Academic Skills Resources for
Faculty Teaching First-Year Seminars
Study Strategies:

UB Counseling Services “Study Skills” Resources
http://ub-counseling.buffalo.edu/skills.php
Links to information on topics such as study skills strategies, time management, and UB academic
support resources.

Stanford University “Study Tips Resources”
https://undergrad.stanford.edu/tutoring-support/academic-skills-coaching/study-tips-resources
Links to several worksheets, handouts, and tips related to time management, note-taking, reading
effectively, and test-taking.

Cornell Note-Taking System
http://lsc.cornell.edu/cornell-note-taking-system
http://www.usu.edu/arc/idea_sheets/pdf/note_taking_cornell.pdf
http://coe.jmu.edu/learningtoolbox/cornellnotes.html
Each of these sites provides an overview of a popular note-taking strategy. There are other
overviews, as well as video instructions (e.g., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtW9IyE04OQ)
and templates, readily available online.

SQ4R Method for Effective Reading
https://sixth.ucsd.edu/_files/_home/advising/SQ4R.pdf
Provides an overview of a popular reading/studying strategy. There are other overviews as well as
videos readily available online.

Time Management
http://www.straighterline.com/blog/8-time-management-tips-adult-college-students/
http://collegelife.about.com/od/academiclife/a/timemanagement.htm
These sites provide simple tips and strategies college students can use to effectively manage their
time. Other time management resources are readily available online.
College Success Mindset:



College Transition Collaborative (Mindset Kit)
https://www.perts.net/ctc (https://www.mindsetkit.org/growth-mindset)
The Stanford Resilience Project
https://undergrad.stanford.edu/resilience
Angela Lee Duckworth TedTalk: “The key to success? Grit”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H14bBuluwB8
These sites are a compilation of research and resources focused on improving students’ academic
achievement through development of a growth mindset. Among other resources, they include some
short videos that could be used in first-year seminars to initiate discussions on success in college.
UB Resources:

Tutoring Resources
http://advising.buffalo.edu/help/tutoring.php
Provides students tips for effective tutoring and an overview of tutoring services at UB, including:
Residential Academic Success Centers (http://www.ub-housing.buffalo.edu/academic.php)
Center for Excellence in Writing (http://www.buffalo.edu/cas/writing.html)
University Learning Center (http://tlc.buffalo.edu/lcmath.htm)
Mathematics Help Center (http://www.math.buffalo.edu/undergraduate/undergrad_help.shtml)
Department of Chemistry

Academic Advising
http://advising.buffalo.edu/
Provides an overview of professional academic advising resources at UB, including a directory of
advisors/advising units based on major.

Student Affairs
http://www.studentaffairs.buffalo.edu/
Provides an overview of the student-centered programs and services designed to help students
maximize their UB academic and campus experience. Specific offices include but are not limited to:
o Orientation, Transition & Parent Programs serves as a primary contact/referral source for
first-year seminar faculty and/or first-year students for assistance transitioning to UB.
o Accessibility Resources supports full participation in the UB experience by providing
accessibility support and accommodations for students and faculty.
o Career Services provides assessments and counseling to help students choose a major and
career path that fits their skills, interests, and values.
o Counseling Services provides counseling, group therapy, crisis intervention and self-help
resources.
o Judicial Affairs and Student Advocacy provides students with information, referrals, and
advocacy for academic and non-academic issues/questions.
Additional Instructional Resources:


Textbooks
o Navigating the Research University: A Guide for First-Year Students (B. Andreatta)
o Your College Experience: Strategies for Success (J. Gardner, J. Jewler, & B. Barefoot)
These are widely-used first-year seminar textbooks. Chapters include “Research and the
Research University,” “Skills for Academic Success,” “How We Learn,” “Critical Thinking,”
and “Listening, Taking Notes, and Being Engaged in Class” among several others. An
instructor’s edition of each book is available for loan by contacting Matt Weigand.
Other Text Resources:
o Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education (A. Chickering & Z. Gamson)
https://scholar.vt.edu/access/content/user/adevans/Public/DVDPortfolio/Samples/samples
/training/track_d/Introduction/Best%20Practices/Article%20%207%20Principles%20of%20Good%20Practice%20in%20Undergrad%20Ed.pdf
o Teaching First-Year College Students (B. Erikson, C. Peters, & D. Strommer). A copy is
available for loan by contacting Matt Weigand.
Matthew Weigand – Orientation, Transition & Parent Programs
716-645-6125 [email protected]