Your academic peer advisors are a unique resource to you because they have the knowledge and experience from being a successful LSA student.
With expertise from academics to zen, your APAs know what its like to be a student here. So don’t be shy, stop in the Advising center to chat… you have nothing to lose!
My favorite class is Statistics 250 (Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis).
When I first registered for this class, I was really skeptical as to whether or not I’d take much away from the class, or how much of the information could be used in other contexts at the University (or even in my field of study). However, after looking back on the class, I have found that this class really helped me to learn many relevant concepts that can definitely transfer to skills needed in another course or post-graduate work (and I really enjoyed learning the material!), such as determining a margin of error or ideal sample sizes for surveys, for example.
Plus, Statistics 250 counts towards the Quantitative Reasoning 1 (QR/1) and Math and Symbolical Analysis (MSA) requirements!
Stress in college is inevitable, but sometimes life can become a little overwhelming. This can definitely effect your academic performance and personal well-being. There are many resources on campus to help us deal with and manage our stress:
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): This is a great resource available to students at the university. CAPS features one-on-one and group counseling for more personal stress. There’s also a new wellness zone that’s open to students throughout the week, providing a relaxing space to relieve some stress. The link to some great CAPS events can be found HERE.
Another great way to reduce stress is to hit the gym. “Working out” in whatever way you can may help reduce stress dramatically. The gyms on campus offer great resources – whether you want to swim a few laps in the Bell Pool, or take part in any of the wonderful health and fitness programs, you can view all information HERE.
Also, if school has you stressed, stop into the Peer Academic Advising Office (PAAO)! We’re in from 12-5PM and would love to help in whatever way we can. Reduce stress to the best of your abilities and good luck with your continuing semesters!
-Nick
My favorite class is, and will always be, Chemistry 210 (Organic Chemistry 1). No, I’m not joking! I genuinely love this class, because I love science and chemistry, solving problems, and thinking “outside the box”. Chem 210 gets a bad wrap, but a lot of it is hearsay, or from students who had a bad time in it. If you’re a visual learner, like to think spatially, and like having many ways to approach and solve problems, then this class is for you. As organic chemistry’s biggest fan, I must say, I love orgo, and so can you!
-John
Jen’s favorite class:
SAC 236, Introduction to the Art of Film, is a fun class that teaches students how to understand and appreciate cinema as an art form. This course will help you develop a greater appreciation of some of Hollywood’s classic movies and gain a deeper understanding of what goes into the creation of your own favorite movies.
We live in a visual society today; we are constantly bombarded with visual images and media is an increasingly utilized tool in many disciplines. The skills you develop in this course will help you understand the artistic decisions behind the creation of cinematic media products and the implications of them.
As a humanities course, it will also help you improve your analytical writing skills while writing about fun topics.
Women’s Studies 240 is a class for anyone who wants to learn more about themselves and the society we live in! The class covers a broad range of topics from reproductive rights, gender and the law and global feminism. We also talked about other social identities like class, race, and sexuality as well as gender identity.
I gained a lot of critical thinking skills and improved a lot as a writer as a result of taking this class.
This course also counts as a Race and Ethnicity course!
Intergroup Dialogues – Psych 122 is a great addition for a first-year student “Looking for something different.” There are small, intimate class sizes (9-14 people); a great way to get to know people on a deep level. Lead by student facilitators emphasizing experiential learning both in and outside of class. Being able to discuss “hot” issues relating to Race and Ethnicity, Religion, Sexuality, Ability, Social Class, and Gender (amongst others). This also is great a way to become involved with the Program on Intergroup Relations – a LSA and DSA supported program focusing on social justice in campus community and around the world. [Nick]
Like Nick, Psych 122 is def. my of my fav. class. My topic was about United States vs International where a group of diverse students joined together and had dialogues over different identities and privileges. It was a great way to meet new people who share similar passion and cultivate relationship so they are more than acquaintances. This class serves as an entry point for me to learn about social justice and triggers me to explore more about it later semesters. [Ginny]
Getting caught up in the constant barrage of tasks, homework assignments, group meetings, and lengthy readings, it can be hard to leave some time to take care of yourself (let alone catch your breath!). Staying on task is very important in college, but so is being effective, and it is very difficult to be effective if you are low in both energy and morale.
My tip: choose one thing you want to do everyday – it doesn’t have to be big – whether it’s taking a quick walk through the arb, making a trip to the gym, or grabbing a cup of your favorite coffee/tea drink. Search for what’s restorative to you and make time for yourself to do that. Being able to de-stress in such manner will hopefully help you be more effective in your work and interpersonal relationships (and it can be fun!).
We’ve all been there; the night before an assignment is due, maybe even a couple hours before it is due. I’ve been there many times! Sometimes it can be fun to go down to the wire, to use some “brain adrenaline”, maybe kick back some caffeine and get to work. Don’t get me wrong, it is fun. Its fun because we like the rush and flirting with danger/failure. However, this shouldn’t be a habit, because sooner or later you cut it too close to the wire and actually miss turning in that paper, or doing poorly on that test.
Instead, use distributed practice. This means, instead of doing all 5 hours of studying for your test the night before, do one hour a day for the 5 days leading up to it. You retain more, you stress out less, and you’ll do better. This can be for tests, essays, or regular HW. Studies show that cramming due to procrastination causes you to basically loose all that knowledge after the test is done. Remember, knowledge is what you have left after you’ve done all that studying for the test. So, build knowledge, and don’t delay in doing it.
The most important way to thrive (or I should put it this way- to optimize your tuition fee) at college is TIME MANAGEMENT. And this is definitely a subject that is easier to say than doing it!
Let’s start with why time management is important and then we will get into how that connects with study tip. I argue that one of the reasons why we are paying so much to attend U of M is not just to study, but have a holistic learning experience through being involved in different projects, utilizing resources that are only made available through U of M community. For example, doing research and participating in student orgs are all part of this experience. And such holistic experience is indispensible to become successful in the future!
Therefore, one of the incentives to study well, or manage your time to study efficiently and effectively is the fact that you will be left out from the fullness of opportunities otherwise.
Okay now that we know that importance of using our time wisely, here are some practical study tips:
1. Start early. Bit by bit every day/ or even before or after each lecture. So many studies prove that our brain absorb new knowledge better when it is being absorbed incrementally and frequently. Don’t leave everything until the night before- not just ineffective but also unhealthy!
2. Seek help. There are SO many resources out there to help you. Seriously, this University is not built to fail you, nor do your professors. Seek help EARLY and FREQUENTLY. This also ties back to the first point, you need to start studying early in order to identify where your problems are. For example, for organic chemistry, at least start doing your course packs about 2-2.5 weeks earlier. Do to office hour and ask questions. The relationship you built with your instructors and efforts you demonstrated will come handy one day when you need a letter of recommendation.
4. Self-reflection. Self-reflection is the key to improve. For example, if you have a time management problem- start a google calendar or something along the same line- RECORD how you spend your time, in 15 mins or 30 mins intervals. You will soon realize how much time you spent on stalking people on facebook or hanging out, gossiping with your roommate J The problem is never that you don’t have time, but that you don’t know how to spend your time wisely. The first step is to be aware! And the second step is to actively change the way you spent your time. For example, build in your study time as part of your class structure- make it a fixed schedule almost as if you have class at that spot. In addition, self-reflection also includes reflecting your performance of exams. The starting point is not the determining point; but your ability to learn and improve your weaknesses is.
Finally- Here is a link to Randy Pausche on time management, super insightful- (you don’t have to read my post, but you SHOULD def. spend 1 hour watching this video! )
