University of Alberta - Student Success Centre

01/27/2014

Mark Twain said, "Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to write 'very'; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be." “Very” might not be your overused problem word, but you have one. Find it using the FIND function. And make some changes.

01/23/2014

Prolific novelist Stephen King said, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” Reading does affect your writing—your word choice, sentence structure, and rhythm. Read widely and deeply.

01/09/2014

Start the winter semester off with the right mindset.

Check out this great article on Carol Dweck's book Mindset. Michael Richard writes a great summary highlighting the great ideas in Mindset.

http://michaelgr.com/2007/04/15/fixed-mindset-vs-growth-mindset-which-one-are-you/

01/06/2014

01/06/2014

Happy New Year!

A big welcome back from everyone here at the Student Success Centre. We hope that your vacation was filled with fun, relaxation and a little debauchery.

The energy to learn and improve from last semester should be pumping through your veins. If not, do not worry. You can still choose to get engaged in the upcoming semester.

I want to encourage you to do two things this week:

1. Capture all of your personal and academic tasks
a) Sort out a system that allows you to manage your time
b) Use a Monthly calendar to track major assignments
c) This will allow you to monitor and review your tasks

2. Take control of the time you do have
a) The control philosophy emphasizes the importance of assigning specific blocks of times to specific tasks
b) A weekly schedule forces you to see how much work you need to do
c) When you block your time in advance, you make more efficient use of your day

Give us a call on 780-492-2682 if you would like some help!

11/21/2013

November can be a stressful time for students. Final papers, major assignments and finding time for exam preparation. The stress caused from trying to manage a busy schedule can lead to feelings of overwhelm and burnout. Today we want to share with you a wonderful view about stress and how you can use it to your advantage to be more positive, concentrate more, perform better and avoid burnout.

Take 15 mins to watch Kelly McGonigal talk about Stress. If you do not have time for a 15 min break, then watch the first 7 mins.

http://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend.html

11/20/2013

Different exams will require different preparation. This is a great presentation on Exam Preparation for Multiple Choice and Essay exams.http://www.ubc.ca/okanagan/students/advising/__shared/assets/Successful_Exam_Prep___Test_Taking_Strategies34901.pdf

11/19/2013

Here at the Student Success Centre we teach students to know what to study, know how to study and know their exam.
The 5 Day study plan gives students a great way to cover these principles while also starting early enough to cover the material before the exam.

http://lsc.cornell.edu/Sidebars/Study_Skills_Resources/FiveDayStudyPlan.pdf

10/01/2013

Most of us suffer from procrastination from time to time. We all want to be more productive in our day. Here is a great article looking at some of the reasons why we procrastinate and how we can deal with our procrastinating behaviors. http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201109/procrastination-oops-where-did-the-day-go

09/20/2013

"Good essays aren't written; they're rewritten" ~ Elaine Maimon
Learn how to go about “rewriting” in our “Writing for University” course. http://www.studentsuccess.ualberta.ca/WritingResources/UndergraduateResources/Workshops.aspx

09/17/2013

“If you are trying to decide among a few people to fill a position, hire the best writer. It doesn't matter if that person is a marketer, salesperson, designer, programmer, or whatever; their writing skills will pay off.” from Rework (Fried and Hansson)

Increase your hiring potential—become a better writer—by taking a writing seminar. http://www.studentsuccess.ualberta.ca/WritingResources.aspx

09/12/2013

It’s the Plan!

If you are worried about your fall schedule, get a seven day weekly schedule and fill in all your classes, labs, and travel time and help sessions along with work and personal commitments. Include everything you can think of. Then ask yourself, “Does this seem reasonable?” You need a balance of academic and personal time for your schedule to be sustainable. If it isn’t, think of three things that would make it better, and then work at creating them. You’ll be happier, less stressed, as well as a more successful student if you resolve scheduling issues now. You can’t learn if you’re not taking care of the learner.