Instructify

September 22, 2008

High school teachers work very hard to make sure their students are ready to take the next academic step and enter college with the content knowledge, academic skills, and eagerness to learn that will help them succeed. Still, even the most successful high school students sometimes struggle, at least initially, as they make the transition to more independent learning as post-secondary students, especially since they may not know where to turn for help in a new academic environment.

By pointing your students to the helpful web-based advice of academic skills departments, writing centers, and tutoring programs at various colleges and universities, you can give them access to a lot of great information without having to reinvent the wheel yourself. If you have a student who has trouble with commas in their essays, why not steer them toward a handout from UNC’s Writing Center on that very topic? If one of your students has trouble juggling school, work and extracurricular activities, Harvard has created a list of handouts and links on time management that might be helpful. If tests seem to be the trouble, Duke University’s Academic Resource Center has several PDF handouts on strategies for preparing for, taking, and learning from tests that could make a difference.

Searching the websites of several colleges and universities can help you see what kinds of materials are available, and then you can bookmark the ones that you find most useful to your students. Letting students know about these types of resources can also raise awareness of the kinds of academic support services that are available on most college campuses, helping your students get a head-start on making the most of their own collegiate learning experiences. -KATHRYN WALBERT

Handouts from the Learning Assistance Center at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Handouts from the Writing Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Duke University’s Academic Skills Instructional Program

Handouts and Video Clips from the Academic Success Center at Purdue University

Self-Help Resources from the Bureau of Study Counsel at Harvard University