Academic Support Skills

Academic success is something that most college students desire. It will be challenging and if you are unprepared, it can be stressful and difficult to accomplish. Luckily, with the right resources it can be much simpler to succeed in your courses. The old adage of study smarter instead of harder is very true; there are many techniques and strategies that you can utilize to help simplify your studying and help to improve your academic performance.

A large part of academic success is the desire on the part of the student. This page is a starting point, designed with you in mind. Here you will find a few suggestions and ideas, but mostly there will be links for you to search, read and learn about your specific academic needs whether it be note taking, exam prep, focus, memorization or any other aspect of academics.

Student Support Advisement is a collaborative resource that encourages students to take charge of their own education experience and in that spirit, you are encouraged to begin your research here! If you have any questions about locating resources or if you would like to review anything that you find in your search with the Student Support Advisor you are more than welcome to schedule an appointment!

Before exploring skills and strategies to earn better grades, you may want to review what it means to be a responsible and organized student. Consider the following:

• Student Assessment: Accountability and Organization

Student Assessment: Accountability and Organization

The ABC's of Student Responsibility include:

1. Active participation in classes and in the learning process
2. Be organize and prepared; employ a scheduling tool as a part of your academic strategy and time management.
3. Communication with professor and\or persons who can assist in your successful completion of the course like faculty, student service professionals, campus staff and other departments on campus
4. Decide how successful you want to be in your education. Determine what your degree program means to you, assess why you decided to pursue a degree in higher education. Set goals for yourself and work towards achieving them
5. Factors in your life: creating balance in the various aspects of your life. Balance will help you to stay organized and will assist you in keep your stress at a healthy level.
• Learning Styles

Learning Styles

One of the key elements to academic success is understanding your own personal learning style. A learning style refers to the specific way your brain processes and retains information; the main learning styles are: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (hands on). Once you determine your personal learning style, you could consider shaping and adjusting your in-classroom behaviors and your study techniques to complement how you best retain information.
Visual-This learning style is primarily focused on what the student sees. Pictures, visual depictions or displays, charts and graphs are helpful. During lecture, visual learners like to take detailed notes and observe the professors facial expressions and nonverbal cues to help remember the content of the lecture.
Auditory- This learning style is primarily focused on what the student hears and listens to. Auditory learners appreciate hearing the lecture, and may utilize a tape recorder to play it back at a later time. Additionally, discussions and debates are helpful as well as working in study groups.
Kinesthetic- This learning style is primarily focused on what the student is doing. Kinesthetic learners learn best through hands-on approaches; a worksheet, lab or activity may be helpful in becoming more engaged in the material. Also, it might be helpful in class to take notes in a "hands-on" and interactive way like building a diagram or a chart.
**Check the resource page for links to inventories to determine which style best fits you!
• Reading Strategies

Reading Strategies

Often times students are overwhelmed by the amount of reading expected of them in their courses. They also tend to spend large amounts of time reading every word on every page, but to their own frustration, they often to do not recall a lot of the information. There is a reading method that may be helpful in assisting students to read more efficiently and to retain more of the information that they will need to succeed in the course.
SQ3R Reading Technique
Survey, Question, Read, Recite, & Review


Survey
Get an idea of what the chapter is about by reviewing the highlights:


• Read the title, headings, and subheadings.
• Take note of words that are italicized or bold.
• Look at charts, graphs, pictures, maps, and other visual material.
• Read captions.
• Read the very beginning and end of the chapter.

Question
As you survey the text, ask a question for each section. Ask what, why, how, when, who and where questions as they relate to the content. Here's how you can create questions:

• Turn the title, headings, or subheadings into questions.
• Rewrite the questions at the end of the chapter or after each subheading in your own words.


Write down your questions. Questions help you pay attention, understand the text better, and recall the information more easily later on.



Read
Read one section of a chapter at a time, actively looking for an answer to your question for that section. Pay attention to bold and italicized text that authors use to make important points. Be sure to review everything in the section, including tables, graphs, and illustrations, as these features can communicate an idea more powerfully than written text.



Recite
At the end of each section, look up from the text and in your own words recite an answer to your question for that section. Then write down your answer. Be sure to provide examples that support it.
At the end of each section, look up from the text and in your own words recite an answer to your question for that section. Then write down your answer. Be sure to provide examples that support it. Now repeat the Question, Read, and Recite steps for each section of the chapter or assigned reading. First ask a question for the next section. Then read to find the answer. Finally, recite the answer in your own words and write it down. The written questions and answers will help you study in the future.



Review
After completing each chapter or reading assignment, review your notes. Identify the main points of the reading by looking for the most important idea in each section. Recite, or write, a brief summary of the chapter or assignment.
Review your study notes every week to help you remember the information. When it's time to study for your tests, you'll find you've created an invaluable guide.

• Resources
The links below are websites which contain a variety of academic support information!
• Academic Skills Center at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
• Alamo College
• Dartmouth College Academic Skills Center
• How to be a successful student
• Purdue University
• Sanger Learning and Career Center
• Study Guides & Strategies
• University Blues.org
• Utah State University Academic Resource Center
Note: This is not a comprehensive list. There are plenty more resources available online; try a simple Google search of the topic your interested in learning more about!

Legal Disclaimer
This Website is for general information purposes. It is not a substitute for personal medical advice from a medical professional. The advice presented may not be right for you and should not be relied upon in making decisions about your health. Always consult your doctor for medical advice. Links to other Web sites are not affiliated with California State University, Fullerton and may or may not express the views of the University. The University cannot verify and is not responsible for the accuracy of any information found on these sites.
• Note Taking
• Study Skills
• Time Management

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