Student Survival Guide
Melissa Leech
09/01/13
GEN/105
Renee Evers

The library is designed for research with targeted, efficient assistance while the internet is designed to be fast and convenient. You will need strong literacy skills to be able to research the internet effectively. When you are dealing with a face to face communication, your meanings are conveyed through your body language so the listeners pay attention to your facial expressions and hand gestures to get the information that they need. Using online resources to communicate can be confusing when it comes to conveying the meanings of your words. For example, when you write, the person who is reading the material cannot see if you are smiling, frowning or surprised, but there are other ways to display the tone of your messages. You can use italics, font sizes and even emoticons which are popular now days.
It is very important to include tone in your written communications. You need to be direct and professional about what you are saying but you also need to let your readers know that you have given a lot of thought into your writings. Try to keep the type of audience in mind when you personalize your material. Use the appropriate font size and colors as well as emoticons but be careful not to overuse them. You want to be clear and direct but try not to be overly formal with your words. Try to imagine how the words would sound if you were on the other side and having to read it yourself. If you relate the information to the course and personalize it based on experiences, then you will have no problem conveying your message to anyone.
There are other rules that apply to using the internet to communicate. According to the University of Phoenix Library, you need to do the following at all times to successfully convey your thoughts to another audience:
Stay on topic
Use appropriate subject lines
Edit your replies
Maintain professional and respectful dialogue at all times
Uphold the university’s standards of academic honesty
Avoid “I agree” and “Me too!” messages
Avoid the use of all caps
Recognize that you are talking with one another, not writing to one another
Contribute your efforts to building a collaborative learning environment

Another type of resource that is available to use is the University of Phoenix Library. It is a very extensive library with a large collection of databases available to you, the student. It includes thousands of electronic books that you are able to use throughout your degree program. Along with the books and material for reading, there is also many other tools to help you succeed. The library includes a link to the Center for Writing Excellence that helps you write essays that are correct in grammar and spelling.

It includes the Plagiarism checker, which when used properly, can assure you that you are writing the essay with your own words and not writing it word for word from a text. Even if you are not meaning to do it, it is very smart to get it check. Plagiarism is a serious violation of the universities rules and regulations and it can carry huge consequences that can include a failing grade, suspension, or expulsion from the university. Academic honesty holds a special place in a college and for this reason, it is important for you to learn how to acknowledge the contributions of others in your own work and to document it properly. Discovering how to use others' work to advance your own is a key part of learning. Very few of us ever have completely original ideas, and even the greatest scholars build on others achievements. Understanding how to incorporate others' points into your own arguments, and how to acknowledge them properly, is one sign of maturing as a student and as an adult.

The Career Plan that is available in the Phoenix Career Services is designed to help you set up