5 Chapter 1 Developing Study Skills Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Above all, good study habits begin with your personal well-being. If your body is not healthy and alert, it will be difficult for you to pay attention. The following are some hints for keeping yourself well and ready to learn. • • Rest is crucial. On average, you should be getting between eight and ten hours of sleep each night. Fatigue, or sleepiness, can keep you from being productive at school, at your job, or in your personal life. • • Hydration is necessary and can be accomplished by drinking water and limit- ing sugar and caffeine. • • Balanced meals are important, and excessive snacking should be avoided. Eating right can keep your body healthy and your mind sharp, instead of feel- ing hyper, sluggish, or distracted. There are multiple study tips you will learn as you progress through the lessons in this text that will help you have a positive attitude toward studying, have confi- dence in your ability to study effectively, and focus on tasks at hand. Academic Integrity Academic integrity is the demonstration of honesty and responsibility in completion of academic work and performance as a student. As a student, you attend school to earn an education that will help you in your future per- sonal life and career. Being unprepared or copying answers on a test is unac- ceptable behavior. In addition, presenting information in a report as yours when you really copied material that belongs to another person is plagia- rism and will not contribute to you earning an education needed for future employment. Plagiarism is claiming another person’s material as your own, which is both unethical and illegal. Above all, demonstrate a sense of ethics at all times. Ethics are the moral principles that direct a person’s behaviors. Morals are an individual’s ideas of what is right and wrong. Integrity is the honesty of a person’s actions. Educational institutions expect, and require, students to perform in an ethi- cal manner when taking tests, writing reports, and completing assignments. Strive to be a good student. From the first day of class, realize that your job is to learn, achieve good grades, and earn a well-rounded education. The following actions can help you be successful in your studies. • • Communicate with your instructor and be clear on what he or she expects from you as a student. • • Ask your instructor for contact information if you should need after class help. Your instructor may have office hours or prefer e-mail correspondence when you have questions. • • Read the course outline or syllabus that you are given. Request clarification on anything that you do not understand or is not clear. • •• Confirm the name of the text and other materials that are needed for the class. • Attend every class, and be on time. There will be times when you are ill or an emergency arises. When this happens be prepared to make up the time and meet with your instructor to find out what you missed. • •• Be polite and use good manners with your fellow students. • Raise your hand when you want to contribute in class. Avoid interrupting others when they are talking. Be positive and learn to appreciate the privilege of earning an education. Attending school is one of the best times of your life. Enjoy it, and be the best you can be. Cheating is a violation of academic integrity. Constantine Pankin/Shutterstock.com