Getting Support
The challenges of college life -- not to mention committments in your non-academic life -- may seem to stretch you beyond your limit. Please, don't assume you're alone! A lot of students feel exactly as you do.
Know this - there's an entire team of faculty and professional staff here to assist you. We have a vested interest in your future; our success is your success!
At this time, we would urge you to review the "Area of Need Statements" below and to access any embedded resources you think might be helpful. Additionally, we have added five offices we believe will be key to your success as a student. If you do not find anything addressing your specific need or area of concern, start by speaking with your Student Success Coach. Your Coach will make every effort to get you connected with the support you most need.
Area of Need Statements
The Cornell Note Taking System
The Cornell Note Taking System is universally considered one of the best approaches to in-class note taking. This method allows you to organize material being presented, summarize what it is you are being taught, add comments and related content following lecture, and prioritize areas needing greater attention. Learn more here.
Anki Cards
Anyone who needs to remember things in their daily life can benefit from Anki. Since it is content-agnostic and supports images, audio, videos and scientific markup (via LaTeX), the possibilities are endless. Get started here.
Don't pull an all-nighter! Manage your study time in bite-sized increments with breaks in between
Get out of the habit of procrastinating, pulling marathon study sessions. Break it all down into smaller, more manageable study periods with breaks in between.
Advanced Organizers
Advanced Organizers are teaching strategies that allow students to scafford learning, from basic to secondary and even tertiary levels. Although most commonly developed by teachers and faculty, students can develop their own cognitive systems for organizing content and making material more easily accessible. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Anki Cards
Anyone who needs to remember things in their daily life can benefit from Anki. Since it is content-agnostic and supports images, audio, videos and scientific markup (via LaTeX), the possibilities are endless. Get started here.
The Cornell Note Taking System
The Cornell Note Taking System is universally considered one of the best approaches to in-class note taking. This method allows you to organize material being presented, summarize what it is you are being taught, add comments and related content following lecture, and prioritize areas needing greater attention. Learn more here.
How to Manage Your Time as a Student
In this video, a former Cambridge medical student provides some good suggestions on how we might better manage our time. Before viewing the following, though, know this - having the intrinsic motivation to manage our time better is a prerequisite. Question, do you have the will to live and perform well?
The CBU 168-Hour Exercise
Coming soon!
Forest Application
Gamify management of your time with this fun little application. Grow a forest and get productive!
Todoist Application
Set up an easy yet sophisticated "to do" list with reminders, wonderful connections, color schemes and project management capabilities.
Monday or Trello? Which is application is best?
Need an easy to use project management tool? Check out the review below.
Don't pull an all-nighter! Manage your study time in bite-sized increments with breaks in between
Get out of the habit of procrastinating and pulling marathon study sessions. Break it all down into smaller study periods with breaks in between.
OSS Study Spaces
Need a great place to study with your peers? Reserve a study space in Lancer Arms by calling 951-343-4795.
Why Intrinsic Motivation in College is more often better than Extrinsic Motivation
This Cornell student gives excellent insight into Intrinsic Motivation and how to develop it. He also discusses Growth Mindeset, what it is, and how to engrain it into your everyday thinking.
Some of what's included, especially at 11:47-11:50, is not as bibically sound, but much of the rest of this is super helpful. Work to build your intrinsic motivation.
Career Center Resources on Career and Major Choice
The Career Center in an excellent place to visit if you're just not sure the major or career you are pursuing is right for you. Maybe, despite your best efforts, the grades are not coming. Maybe you lack interest, or other activities too easily compete for needed study time. Here are some links we think might be helpful. Be sure to start by creating a Handshake Account.
The Exciting World of Career Development and Self-Directed Search
Although a video originially designed for graduate students preparing for the National Counseling Exam (NCE), this nice little video created by Dr. Poppy Moon, explains Parson's Trait-Factor Theory, Holland Codes, and tools students can easily access to make informed decisions on the direction in which they are headed. Hand-in-hand with the taking of any exam, we'd urge you to visit with a Career Counselor at the CBU Counseling Center.
The Exciting World of Career Development and Self-Directed Search
SMART Goals Worksheet
Whether setting long or short-term goals, the SMART Goals Worksheet is a handy little resource that might assist you in quickly sketching out your thoughts.
What is Your Calling?
Before Living Your Purpose, you might need to find it. What has God called you to do? What are some gifts, talents, skills God has uniquely endowed you with? This presentation might help you sort out those things you need to do from those things you are inspired to do... the things you are most passionate about.
Professor Office Hours
Many students are under the mistaken impression professor office hours are private time for a professor to get his/her work done. This is not correct. Professor office hours are hours devoted to students, and are most often found in the course syllabus and/or Blackboard.
Every class will include especially difficult concepts; concepts that are not always adequately covered in a one-hour lecture; concepts that require a depth of thinking you might not aquately gain through additional readings or peer support. Attending professor office hours provides you the space and time needed with faculty to make the vague and hazy crystal clear.
In addition, allowing your professor to get to know you has the added benefit of possibly getting a great letter of recommendation later in life. Allowing your professor in on your interests, hobbies, goals, values, and testimony, might likely lead to a more rich and robust letter of recommendation when it comes time to apply for graduate studies or that needed first career job. Get support and get to know your professor!
The CBU Tutoring Center
The Tutoring Center at CBU is a terrific place to go if you need just a little extra support in those more difficult classes. Tutoring at CBU is included in your student fees at no additional charge, but WORD TO THE WISE - Do not wait until the night before a midterm to access tutoring! That does not work. Get a tutor early and remain in contact with your tutor.
The CBU Writing Center
Is your writing a bit rough? Not to worry - many college students need a little extra help with there writing and those ever fun annotated bibiographies. Here's the place to go...
Grammarly
This cloud-based AI assistant is offered to assist students with their writing skills. Check it out.
Khan Academy
Good old Khan Academy might still, even as a college student, be a good place to start when seeking support on basic concepts.
Give Your Anxious Mind a Rest
It seems not a day goes by that we don't face a certain amount of stress and some days seem much worse than others. In this article, Adrien Segal provides a bit of perspective when things get especially tough.
The CBU Counseling Center
Most of us who are not mechanically inclined would ever dare replace our vehicle's motor mounts. Similarly, most of us who have never been shown how to bake a potato, would suddenly volunteer to host a dinner party for ten or twelve of our closest friends.
Yet, curiously, when we find ourselves feeling confused, discouraged or desperate, some of us feel we can negotiate life without the support of others; that somehow through rugged stoicism we can face life's challenges like some sort of old-fashioned cowboy riding the range.
In truth, though, we were not meant to face life's challenges alone. The world is a far, far too complex and confusing, and things tend to get even more confusing when "life happens", or we let difficulties fester.
Maybe it's the illness or passing of a relative or a breakup with someone you've loved... maybe there's issues with a parent or some little habit or vice you're contending with (or maybe not contending with)... maybe you're lonely or have some assignment you're especially worried about... or maybe it's something you can't quite put your thumb on -- you just don't feel right -- those stresses can be particularly frustrating! If you layer on top of this a 15-unit load, maybe a job, commute, family obligations, etc. it's no wonder some might feel they're hitting a breaking point.
It's okay to acknowledge, you need a little perspective, care or support. You've never replaced your motor mounts or have even baked a potato, so why pretend you're a mechanic or chef now?
Make an appointment here:
In a few years, you might be the person lending support to someone else; you certainly won't want them feeling apprehensive, filled with shame, embarrassed, guilty. Leave you apprehensions behind and just go to the Counseling Center. There you will find competent, Christ-Center care and support. Don't hesitate - schedule a time today!
Student Support Offices
This is our office, and where you will find your Find My Student Success Coach. Your relationship with your Coach will be one key element in your success. Get to know your coach and let him or her get to know you as well.
- Why did you chose the major or career path you are following?
- How do you plan to use the degree you are pursuing?
- How can we help you navigate your college years?
Stop in and see us.
The Career Center is more than the place to go in finding a job. They provide career counseling, can assit you in clarifying your interests, abilities, and environments in which you thrive, and can even support you in the journey to identifying what God might be calling you to do. They offer resume preparation, mock interviews, internship and job search assistance, placement support, career fairs, and can even create for you a little wardrobe for that ever-important initial interview. This is definitely one place you'll want to visit a few times while at CBU.
The California Baptist University Counseling Center provides Christ-centered, Biblically based, psychologically sound therapy to allow the CBU community to be free to live their purpose and have a godly impact in the world.
The CBU Counseling Center offers free, anonymous screenings online; provides individual, couples and family therapy; are involved in various campus outreach activities throughout the year; and have a variety of helpful resources available on their website.
The Office of Spiritual Life invests in the lives of those within the campus community with the purpose of developing followers of Jesus. They offer various local, regional, domestic and even international ministries opportunities, along with discipleship and spiritual growth services. Check them out here...
The Office of Student Success at California Baptist University aids in scholastic success through a student-oriented process of personal and group engagement. The Office of Student Success is perceptive and responsive to student needs, open to student ideas, cares about the advancement of each student, encourages student development, seeks to promote student growth and shares in the accomplishments of each student.
- Disability Services
- Tutoring Services
- The Veteran Center
- The Writing Center
- Hispanic Serving Institution Grant Administration - 951-552-8685