Snack sized learning—Tidbits for better study skills
Hosting sessions with quirky titles like “Nacho Average Note-Taking” and “Donut Give Up”, Study Bites covers all bases from initial steps to take academically till exam preparation, while offering snacks to maintain interest and energy levels.
There is no requirement to pre-register for Study Bites, which contributes to a more relaxed atmosphere as students don’t feel the pressure of making an early commitment to attend. (Photo credits: UTSC Instagram)
Navigating new study habits alone can be tough, but a new campus initiative aims to offer students guidance and connection.
“Study Bites” is a new take on developing productive learning strategies and supportive networks. Launched by the Academic Advising & Career Center (AA&CC), these sessions offer an interesting take on shaping study habits. Hosting sessions with quirky titles like “Nacho Average Note-Taking” and “Donut Give Up”, they cover all bases from initial steps to take academically till exam preparation, while offering snacks to maintain interest and energy levels.
Each session includes two Peer Ambassadors and an Academic Advising staff member, with students divided into three small groups to encourage deeper discussion. This way, it's easier to offer one-on-one support and have everyone engage. They also offer worksheets relating to the theme to support students in applying the strategies. It’s a welcoming environment focused on learning, with no pressure to have perfect study habits.
The aim for this program was to provide a casual, drop-in setting for students to seek advice and share what challenges they may be facing. The mentors use students' responses as a starting point and then ease into the theme of the session. In this manner, students gain maximum value and get a chance to talk about their current habits while getting insight from certified professionals catered to their specific situations.
There is no requirement to pre-register, which contributes to a more relaxed atmosphere as students don’t feel the pressure of making an early commitment to attend.
Each workshop has a focus on a particular aspect of the studying process. The most recent session, “Cookies & Comebacks” revolved around building resilience in academic environments. This touched upon key aspects of support systems and how they contribute to combating stress. Being able to reach out and ask for help is more necessary than we think, especially during exam season when panic is in the air.
Another key topic discussed was reframing setbacks to utilize as a strategic approach rather than a discouraging factor. This is an important factor to assure students that failure is not the end of the world and there’s always a way out of that rabbit hole with slight changes in perspective.
“Some of the strategies given were game changers for me and I incorporate them into my own study habits now” says Mamina Saidou, a third-year student. She attended “Nacho Average Note-taking" and emerged with inspiring advice. As a Psychology major, double minoring in Biology and Health Humanities, Saidou knows how quickly course readings can pile up — for her and for many others.
One tactic an academic advisor shared was to break down subject readings into manageable chunks rather than doing all of them at once. “Instead of trying to read 30 pages in the same sitting and risk burnout, just read only 5 pages and call it a day. This would probably take like 30-45 minutes max if taking notes as well and now you can fit other courses’ readings into a 2-3 hour chunk using the same philosophy,” said Saidou. This straightforward yet valuable tip can be a difference-maker for many students who feel overwhelmed by heavy reading loads.
In an interview with The Underground, Kathy Fellows, an Academic & Learning Strategist, shared some insight into the logistics behind the program and how the team has measured success over the last few months.
The academic advising team tracks attendance and repeat participation to get a sense of who is engaging with the sessions, as well as the overall ambience. They’ve also received informal feedback from other departments through word of mouth about how the program is being perceived.
One recurring highlight has been the catchy session names. “These names were pre-approved by students during the initial brainstorming process last year. We would run them by students visiting the Academic Advising office and get their input to make sure they sounded as engaging as possible,” said Fellows.
Some challenges they came across were that the session timings did not accommodate class schedules, resulting in lower turnout. Also, there’s always the issue of students coming for the snacks but not engaging with the discussion which was found to be a bit discouraging.
Apart from that, they found that the program is achieving the desired outcome so the AA&CC plan on running it again in the winter semester following the same themes with slight changes in timing from 2-hour to a 1-hour time slot and an effort to pick a day and time where least classes take place.
The final sessions “S’more Study, S’more Success” on Dec. 10 and “Donuts & Deadlines” on Dec. 17 will cover exam prep strategies and tips. Drop by whether you're a first or upper year to share advice, enjoy snacks and be a part of a supportive environment. As Kathy put it, “We encourage you to come out and let us know what you’re looking for so we can better cater the program for everyone.”
