If the grade on your exam is not reflective of the quality of effort you feel you have been making in this class, it is probably time for you to examine how you study for this class and prepare for tests. On our class website, there is a webpage entitled "Improving study skills." Perhaps you have not followed all of the guidelines suggested there and in lecture. These are designed to ensure that you achieve at your maximum ability. To judge how diligently you have followed the guidelines and my other study suggestions, honestly answer "yes" or "no" to the questions listed below.

Although some questions reflect more important activities than others, I would suggest that for every 2 to 3 "no" answers you give to questions, you can deduct one letter grade from what you are capable of achieving on exams in this course. For example, if you start with 'B' ability in Earth science and you answer "no" to four of the questions, you might expect to do 'C'/'D' work on exams. Keep in mind that not everyone is capable of making an 'A' in a particular course. In a course of this size, the average student will earn a 'C' grade. (Research has shown that science faculty tend to be less guilty of grade inflation than most other academics.)

For whatever reason, your potential achievement level may only be a 'B' or a 'C'. What is important to me is that you reach this level by working hard. In fact, if you can honestly answer "yes" to all of the questions below, I would not be surprised if you actually exceeded your potential achievement level. A great amount of satisfaction and good feelings can derive from this sort of learning experience. I hope that you can experience these feelings by the end of the semester -- but it may require a significant effort on your part.
 

	YES	NO
1. Did I read the on-line materials entitled "Improving study skills"?
2. Did I attempt to apply the concepts discussed therein?
3. Have I missed only one or no lectures?
4. Have I missed no labs for this class?
5. Do I read the textbook assignment before the appropriate lecture?
6. Do I read for comprehension, not just memorization?
7. Do I come to class ready and motivated to learn?
8. Do I fully concentrate while in lecture?
9. Do I actively participate in discussions while in lecture?
10. Do I follow the lecture guide during class?
11. Do I concentrate on comprehending the concepts in lecture rather than just write down the instructor's words?
12. Do I review and rewrite or at least embellish my notes soon after lecture?
13. Do I seek help on a regular basis to better understand confusing concepts rather than wait until the night before the exam when no help is available?
14. For each hour of class time, do I spend two to three hours each week studying Earth science?
15. Can I define all the terms from the lecture and reading and give examples of how they are used?
16. Do I relate terms to one another and to the concepts discussed in lecture?
17. After my weekly study sessions, can I fulfill the objectives that are listed in the lecture guide at the beginning of each section?
18. Do I re-read the textbook assignment after the appropriate lecture?
19. Do I read and answer the relevant review questions at the end of the chapters in the textbook?
20. Do I make appropriate use of the available on-line study materials for the class, e.g. the sample exams?
21. Do I study more than three uninterrupted hours within a 24 hour period prior to the exam -- and not between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.?
22. Do I fully concentrate on studying, and in a setting where there are no distractions to detract from the quality of my efforts?
Total:

Hopefully, this questionnaire will allow you to better realize what my expectations are, and how you can go about meeting them. I have a definite philosophy of learning gained from many mentors during my own education. I firmly believe the more you work, the more you learn and that an instructor who doesn't require a student to constantly test his or her own intellectual limits is denying that student a quality education. However, I also feel students who don't fulfill their part of the bargain are cheating themselves out of the greatest opportunity life has to offer -- the chance to learn.

Recently a student said the following about me: "he seems like a nice enough guy, so why does he make his tests so hard?" I personally believe this person is completely missing the point of a college education. Don't you agree?