“Here’s a Smartie, because you’re all smarties,” associate director of the Academic Success Center, Susan Rapp said as she passed out candy Monday night to a group of 11 students in the basement of Westlake Hall, all eager to hear “pro organization tips.”
With a whirl of a projector, the workshop slideshow began with a breakdown of the differences between high school and college.
“In high school, teachers looked out for you and your grades, but in college, you assume the full responsibility,” Rapp said.
The first few tips Rapp provided were all base level tasks that can be completed fairly easily, such as color-coordinating notebook color to text book color and making sure to purchase all necessary class materials.
Then, Rapp delved into “The Ten Keys to Previewing a Chapter,” a set of instructions for how to be prepared for class when reading an entire chapter isn’t practical. In addition to the “Ten Keys,” Rapp handed out a “Five Day Study Plan” for tests and a “Reading Assignment Bookmark” for keeping track of homework.
“It’s worth the time spent to keep yourself organized,” Rapp said. “Many students come back after these workshops and tell me they wish they would’ve known these tricks sooner.”
Students can testify to the skills they gained from the workshop.
“[The workshop] was pretty helpful, I think my overall organization will improve because of it,” said Jack Raczek, a sophomore psychology major.
The workshops held by the Academic Success Center brought in a total of 352 students last semester, and Rapp has certainly noted an academic improvement since the creation of the center two years ago.
“I don’t know if it’s solely because of the success center or if it’s because many departments are picking up tutoring and study sessions, but the university is certainly more academically friendly than it was when I started,” Rapp said.
The Academic Success Center is located on the third floor of the library and offers tutoring services in addition to academic coaching. Future workshop dates and to RSVP, go to https://www.bradley.edu/offices/student/asc/support/workshops/. Extra “Reading Assignment Book Marks” and “Five Day Study Plans” can be found in the public filing cabinet in the Academic Success Center or by using the aforementioned link.
