How We Learn
For First-Year Students:
As a first-year student, you may be anxious about the adjustment to the academic demands of college coursework. The Academic Support & Enrichment Center at Denison University offers a variety of services and support designed to enrich and enhance the educational experience of all Denison students and support faculty/student interaction. This fall semester, we are pleased to offer an Academic Success Boot Camp the week of September 19th.
We appreciate that you know a lot, having mastered material in high school. However, the expectations of mastering college level work can be overwhelming for any student. As you engage with your courses at Denison, it will be important to master not just “what you need to know,” but also mastering the “know how” of approaching your classes as you transition to the demands of college academic life.
This “Boot Camp” is not remedial; rather it helps students build upon their current approach to academics and develop greater competency and confidence in efficient study strategies and familiarization of academic resources across campus. Each day will focus on developing the skills below:
- Organization & Time Management
- How to Critically Read & Annotate Texts
- Improving Note Taking Skills using the Cornell Note Taking Method & Developing a Writing Process
- Study Strategies & Preparing for Exams
- Making use of Faculty Office Hours & Other Campus Resources
The one-week program will be held during the third week of classes (from Monday, September 19th to Thursday, September 22nd). By that time in the semester, you should have a variety of reading materials and class notes for reference in applying the course techniques. The 50-minute course is offered three times each day to allow flexibility in academic and campus involvement schedules. One class will be offered at 11:30 am – 12:20 pm, another class will be from 1:30 – 2:20 pm and a third option will be held from 4:30 – 5:20 pm. You can attend one session per day at any time as each class covers the same material during a given day. Please be sure to check your schedule to make sure you are available at one of these times for the four days of the program. Enrollment will be limited to 60 students on a first-come first-served basis. Please register online for the Academic Success Boot Camp.
If your schedule does not enable you to attend, we meet individually with students on any of the topics mentioned above related to academic success. You can stop by 102 Doane or call 740-587-6666 to make an appointment. We hope you will consider this opportunity to build upon current study skills and learn new techniques to apply to the rigor of college academic expectations.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Grube Vestal, Associate Dean/Director
Heather Johnston Welliver, Associate Director
Academic Support & Enrichment
September 6, 2016
