ACADEMIC SUCCESS GUIDE RESIDENT LIFE | Spring 2022
Dear Terp, We hope you had a relaxing and rejuvenating spring break and are ready to finish the remainder of the spring semester strong. We know Terps continue to confront challenges related to mental health, the COVID-19 pandemic, attacks on Ukraine, and a continual racial awakening. These global issues, as well as individual struggles you face, may have impacted your academic journey. There are many UMD resources available to you to help you successfully manage! Resident Life is here to support you along your academic journey! We’ve compiled some helpful tips and resources for you. Check it out. We are always here to help you succeed!
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Tips for Success
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GET ORGANIZED & CREATE A STUDY PLAN Now is the perfect time to assess your workload and make decisions about how to proceed through the spring semester in a way that will promote your academic success. By now you should have attended all of your classes a few times and have an understanding of your course load difficulty as well as your professors expectations. Use this knowledge to: 1. Set up a schedule for studying and project completion 2. Determine how and where you need to study for each course 3. Decide how you will hold yourself accountable to your organizational goals
TIPS TO GET ORGANIZED Committing to an organized semester will help you to stay motivated, keep stress levels down, and accomplish more in a short period of time. Try out some of the following suggestions to get and stay organized: •
Set goals by month, week, and day that outline what you want to accomplish. Be specific! Pro Tip: You can add your course calendar from ELMS-CANVAS to your Google calendar to keep track of assignment due dates. Learn more by checking out this guide.
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Commit to specific studying times and hold yourself accountable. Building a routine is important.
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Set up your study space in a way that is clean, free from distractions, uncluttered, and comfortable. Make sure you have plenty of light.
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Include all of your obligations on your calendar and ensure that you set alarms for items you might forget.
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Determine a daily or weekly time to ensure that all of your notes and course materials are present, organized, and complete. Update when and where it is necessary.
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Determine a daily or weekly time to ensure that your personal space is clean and tidy. Get rid of clutter and put everything in its designated spot. Choose one thing to deep clean (vacuuming counts as deep cleaning).
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Keep a “to do” list and add everything that you need to complete. This list does not need to have details, but should include everything you need to do. You can use a note in your phone, a physical notebook, your phone’s “Reminder” application, or the tool of your choice. As long as it is easily accessible and can hold a list, you are on the right track.
CREATE A STUDY PLAN You will not retain information through last-minute cramming. Creating a plan of attack for each of your courses, as well as for you as a whole student, is a great place to start the process of learning. For each class, a study plan should include the following items: •
Expectations set by your professor. Did your professor mention that they do not want to see any spelling or grammar errors in your papers or they will take points off? Did they mention that you need to have read carefully before class for discussions? Do they require you to solve problems the way they do in class?
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A list of concepts that your professor will cover (get this from your syllabus).
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An overview of due dates and test dates, and when you plan to complete the work or study for the exam. Be realistic and plan ahead. Pro Tip: You can use this calculator from the University of Minnesota to break down large writing assignments into smaller, more manageable parts.
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A breakdown of the best ways to study and get work done for this course (e.g., doing practice problems, taking notes on the readings, creating and using flashcards, teaching others, reviewing past exams, using a test bank, attending a Guided Study Session, attending the Math Success Program, spending time in a lab, having a friend quiz you, etc.).
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A timeline for studying information that includes consistent time for review, even if there is not a test or assignment coming up. Add this to your master calendar.
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A location for studying. Try to get out of your room and use study spaces on campus. If you study in your room, avoid your bed!
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How you will hold yourself accountable for carrying out your plan? Do you need to plan library trips with a friend? Will you join a study group?
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RESOURCES
ACADEMIC SUCCESS & TUTORIAL SERVICES
As an initiative of the Academic Achievement Programs (AAP), the Academic Success and Tutorial Services program provides free peer tutoring to all UM students for over twenty 100- and 200-level general education courses. Additionally, tutoring is offered for historically difficult courses in areas such as biology, business, chemistry, computer science, economics, mathematics/ statistics, and physics.
THE COUNSELING CENTER
The Counseling Service in the Counseling Center is the primary campus provider of free and confidential therapy to help UMD students manage personal, social, and academic challenges. The Counseling Center also offers wellness workshops and a variety of resources to help students with common student concerns.
GUIDED STUDY SESSIONS
The Guided Study Sessions (GSS) program offers FREE, regularly scheduled group review sessions for students in traditionally difficult courses. GSS Leaders have previously taken your course and earned an A, so they know what it takes to stay on track in lectures and prepare for exams. Go once, a few times, or attend every session—it’s never too late to start attending GSS. For the Spring 2022 semester, some Guided Study Sessions will be conducted in-person and others will be conducted virtually through Zoom. To access a specific virtual session, please contact your GSS Leader or email gss@umd.edu from a University email address. Visit the GSS Program Website to view the available sessions.
KEYSTONE CENTER
Located in Patterson, the Keystone Center is a place where you can go to work on homework or group projects, use the computer labs, or study for exams. It will be staffed with upper-level undergraduate and graduate students who can provide you with assistance in answering questions in fundamental engineering and STEM courses: CHEM135, MATH140, MATH141, MATH241, and MATH246.
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RESOURCES
LIBRARIES
The University Libraries offer plenty of resources including those for getting started on research as well as places to study. There are six libraries on campus and all have different hours. Click here to learn more about the various libraries’ hours. Bonus resource: Did you know that the University Libraries have a makerspace located in the STEM library? You can learn more about the offerings of the makerspace by visiting their website.
MATH LEARNING ASSISTANCE
Experiencing challenges in mathematics learning can be due to a variety of reasons and meeting with a Mathematics Learning Specialist can assist you in understanding these challenges and identifying effective strategies to overcome them. The Math Learning Specialist provides academic counseling to UMD students taking all levels of mathematics courses, helps them learn about UMD campus mathematics learning resources, develop efficient study strategies, and review their math skills. To schedule a time to meet with a Mathematics Learning Specialist, please send an email from your UMD email account to: learn@umd.edu.
MATH SUCCESS PROGRAM
The Math Success Program offers free, drop-in math coaching and tutoring services for all UMD undergraduate students. The program is open Sunday – Thursday from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. in Oakland Hall. Visit the Math Success Program website to get more information and access the program.
MATH TEST BANK
Google Drive of past exams from the Math Department for tons of classes. Great practice material for studying for exams.
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RESOURCES
OFFICE OF MULTI-ETHNIC STUDENT EDUCATION (OMSE)
OMSE offers free, walk-in tutorial programs that cover most key courses in Writing, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Economics, among other courses. Individual and small group tutoring consisting of 2-4 students per group is available each semester in most undergraduate courses. Check out the OMSE tutoring schedule to see if your course is available.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS CENTER (OCC)
The OCC can provide: peer consulting for presentations, speeches, and other modes of oral communication; speech planning and practice assistance; interactive workshops on a variety of relevant communication skills; special events and workshop series.
QUIET STUDY SPACES
These spaces offer some great opportunities to safely explore campus and find new places to get your work done. Please visit the Quiet Study Spaces list to view the spaces that are available, as well as the guidelines around using the spaces.
SPS TUTORING
The Society of Physics Students (SPS) offers a free online and in-person tutoring program for anyone taking an introductory physics course at UMD. Tutoring is available on a drop-in basis through Zoom from 4-6pm, Monday through Thursday. It is also available in Toll 1303 at the same time. In order to request the Zoom information, students must fill out the following brief form: https://forms.gle/M8FnJrEDgTkwSiUR8.
Bonus tip: Did you know that you can check out different types of equipment from the Terrapin Learning Commons? You can check out projectors to yoga mats as well as calculators and other study materials. More information is available on the Terrapin Learning Commons website.
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RESOURCES
TUTORING & ACADEMIC SUCCESS RESOURCES
The University is committed to academic excellence, and provides a variety of tutoring and other academic resources to support student success — available on campus, from our peer institutions, and other non-university websites. To learn more about the available resources, visit tutoring.umd.edu. Also checkout these helpful resources to tackle some common academic concerns.
THE WRITING CENTER
The Writing Center provides opportunities for UMD’s diverse undergraduate student body to improve their writing, research, and critical thinking skills in preparation for successful academic, professional, and civic lives. In a supportive atmosphere, trained consultants from a variety of backgrounds and majors assist writers in-person and online throughout the writing process. Visit the Writing Center’s website to schedule an appointment.
Bonus tip: Keep track of academic deadlines and other important academic opportunities by downloading the Academic Success Calendar.
*Some of this content has been adapted from various sources including but not limited to The Teaching and Learning Transformation Center, The Counseling Center, and The UMD Keep Learning website.
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Good luck on midterms, Terps! Study hard, go to class, get enough sleep and ask for help when needed. You’ve got this!
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