[fblike] Hannah Rodgers

Coming from a high school where you excelled, most Academy students did not need academic reinforcement (studying) to be successful. But here at the Gatton Academy, this might just have to change. Your classes will be more challenging; your projects will require attention; and with you in charge of your own free time, motivation to sit down and put your attention to coursework might be difficult. Developing a healthy study routine is key! Here are some tips to help you get started:

Collect – Material isn’t just going to fall from the sky and plop right into your hands. Go get it. Class attendance is mandatory at the Academy and you can use your class time wisely to TAKE NOTES. Notes are sacred. Take them well.

Organize – Plan ahead! Whether that means setting alarms to remind you to review your notes, or allotting time each day after dinner to make notecards with a classmate, arrange to maximize your learning potential. For example, if a teacher has PowerPoints, print them off beforehand and look them over to prepare yourself for the day’s lesson. These are good study tools for later.

Rehearse – Repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repe- Oh hey. There are many ways to get information to stick, but one of the best is, you got it, repetition. Go through vocabulary note cards after class, shuffle, and then repeat again later. Or rewrite your notes on another page. For presentations, or for auditory learners, say your piece five times to a mirror, then turn around and try to recite it.

Educate – Finding feedback to your strategies is important. If what you’re doing doesn’t work for you, don’t just give up! Talk to your peers or an Academy staff member for suggestions. Also, your teachers have Office Hours to talk with students. Utilize this resource! Your teachers may know more successful study habits than you do. Allow them to critic your methods and offer advice.

The most important thing to remember about study habits is that they should be tailored to YOUR individual needs. If it’s not working, don’t give up! There’s a method for everyone.

[fblike] Corbin Allender

What’s a better way to kick off your first week as a college student than hanging out with the President? On Monday, Gatton Academy Class of 2015 students and community leaders (including my fellow avatars and me) were invited to join WKU President Gary Ransdell and his wife on the lawn of the President’s House for a personal dinner. That evening, the warm weather set a perfect backdrop for a burger-eating, Jimmy Buffett-listening good time as President Ransdell spoke on the importance of the Gatton Academy to Western and the numerous resources available here on campus to Gatton students. Also in attendance were other WKU staff and faculty, giving our juniors the chance to mingle and make connections with what may be some of their future professors.

But it wasn’t all fun and socializing – there was some serious competition to be had too. Professors gathered around to cheer on students as they battled in the truest test of intelligence and athleticism: cornhole! All in all, the dinner was a good opportunity for juniors to connect to the University, as well as mingle amongst themselves – forming friendships that will stick with them the rest of their lives (Yes, it sounds cheesy but I can tell you it’s most definitely true).

Check back this week for more updates as our juniors adjust to life at Gatton and experience the craziness that is Adventure Week!

[fblike]Alex Kearns

Alas, our study abroad trip now popularly known as An Atypical English Class has concluded, and what an “atypical” trip it was. First, how many students can say they studied English literature in England? Then take those students, and how many had the exuberant Professor Rutledge to lead their studies? Whenever he was around, Professor Rutledge always brought life to the literature studied, and the authors themselves. He proved time and time again that authors write about what they know, and English authors know England. Particularly when we hiked through the Moors, it was like we were living in Emily Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights.

Whenever we weren’t in the classroom, we could be found enjoying all things British. During our stay at Harlaxton, it became a routine to order fried chicken from Chicken Palace and then proceed to eat it off of Frisbees due to our lack of plates. While in London, everyone found themselves pushing their way onto the tube in order to stay with the group. Whether we were playing a pickup game of futbol or reading in Harlaxton gardens; shopping in various souvenir stores or enjoying a relaxing train ride; arguing over missed euchre hands or debating what the name of the royal prince should be, never did we experience a dull moment. With endless memories coming home with us, this trip truly was everything we could have asked for. Special thanks to Derick Strode, Beth, Pokey, and Prof. Rutledge for putting it all together!