Academic Success Skills

New Students Only
Three Fundamentals
Resource Links
Courses and Workshops

 

New Students Only

It is often hard to really digest these ideas without some exposure to college. Context helps, and high school and JUCO are really not the same. So here is our recommendation... Do check out the links. Learn as much as possible. Then after gaining some experience and seeing how K-State works, review the material again. You should see more clearly how some strategies might be applied. You might even find some overlooked gems.

 

Three Fundamentals

Are you ready to start learning? Great! Here are three ideas to get you started. They help frame the tips and techniques linked below.

  • There is no substitute for hard work. You've probably heard the saying WORK SMARTER - NOT HARDER. That saying captures a useful idea... really the whole idea behind study strategies. However, the imperative verb in the cliche is still WORK. Doing it smarter just enhances your ability to get good results.
  • Everybody is different. What works for you may not work for somebody else. You may have to experiment to figure out what best suits your learning style and intellectual aptitudes. The subject matter makes a difference too. Techniques that work for Philosophy of Art & Literature may not work for Calculus I (and vice versa).
  • Get interested. Young boys successfully memorize endless statistics about baseball and fighter planes... just because they're fascinated. Put that same principle to work in your academic life! Learning comes easier when you fan that spark of curiosity.

 

Resource Links

Here are some of our favorite websites regarding academic performance. Although some of their advice overlaps, that should not suprise you. It only underscores which strategies are most crucial for academic success!

K-State Resources

On-Line Resources About Writing
These links were assembled by Arts & Sciences and might help anyone wanting to improve their writing skills.

Some Helpful Hints from Freshman Seminar
Written for new students in DAS 100: Freshman Seminar, this page offers really solid advice about academic life at K-State. Some crucial ideas are discussed.

Tutorial Assistance
This information is maintained by the Academic Assistance Center, and although it is not really a study skills site, it still seems appropriate to highlight here as a useful tool for academic success.

University Counseling Services: Topics Page
In addition to the valuable info on personal and lifestyle issues that you might expect from UCS, they also offer great information on Academic and Stress-Related Issues (including Time Management and Study Strategies). You might also note the link to the Student Counseling Virtual Pamphlet Collection sponsored by the University of Chicago.

The Rest of the World

Study Guides and Strategies
An excellent site from the University of St. Thomas. They offer some comprehensive information on academic success. With multiple pages devoted to aspects of studying, learning in the classroom, testing skills, writing and reading skills AND links to other quality sites, it will probably keep you busy for awhile! Particularly consider following its links to Muskingum College , Virginia Tech , University of Texas at Austin , College of Saint Benedict and St John's University and/or Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo . They all offer a full range of academic success strategies. Also check out the Ten Traps of Studying through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill link. And Our Favorite Handouts is an additional University of Texas at Austin link worth inspecting.

Practical Study Strategies
From the University of Illinois at Chicago Counseling Center. They present a nice, uncluttered variety of tips for enhancing key college skills. Watch out for the Calculating GPA link though. They don't have the same grading scale as K-State!

Sites to Promote Academic Success
Created by Linda Walsh at the University of Northern Iowa. This page has a lot of information on successful time management, in addition to numerous other links.

Test-Taking Strategies
Brigham Young University provides specific tips for a variety of testing formats (multiple choice, true or false, essay, et cetera) and then gives you a brief test over the information for practice.

All About Stress
This site from VirtualPsych probably talks more generally about stress than college-specific pages will. Nevertheless... if you feel too stressed to get anything done, this might be just what you need.

How To Stay Stressed
Several of the above links offer good information on managing stress (something that typically walks hand in hand with hard work and intensive study), but this page from Stanford comes at the problem from a little different angle.

 

Courses and Workshops

If you feel like more formalized instruction might be helpful, K-State does offer several different formats. Courses such as DED 051: Study Skills Lab and EDSEC 502: College Learning Skills are sometimes available, particularly over intercession. EDCEP 502: Stress Management is offered occasionally. Some orientation classes such as DAS 100: Freshman Seminar and EDCEP 111: Enhanced University Experience also touch upon questions of academic success. Please consult with your academic advisor if you think one of these courses might be for you. Your advisor can help you weigh the pros and cons. You can also read the Undergraduate Catalog for summary information and/or check the Line Schedule regarding availability.

University Counseling Services also offers workshops pertaining to a variety academic success issues. This can be a good alternative to credit courses (which may not be offered or may not have the right focus for your situation).