Page 91 - Keys To Community College Success

Learning How You Learn

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR ABILITIES

What Would You Risk? Joyce Bishop, PhD

THINK ABOUT THIS SITUATION AS YOU READ, AND CONSIDER WHAT ACTION YOU WOULD TAKE.
THIS CHAPTER HELPS YOU ASSESS YOUR PREFERENCES FOR LEARNING AND INTERACTION, AND
SHOWS YOU HOW TO USE THIS INFORMATION TO MAKE PRACTICAL DECISIONS ABOUT WORK
AND STUDYING.

As a college student, Joyce Bishop was confused by her Despite her challenges, Joyce later
spotty record—she did well in some classes and felt totally took the risk to pursue a master’s in
lost in others, especially those that were lecture-based. She public health. Concerned about stress
couldn’t make sense of what she was hearing when she on her eyes, her eye doctor sent her to a
wasn’t familiar with the information. If she read the mate- center that usually tested small children
for learning disabilities. The therapist who
rial ahead of time, she could visualize pictures in her mind,
tested her determined that Joyce pro-
look up words, and research concepts. This helped her
cessed language on a fourth-grade level, a condition that
understanding, but there wasn’t often time to do it ahead
has not changed during her adult life. Guessing that she
of class. had not made it past the tenth grade, the therapist was
In small classes, Joyce was distracted by the voices shocked to hear she was completing her master’s degree.
around her while she strained to hear the instructor. She Finally Joyce began to understand what was behind so
would borrow classmates’ notes in exchange for typing many years of mediocre grades and an intense struggle to
their term papers. The notes and typing helped her retain learn. She had always been willing to risk, but wondered if
information better. When Joyce realized that science she had the ability to achieve the reward she sought.
classes were somewhat less difficult for her, she majored
in biology and managed to graduate. To be continued . . .

YOU DON’T HAVE TO HAVE
A LEARNING DISABILITY
TO FACE LEARNING
CHALLENGES. FOR JOYCE,
PARTICIPATING IN ADVEN-
TURE SPORTS, LIKE RIDING
ATVS, IS A WAY TO GROW Working through this chapter will help you to:
BY TAKING A RISK AND
LEARNING FROM IT, AS • Assess learning preferences P. 54
SHE DID WHEN WORKING • Investigate how you prefer to interact with information
THROUGH HER LEARNING and people P. 56
DISABILITY. YOU’LL LEARN • Explore how learning preferences relate to how you study P. 65
MORE ABOUT JOYCE, AND
THE REWARD RESULTING • Identify classroom and study strategies that work
FROM HER ACTIONS, effectively with particular preferences P. 63
WITHIN THIS CHAPTER. • Determine ways to adjust to different teaching styles P. 64
• Build lesser-developed learning preferences P. 65
• Identify and manage learning disabilities P. 71