Study Skills Mastery and Peer Mentoring
The exceptional faculty and peer tutors of the Learning Center recognize that mastery of study skills is critical to academic success. Often, time management is the first skill that needs to be developed to achieve academic success. Initial tutorial appointments help students establish a personalized time management plan, while subsequent sessions focus on improvement of study skills. Through a series of specially-developed handouts, lectures, seminars and videos, students can work with their tutors and on their own to sharpen study skills and have a successful Marymount College experience.
Topics include:
• College Survival Skills
• Time Management and Organization
• Improving Concentration
• Listening Skills
• Spelling and Vocabulary
• Test Taking Skills
• Combating Test Anxiety
•Study Skills Videos include:
• Time Management
• How Do I Know What To Study?
• How Do I Show What I Know?
• Lecture Note Taking
• Memory Skills
How do we know what you need?
During the first few weeks of each term, all incoming students are asked by the Learning Center to participate in an on-line study skills assessment tool – the LASSI. This nationally-normed inventory provides each student with an individualized profile of his/her strengths and weaknesses over ten areas relevant to academic success, including:
• Anxiety
• Attitude
• Concentration
• Information Processing
• Motivation
• Self Testing
• Selecting Main Idea
• Study Aids
• Time Management
• Testing Strategies
Learning Center faculty members conduct follow-up classroom presentations to assist students in interpreting their LASSI results and encourage students to focus on improving at least two areas during the first semester.
Students learn about the resources available at Marymount College for enhancing the critical areas that lead to academic success. Students report that they find the LASSI very useful in recognizing the components of learning. Data reveals that by changing behaviors in only a few of these areas students realize increased success. In fact, 95% of Marymount freshmen improve in at least two areas measured by the LASSI in their first semester.
The Peer Partner Program
The Peer Partner Program is an effective mentoring tool that partners students who are identified as academically “at risk,” or those who feel they need help, with Learning Center Peer Partner Mentors. Typically, the peer partners – student and mentor – meet on a weekly basis. The mentors are selected from among the Learning Center peer tutors and receive additional training in study skills and accessing campus resources. Participation by students needing help is voluntary; however, students who are on academic probation are strongly encouraged to participate. Students may sign up for a Peer Partner for one or more semesters through the Coordinator of Learning Enhancement Programs in the Learning Center.
The goal of the Peer Partner Program is to help students stay academically-focused and become confident, successful college students through targeted and consistent one-on-one peer mentoring.
