Christina Alcena of the Student Success Centre leads a skills workshop.Christina Alcena of the Student Success Centre leads a skills workshop.

Workshops promise to help students achieve their academic goals

With the return from study break, Christina Alcena would like to remind students and faculty that the Student Success Centre offers workshops geared towards helping students develop the skills they need to achieve academic success in university.

Transition services intern for student development and support, Alcena outlines several programs run by the centre.

The Skills to Enhance Personal Success (STEPS) program offers a wide variety of workshops aimed at providing students with practical methods for improving learning and study skills.

Topics include:

  • Effective Reading Strategies
  • Strategic Note Taking
  • Multiple Choice Tests and Exams
  • Effective Memory Strategies
  • Study Smarter, Not Harder
  • Taming the Chaos (Time Management)
  • Exam Preparation
  • Exam Strategies
  • Test Anxiety

Winter 2015 workshops are held throughout the semester in room 267, Dillon Hall, on Mondays and Tuesdays from 10 to 11 a.m., and on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 3 p.m. A complete schedule with workshop descriptions is available on the centre’s website.

Workshops are $5 each. A $15 membership provides students with unlimited access to workshops through April 2015, and access to online learning assessments and resources. No sign up is required for workshops, and sessions or memberships can be purchased at the door.

First year business co-op student Jamie Noseworthy decided to attend a STEPS workshop after discovering that multiple choice exams can be much more challenging in university than they are in high school. She says the Multiple Choice Tests and Exams workshop gave her more confidence.

“I learned what to study, different tips for picking the right answer, what to do in the guessing stage, and what to do when you have finished your exam. The instructor had an interactive presentation and helped us better understand the material by including our inputs and questions,” says Noseworthy. “I recommend these workshops to anybody looking to improve learning, and study skills.”

For students who would like to “test drive” STEPS before purchasing a session or a membership, or for anyone who isn’t able to make it to the full sessions, the Student Success Centre also offers free Quick STEPS sessions every Monday from 2 to 2:30 p.m. at locations throughout campus. The sessions are shortened versions of STEPS workshops, and the Winter semester will feature the following topics: Taming the Chaos (Time Management), Study Smarter Not Harder, Multiple Choice Strategies, and Test Anxiety. No sign up is required, and sessions are always free. For a complete schedule with workshop descriptions and locations, please click here.

For additional online support around navigating university life, students can check out the Campus Lifeline website which provides resources on a wide variety of academic, personal, and practical topics including improving presentation skills and essay writing, tips for success in online courses, dealing with a breakup, coping with stress, getting involved on campus, and searching for a summer job.

Alcena says the centre continually adds to its collection of resources, so she urges students to check back often. She also directs students to the centre’s social media outlets:

  • Facebook for daily STEPS workshop reminders as well as additional tips and tricks for success in university.
  • Pinterest for a growing collection of important information to help you improve your learning and studying.
  • YouTube for Campus Lifeline workshops on additional topics, such as decoding your professors, exercising, mental health, the writing process, and many more.
  • 8tracks for a great collection of study playlists for you to enjoy if you like listening to music while you work.

For more information, please contact Alcena at christina@uwindsor.ca.