Please contact (916)278-6955 or sswd@csus.edu for alternate formats of this document.
Study Skills Resources
Campus Tutoring
Department
Anthropology
Art/Design
Biology
Business
Tutoring
available?
No
No
No
Yes
Chemistry
Yes
Child Development
Communications
Computer Science
Criminal Justice
Economics
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Engineering
English
Yes
Yes
Family and
Consumer Science
Foreign Languages
No
Geography
Geology
Government
College of Health and
Human Services
Yes
No
No
Yes
Health Science &
Kinesiology
History
Yes
Not regular. Inquire at Department.
No
Professors may have names of students interested in
Updated Summer 2009
Yes
Details
Drop-in.
Check website for current schedule.
http://www.cba.csus.edu/, click on Student Services, click on
tutoring
Tahoe 3067
Drop-in Help Office.
Check website for current schedule.
http://www.csus.edu/chem/
Sequoia 502
Not regular. Inquire at Department.
Writing tutor available.
Drop-in.
Check website for current schedule.
http://www.csus.edu/econ/tutoring.html
Tahoe 3025
Peer Coaching. Inquire at Department.
Writing Center
Students can receive one-on-one tutoring help with all
aspects of the writing process: coming up with topics,
drafting, revising, and editing. The Writing Center is located in
Calaveras Hall Room 128. Call 278-6356 to make an
appointment.
Drop-in.
Check website for current schedule.
http://www.csus.edu/fl/tutors.htm
Mariposa 2032.
Not regular. Inquire at Department.
Mentoring program for majors.
College of Health & Human Services Writing Center in Solano
Hall, Room 5011. The CHHS Writing Center is a program
that is designed to assist HHS students with all stages of
writing from pre-writing through editing a text utilizing a peertutoring environment. Contact the CHHS Writing Center at
916-278-5417 or e-mail Mandy Kyes or Amberlee Venters
(hhswc@csus.edu) to make an appointment.
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Campus Tutoring
tutoring.
Humanities
Learning Skills
No
Yes
Mathematics &
Statistics
Yes
Physics & Astronomy
Yes
Psychology
Recreation, Parks
and Tourism Admin.
Social Work
Sociology
No
No
Writing Across the
Curriculum
Yes
Updated Summer 2009
No
Yes
Students can receive tutoring at the Learning Skills Center
(916-278-6725). There are special classes to improve writing,
reading, and language skills for students who speak English
as a Second Language. These classes are either sponsored
by the English Department or by the Learning Skills Center
(LS classes). Refer to the university course schedule under
the English Department or the Learning Skills Center.
Drop-in. Math Lab.
http://www.csus.edu/math/students/mathlab.htm
Brighton 118
Drop-in.
http://www.csus.edu/physics/tutoring/tutoring.stm
Sequoia 124.
Writing tutor available. Inquire at Department.
See details on Writing Across the Curriculum website
http://www.csus.edu/wac/WAC/Students/index.html
Includes writing tutoring and resources for undergraduate and
graduate students.
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BASIC TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
Perhaps the most essential factor in preparing for exams is to avoid cramming. Review
for tests should go on all semester, and this will eliminate the need to cram.
Here is a basic study plan for reviewing course material:




Notes should be studied the same day as the lecture and reviewed periodically
thereafter.
New, technical vocabulary should be put on cards with definitions and the words
used in a sentence.
The highlighting of required readings should be reviewed throughout the
semester.
Consistency in review will significantly reduce the amount of time needed to
study immediately before the exam. Start a pattern early in the semester and
stick with it.
When studying for a test, learn to be aware of certain clues. These include:


Any points on which the teacher spent a large amount of time or were prefaced
with such comments as, “Of special importance is…” or “This is important
because…”
Lists and enumerations, which are prime items for essay tests –
“The six characteristics of…”
“The four major consequences of …”
“The major court cases leading the establishment of the law are…”


Key terms, along with definitions and examples.
Previous questions from quizzes, old tests, chapter reviews, etc.
Adapted from Adelmand &Olufs/AHEAD, 1992
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On the day of the test, make sure you have all materials required for the exam and get
to class a little early.
Read all instructions and budget time during the test.
For example, time for a 2-hour test might be budgeted as follows:
Question Type
10 True-False
40 Multiple Choice
Review T/F and Mult.
Choice
2 Essay
Question Value
10 points total
40 points total
Time budgeted
10 minutes total
40 minutes total
10 minutes
50 points total
60 minutes total
5 minutes outlining#1
20 minutes writing #1
5 minutes outlining #2
20 minutes writing #2
10 minutes review
Additional test-taking strategies.




Easier questions should be answered first. Scan the test for questions you can
answer, then go back to any that still need attention.
Answer all questions, even if you have to guess, unless points are deducted for
wrong answers.
If any items are not clear, ask the instructor for clarification.
Take advantage of the full amount of time allotted for the test. However, don’t
change your answer unless you have new insight or information.
Adapted from Adelmand &Olufs/AHEAD, 1992
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Study Strategies: Media Resources
Available at the University Library
Videos
Study Strategies
Effective Study Strategies/Academic Resources Corporation. Niles, IL: United
learning, 1987.
Where there’s a Will There’s an A: How to get Better Grades in College. Paoli, PA:
Chesterbrook Educational Publications, 1991.
Time Management
Getting Things Done with Edwin Bliss. Boulder, CO: CareerTrack Publications,
1989.
Listening Skills
The Art of Listening / Stage Fright Productions. Lake Zurich, IL: Learning Seed,
1993.
How to Listen Effectively/Tony Alessandra. San Diego, CA: Levitz/Sommer
Productions, 1986.
Books
Study Strategies
12 Steps to Study Success, by Conrad Lashley and Warwick Best. London:
Continuum, 2001.
Becoming a Master Student, by David Ellis. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2007.
College after 30: A Handbook for Adult Students, by Caryl Chudwin and Rita
Durrant. Chicago: Contemporary Books, 1981.
College Study Skills, by James Shepherd. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994.
College Study Skills: Becoming a Strategic Learner, by Dianna Van Blerkom.
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomsen Learning, 2003.
How to Study in College, by Walter Pauk. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2001.
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Learning Skills for College and Life, by David Watson. Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth/Thomsen Learning, 2001.
Motivation and Learning Strategies for College Success: A Self-Management
Approach, by Myron Dembo. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2000.
POWER Learning: Strategies for Success in College and Life, by Robert Feldman.
Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2007.
Study and Thinking Skills in College, by Kathleen McWhorter. New York: Harper
Collins, 1992.
Study Methods and Reading Techniques, by Debbie Guice Longman. Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth, 1992.
Succeeding in College, by Jean Reynolds. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall,
2002.
Techniques for Success: College Reading and Study Skills, by Selma Wilf.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1986.
What Every Student Should Know about Study Skills, by Enid Leonard. New York:
Longman, 2007.
Time Management
Developing a Time Budget, by SL and DL Groves. Brockport, NY: Appalachian
Associates, 1978.
Manage Your Time, Your Work, Yourself, by Douglas Merrill and Donna Merrill.
New York: Amacom, 1993.
Orientation to College Learning, By Dianna Van Blerkom. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth,
2002.
Memory Skills
Improving Memory and Study Skills, by Douglas Hermann. Seattle: Hogrete and
Huber, 2002.
Strategies for Learning and Remembering, by Mary Ann Raforth. Washington DC:
NEA Professional Library, National Education Association Publication, 1993.
Exam Skills
The Student’s Guide to Exam Success, by Eileen Tracy. Philadelphia: Open
University Press, 2002
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Study Strategies: Web Resources
Note-taking:
Note-taker training: http://www.netac.rit.edu/onlinenotetakertraining.html
Time Management/Organization:
Mind tools: http://www.mindtools.com/index.html
Learning Styles:
Learning Styles Online: http://www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory/
LD Resources: http://www.ldpride.net/learning-style-test.html
Study Skills:
How to Study: http://www.how-to-study.com/
Study Guides: http://www.studygs.net/index.htm
Memorization:
Memory Techniques: http://www.accd.edu/sac/history/keller/ACCDitg/SSindex.htm
Other resources:
How do I talk to my Professor: http://www.willamette.edu/dept/wellness/ler/
Adapting to College: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/collegesuccess/963.html
Web Tools for College Students: http://www.nextstudent.com/nextpath/nextpathonline/blogs/students/archive/2007/02/15/top-web-tools-for-college-students.aspx
Note: SSWD does not promote, validate, or maintain any of the web sites listed. When
you follow a link to another site, you will need to contact the outside website if you need
assistance with alternate formats for those sites.
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