Congratulations on taking Introductory Physical Geology 101 at Mesa Community College. This will likely be one of the most exciting and interesting courses you will ever take. I have listed some hints to help you get through the semester.

The course syllabus will be handed out during the first day of class that will cover such issues as grading, material covered, etc. The syllabus is a contract between the student (you) and the instructor (me) - please keep a copy of it and refer to it to answer any questions. If you lose or misplace your copy, feel free to ask me for another copy - it's that important.

Keys to Success!
Whether this is your first science course, or you are a seasoned ‘veteran’ student, there are a few things you should keep in mind when studying a new subject.  I have learned many of these tips by instructors in high-level graduate courses – they are as relevant to graduate courses as they are to introductory undergraduate courses….

1. Every field has its own language and lingo.  You may often feel lost in all the new terminology.  Use the highlighted words in the textbook as guides to what terminology is important.  I will also discuss other important words in class.  If you can explain a term or a concept to your spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, or family pet, you will have a good command of the knowledge you need to succeed in this class.
2. Use the textbook wisely.  I highly recommend going over the end-of-chapter questions as these will be very similar to exam and quiz questions.  If you can answer them easily, you should have no problems during exams.  The ‘Expanding Your Knowledge’ discussion questions are also good to go over – though the exam questions will not be essay, a few minutes spent thinking about each of these questions will provide a much greater insight into what’s important and why.
3. Remember to use your ‘other’ resources.  The textbook has online resources.  These will offer more questions similar to your exam and quiz questions.  Be cautious when using general web material sources, like Wikipedia.  These sources are usually correct, but there is no guarantee that they are correct, and studying wrong information for an exam is a terrible waste of your time.
4. Don’t freak out on exams.  The exams are designed to test your knowledge, not to trick you.  I will NOT use ‘all of the above’, ‘none of the above’, or other esoteric test questions.  Carefully read each question, verify what is being asked, and use the process of elimination to remove answer options that you know are not correct.  If you do not understand what is being asked, ASK ME!  Sometimes a question that makes sense to me while I write an exam does not make sense to you when you are taking it.
5. Prepare for each class period BEFORE each class period.  Depending on your learning style, it may be better to carefully read each chapter before it is discussed in class so that you can take your knowledge and understanding to a higher level.  However, everyone should at least skim through each chapter prior to going over it in class.
6. Take good notes.  Your notes should be legible, and arranged in a manner that suits you best.  Don’t try to write everything down – if you do, you may spend all your time writing, and not have any time to really listen to what the instructor is saying.  A key to keep in mind is, if the instructor takes time to write a word on the board, YOU should take the time to write it down.  Spend a few minutes after class each day to review your notes – if something doesn’t make sense, write the question down in your notes and ask the instructor about it. 
7. Read, read, read!  You have a lot of material to cover, so don’t try to read it all in one sitting.  Instead, set aside an hour a day to read your textbook.  Be happy you took geology instead of another lab science since your textbook is chock full of beautiful photographs!
8. Never be embarrassed to ask questions.  Very often, if you have a question, the students around you are wondering the very same thing.  I will take the necessary time to answer questions about each of the topics we cover, but only if you ask them!  Also, if I am covering too much material too quickly, the best way to slow me down is to ask questions!
9. Finally, enjoy yourself!  Geology is an amazing subject with incredible and diverse opportunities.  Subdisciplines of geology include geochemistry, groundwater, geophysics and earthquakes, tectonics and mountain building, the mining and petroleum industries, the environmental industry, resource and park management, paleontology, planetary geology, astrobiology, teaching, and many many more.  Over the course of the semester, we will talk about many of these opportunities.