Although we might want to assume that our students are coming to class prepared to learn every day, that is simply not the case. In a March 2024 article from The Chronicle of Higher Education, It’s time to start teaching your students how to be a student, Dr. Emily Isaacs states, “It’s no secret that a lot of students are coming to campus unfamiliar with skills, habits, and behaviors that are necessary to succeed at college-level work.” While acquisition of these so-called “studenting” skills was hindered by the pandemic, the good news is that it’s not too late! So what are studenting skills and how can they be taught? Read the tips below to find out more:
- What are studenting skills? Studenting skills are the soft skills that are often overlooked but are essential to student success and achievement. These foundational skills are necessary to navigate adulthood and include things like time management, critical thinking, note taking, organization, oral communication and writing. Read more about these skills in Landmark College’s Reseach and Training Blog about the transition from high school to college.
- Importance of teaching these skills. Teaching the skills that underlie learning and content mastery is an essential part of student success! Another article from The Chronicle emphasizes that, “Too many smart and creative students are doing poorly in our courses, learning much less than they could, in large part because they haven’t been taught what I call ‘studenting’ skills or been convinced of their value for their own success.” Making space in your course to explicitly teach these skills that are often implicitly understood helps to combat the impacts of the hidden curriculum in academia.
- Weekly mini-lessons. Across its campuses, Monclair State University has committed to supporting students in teaching these skills. This resource (shared with permission) shows how faculty quickly introduce the topics each week. To use this with your own students, create a slide with the topic of the week and add the tips! Display the slide as students enter and continue your start-of-class routine as usual. You can spend a few minutes briefly discussing the importance of the skill and how it relates to success in your course.
Our first ever Spartan Spotlight (see below) features the Academic Achievement Center, which serves as a campus partner in supporting students in mastering studenting skills. Be sure to check out their profile at the bottom of the newsletter to learn more!