Academic Skills

Preparing for Finals

Anonymous — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 19:54:39 +0000

Preparing for Finals Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 04/11/2022 - 13:54

A&S AAC Academic Coaching Program

Not sure how to prepare for finals? Watch this two-minute video to learn some helpful tips!

[video:https://youtu.be/FHDhxszsreE]

More suggestions to help you prepare and perform your best

Take care of yourself by getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and drinking water to maximize your cognitive capabilities!

Create a study plan to outline what, when, and how often you study for each course to reduce feeling overwhelmed.

Space out your study sessions and avoid cramming to remember the most content.

Practice active study strategies such as self-testing, drawing diagrams, and teaching others to help you identify what you know or don’t know yet.

Use study resources such as office hours, study groups, and class review sessions to resolve confusion and gain clarity about content.

Check out one of our online tools (you will be prompted to make a copy for your personal use):

Looking for more assistance? Schedule an appointment with your Academic Coach in Buff Portal Advising or email asacademiccoaching@colorado.edu.

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Remote and Online Learning

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 15:18:08 +0000

Remote and Online Learning Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/02/2022 - 08:18

A&S AAC Academic Coaching Program

How to engage with remote and online courses

Taking courses online and/or remotely can be a challenge. Changing between various modes of learning requires modifications to your learning strategies and task management, so we want to share some tips to think about for remote and online learning. Keep in mind the level of commitment to your academics and average hours spent each week on academic tasks, including the virtual in-class time and the day-to-day out-of-class time, may increase as you navigate multiple learning modalities.

Chloe Tucker and CU Boulder's Student Advisory and Resource Board have written Tips for Online Learning to help your transition to a remote learning environment.

Support Resources:

The Office of Information Technology put together a guide that provides students with information and resources for using technology to continue participating in class activities remotely, when classroom instruction is disrupted due to an emergency. This includes offering refurbished laptops to students with financial need.

Time management:

Your online classes may or may not have designated times for lectures, and this can be hard to navigate. The flexibility can be a welcomed opportunity as well as a challenge for motivation and learning. The flexibility allows you to participate in your education on your own time, although some courses will continue with synchronous class learning, virtually meeting at the same time for each class meeting. But keep in mind that the flexibility may lead to procrastination, and no one wants to complete every assignment for every class the day before the semester ends.

It’s important to:

Check Canvas to see if your professors’ lectures are set for certain times or prerecorded. This can help determine how you will structure your days. Confirm directly with your instructor if you are not sure.
Set designated times to watch lectures and complete assignments. Dedicating specific times to watch lectures and study can help you feel organized and keep pace with the course.
Create daily to-do lists. Writing out tasks can keep you accountable. Crossing off your completed tasks feels satisfying and can help you literally see your progress for the day.
Schedule breaks in between classes. Sitting all day staring at a screen can tax the eyes. In between lectures and assignments take a break, by getting your body moving.
Make sure you schedule is manageable. You could burn out if you overload your schedule, so be sure to pace yourself with your courses while staying on top of your daily academic activities.

Setting up a home work station:

Just like finding great places to study for in-person classes, it’s important to create or find a space to participate in your online classes.

Your home-work station should:

Be a quiet space to work. Find a space that is free of distractions, free of family, roommates, TV and videogames.
Avoid temptations. Consider taking games off your laptop so you won’t be inclined to play them. Set time limits or block social media and “black hole” websites during your school time with browser extensions like SelfControl or Forest.
Be a phone-free area. You can get easily distracted by your phone in classes on campus, and it can happen while watching a lecture online or studying at home. Turn off your cell phone, or put it in a different room. Turn off notifications on your laptop, too, so you can give your education your full attention.

Staying engaged:

Online classes can make it hard to stay engaged and motivated.

Try to engage in classes by:

Attending your professor’s (and TAs) office hours.
Asking questions during lectures or on the discussion boards on Canvas.
Creating group chats with classmates.
Making a study group that you can video-chat with a few times a week.
Reaching out for help if you need it. Academic Coaches can help you figure out how to adapt your skills with online learning.
Check your email EVERY DAY!

Study help:

Several of CU Boulder's tutoring labs are now offering online help for classes:

ASAP Tutoring is still available for first year students and students living in residence halls. Sessions are now held via Zoom, through their app Penji. New students can login with their school credentials and select a day/time.
Economics offers a free "drop-in" tutoring lab online via Zoom!
The Physics Help Room is shifting to remote sessions via Zoom. You can access the full schedule and corresponding Zoom links on their Resources and Help page under Physics Help Room.
The university has opened up two computer labs that will be sanitized after each use and where there is adequate space for social distancing. They are located in the Engineering Center Civil Engineering Wing (ECCE) and the Engineering Center Classroom Wing (ECCR) and will remain accessible to all students who swipe their Buff OneCards between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The available computer labs are in ECCE Room 141 and ECCR Room 252.

Accommodation resources for remote learning:

Disability Services (DS) is here to support you in the transition of your courses to remote classrooms. As you prepare, please review the Student Accommodation Resources for Remote Learning page. Here you will find information about academic accommodations and how they show up in the remote classroom environment.

In addition, DS has created a Tips for Excelling in an Online Learning Environment page for you to review. Please direct any additional questions you may have to your assigned access coordinator.

Social connection:

Moving completely online can cause loneliness.

Connect with friends and family by:

Calling or video-chatting. We encourage social distancing, so a great way to stay connected to friends and family is to call and video-chat often.
Utilizing group chats with friends.

Working with your instructors:

Be patient. Many instructors have not taught an online course before and are learning how to teach online as fast as they can.
Keep open lines of communication. Email and attend virtual office hours and ask for clarification if you are not sure about something.
Activate self-directed learning. Don’t wait for answers to come to you. Seek out questions and find new and engaging ways to learn the material.

Also, Scientific American addresses these issues in a recent article, How to Prevent Loneliness in a Time of Social Distancing.

Faculty resources:

Disability Services (DS) is here to support you as you transition your course to a remote classroom. As you prepare, please review the faculty Accommodation Resources for Remote Learning page. Here you will find information about academic accommodations and how they show up in the remote classroom environment. DS is also available to address any additional questions you may have at dsinfo@colorado.edu. If you would like to schedule a phone call or Zoom appointment with a DS sccess coordinator, please contact them at 303-492-8671.

Student perspectives on remote learning:

Students in the course ARSC 1550: Making the Self were asked to research responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their goal is to help university leadership more fully understand students' academic experience. We compiled their research on a page dedicated to their work.

More tips on remote learning from ASSETT

We are rooting for you, and we are here to help! Do not hesitate to contact the Academic Advising and Academic Coaching Community. We believe in you!

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How do you prepare for registration for your second semester at CU Boulder?

Anonymous — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 21:07:49 +0000

How do you prepare for registration for your second semester at CU Boulder? Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 09/24/2021 - 15:07 A&S AAC Academic Advising Program

[video:https://youtu.be/gA1ozCyPmto]

Scott Raile, academic advisor for first-year students in the College of Arts and Sciences, walks you through the way our registration experience changes for first year students who are completing their schedules for spring semester.

Please note that, as of 24 Sept 2021, captions for the video are forthcoming.

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How to create a fun and productive study group

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 18:30:15 +0000

How to create a fun and productive study group Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/24/2021 - 12:30 A&S AAC Academic Coaching Program

One of the essential skills for thriving in college is the ability to create an effective study group. When study groups work well, you gain a diverse perspective on your class content, which can help you learn new ways to approach problems and improve the degree to which you deeply learn. To get you started, we have tips to both form a study group and establish norms to maximize your team's potential.

Talk to people

Talk to students who are sitting in class before it gets started or private message people during your Zoom class. Ask if they would be interested in joining your study group. If so, great! Get their contact information. If not, ask someone else. Hint–the earlier you do this in class, the better!

Decide how and where you will meet

Would you prefer virtual or in-person? In the library, a coffee shop or somewhere else?

Schedule a time

Choose a time frame that is convenient for all study buddies (e.g., 6 - 8 p.m.).

Get to know each other

Spend a few minutes during your first session just getting to know one another. This will help you feel more comfortable in the study session and you will also get to meet some new people. Some icebreaker questions:

Why are you taking this class?
What are you involved with on campus?
What are your plans after college, if you know?

Choose a study location that will help you focus

For some groups, this may mean getting together at a coffee shop. Other groups may prefer quieter locations with less distractions. Talk about these options as you set up your study location.

Create a plan during your first meeting

Share ideas on how you might go about studying for this class. Consistency is key.

A sample plan might include:

We meet once for two hours at the same time and location each week to review content from the previous week.
We meet twice a week at XX times and discuss the lecture notes, chapters and/or problem sets.
We do our homework on our own first, then review as a group to better understand the concepts.

Bring your materials to the study session

This includes the textbook, lecture notes, practice problems or sets, quiz questions, study guides, etc.

Diversify how you study

Teach one another content that you are more familiar with.
Work out problems on your own.
Ask each other questions from the learning objectives or at the end of each chapter.
Discuss the bolded concepts throughout the chapter and try explaining these concepts to one another.
When you don’t understand something, ask your group to explain it to you in a different way.
Adjust! If you don’t feel like the session was helpful, talk to the group. Then see how you can move forward together.

Ask for help

If the content is a challenge for all study buddies, ask for help. We recommend the following options:

Schedule a meeting and/or attend office hours with your professor or TA as a group. Come prepared with questions, problem sets or concepts that are confusing.
Find out if there are free tutoring options.
Consider expanding your study group. Are there other people in the class who would want to join? Ask around.
Email asacademiccoaching@colorado.edu to request an academic coach as a group. They can help you strategize how to better approach your study group and share some learning strategies that can elevate your learning.

Focus

Finally, refocus when you get distracted. Focus on learning the content. You can always hang out with your study buddies after you study!

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Reflecting on your first year and what’s next!

Anonymous — Wed, 05 May 2021 14:49:15 +0000

Reflecting on your first year and what’s next! Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/05/2021 - 08:49

A&S AAC Academic Advising Program

The transition from your first year of college to your second is a big one—congratulations! For many students, the first year of college is a time of change, self-discovery, gaining independence, exploring and becoming part of learning and social communities at CU Boulder.

This past academic year, you have worked with a first-year academic advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences. First-year advisors serve as trusted guides who help you explore academic opportunities and as resources as you navigate your first year of college life. Going forward, you will work with a disciplinary advisor in your major(s) of choice. Your disciplinary advisor is a curriculum expert in your major and will help you design a personalized plan to maximize your academic success. They can also help you explore interests inside and outside of the classroom and facilitate building connections with resources that can enrich your college experience.

This summer is a great time to consider questions about what awaits you as a continuing student, what action plans you hope to put into place for next year and/or questions for your academic advisor. Take some time to sit with your thoughts or write your reflections out. Consider discussing your first year and your hopes for the future with a trusted friend or loved one. You might be surprised by how much you’ve grown and how much self-knowledge you’ve gained. Be kind to yourself, and reflect on your goals and plans for after college. You get to define what your future at CU Boulder looks like!

Here are some reflection questions to consider regarding your first year:

What was the most exciting thing about my first year? Why was it exciting to me?
What was the most challenging thing about my first year? Why was it challenging for me? What strategies did I use to navigate challenges?
What brought me to CU Boulder? Why did I choose this university? What keeps me at Boulder?
What did I do when I felt overwhelmed or upset? Who are the loved ones, friends, and/or people on campus I turned to when I wanted support and/or advice? Also, how did I show up for others in need of care?
What surprised me the most about myself / academics / social life as I experienced my first year at CU Boulder?
What did I learn about myself this year? How can I use this knowledge moving forward? How can I help others?
What strengths helped me accomplish my goals? What am I most proud of?
What advice would I share with an incoming first-year student? What do I know now that I wish I’d known when I started college?
How would I best describe my first year in one word or phrase?

As you look ahead to your sophomore year, consider the following reflection questions:

What is one thing I want to continue doing in the upcoming school year? What is one thing I want to stop doing? What is one thing I want to start?
What does my major mean to me? Why did I choose it? How does it align with my interests, goals, values, and purpose?
What am I most looking forward to next year? What am I most curious about? How might I act on my curiosity and further my personal and academic growth?
What seems uncertain or ambiguous about next year? What are some strategies I might use to address feelings of uncertainty and ambiguity?
What co-curricular activities do I want to build into my college career (e.g. internships, research, study abroad, mentoring, leadership, service learning, joining student organizations, etc.) and how will I go about doing so? What steps have I already taken?
Whom and how will I ask for support when I need it? How can I be a source of support to others?
What does belonging to a community or multiple communities at CU Boulder look like to me? Has this changed since I started college? What communities do I belong to at CU Boulder, and/or what ones would I like to find or create? How will I welcome incoming students to my communities?
Is there something new I want to try this next school year?
What’s one word or phrase that best describes how I’m feeling about next school year?

Continue to reflect on these questions throughout the summer and as you start the upcoming academic year. Discuss these questions with your academic advisor and your community of support. We wish you a fantastic transition into your sophomore year.

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Besides schedules, what do academic advisors do?

Anonymous — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 17:14:21 +0000

Besides schedules, what do academic advisors do? Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 03/05/2021 - 10:14

A&S AAC Academic Advising Program

[video:https://youtu.be/7g4zOAwAtKA]

Have you met with your academic advisor this school year? With registration season coming up, many students are focused on choosing fall courses, but academic advising can help with so much more than just building a class schedule. Your advisor serves as a guide to your degree requirements, exploring fields of study at CU, and helping you discover extra- and co-curricular activities that will enrich your college experience.

Here are just a few of the topics you can address with your academic advisor in addition to course registration:

Exploring majors, minors, and certificate programs that align with your academic interests and skills, as well as your career goals.
Connecting with Education Abroad if you're considering studying abroad at some point in your academic career.
Getting involved in academic research with a faculty mentor.
Building connections to student groups and campus communities that will sustain you socially and emotionally.
Partnering with your major department and/or the Career Services office to discover internships or job opportunities that complement your areas of study and/or long-term career goals.
Have you received a Course Alert? Your advisor can help talk you through resources for academic success and next steps.

Academic advisors will collaborate with and support you to personalize your degree and experience at CU.

This is your education, your journey - we're here to help along the way. Make an individual appointment in Buff Portal Advising or visit your advisor's virtual drop-in hours.

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Preparing for your first round of exams

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 16:22:22 +0000

Preparing for your first round of exams Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 02/08/2021 - 09:22

A&S AAC Academic Coaching Program

Congratulations to the two students who won $20 gift cards for sharing their semester calendars!

As your first exams ramp up, check out these resources on how to prepare:

Believe in yourself and start somewhere. Take your study plan to the next level by committing to one additional success strategy when preparing. Here are some strategies to consider:

1. Attending office hours and/or study groups.

Tip: co-constructing meaning and discussing course content with other people is necessary for learning!

2. Planning out your study routine at least a week in advance

Tip: Read the seven day study plan.

Do you have study strategies that work for you and want to share those? Share your best advice for exam preparation!

Share your strategy

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Get organized, create your semester plan, and invest in your academics!

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Jan 2021 18:51:29 +0000

Get organized, create your semester plan, and invest in your academics! Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 01/07/2021 - 11:51

A&S Embedded Career Services

As we start the new semester, we wish you a renewed sense of hope, a fresh perspective and strong focus. The A&S Academic Advising and Coaching staff look forward to meeting with you throughout the year. We have a few time-tested strategies we would love to share forward to help set you up for success!

To start your semester strong, be sure to create a calendaring system that works for you and includes your due dates, assignments, exams and quizzes–all in one place. Some students prefer electronic calendars while others prefer to write out information on paper calendars. We recommend a month-by-month calendar view, so you can easily access a full-picture of your due dates to effectively plan throughout the semester.

First, carve out time during the first few weeks of classes to calendar all of your syllabi content onto a month-by-month calendar for the entire semester. Some students prefer to start at the end of the semester and plan backwards from there, while others prefer to start at the beginning of the semester and complete the calendar for the entire semester. This takes time, which is well worth the effort, so have fun with it! Set up a Zoom syllabus party with your friends. Use color-coding if that works for you. Include other important dates on the calendar as well, such as family and friends’ birthdays and self care days.

Before or during the second week of classes, start using your monthly calendar to prioritize and plan a detailed to-do list for each day of the week for the next two weeks of the semester.

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Are you ready for finals?

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 15:15:16 +0000

Are you ready for finals? Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 11/19/2020 - 08:15

How to stay motivated during finals

[video:https://youtu.be/FDLBAiX7N0s]

Preparing for final exams can feel momentous and overwhelming. It is hard enough to remember a full semester's information from one class, no less multiple classes which often test your learning in a variety of exam formats: multiple choice, free response, essays, the list goes on.

Perhaps the greatest challenge is developing a strategy for keeping all of the information straight. Taking time to organize your study approach, though, can help you examine the concepts in digestible chunks of content, which deepens your understanding, prevents you from over-studying certain material and neglecting other key information. It also improves the likelihood that you can recall the answers you know when it matters the most.

Fortunately, our academic coaching team put together a guide to help you prepare.

Download the guide

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How to Crush it in Canvas!

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Sep 2020 21:02:21 +0000

How to Crush it in Canvas! Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/09/2020 - 15:02

A&S AAC Academic Coaching Program

Canvas is CU’s online learning platform, and a big part of academic success at CU is learning how to use it. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, more course content than ever is delivered to students via Canvas. Whether you are new to CU or several semesters into your academic career, check out these suggestions for engaging with Canvas and consider trying some of the strategies that apply to your online learning needs.

It’s important to note that all coursework is organized in Canvas in the same way! While most Canvas pages for your courses will have a menu/table of contents with links to course content/modules, the course syllabus, quizzes, etc., not all course instructors have designed the online components of their courses the same or organize content similarly.

Pro Tip #1: Set aside some time to read through the main menu/table of contents for each of your courses in Canvas.

For example, you might see that certain course instructors post critical dates/deadlines in the “Announcements” section of the course page frequently, while other course instructors want students to refer to their syllabus for important upcoming dates/deadlines.

Pro Tip #2: Early in the semester, block out a big chunk of time to get acquainted with the course policies, deadlines, and first due dates for each of your courses. Make note of where this information is located in the Canvas pages for each of your courses so you can refer to it when necessary.

Pro Tip #3: Log into Canvas at least once a day to explore upcoming requirements, and create a detailed map or list of tasks for yourself.

Pro Tip #4: Canvas notifications can be a great way to stay in the loop with course assignments and requirements. Be sure to turn on notifications for your classes.

Pro Tip #5: Use a planner to keep track of assignments, quiz and test dates, etc. Think about how you organize your thoughts the best and how you maintain accountability.

Are you most likely to use a paper planner/calendar, or a digital organizing app or calendar you can access via your phone or other device? Some students even prefer a combination of methods. Whatever is most helpful to you is fine!
Check out apps to help you organize, like myHomework Student Planner, Google Calendar, iCal, etc., especially if you like to set reminders in advance of due dates or test/quiz dates.
Rely on sharing information! Find a classmate and work together remotely (or in a socially distant meetup!) to organize and cross-reference important information and dates for the semester in each of your courses.

Pro Tip #6: Create folders for each class in your CU email inbox. This way, you can move related emails to one spot and refer to them as needed.

Pro Tip #7: Feeling confused about information for a given course in Canvas? Reach out to your course instructor for clarification.

Pro Tip #8: Keep screen fatigue in mind. Between meeting on Zoom for your classes and connecting via video chat with loved ones and friends during the pandemic, sometimes screen time spent on schoolwork in Canvas can feel tiring. Set aside some screen-free time to decompress and nourish your wellbeing.

You may want to plan a socially-distant, in-person (or phone call) hangout with friends, cook a meal from scratch, or spend some time being physically active and/or meditative away from screens.
You can also schedule specific study times to complete course work in Canvas and times you will spend with your course textbooks and other offline methods of learning. Return to Canvas when you feel refreshed and ready to work!

Canvas Pro Tips from A&S Students, Fall 2020

“[In Canvas], even with professors trying their best, there is a much bigger need to teach yourself/keep on top of assignments. Sometimes finding information is so hard because there is so much information on Canvas. If you aren't learning in person with professors available to explain how they organize things, it's way easier to have things slip through the cracks. Pay attention to the details.”

“I tend to put everything into a physical planner and then exams into my Google Calendar as well (for the reminder).”

“Nearly every professor organizes their Canvas page in a different way and posts content in different areas. Review each course’s entire Canvas page and learn each class’s layout.”

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