Academic Resource Center
Academic Success Workshop Objectives
General Objective: To learn and/or enhance metacognitive strategies and integrate these skills into a daily study routine, to increase awareness of learning style, and to identify both internal and external variables which impact learning.
Workshop 1
TIME MANAGEMENT
How Can I Do It All?
- To identify the number of hours spent on academics, personal, and/or social activities.
- To graphically illustrate how the above hours compare with the ideal number of hours spent on these tasks.
- To understand the benefits of distributed learning.
- To prioritize academic responsibilities.
- To develop a realistic and workable study schedule.
- To plan adequate time for long-range assignments.
- To increase awareness of personal temperament and how this impacts organization, time management, studying, and planning.
- To discuss the reasons why students procrastinate and introduce ways to reduce this self-destructive behavior.
Workshop 2
MEMORY / NOTE TAKING
There is Just Too Much To Learn
- To understand some basic principles of learning, memory, reception, retention, recollection, and concentration.
- To integrate these principles into daily study routines.
- To explore and implement a variety of memory techniques including mapping, charting, chunking, explaining, reciting, rhyming, mnemonic devices, etc.
- To identify issues, both interpersonal and intrapersonal, which interfere with concentration.
- To understand your personal learning style and how it impacts studying.
- To develop multi-modal learning strategies
- To evaluate note-taking strategies and increase effectiveness.
- To develop a set of symbols, clues, etc.
- To recognize the important signals and cues in the lecture.
- To learn to review notes within 24 hours and to learn to create mind maps, time lines, summary statements, etc.
- To understand the art of listening as related to class lectures.
Workshop 3
TEST PREPARATION / EFFECTIVE TEXT BOOK READING
Why Did I Bomb The First Test?
- To analyze test preparation skills and to identify areas which need improvement.
- To organize and relate information from texts, notes, articles, and prioritize information before studying.
- To complete a five-day test preparation guide.
- To predict test questions.
- To understand and prepare for different levels of questions including memory, interpretation, and application.
- To explore test-taking strategies for both essay and objective tests.
- To evaluate performance on prior exams.
- To apply the paradigm of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Thinking in test preparation.
- To evaluate current textbook reading habits.
- To acquire new reading and comprehension skills to meet the demands of the college curriculum.
- To develop a pre-reading routine and recognize the objective of a reading assignment.
- To identify cue words which establish relationships, sequences, summaries, etc.
Workshop 4
MIND / BODY CONNECTION
A Holistic Approach to Learning
- To identify how external factors such as room temperature, noise, lighting, colors, scents, music, and ergonomics affect the brain and impact learning.
- To recognize the importance of exercise and relaxation while learning new information.
- To explain the negative effects of saturated fat, caffeine, sleep deprivation, drugs and alcohol on thinking and learning.
- To list foods, vitamins and minerals which positively affect thinking, learning, and memory.
- To explain how stretching, humor, and reflection affect cognition and overall wellness.
- To increase awareness of campus resources and support systems during times of stress.