ARC Academic Success Workshop Series

The Academic Resource offers a series of workshops throughout the academic year. Students are encouraged to attend these sessions to get the most out of their academic experiences. While the workshops listed below are provided regularly, visit CamelWeb, stop by the ARC or check Facebook for workshops and other events added during the year.

Great study skills

If you're looking for a different way to organize course information, get what you need from the readings, study for an exam, or manage your time, this workshop will help you learn the key study strategies needed to be successful Connecticut College students. Participants also will learn ways to use on-campus resources most effectively.

Time management

With classes and activities, planning becomes essential to get things done. This workshop will help you make the most of your time, identify the most critical tasks and key time wasters, discover new ways to allocate and manage your time, deal with challenging deadlines, imposing workloads, and interruptions. Stick with the plan and focus on it with discipline. Set clear boundaries with others to not allow interruptions or other distractions to diminish your focus. Move from feeling overwhelmed and spinning your wheels to taking action.

Active listening, class participation, note taking

If you have ever found that you can't seem to stay focused during lectures, and are at a loss as to what material you ought to be including in your notes, then this workshop is for you. Good note-taking involves effective listening that includes concentrating on, selecting, summarizing, and finally, evaluating what is being said by the lecturer. The key to effective listening is to be an ACTIVE listener. Learn various note-taking methods, course-specific strategies, and suggestions for utilizing course materials. Participants will learn how to become more active and engaged in class lectures and discussions.

Reading strategies

Reading is one of the most important skills you will need to be successful in college. Academic books, articles, writings, etc. require a different kind of reading than novels or magazines. This workshop presents strategies such as course-specific reading, previewing a text, note-taking from readings, and review techniques for using academic texts properly and making your reading time really count.

Exam preparation

This workshop helps you understand what will be on an exam, and gives you the strategies to approach a variety of types of exams including Multiple Choice, Essay, Short Answer, Problem Sets, and others. Participants also learn strategies to organize course materials leading into exams, the benefits of study groups, and ways to review material and assess comprehension.

Conducting research with reference librarians

Get personalized help on current research projects and term papers, from drafting a research question, to designing intelligent searches, to organizing a bibliography in minutes. Reference librarians and ARC staff will be on hand to work with you individually and to show you how to streamline your research and utilize the vast resources available to Connecticut College students.

Project management

The number-one piece of advice for a successful project: Plan it! An annual (or semester-long) calendar of projects allows for appropriate planning so that work is initiated in time to be completed thoughtfully and by deadline. Learn strategies for developing timelines and hear suggestions to decrease stress and procrastination and increase productivity on your semester-long assignments. Discussion topics include setting reasonable goals, creating a strong timeline of smaller tasks, and determining helpful resources.

Taking stock at mid-semester

How has the semester gone for you so far? This workshop is an opportunity to consider what has gone well and what you'd like to change to make you more successful. Topics covered will include self-evaluation and reflection, goal setting, time management, and problem solving.

Preparing for finals

As the semester comes to a close, students will have final exams to determine the amount of learning that has taken place in the course. With students taking anywhere from 3-5 courses (including labs) this period of time can seem overwhelming and stressful. In an effort to increase student success during final exams, this workshop will present exam preparation and review strategies, effective implementation of an end-of-semester timetable, and stress-management strategies to help you finish the semester strong!