Learning to learn at the U of S
Thinking about attending the University of Saskatchewan, but not sure you have the skills and time to succeed? Ann Remy, director of the university’s College of Arts and Science Transition Program, says this is a dilemma many mature students and recent high school graduates struggle with. They would like to pursue various goals through an education at the U of S, but are leery of enrolling after struggling in high school or simply being away from an educational setting for a while.
By Colleen MacPherson
A course offered through the Transition Program has been developed specifically with these students in mind: Interdisciplinary Studies (INTS) 100 – Learning to Learn for University Success. The course, which beings in the fall, is designed to give those thinking about university study a post-secondary education experience with the pace and expectations demanded at the undergraduate level. Those who complete the course will receive university credits that are fully transferable if they decide to enroll in full- or part-time studies at the U of S in the future.
"The skills that they learn through this course will, essentially, help mature students decide if university is for them," said Remy.
Remy noted the program will be taught by university instructors and focus mostly on teaching students various skills they will need to succeed at the U of S, such as critical thinking, writing, test taking, attention, memory, problem solving and how to take effective notes.
"Of course we hope students who take this course will continue on with university studies, but these life-long skills are valuable for anyone to learn regardless of what they do afterwards," she said.
Although this is the first time INTS 100 will be offered, a similar program was offered through the Transition Program in previous years. Lyndsey LaBuik completed this course in 2011 and said the skills she gained from the course helped her emerge a more successful and confident student.
"I'm currently using a lot of the different types of study skills that I learned throughout the course," she said. "This course was a very good class for a student such as myself ... Since I had been out of school a couple years, it was reassuring to get more background knowledge and strategies to help me succeed in the future."
The course will run during Term 1 of the 2012/13 academic year at Royal West Campus (441 Witney Ave. N.), which houses the Artsand Science Transition Program and the Saskatoon Public School Division's upgrading program.
For more information on the new INTS 100 course for mature students, or about the Arts and Science Transition Program in general, please contact Ann Remy (306) 966-2701 or email transition@arts.usask.ca