Survival Guide

You have made the decision to continue your education through distance learning, good for you! At this point you likely have numerous questions, a flood of emotions, and no idea where to start. Good news, this document is designed to assist you as you take your first steps. The five points of interest are; Academic Honesty, Research, Goals, Study Skills, and Time Management. By the time you finish this guide you will be able to successfully navigate through your course and feel confident that you can survive distance learning.

Before you begin your studies you must understand the basic principle of Academic Honesty. Everything you do from this point forward will be directly impacted by your honesty and those of the faculty of Axia College University of Phoenix. First and foremost you must do your own work at all times. Plagiarism is a trap many individuals fall into but it is easily avoided. Your first two courses will teach you how to use the American Psychological Association (APA) format for citing and referencing all materials. When doing research; cite everything whether you use it or not. If in doubt about the validity of a source research it further. If at any time you have a question ask your professor, counselor, advisors, or other faculty members. Remember there is no such thing as a stupid question.

When you begin your research, it will be confusing. The best place to start is the University of Phoenix Library. There are various ways to find information using specific search engines, general areas of study, and specific subjects. It is important to begin your search using specific words. The library makes citing references and looking for peer review articles very easy. All you have to do is tell the system what criteria you want met i.e. periodicals, peer reviews, specific dates, etc. After you find what you are searching for, select the citation or referencing icon located somewhere (usually the bottom) on the material. Save the material to a separate document, print it out, or both; TIP: if you print the information the date and address will be on the bottom making it easier to remember “when” you found it. Using the World Wide Web is another valuable asset for research however, you must be very careful about the contents’ source. When in doubt, cross reference your information by looking up the author’s name or contacting them directly. Most internet sites have a “contact us” link. You will find a lot of government agencies, universities and colleges have their libraries open to the general public. Remember, the internet opens up a world of possibilities so don’t hesitate to use them.

In the twentieth century, the ability to engage in careful, reflective thought has been viewed in various ways: as a fundamental characteristic of an educated person, as a requirement for responsible citizenship in a democratic society, and, more recently as an employability skill for an increasingly wide range of jobs. (Cotton, K. 1991, p. 1)

The same holds true even more as we continue further into the twenty first century. Setting and achieving goals is imperative. How can an individual know where to go if he doesn’t know what he wants? The answer is he can’t. He must set both short and long term career and personal goals if he is to be successful. Once his goals are set it’s time to begin implementing them. An individual needs to make a hard copy of his goals and list the consequences for failure to achieve them. The majority of hopes, dreams, and goals for the future will relate directly to your continuing education. Thanks to the flexibility offered by Axia’s distance learning program achieving those goals has never been easier.

Now that you know how to be honest, research information, and set goals,