Did you know there are skills you can develop to improve your ability to study? The Student Outreach and Support office offers a series of workshops that will teach you these skills. Five different workshops have been presented in the past. Usually, three are presented each semester.

The workshop on learning styles introduces students to several popular learning style theories. Students also complete a questionnaire that identifies their learning style(s), and then a number of suggestions are made to help the students take advantage of their particular learning style(s).

The workshops on stress and time management have recently been combined because they are so closely related. The workshop begins with a discussion on time management, and students develop a life mission (a long term goal). Then students complete a time management chart. The chart leads to a discussion on stress management. The students quickly realize that if each day is better planned, less stress will be experienced. Students learn a number of stress management techniques, and have an opportunity to practice them in the workshop.

The workshop on note-taking teaches students what to listen for in a lecture and how to determine what should be recorded. Students are introduced to three different formats of note-taking. At the end of the workshop mini-lectures are given so students can practice their note-taking skills.

The last workshop of each semester is usually for test-taking skills. The students learn strategies that can be used when taking multiple-choice, true and false, matching, and essay tests. The issue of test anxiety is also discussed.

Students receive a workbook for each workshop. The workbook contains most of the information covered in the workshop, and serves as a reference when the workshop is over.

If you are interested in attending these workshops, watch the Henry Ford Community College website homepage for dates and times. The next workshop is scheduled for November 18, 2010, and the topic will be test-taking strategies.

If you have questions, contact Dr. Brenda Hildreth in the Student Outreach and Support office by phone at (313) 845-9757, or email at bjhildreth@hfcc.edu.