PC 103 University Skills | Gathering Agenda for Week 01
Welcome, announcements, and housekeeping
Please sing one or two verses of a hymn. If you meet with a virtual gathering, instead of singing, the lead student or another student should be invited to share a brief spiritual thought. A volunteer will then give an opening prayer.
“Academic” is an adjective that relates a noun to learning or school. An “academic plan” is a plan to complete a school program. An “academic prize” is something you earn from a school program, like a certificate or a degree.
Heavenly Father lives according to a plan that has been called a plan of happiness, or the plan of salvation. He asks us to also work in wisdom and order. Book of Mormon prophet King Benjamin spoke about this when he said the following:
“And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order” (Mosiah 4:27).
Discuss these questions as a whole group or in small groups:
You may not be able to go faster right now. That is OK (think about not running faster than you have strength). However, begin to think about ways you can plan your life so you can go faster later. Think about how you can become stronger so you can do more.
Consider displaying these definitions.
As a whole group, complete the exercise below called “Academic Planning: Pace.” Before you do, make sure everyone knows what “credit” and “term” mean. Review these definitions:
Credit. A credit is a unit of measurement used by many universities to indicate how much a course is worth. Courses can be worth one credit, two credits, three credits, etc. To attain a bachelor’s degree through BYU-Pathway Worldwide, a student must earn about 90 total credits.
Term. A term is a period of time where you complete a course. Terms can be called semesters or blocks. Semesters are fourteen weeks long. Blocks are seven weeks long.
This course is called PC 103: University Skills. Part of the course outcomes is to help you understand how to be a successful online university student. BYU-Pathway Worldwide helps you to continue to find success in a university system that has features you might not yet fully understand. Let’s take some time to review or learn about these important parts. You will review this information more than once throughout the course.
Consider displaying these definitions.
Learn the terms below. For some, this may be a review. In either case, use the terms to help each other complete the story below featuring Rey.
University. This is a higher education organization that grants certificates and degrees.
Certificate. This is a series of about five courses that are focused on job-ready skills in a certain industry like accounting or social media marketing.
Degree. This is made of certificates and other courses. An associate degree contains two certificates and some other courses. A bachelor’s degree contains an associate degree, another certificate, and some other courses. A degree is an important credential that helps you improve your employment opportunities.
Credit. You already learned this above.
Term. You already learned this above.
General Education Courses. These are courses that you typically take toward the end of your associate and bachelor's degree programs. They are not part of a certificate. These are courses in general subjects such as writing, math, and science. Students take these courses even if they are not directly tied to their certificate or degree to broaden their understanding of many disciplines and sharpen useful skills that can be applied across courses.
Matriculate. When you matriculate to a university, you start actively earning credits towards certificates and degrees. While a student in PC 101, 102, and 103, you are not a matriculated student. This means that the credits you have earned while in these courses do not yet count for a certificate or degree. Therefore, you must apply through BYU-Pathway Worldwide to the online certificate and degree program. (This class helps support your application process.) Once you accept an offer of admission to the program, you are matriculated. Once you are matriculated, the credits you earn while taking PC 101, 102, and 103 will soon after transfer to your record.
Complete the activity below called “Help Rey Graduate.”
Remind the class to not worry about the number of credits required to obtain a degree. The first, best thing they can do once they matriculate is to complete the introductory certificate. Research shows that completing the introductory certificate can help improve employment right away.
Bear a 30-90 second testimony of the importance of planning and being diligent. End with a prayer by invitation.
Rey wants to complete a Bachelor’s degree of Applied Business Management. Below is how that degree is built. Major academic prizes have a star next to them.
As a class or in small groups, answer the following questions about Rey’s progress to her academic prizes.
|
Pace |
Number of terms to achieve the academic prize |
|
9 credits per term |
Associate of Applied Business Management _____ Bachelors of Applied Business Management _____ |
|
12 credits per term |
Associate of Applied Business Management _____ Bachelors of Applied Business Management _____ |
Here is an optional Google Sheet that you can use to help the class understand how your decisions can change your pace. If you click on this link, it will prompt you to make a copy to your own Google Drive.
Use the terms in the list below to complete the sentences in the story. Doing so should help you reinforce the definitions of these important university parts. Some words are used more than once.
Rey is taking PC 103 right now. By applying through BYU-Pathway Worldwide, she wants to ______________ so she can have her course ______________ count towards graduation. She is excited to get the ______________ called Bachelor of Applied Business Management. To get that ______________, she needs to complete three ______________. She also knows that she must complete some courses in mathematics, writing, science, etc., called ______________. She is excited to see what her choices will be as a ______________ student. This ______________, she is taking 6 ______________, but she wants to increase her pace next year to 9 ______________ per ______________. Once she does that, she will be able to graduate faster.