that no matter how stressful this time is, you are not alone! Each and every classmate is going through the same experience, so reach out to them. Who knows, maybe they’ll give you some ideas on how to combat the stress. It’s also a great way to do some self care and take time for yourself outside of class work!

Why do our classes all seem to put such emphasis on discussion board posts? Writing posts and answering other classmates can feel like a waste of time when you really just want to be creating art. The truth is that there is a lot of research out there supporting discussion boards, especially in online and blended classes. 

Researchers have found that students are more likely to succeed if they make connections with other students and with their teachers. In online formats, one of the best ways to do that is through the discussion board. The key is to answer the prompt, but also put a little of yourself into the post. Some tips for a good discussion post are:

• Read the prompt thoroughly (Ryan made some great suggestions here).
• Jot down any notes or ideas before you start. 
• Ask for clarification right away if you need it. Teachers have lives, too. 
• Incorporate your own opinions and experience.
• Answer the prompt as fully as you can.
• Be respectful of others' opinions.
• Check your spelling and punctuation. 
• Develop a "voice" in your writing. The SLC can help you with that. Developing your own voice will enable other students to get to know you through your writing. 
• Respond to your classmates with more than a "good job" or "I agree with you." Everyone likes to feel that someone is listening to them. Be specific in your responses! 

In many classes, discussion posts are opportunities for you to explore new ideas, ask questions, and receive and/or provide feedback. They can even serve as a catalyst for a research paper or new artwork!

For more information on discussion board posts, take a look at the SLC's tip sheet, which you can find here.

Want to schedule an SLC appointment? Email learning@rmcad.edu or self-schedule here. 

When I started my plant collection, it started very small. I bought a beautiful jade plant that was very full. I was so ecstatic! Jade plants love sunlight so I happily placed my baby on the balcony to watch it flourish. Soon enough, I had a little garden of succulent plants on my balcony to enjoy. However, as you may know, Colorado can get quite cold at night and a frost claimed them.

This happened a couple months into the COVID pandemic. My little garden was how I cleared my mind, and I was devastated. As I collected my frost bitten babies, some of the jade started to break off. To my surprise a little green baby jade was left. It was frustrating to start over but I learned from my mistakes and grew from this experience. I now have a plethora of plants. Sure, I may have lost some along the way, but I think of my jade and I keep on going and growing. 

This week, SLC peer tutor Ryan gives us some helpful suggestions on how to get through long readings.

We have all been there. During Week 1 of the new term, you browse through the syllabus and see that there is a required textbook and readings for the class. Unless you are a senior in your last term, it likely will not be the last time you will have to tackle seemingly impossible readings. So how do you do it?

Although there is not a golden solution that will apply to every student, I wanted to share some common tips that will help you.

• Know what you need to read. Look ahead in the syllabus or LMS modules and know what you need to read for each week.                                                                            
• Give yourself plenty of time to read. Create a schedule for yourself and read at your own pace. If you miss information because you rushed, you will end up having to read it again anyways.                                                                                                                                      
• Know what to look for. Read the week's outline, discussion prompts, and assignment prompts. Know the learning outcomes and what is expected of you in each assignment.                                                                                                                                            
• Prioritize. If you have multiple readings due within the same week, pick the one that is the most relevant to any assignments and/or that week's learning outcomes (see #3).                                                                                                                                           
• Chunk the readings. Breaking apart the readings into more manageable sections will help you digest the readings more easily. This can be done one page at a time, or even a paragraph or two at a time. Sometimes looking at the whole of your reading may feel intimidating. You can physically crop the PDF or use viewfinders to hide the rest of the text to help assist when chunking your readings.                                                                                                                                                                                            
• Read actively. While you are reading, annotate in the margins or on a separate piece of paper, highlight important words or sentences, and summarize what you just read. Do whatever feels most comfortable. This will help you to better retain what you read.                                                                                                                                                                                                              
• Hunt for information. If you know what to look for (see #3), then you can skim through large blocks of text and look for specific keywords. Although this is not the most reliable way to read, it can help when you are running short on time.                                                     
• Read backward. No, I do not mean to read all the words backward from end to start. Often, some readings will have a structure that provides summaries or important takeaways at the end of the paragraph/chapter. This may not be the case for every reading, though.                                                                                                                                                                                                 
• Read out loud to yourself. Written language can often seem daunting. It doesn’t quite feel the same as talking with someone. Reading out loud to yourself will create an even reading pace and may help you understand things more clearly.                                                      
• Try using text-to-speech software. Having someone else read to you also provides a new perspective for comprehending readings. RMCAD provides students with access to NaturalReader, which can read PDFs out loud to you. Contact the Student Learning Center at learning@rmcad.edu for free access to this software.                                                                                                                               
• Take a break. Everyone has their own capacity when it comes to reading. Take 5-10 minutes to do something else. Come back to the reading when you feel recharged.                                                                                                                                                                               
• Utilize available resources. The Student Learning Center (SLC) is a fantastic resource available to all active RMCAD students, free of charge. We offer peer tutoring and academic mentoring on a variety of different topics, including reading methods. You can schedule a one-on-one tutoring appointment at rmcad.mywconline.com or email learning@rmcad.edu with times you are available.