Study Tools and Tips
Success in College
Transitioning from high school to college can be a perilous journey, even for very smart students. It is a big personal, social, and academic change. Suddenly, you have control of your own time and schedule. The good news: it's your opportunity to make the most of your college experience. And the bad news: there's nobody around to make you get up in the morning, attend classes, do homework, and study for exams.
- GPA Calculator.Use this tool to find out what GPA you have with your present grades, and what grades you need to get your GPA to where you want it to be.
- What GPA do I need?. Another GPA calculator, where you can figure out what GPA you need for one semester to get your overall GPA to where you want it to be.
- "The Six-Hour D". This article by Dr. Russ Dewey explains why students who put in six hours of study time for an exam can still end up with a low grade on the test. He also tells you how to correct that situation!
- "Learning: Your First Job". Read this article by Dr. Robert Leamnson to learn exactly what it takes to succeed in college.
Time Management
Learning to manage time effectively is an essential skill for academic success. People who know how to manage time somehow get everything done well and done on time. How do they do it? They only have 168 hours a week, just like everyone else.
- ACE Assignment Calendar. A guide to organizing your assignments, exams, and projects for a whole semester.
- ACE One-Week Log. How do you actually spend your time? And how can you change your daily habits so that you spend more time on the most important things?
- ACE Model Schedule. A template for creating a weekly schedule that includes time for studying, essentials like sleeping and eating, and having fun!
- ACE Project To-Do List. Guidelines and practice sheets for breaking big projects down into little ones.
- ACE Time Management video. with Dr. Lisa Liseno.
Learning and Test Preparation
- ACE Five-Day Study Plan. Guidelines for building study schedules for examinations.
- VARK. Take this online survey to find out about your learning preferences and how you can use them to your advantage when you study for exams.
Note Making
The first step to academic excellence is taking good notes and using them to maximize learning. It is not enough to rely on Power Points or outlines provided by your instructors. You must make notes, not just take them.
Study Skills and Habits
- ACE SQ3R Reading System. A systematic way to approach reading with the goal of increased focus, comprehension, and memory.
- ACE How Grades Work. Learn how a GPA is calculated and how FSU uses it to determine your academic status. You can get data from your Blackboard transcript and then use online tools from the FSU website to determine how your grades from the current semester will affect your FSU GPA.
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