Strategies and Resources for Academic Success

LSS provides support for students who want to develop their skills in time management and organization techniques, study strategies, test taking strategies, how to manage test anxiety, and stress management. Review our study tools videos, workshops, handouts, and other resources for academic success to find tips about how to develop these skills.

Academic Coaching

Students of all abilities, including successful students who want to enhance their academic skills and students who are struggling, will benefit from academic coaching with an LSS staff member. In these one-on-one weekly sessions, we can help you with time management, organization, study techniques, test taking strategies, test anxiety, and more. You can contact learning.support.services@villanova.edu or call 610-519-5176 to set up an appointment for an one-on-one academic coaching meeting.

Handouts and Study Resources

How to Plan Ahead

• Weekly planner
• Weekend planner
  
• Block Weekly Scheduler
• Are You A Procrastinator?
• Fall 2024 Semester Calendar

How to Enhance Learning & Study Skills

• NC State Learning Styles
• Apps to Enhance Learning
• BRAIN HE Learning Strategies
• How-To Study    
• Eastern Illinois University Study Tips
• University of Texas at Austin Study Strategies

How to Improve Reading Skills

• Strategies for Increasing and Monitoring Reading Rate
• SQ3R Reading Method

How to Take Effective Notes

• The Cornell Method (visual)
• UNC Taking Notes While Reading

How to Study for Tests

• Using KWL Charts
• Blank KWL Chart
• Examining Returned Exams

Online Flashcards

• Study Stack
• Quizlet
• Head Magnet

How to Perform Better on Tests

• How to Survive Exam Weeks
• Test-Taking Skills Inventory
• Checklist for Essay Tests

How to Concentrate More Effectively

• Discover Your Focus Factors
• Setting SMART Goals
• Listening Skills

Finding Healthy Ways to Manage Stress

Whether you are a student, professor, procrastinator, or perfectionist, we have all fallen victim to stress at some point in our lives. We may not always recognize it, but stress can have a powerful impact on our mental and physical well-being. Generally, stress is defined as the body’s response to challenging situations. These circumstances are also known as stressors, and they stimulate physiological reactions within the body that can pose a threat to our health.

The best way to combat stress is to refine our stress management and prevention techniques. Oftentimes, these stressors are out of our control and we may not be able to eliminate them completely. However, we do have the power to reduce the resulting stress, take steps to prevent it from worsening, or even address the issue directly at the source.

The important thing to keep in mind when developing stress management techniques is that the effectiveness of the strategy is unique to each situation, stressor and individual. Finding the right strategy for you will involve trial-and-error, exploration and creativity!

Check out our Stress Management Worksheet that outlines a “Three-Step System to Managing Stress in a Healthy Way.”