Rutgers-Camden Learning Center
Academic Support Workshops

Spring 2012

The Rutgers-Camden Learning Center (RCLC) will host a series of academic support workshops for the Fall 2011 term for interested students.  All workshops will take place in Room 224 of Armitage Hall on Wednesdays during the free period from 12:15 pm to 1:10 pm. except for the "But Wikipedia Says It's Right" workshop which will take place in the Robeson Library Electronic Classroom (basement level).
A Tool For Life: Goal-Setting, Timothy Pure,  RCLC Assistant Director
1/25/12, 12:15-1:10 pm, ARM 224
Learn goal-setting in this highly interactive workshop. Participants will: understand the difference between a dream and a goal, design concrete, measurable long-term and short-term goals, and develop action plans for achieving their goals.

Choosing the Right Note Taking Format, Timothy Pure, RCLC Assistant Director
2/1/12, 12:15-1:10 pm, ARM 224
Explore different formats of note taking as well as tips to choose the format that best suits individual needs. Formats to be explored include Cornell, T-Notes, column format notes, outline format notes, designer notes, and note-taking on PowerPoint presentations. The workshop will also offer advice on how to best use a word processing program to take notes.

Time Management and Avoiding Procrastination, Dr. Robert Ciervo, Director of the RCLC
2/8/12, 12:15-1:10 pm, ARM 224
Learn about why students often procrastinate and the tips to overcome this competing behavior.  Find out about specific techniques to maximize your time through term, weekly and daily planning activities that will allow you to realize your academic goals.

Great Study Skills, Timothy Pure, RCLC Assistant Director
2/15/12, 12:15-1:10 pm, ARM 224
Attendees will learn strategies to maximize concentration, avoid distractions, better organize their materials, and improve their retention.  Students will participate in several self-assessments in order to develop a study plan that suits their individual needs.
Test Taking Strategies, Dr. Robert Ciervo, Director of the RCLC
2/22/12, 12:15-1:10 pm, ARM 224
Learn how to employ different strategies to be effective in mastering multiple choice, essay, short answer and matching type examinations.  Find out how to prepare in advance to improve your test performances.
Understanding and Optimizing Your Learning Style, Timothy Pure, Assistant Director
2/29/12, 12:15-1:10 pm, ARM 224
A brief overview of how the brain learns, as currently understood by science. Common misconceptions, such as left brain/right brain learning, will be debunked. Participants will explore various theories of learning styles (e.g., multiple intelligences theory) before receiving practical recommendations for optimizing one’s learning environment and coursework.

Improving Grammar and Writing Mechanics, Dana Swartz, RCLC Learning Specialist
3/7/12 & 4/18/12, 12:15-1:10 pm, ARM 224
This workshop will provide an overview of the proper use of punctuation such as comma use, colons, semi-colons, and the proper way to cite sources in MLA papers. Ways to improve sentence structure will also be covered. These topics include, how to avoid using passive voice, “to be” verbs and how to fix “run-on” sentences.

 Overcoming Math Anxiety, Timothy Pure, RCLC Assistant Director
3/21/12, 12:15-1:10, ARM 224
In this workshop, attendees will learn about the causes of math anxiety and math test anxiety, and then will gain concrete strategies for dealing with the frustration, reduced concentration, and poor performance that math anxiety can induce.

Improve Your Memory, Dr. Robert Ciervo, Director of the RCLC
3/28/12, 12:15-1:10 pm, ARM 224
In this workshop, attendees will learn new memory techniques and strategies to make remembering faster and more efficient.  Students will be introduced to mnemonics, the method of loci system, the pegword system, and acronyms to improve their ability to recognize and recall information in an academic setting.

“But Wikipedia Says It’s Right!”:  Evaluating Resources Critically, Timothy Pure, Assistant Director
4/4/12, 12:15-1:10 pm, Robeson Library (Follow the signs to the Electronic Classroom)
Workshop will focus on how to choose appropriate resources for college-level research, and to critically analyze resources. Participants will also discuss using Google and Wikipedia in college-level courses. To be taught in collaboration with the staff of Robeson library.

Writing a Great Research Paper, Dana Swartz, RCLC Learning Specialist
4/11/12, 12:15-1:10 pm, ARM 224
The workshop will focus on how to write a successful research paper. The topics covered will include how to effectively research a topic, tips on writing solid introductions and conclusions, a guide on structuring body paragraphs, and how to write cohesive transition sentences.

Stress Management for School and Life, Dr. Robert Ciervo, Director of the RCLC
4/25/12, 12:15-1:10 pm, ARM 224
This workshop will educate students about the different components of stress and how stress can have negative effects on both academic performance and one’s personal life.  Learn the techniques that elite level athletes use to manage stress and enter into a relaxed and focus state to achieve success. 

Attention Faculty Members:

The RCLC offers "Learning Strategy" workshops for all RU courses. Faculty members interested in having an RCLC representative present a workshop to his/her class may fill out our Workshop Request Form. Below are examples of some workshops that have been offered in the past.

                        Planning for Success
 

Time/Self Management

Cognitive/Learning Skills

Critical Thinking

Problem Solving

Learning Styles

Learning Strategies

 

 

Test Taking/Preparation

Reading Strategies

Writing Skills

Math & Science Skill Sets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note Taking

Concentrating in Class

Memory Techniques

Stress Management/Test Anxiety

Motivation/Goal Setting