UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The popular “Study Smarter, Not Harder” workshop for students will be held at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 9 and 25 in 100 Life Sciences Building.
The interactive workshop, organized by the Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) and the Eberly College of Science, will expose students to strategies that can help them become more effective learners. The workshop is taught by Jacqueline Bortiatynski, lecturer in chemistry, and Joshua Wede, lecturer in psychology, and is open to students in all majors at the University.
Attendees will be able to take away strategies to make their studying more efficient. In addition to learning the most effective, research-based study skills and strategies, students will also learn what not to do when studying.
During this workshop, Bortiatynski and Wede will help students analyze their existing study strategies and learn how to apply new techniques to their studying. The activities are hands-on, including short exercises that provide proof that the strategies work.
The students who take the workshop see a difference in their performance.
“I feel the ‘Study Smarter, Not Harder’ workshop inspired me to take the time and effort to study with true focus and determination in order to prepare myself for exams and quizzes,” said Emily Strang, a first-year student in the Eberly College of Science.
The workshop is particularly helpful for first-year students making the transition from high school to college.
“It's a great tool for anyone in college, especially first-semester freshmen,” said Adam Holz, a sophomore in DUS.
“In high school, I never studied, yet got good grades because things connected easily. When I started college, I quickly learned that studying was a necessity, but I did not know how to actually study,” said Brian Carvajal, a first-year student in the Eberly College of Science. “I thought that reading the textbook while taking a few notes was all that I really needed, but that never brought me the results I wanted. Attending the ‘Study Smarter, Not Harder’ lecture really taught me how to properly study, which was a huge help, especially for finals.”
The second workshop of the semester, held on Feb. 25 in 100 Life Sciences Building, will be a more in-depth focus on one or two of the strategies presented in the first workshop, and the strategies and topics covered will be based on student feedback.