Learning Tools

Below, you'll find sections dedicated to topics related to academic success and improvement, each of which contains handouts and links to external websites and applications which discuss the topics presented. New resources will be posted to these pages as they become available. If you have any links that you think would also be beneficial, we'd love to know. Email the link to us at [email protected].

You can do these handouts on your own or with a coach!

To make a Success Coaching appointment, please access the Stetson SSC by opening your MyStetson and then navigating to the resources tab. From there, you will click "StetsonSSC", and then click the large blue "Schedule a Meeting" button.

Want to give group study a try? Check out these helpful hints and tips.

Helpful Handouts

  • Tips for Study Groups: Learn the benefits of studying in a study group and how it can improve your learning. Read some Tips and tricks on how to study with a partner or a study group!

External Resources

  • 5 Tips for an Effective Study Group (University of Utah): How to make sure the study groups you form are effective and tips on what to do when you are in your study groups.

Ace your next test with a wide variety of methods.

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Exam and Test-Taking Strategies

Helpful Handouts

  • Five-Step Strategy for Test Preparation: Read this 5 step test strategy plan and learn about the PORPE steps: —PLAN, ORGANIZE, REHEARSE, PRACTICE, AND EVALUATE..
  • Test Preparation: Tips on how to gather information to prepare in advance for an upcoming test.
  • Test Taking Tips: Test taking strategies that will help you right before taking a test as well as during the test.

External Resources

  • Exam Prep Tips (SUNY - University of Albany): Nervous about your upcoming test or exam? Read these tips on how to get rid of that test anxiety and turn your attitude into one that will help you succeed!
  • Test Taking Tips (North Carolina State University): Strategies that will help you prepare before your exam and what to do during your exam.

This list contains a variety of external websites, applications for smartphones and tablets, and external websites that offer free online courses.

Helpful Handouts

  • How to Use Your Course Syllabi: Helpful advice on how to use your course syllabi, creating a calendar for the semester, a link to a course chart to help you create an overview of each class, and a weekly time-management schedule.

External Resources and Applications

  • Understanding Assignments (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill): Use this handout to learn how to decode what your professor wants from an assignment. Most professors follow a similar format for each assignment, and this sheet can help you understand it and then get started!

Forget what that word means? These tips will help resolve memory and memorization issues. 

Helpful Handouts

  • 10 Memory Principles: 10 Memory Principles that will help you change your mindset and study habits to remember material more accurately.
  • Memory Tips: Tips on ways to successfully memorize information for long term use and application in everyday life.

External Resources

  • Memorization Strategies (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill): Information on different strategies to memorize mass amounts of information. 

Never miss another important point in a lecture or chapter of reading with this wide variety of note taking techniques.

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Note-taking Strategies

Helpful Handouts

  • Note-taking Tips: 12 General Tips for taking notes that are a great starting point for note-taking techniques.
  • Things to Write in Your Notes: Tips on what to include in your notes ranging from tips you may already know to some unexpected insider tips.
  • The Cornell Note Taking System: Helpful handout that teaches you how to use the Cornell Note Taking System. Learn about the 5 Rs of note taking (Record, Reduce, Recite, Reflect and Review) as well as common abbreviations for note taking.

External Resources

  • Note Taking (Dartmouth College): The Dartmouth Academic Skills page has both handouts and useful videos on note taking. There are also informative links for note taking, listening, and participation.

For everything from homework assignments to senior theses, check out these handouts and websites for reading and writing tips.

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Reading and Writing

Helpful Handouts

  • General Reading Strategies: Helpful suggestions of things to do as you prepare to read and also while reading to get the most out of your time.
  • A Reading Study Strategy: Information on SQ3R (survey, question, read, recite, review), a strategy to help you comprehend and retain what you are reading.
  • Skimming & Scanning: Overview of the three types of skim reading that can be done and the best situations to use all three. Also explains scanning while reading and how it can be successfully used.

External Resources

  • Reading Strategies (Dartmouth College): List of resources to help you become more efficient in your reading and retain more information. Also includes a video on reading improvement and links for taking notes while you read.

Practical hints and tips to help reduce stress throughout the semester.

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Stress and Anxiety Management

Helpful Handouts

  • Practical Ways to Reduce Stress: List with 14 suggestions of practical and easy ways to reduce stress in your daily life.
  • Relaxation Techniques: This site has 3 helpful ways (count-of-3 method, controlled breathing, and progressive relaxation) to reduce anxiety in the moment and get focused and ready to work again.
  • Test Anxiety Strategies: Suggestions of ways to be prepared before a test to avoid having anxiety and an emergency plan for calming down in case you do get anxious during a test.

Can't seem to keep track of time? Why not try out a new schedule?

Helpful Handouts

External Resources

  • How to Plan an Assignment (Wayne State University): This website allows you to put in an assignment due date and then divides the 12 steps to finishing the paper into daily due dates. Each date provides extra information on how to complete the tasks required.
  • Procrastination Solutions (Oregon State University): List of 10 strategies to use in daily life to combat procrastination.