Effective Fall 2025, DGS will become the Division of Exploratory Studies. Same mission; new name.
Welcome to the student success toolkit
DGS is committed to the success of students’ academic performance.
To aid in this, we've developed the Student Success Toolkit, which offers resources and actionable steps to help you excel in your studies. Below you will find a variety of Learning Skills topics to explore as you embark on your academic journey with DGS.
Choose your skill
Communicating with Instructors
Effective communication with your instructors and professors is crucial for success in any class. Most are available to answer questions via email and during office hours. See the handouts below for tips on emailing your instructors and making the most of office hours.
When meeting with an instructor during office hours, it's essential to plan how to use this time effectively. This handout will assist you in identifying the purpose of your meeting and the goals you aim to achieve.
Email can be an efficient way to communicate with your professors or instructors. In your email correspondence, it is important to state your purpose and goal(s) clearly. Here are some tips that will help you write an effective email to your professors or instructors.
Critical Reading
When reading any text, it is important to critically read the material to understand the concepts, theories, or the point-of-view of the author(s). Reading critically will allow you to analyze, comprehend, and retain information.
Annotating the texts you read for class will help you gain a critical understanding of them. This handout outlines three steps to assist you in annotating your texts effectively.
Effective Note Taking
Effective notetaking is a crucial part of the learning process. Taking notes helps ensure that you are absorbing and retaining material from each of your classes.
Taking notes helps students retain, recall, and apply material effectively. Use this handout to explore different notetaking methods, such as the Cornell, Outline, and Concept Map/Flow Chart methods, to find what works best for you.
There can be many distractions that prevent us from paying attention. You may find yourself daydreaming, passing judgment on the speaker, or too tired to understand the material. There are several strategies you can implement to help yourself become a better listener.
Learning Styles
Everyone has their own unique learning style which refers to how individuals process and learn new information. By knowing what type of learning style you have, it will help you to be successful when taking different courses.
Find out what Learning Style you have by taking the Learning Style Assessment.
After you have taken the Learning Style Assessment, read about different study strategies to help you improve your academic performance in the classroom.
Memorization
In some classes you may be encouraged to memorize certain information. Memorizing pieces of information will be useful when taking exams, quizzes or even writing a paper.
There are several tips that you can utilize to help you with memorizing information. Learn different tips and tricks to help improve your memory.
Online Learning
If you find yourself taking an online class and wondering how to succeed, remember that online learning differs from traditional classroom settings. Unlike in-person classes, where you can ask questions directly, socialize with classmates, and attend at set times, online courses require different strategies. Here are some simple steps to help you achieve success in an online course.
If you are taking a synchronous online course with live class meetings, it’s important to be thoughtful and respectful during class. This handout provides several tips for using Zoom effectively to attend your class.
In online learning, some classes may be asynchronous, requiring you to watch lecture videos and complete assignments on your own schedule. Here are several tips to help you succeed in an asynchronous course.
Organization
Being organized will not only help you in your personal life, but it will allow you to optimize your time to be more focused, less stressed, and perform better on assignments. Below are a few action steps you can utilize to help improve your organizational skills.
Your syllabus is the road map to the success in any course you will take. This handout will help you outline your syllabi and help you stay organized when it comes to course expectations, course policies, and major assignments.
As you enter college, being organized will help you be successful as you have multiple responsibilities. This handout offers several tips to keep and stay organized throughout the semester.
When working on large or small assignments, it is always important to create an Action Plan that outlines different tasks or steps to complete your assignment. This handout will guide you through setting goals and deadlines to complete your assignments.
Procrastination
Procrastination in the simplest form, is the act of waiting to complete a task or action due to lack of motivation, fear, stress, and or interest. It is important to identify different situations where you are procrastinating and how you may be able to overcome this obstacle.
Learn different tips that will help you focus and overcome procrastination. One way to overcome procrastination is by creating an action plan that outlines different tasks or steps to complete for any assignment.
Study Environment
You will want to consider having a dedicated space to focus on your schoolwork. More importantly, your workspace needs to be one where you can focus, minimize distractions, and complete tasks.
Completing the Study Environment Inventory will allow you to think about different components of a good work environment.
Study Skills
When it comes to your study habits, we all have room for improvement. It is important to continue to develop strong study skills as you become a lifelong learner beyond your academic career.
This assessment will help identify different areas of improvement as well as strengths as it pertains to study habits. This assessment will focus on the following areas: Time Management, Note Taking, Reading, Test Taking, and Memorization.
Understanding the study cycle is important to your academic success. This handout will outline several steps you can do to help you prepare for classes, ultimately preparing you to engage during discussions and partake in small group activities.
Knowing course expectations is important to your success in each course you take. It is important to refer to your syllabus as professors typically outline course and student expectations. This handout will help you prepare for each class.
Test Taking Strategies
Exams are used by professors as a way to measure and assess students’ understanding of information taught in the classroom. It is important to create a plan to prepare for exams. It is also equally important to think about how to prepare for different types of exam questions.
When preparing for any exam, it is important to create a plan and a schedule for you to study your notes and review your textbook or articles. Creating a 10-day study plan will help you be prepared for your next exam.
Read about different tips on how to best answer multiple choice, true/false, short answer and eassy exam questions.
Time Management
Time management is one of the most crucial skills you can perfect as a college student. By planning and using your time wisely, you will be able to accomplish more and enjoy added free time. Below are a few time management tips to help you maximize your time.
The Time Management Assessment will evaluate your current time management skills.
Creating a weekly schedule and planning two weeks in advance will help you identify upcoming deadlines. Here are three different options to create a schedule that will help you manage your time.
The Priority Quadrants will help you prioritize your tasks by identifying what tasks are Critical verses Not Critical and what tasks are Do Now verses Do Later. By completing this handout, it will help you create a to-do list.
Completing the Time Management Calculator can help identify the number of hours you have to focus on getting tasks completed.
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