Student Success 120: Study Skills for College

Curriculum guideline

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Course
STSU 1120
Discontinued
No
Course code
STSU 1120
Descriptive
Student Success 120: Study Skills for College
Department
Student Success
Faculty
Language, Literature & Performing Arts
Credits
1.50
Start date
End term
Not Specified
PLAR
No
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
20
Contact hours
4 hours per week
Method(s) of instruction
Seminar
Learning activities

Course content will be presented through a combined lecture/demonstration/discussion process.

Course description
A half-semester course in which useful study skills are demonstrated: listening skills, exam preparation, taking lecture and text notes, time utilization, concentrating and remembering, information analysis, general approaches to study, study techniques and specific subjects, and the writing of themes and course papers.
Course content
  1. Introduction to purpose and scope of the course, group and individual assessments, individual program planning;
  2. Time utilization – developing a balanced study schedule;
  3. Listening skills – desirable and undesirable listening habits/practice;
  4. Note-taking;
  5. Organized approaches to study reading SQ3R, POPRAD;
  6. Principles of concentration and remembering;
  7. Principles of preparing for and taking examinations;
  8. Developing a cohesive outline for a term paper; some mechanics to consider in writing a term paper (quotes, footnotes, bibliographies);
  9. Basic aspects of library usage.
Learning outcomes

The student will become familiar with a variety of study skills for use in the college, including: 

  1. time utilization
  2. listening skills
  3. note-taking (from both lectures and texts)
  4. organized study techniques (SQ3R, POPRAD)
  5. concentration and remembering
  6. exam preparation and exam taking
  7. developing an outline for a term paper
  8. term paper mechanics (footnotes, quotation, bibliographies, etc.)
  9. using the library

Through a variety of informal assessments, and in consultation with the instructor, the student will determine areas of specific concentration in the course.

The student, in consultation with the instructor, will develop an individualized programme which focuses specifically on these areas of concentration.

In relation to the general core content, the student will:

  1. be able to develop a balanced study schedule in relation to his/her individual course load;
  2. be able to listen with a specified purpose, attuned to both content and method clues;
  3. be able to paraphrase and record in his notes the content of a lecture or text an/her own reflections and ideas;
  4. be able to apply various study formulas (SQ3R, POPRAD) to his/her reading;
  5. become familiar with various principles of study (time-spaced learning, immediate and spaced review, mental sets, contracting, formulating objectives, etc.) as aids to improving concentration and remembering;
  6. become familiar with principles of exam preparation and exam taking (sizing up the paper, setting priorities, dealing with subjective and objective exams, developing outlines, reading questions, revising, etc.)
  7. be able to develop a cohesive outline for a term paper;
  8. be able to recognize and use various formats for quoting, footnoting, and developing bibliographies;
  9. be able to recognize and use various basic aspects of the library (card catalogues, indexes, etc.)
Means of assessment

Because of the nature of the course, evaluations of student progress will be based on mastery of the core skill sets of the course.  Students will be required to:

  1. satisfactorily complete 5 short written assignments or tests relating to  time scheduling,  listening skills, note taking from lectures and texts, developing concentration and memory skills, and researching and writing  term papers.
  2. attend class regularly and participate actively in class discussions and group work.
Textbook materials

Students may be required to purchase a textbook to be determined by the instructor.