October 2003

Up for discussion: New study challenges ahead

	Maria Mitchum of the Learning Skills Center says students should study four to five hours each day. (Debbie Aldridge/UC Davis)

UC Davis students are the cream of the crop, with most graduating in the top 12 percent of their high-school class.

But for some, adjusting to university-level studying may be a challenge. The quarter-system is fast-paced. Many students arrive with the expectation of studying four to five hours per week, says Maria Mitchum, an adviser at the campus's Learning Skills Center. In fact, she says, students should be studying about four to five hours per day.

First university grades

Many students come to the Learning Skills Center about midway through the fall quarter after receiving lower-than-expected grades on their first midterms.

"We do get students here who have never seen a 'C' in their academic career, and they are shattered," Mitchum says.

The Learning Skills Center can be a valuable resource before trouble begins. Mitchum says advisers start by helping students to carefully examine the requirements of each class.

She said advisers also encourage students to set specific studying goals. For example, during high school it may have sufficed to say: Tonight I'll study my history book. Mitchum says a more productive goal is to say: Tonight I'll read Chapters 1 through 3.

Act as a sounding board

While you may no longer be there to help your student with homework, there are ways to help him or her to study successfully. Mitchum suggests parents act as a sounding board.

"What I encourage students to do is discuss what they are learning in class with their parents, whether the parents understand or not," Mitchum says. "There is something learned just by explaining it to someone else."

Up to students to seek help

She also notes that the high school environment -- with its small classes and readily available counselors and tutors -- means help often comes to the student. At the university level, it is now the student's turn to seek out assistance.

"I also think that parents can help just by encouraging their students to make inquiries on campus about what sort of help is available," Mitchum says.

The services of the Learning Skills Center are available free of charge to all students. The center offers instruction in study skills, one-on-one tutoring, workshops, resource materials and more.

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