The skills you learned in the military will go a long way toward helping you succeed in college, but if you’re looking for some extra support – or an academic tune-up – then you’ll find it in this course. We know that the culture of higher education is different from the culture of the military in meaningful ways, and we also know that one of the keys to excelling in college–especially for student veterans–is learning to navigate these differences successfully, right from the very start.
This course aims to help you do just that. First, the course will orient you to the norms and expectations of the college classroom. The quicker you know what is expected of you, the quicker you can start learning. Second, the course will offer you strategies to ease your transition, to help you achieve your academic goals, and to allow you to make the most of your college education.
While this course is open to everyone, the content has been tailored specifically for student veterans currently pursuing higher education, active duty service members who aspire to start school or return to school soon, and higher education professionals who work to support student veterans at their schools. If this sounds like you, and if you’re ready to learn how to make your transition easier and more successful, then we hope you’ll join us.
This online curriculum may be used in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to, as a start-to finish, self-directed online experience (MOOC). It can also, in its current format, serve as an “orientation” for other student veteran success programs. We also invite you to utilize this resource as a library/toolkit of academic success strategies, a tool for flipped classroom pedagogy, or a companion text for on-the-ground transition courses.
We welcome the opportunity to assist higher education institutions (both 2-year and 4-year), military installation education services officers and transition assistance programs, veteran focused non-profit organizations, and more. To get underway, contact us at the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration.
What's included
3 videos3 readings
Show info about module content
3 videos•Total 14 minutes
Video: Welcome to the Course•3 minutes
Video: Veteran Voices - Meet the Veterans•6 minutes
Video: What You'll Learn•4 minutes
3 readings•Total 25 minutes
Pre-Course Survey•10 minutes
A Note from R.J., Your Lead Instructor•5 minutes
Course Syllabus•10 minutes
Metacognition and Mindset
Module 2•2 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
10 videos9 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
10 videos•Total 36 minutes
Video: Introduction - Metacognition and Mindset•2 minutes
Video: How Learning Works•5 minutes
Video: Activating Prior Knowledge•5 minutes
Video: The Importance of Effort•5 minutes
Video: Veteran Voices - Putting in the Work•3 minutes
Video: Neuroplasticity and Mindset•5 minutes
Video: Veteran Voices - Little Steps Forward•2 minutes
Video: Veteran Voices - You Can Do Anything•2 minutes
Video: Metacognition in Practice•3 minutes
Video: Veteran Voices - The Power of Struggle•3 minutes
9 readings•Total 53 minutes
Metacognition and Mindset•1 minute
Mindset Inventory•10 minutes
Putting in the Work•1 minute
Let's Listen: Little Steps Forward•1 minute
Let's Listen: You Can Do Anything•1 minute
Carol Dweck•12 minutes
Let's Listen: The Power of Struggle•2 minutes
Section Review Prompt•10 minutes
Section 1 Resources and Handouts•15 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Assessment: Quiz 1•30 minutes
Active Reading and Note-Taking
Module 3•2 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
12 videos7 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
12 videos•Total 70 minutes
Video Introduction: Active Reading and Note-Taking•2 minutes
Video: How to Activate Your Reading•10 minutes
Veteran Voices: Reading with Purpose•1 minute
Video: Questions to Ask Yourself•4 minutes
Video: What Kind of a Note-Taker Are You?•11 minutes
Veteran Voices: Active Note-Taking•1 minute
Video: Effective Text Marking•9 minutes
Veteran Voices: Marking the Text•1 minute
Video: Cornell Note-Taking•13 minutes
Video: Iterative Note Review•8 minutes
Veteran Voices: Iterative Note Review in Practice•4 minutes
Veteran Voices: Iterative Note Review in Practice•4 minutes
7 readings•Total 20 minutes
Active Reading and Note-Taking•5 minutes
Let’s Learn More: Reading with Purpose•2 minutes
Let's Listen: Active Note-Taking•2 minutes
Let's Listen: Reading and Marking Academic Texts•2 minutes
Let's Learn More: Iterative Note Review in Practice•2 minutes
Let's Listen: Iterative Note Review•2 minutes
Let's Pause, Breathe, and Review•5 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Assessment: Quiz 2•30 minutes
How to Study for Technical Courses
Module 4•2 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
12 videos8 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
12 videos•Total 61 minutes
Video: Introduction - What is a Technical Course?•2 minutes
Video: How to Think About Technical Courses•3 minutes
Veteran Voices - Strategies That Worked For Me•3 minutes
Video: The Myth of the "Math and Science Person"•5 minutes
Video: Insightful Studying•7 minutes
Veteran Voices: Preparing for Technical Exams•2 minutes
Video: The Distributed Study Model•8 minutes
Video: Veteran Voices - Why You Should Do Your Homework•2 minutes
For more than 250 years, Columbia has been a leader in higher education in the nation and around the world. At the core of our wide range of academic inquiry is the commitment to attract and engage the best minds in pursuit of greater human understanding, pioneering new discoveries and service to society.
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