Suggestions from CBIS 101 students to future CBIS 101 on strategies to be successful during the semester. Includes time management, use of class documents, communication and submitting weekly homework.

1. CBIS 101 - Montanez

2.  Ms. Montanez communicated very well right out of the gates and if we overlook her advice, we
are sure to struggle. I too had a little delay in getting on the right track in this class because I
am one who usually skips through all of the introduction stuff and get right to work. Well in
doing so in this class I missed the communication on all of the other sites we must go to for
assignments and in doing so I lost points. I went back to read the syllabus and low and behold
our instructor had communicated all of the steps.
 Start the course on time. The first day you have access, already purchase your book ( or set the
temporary access for the free ebook access) and make sure you have a PC, not MAC.
 Please review CANVAS first, if this is new to you. The teacher provides videos on how to use
CANVAS.
 Make sure to start each module on the first link, and watch videos. Also the student data files
information is in the 1st week. Make sure to download and save in the first week
 Read and print the course syllabus and syllabus thoroughly and ask questions.
 Get your access to MyITLab setup with the temporary access code if you don’t have funds yet.

3.  Plan ahead and make sure you plan out enough time do to your assignments. I am a full time
student and full time worker and I am doing just fine because I have managed my time in this
class and in other classes.
 I found that the time it takes to get work done on the class varies:
 4-6 hours per week if familiar with computers and Microsoft Office,
 8-10 hours if not familiar.
 Extremely important. Please make sure you set aside 8-10 hours for each week in this course;
especially if you’re unfamiliar with the coursework. Stay ahead on the MyITLab assignments.
Do 2 assignments per week to stay on top of it. There’s no way you’ll be able to do 6 assignments
in the lab the week it’s due. If so, it’s taking a risk.
 Keep a planner to write future events
 In the beginning I thought I didn't need to worry about doing the assignments till the night
before it was due, but that did not work at all for me. Doing one assignment a night really takes
a huge load off your shoulders when going through the week. By the time everything is due at
the end of the week if you even have any assignments left it will be very little needed to be done
and you will not fall behind.
 Time management in this class will be either your greatest asset or biggest downfall. Ask the
instructor for assistance on this if you need to.

4.  This class will not be friendly to someone who fails to look at that schedule and if they cannot
figure out the importance of communication, they are definitely not ready for this class.
Communication is a key part of life and with an online class we must understand that the
syllabus and schedule are our instructor's communication to us.
 Ms. Montanez communicated very well right out of the gates and if we overlook her advice, we
are sure to struggle. I too had a little delay in getting on the right track in this class because I
am one who usually skips through all of the introduction stuff and get right to work. Well in
doing so in this class I missed the communication on all of the other sites we must go to for
assignments and in doing so I lost points. I went back to read the syllabus and low and behold
our instructor had communicated all of the steps
 If you don't understand something ASK! Ms. Montanez is very nice and will answer your
questions, but she can't answer them if you don't ask.

5.  The class syllabus answers almost any question you have about the class. Its crucial you go
through it all to know exactly what to expect from the class.
 There was a lot of useful information in the class syllabus. So be sure to have this handy
throughout the semester. Make sure that you fully read it, and if you don't understand
something ASK! Ms. Montanez is very nice and will answer your questions, but she can't answer
them if you don't ask.
 Using the class syllabus is something that you want to keep for the whole semester. It will tell
you everything you need to know about the course. The good thing about having it, is that if you
have any questions or forgot about something you can always go back and look at it before you
have to ask your professor.

6.  Print the class schedule and use it as a worksheet to check off assignments that are done. Pay
close attention to due dates in the document. Setup your own due dates in your own calendar or
phone to help you keep track.
 Keeping track of your assignments and following the recommended class schedule will help you
succeed.
 I love the class schedule. It is something that I use all the time and you will need it to keep track
of what is due during that week. Every time I finish and assignment I cross it out and do the
next. Once I finish the whole week I cross out the whole week box. Before you know it you are
almost done with the course.
 The class schedule is needed for this class even though canvas has a calendar feature that is
listed what is your assignment and when it is due. However, the assignments on canvas are not
the only assignment for this class. You are required to complete the assignment from MyITLab.
On MyITLab, there are chapter projects and MIS e-text that you must need for doing a
discussion board. And the assignment deadline for canvas and MyITLab are different. I would
suggest print out and keep the class schedule handy because you can always check what is due
and when.

7.  If you live in the area, it’s worth it to go to the computer lab at the Tutorial Center on the first
week of class and have them take you through the structure of the course. Know what
assignments are entered in the modules and what assignments are in IT Lab and MIS. They are
very helpful in the lab. Other labs have computers, but might have an older version of Microsoft
Office that will not have all the options needed for the homework.
 Make your homework a priority. Do not procrastinate because doing it last minute is stressful
and it will not result in the best grades.
 Double check that your homework was done correctly. If not make sure to complete corrections
then submit as soon as possible. By doing so you are one step closer to finishing assignments for
the week.
 The book assignments take time, but I found them to be extremely helpful to learning new ways
to use the different applications. I have been using Microsoft Word for years and learned so
many new things from this class!
 The homework is straight forward, however you will have a good amount of it so this is where
the time management and 9 hrs comes in. I suggest you take a day maybe when you have other
classes and give this class the same time as an on campus class, to do the homework and go over
chapter reading on top of the 6 hrs of actual text work.

8.  For this class, all of your homework is done by working on a computer and submit it online. If
you don’t have access to internet or computer, you can use campus computer lab in the tutorial
Center. With that say, you should not do your homework at the last minute because something
could go wrong with your computer or internet access. When working on the chapter project,
make sure you read the direction thoroughly and follow step by step, avoiding mistake and error.
I would also recommend to do all the homework assignments, both from the textbook and
MyITLab, first before you take the quiz.
 Because this class in an online class, all homework must submit on canvas and MyITLab. Make
sure that you submit all the files requested by the instructor for each project from each chapter
because you will be creating more than one file for each project from the Microsoft textbook.

9.  Reading and planning ahead. Leaving distractions out. Keeping cellphone and tv out when
working on assignments and projects.
 When I first started this course I would do my homework while watching TV. I began to notice
that when I would watch TV my homework would take almost twice as long to finish! I then
learned to keep my phone on silent and do my homework in my bedroom where I knew I
wouldn't have as many distractions (aka no TV).
 Having a planner organized your time and assignments does really helpful because you can plan
your day, check your homework, and finish it on time. Using the computer on campus is very
convenient and helpful because the screen is very big; it does really help when working on
answering a question for a discussion board.
 Make sure you spread out the workload of each chapter over the week and cross things off on the
class schedule as you complete them.
 I would recommend submitting the assignments after you complete them. That way if you look
back before the due date and notice that something is missing, you can still submit it. Also, if
something were to happen to your computer the day they are due, and even though you had
everything completed you aren't able to submit them would be a big bummer.

10.  Don't be afraid to ask questions whether it be to other students or to the teacher. On discussion
boards, pay attention to other students posts, they can help understand the project a little
easier.
 Stick to your schedule by putting time aside to do your assignments, with it being an online class
it is easy to get distracted, so get away from any distractions and take care of your school work.
 It is so easy to get distracted with online classes. It is important to set that time aside
throughout the week not just in one day.
 If you get distracted at home, come to work here to campus. Distractions happen much less for
me here than at home.
 Plan ahead and get stuff done early! That is what has helped me the most. Also having a PC.
Mac computers work but it is much difficult. I would recommend coming to campus as I do if you
cannot afford to buy one.
 Submitting homework is straightforward. Back up your assignments to a usb or cloud.
 Be sure to take breaks, just get up and walk around the room, stretch, grab a quick drink, have
a snack. Maybe play music that would help you focus.
 Good Luck, I am sure you will do great.