September is rapidly approaching, and that means back to school. Whether it's after a few months of summer break or a few years of working or raising a family, getting back into the habit of going to class and doing homework will take some hard work.

It's important for students to get oriented right off the bat, said Jan Robblee, a student success advisor from the School of Language and Liberal Studies. “It's good for students to get to know their surroundings … and to get to know their professors.” She said meeting new classmates could be valuable in forming study groups for particularly tough classes.

Robert Kitchen, a student success leader with the Student Success Centre, has seen many new students come to Fanshawe and noticed a common problem among them. “The biggest challenge that many students struggle with right out of the gate is time management ... If you can navigate that well, I think you're going to do well in school.”

According to Kitchen, it's important to mark critical dates on a calendar. He recommended creating to-do sheets for the semester, month, week and day, so students can budget their time accordingly. “Chunk it up so that it's manageable, but at the same time you're not losing sight of priorities and upcoming deadlines.”

Staying connected is vital, said Troy Townsend, student success advisor for the School of Tourism and Hospitality. “Keep the lines of communication open … be familiar with Fanshawe Online and check it daily.” Staying up-to-date with Fanshawe Online links students to many services on campus. “There's a wealth of information on what the college offers you while you're here — not just the pubs!”

Rudy Fiebiger, student success advisor at the School of Information Technology and professor of graphic design and desktop publishing at the Lawrence Kinlin School of Business advised: “Treat (school) like a job, because that's really what it is … The better you do in here, the better you're going to do (in the workplace).”

Heather Burke, owner of Ottawa-based Smart Space Organizing and member of Professional Organizers in Canada (POC), is a trained professional organizer who specializes in helping students succeed in school. She said music lovers do not have to study in silence, but may want to “unshuffle” their tunes. “Create a playlist for sleep, one for hard studying and one for lighter studying ... Every time your song changes to something new, your brain changes and it takes 15 to 20 seconds to get back on track.” A playlist creates a sense of rhythm and continuity, which Burke said will help keep your brain focused on the task at hand.

Goal setting is an important motivator, according to Tanya Andrews, student success facilitator and study strategist at the Learning Centre. “At the beginning of every semester, students should think of three goals they would like to achieve within the semester; three that they would like to achieve in the program; and three that they would like to achieve after they graduate.” She said long-term goals put short-term hurdles — like a research paper or tough math exam — in perspective.

Fiebiger also recommended looking to the past for motivation. “Always revisit that point in your life when you decided ‘This is what I want to do' because obviously you must have been on fire about it; you must have been excited ... keep coming back to that decision point.”

All student success advisors recommend students get help early if they need it. “Don't think you're the only one out there,” said Fiebiger. “We have 12,000 students; you're not going to be the first one with that challenge, and you're not going to be the last one.” There are on-campus services to help with everything from academic troubles to personal woes, and all meetings are confidential. When contacting an advisor for help, provide your program name and student number for a faster response. For a list of services on campus that can help you succeed, visit www.fanshawec.ca/success/.

Learning Centre Upcoming Events
The Learning Centre located in Room A2019 offers JumpStart programs — as well as ongoing workshops — to get students on the fast track to academic success:

August 31,2010
Active Learning and Study Skills Strategies
9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Academic Writing Workshop
1:p.m. to 4 p.m.

September 1, 2010
Academic Writing Workshop
9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Active Learning and Study
Skills Strategies
1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

September 14
Academic Writing Workshop
6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
September 15
Active Learning and Study
Skills Strategies
6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.