Tips for New Student Success

Try these five tips:

1. Read your SPU email daily: SPU uses your university-issued email address as the primary way to communicate important information. If you don’t like having multiple email accounts, set your SPU email to forward to your most commonly checked account. 
2. Start using a planner: Whether it’s your phone’s calendar or a paper planner, get in the habit of writing down appointments and dates to remember and then checking your planner every day. 
3. Get sleep: Create a consistent sleep schedule. Practice sleeping 7-8 hours per night at consistent times (i.e. 11 pm to 7 am). Look at your fall class schedule and see what time you need to be up and ready for morning classes. Get in the habit of turning off notifications and sounds so you don't wake up at night.
4. Practice taking “screen-free” breaks: Set aside your phone, computer, and devices for 30-60 minutes at a time to focus on one task and not be interrupted. Although this may feel uncomfortable at first, try adjusting to the feeling of being “unplugged” while you focus on studying.
5. Embrace a growth mindset and get ready to change how you study: Some of the ways you studied in high school or at your previous college may not be as effective at SPU because your workload is heavier, your reading more dense, and your assignments/exams more demanding. This is completely normal. It doesn’t mean that you aren’t smart: It means that you are learning how to do something new. Pay attention to what works and what doesn’t and know that faculty, tutors, and academic coaches are ready to talk with you about new strategies.

We look forward to helping you reach your academic goals! The Center for Student Success provides support and strategies to foster student academic success. Take advantage of campus resources:

• Tutoring - Study Tables: Access free tutoring for challenging classes. 
• Academic Coaching: Meet with CSS staff to strengthen your skills in time management, study strategies, and more.  
• The Research, Reading, and Writing Studio: Work with library staff to improve your research, reading, and writing skills at any stage of the writing process. Students can drop-by Ames library's studio space without an appointment Monday through Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Video conference appointments via Zoom and Teams are offered by appointment during daytime, evening, and weekend hours. Use Microsoft Bookings to see availability and make an appointment for a video conference.