Getting Started

Many students enter college without a fundamental knowledge of how their brain works. They don't know exactly how well they input information (listening, reading, writing, drawing, movement), how they process it from short-term memory into higher levels of thought (association, conceptualization, generalization), or how well they output the information (speaking, writing, drawing, movement). It may be helpful to consider your strengths and challenges - what you're good at, as well as what only comes with struggle and lots of sweat. Once you identify these areas, you can begin to gain an understanding of how your brain works and what skills may be needed to help you use your necktop computer more effectively and efficiently.

Many of the basic skills and perspectives necessary for a student to feel comfortable and experience success are overlooked by both the student and faculty member. The importance of these skills is overshadowed by the day-to-day push for understanding content, getting readings done, researching at the library, going over lecture notes, preparing for examinations, and even course selection and preregistration. These pages will focus on the basic perspectives and strategies for enhancing a student's experience here at Mount Holyoke College. Students will often ask friends and advisors for study skills suggestions only to find that the they have no time or just can't seem to get motivated to practice a different way of reading, note-taking, or test preparation. As with any skill, whether it be swimming or note-taking, mastery and comfort takes discipline and practice. It also may take a coach to provide feedback and encouragement. Attending one of the study skills workshops provided in the residence halls and then working with a undergraduate academic advisor or faculty academic advisor will help you succeed in developing more effective study skills.

For greater potential for success in classes, as well as with the study strategies, it is important to first explore issues which are fundamental to the development of the student as a learner. Read about the Body Pyramid, which may provide a framework for building a firm foundation for personal development.