Get off to a good semester!

It is important to get off to a good start early in the semester. The following article gives 4 basic suggestions on how to do so!

http://college.usatoday.com/2015/01/07/4-simple-ways-to-start-your-semester-off-right/

PSY 215 TEXTBOOK

I WAS NOTIFIED BY THE BOOKSTORE THAT THE TEXTBOOK FOR PSY215 IS ON BACKORDER UNTIL 2/12/2018. I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED WITH ANY UPDATES.

WELCOME SPRING 2018 STUDENTS

I      I am hoping we have a stimulating and enjoyable semester as you experience the world of Psychology. My goal is to offer students who are willing to work hard an opportunity to be immersed in the world of Psychology, explore topics of interest in more detail, and earn a good grade in the course.  I also am hoping you will pick up the necessary skills for writing a good academic research paper. On that note, I would like to share a few areas to focus on to both enhance your course experience and give yourself a chance to obtain the best grade possible:

Homework: Success at college depends as much on what you do outside the classroom as what you do inside of it. It will be important to consistently complete your standing homework assignments. If you do, they will provide you valuable context and reinforcement of class lectures. 

Your standing homework assignments are:

1. Keep up with the reading: It is a general assumption you will be doing a reading to accompany the class lectures. This will help enhance your understanding of the material and give you a deeper knowledge of the subject matter. The assigned reading for the topics we are covering in class can be found on the syllabus. 

2. Watch the assignment videos: The videos associated with the lectures were designed to provide you more details about different topics as well as reinforce material covered in class. Watching them is an excellent way to enhance your understanding and assist with the process of committing the material to memory for test preparation.

       3. Make sure you are aware of the due dates and requirements for all writing assignments and follow them!!!

4. Stay in touch: Many issues can be resolved earlier in the semester and can make the rest of the semester go much smoother. Make sure you are familiar enough with course expectations to ask the questions early in the semester. Feel free to ask during class time so everyone can get the benefit of the information. Office hours are listed on the syllabus and other times are available by appointment. 

       5.Check the Psychology blog on a regular basis for updates on the class, additional reading assignments, and extra credit opportunities, if/when they are offered.  

6. Class Participation: Please feel free to share thoughts, ideas, and questions during class. I find class discussion an integral part  of a stimulating learning experience and hope you will be an active participant in the class. 

       YOUR FIRST HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT is to familiarize yourself with the website which will be an invaluable resource throughout the semester! 

END OF SEMESTER/FINALS

As we wind down the semester I just want to remind you about a few points:

1) Please make sure you have made up any missed grades- Any missed grades are counted as a 0. As a reminder you should have 4 quiz grades, a paper grade, and a midterm grade. Each are worth 25% of the final grade (the quizzes are averaged together) and the final exam is the final 25%.

2) Final Exam Schedule:

    Psy 201, Monday/Wednesday at 9:30am- Wednesday, December 20th, 9:30am
    Psy101H- Tuesday/Thursday, 9:30am- Thursday, December 21st, 9:30am
    Psy101H-Tuesday/Thursday, 11:00am- Thursday, December 21st, 11:00am
    Psy215- Tuesday/Thursday, 12:30pm- Thursday, December 21st, 12:30pm
    Psy 201-Thursday, 3:00pm-Thursday, 3:00pm.


3) If for some reason you are going to miss the Final Exam, please make sure you contact me. If you just miss the exam it will count as a 0. An incomplete is something that must be granted, it does NOT OCCUR AUTOMATICALLY

If you have any questions about anything related to the end of the semester, please see me!

GOOD LUCK!

PSY201-WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 13TH CLASS CANCELLED

TUESDAY DECEMBER 12TH-ALL CLASSES CANCELLED

Unfortunately, I have lost my voice and will need to cancel class today. Given the fact that finals are next week I just wanted to communicate how this will alter the end of the semester work.

Psy101H (9:30am, 11:00am)- We will not be covering "the Cortex" of the brain. Please make sure you know the lobes of the brain and what sensory functions they are in charge of.

Psy 215 (12:30pm)-  We will have the Quiz on Thursday. Also, we will not have time to cover sexual dysfunctions (we will cover the disorders) so please make sure you review the sexual dysfunctions on your own (powerpoint/text).

I will answer any questions on Thursday (hopefully!)

STRESS

As the semester winds down, the level of stress is enormous. The New York Times has developed a healthy living series which recently published an excellent review of how to handle stress effectively. Its' important to always be vigilant about your stress levels and employ strategies to assist in the management of them! Reading through this article will definitely help with this.......

https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/how-to-deal-with-stress