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Fall Services & Programs: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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Graduate writing video series!

Making it work… at home

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Upcoming Events

Notetaking & reading skills

September 8 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Working from home: strategies for success

September 8 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Working from home: strategies for success

September 9 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Notetaking & reading skills

September 9 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Focus, motivation and academic success

September 14 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

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Meet Santosh (Life Sciences, Class of 2023). Today

Meet Santosh (Life Sciences, Class of 2023). Today he shares the advice that he would give to his first-year self. During Santosh’s first-year of studying at university, he realized quickly that memorizing study material was not enough; he actually had to understand concepts to fully comprehend what he was learning. As you prepare for classes, take Santosh’s advice on the balance between memorization and conceptualization:

“Understanding concepts is key to doing well and memorization will not be enough. I was able to get the marks I wanted in high school by just memorizing the information taught in class and I thought university would not be much different. I could not have been more wrong. University does not necessarily test your memorization skills but rather your understanding of concepts. After I realized this a few months into my first semester, I had to completely change the way I studied. I made sure to ask myself ‘do I understand this topic?’ every time I went over my notes and this allowed me to analyze my comprehension.”

#queensu #queensuniversity #queensu2024

Last but not least, we highlight our Peer Writing

Last but not least, we highlight our Peer Writing Assistants & Science Peer Writing Assistants appointments and how they can support you with your success at Queen’s.

If you are taking 1st or 2nd year courses starting this academic term and are seeking writing support, our Peer Writing Assistants & Science Peer Writing Assistants (PWAs) can help. PWAs are upper-year and graduate students who help you develop writing skills and confidence. In appointments, PWAs can help you clarify terms of an assignment, brainstorm, pre-write and structure, provide feedback, and direct you to resources needed to produce good papers.

Learn more about how peer appointments can support you and how to book an appointment (link in bio).

#queensu #queensuniversity #queensu2024

Are you an English language learner starting your

Are you an English language learner starting your first year of university in the fall? Today, we are highlighting appointments that are available to support you during your time at Queen’s.

At SASS, we want English as an Additional Language (EAL) and international students to be able to communicate fluently and confidently while studying at Queen’s. Our EAL program features one-on-one personalized consultations which focus on writing, speaking, listening, and reading skills. Our Academic English Skills Support appointments will be available starting in fall for all students seeking support with English skills.

Our EAL team is looking forward to supporting you in the fall online semester!

Learn more about how our EAL team can support you and how you can book an appointment (link in bio).

#queensu #queensuniversity #queensu2024

The Queen's University Library curbside pickup ser

The Queen's University Library curbside pickup service is still up and running! If you are studying this summer or working on your graduate studies, make sure to take advantage. Learn more at @queensulibrary

Meet Emily (Biochemistry, Class of 2020). Today, E

Meet Emily (Biochemistry, Class of 2020). Today, Emily provides the advice that she would give to her first-year self, to help prepare you for your first year at Queen’s. Here is what Emily advises as you enter your first year at university: “Figure out where the practice questions are! I hadn’t even realized there were practice questions in my Chemistry textbook. I went from getting 0-33% on the quizzes to 100%, just by virtue of knowing where the practice material was!”

#queensu #queensuniversity #queensu2024

We are continuing to highlight all of the appointm

We are continuing to highlight all of the appointments that we offer this week and how they can help you with your success at Queen’s. Today we are highlighting our learning strategies appointments!

Our one-on-one learning strategies appointments support all students at Queen’s. Our advisors help you to refine existing or develop new academic skills, including understanding academic expectations at university, getting organized, studying, presenting, coping with test anxiety, reducing procrastination, and so much more.

During the academic year, our appointments fill up fast, so we always recommend to book ahead of time so you can receive the support you need.

If you are just starting university, booking an appointment with a learning strategist is a great first step to prepare for your first year. Learn more about how our learning strategists can support you and how to book an appointment (link in bio).

#queensu #queensuniversity #queensu2024

Hey first years! Did you know that SASS offers fre

Hey first years! Did you know that SASS offers free one-on-one professional and peer-led appointments that support you with your academics? This week, we are highlighting ALL of the appointments that we offer. Today we are highlighting our professional writing appointments.

Our writing appointments provide support for all students at Queen’s. Appointments can be used to receive help with essays, lab reports, literature reviews, case studies, and more! Writing consultants can help you understand an assignment, brainstorm ideas, develop an argument or thesis statement, organize main points, revise a draft, improve grammar and style, and integrate research. Consultants will teach you practical strategies to refine existing or develop new academic skills so you can write like a pro at university.

During the academic year, our appointments fill up fast, so we always recommend to book ahead of time so you can receive the writing support you need.

Our writing consultants are looking forward to supporting you through your first virtual semester. Learn more about how our writing consultants can support you and how you can book an appointment (link in bio).

#queensu #queensuniversity #queensu2024

Prepare for your first year at Queen’s with SOAR

Prepare for your first year at Queen’s with SOAR Studies! SOAR Studies provides you with free online modules, courses, tutorials, and other materials and resources that will help you prepare for the new academic semester. Not only does SOAR Studies list SASS’s own Academics 101 online tutorials, it also lists materials essential to your school/faculty including: Arts & Science, Commerce, Faculty of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Health Sciences, and Nursing. Learn more on the Next Steps website at www.queensu.ca/nextsteps

Meet Phoebe (Life Sciences, Class of 2022). Today,

Meet Phoebe (Life Sciences, Class of 2022). Today, she shares the advice that she would give to her first-year self. Throughout Phoebe’s time at Queen’s, she has learned how to take more effective notes and maximize her learning in the classroom, strategies that she wished she knew in first year, as it would have saved her significant amounts of time. As you prepare for classes in the fall semester, make sure to take Phoebe’s advice:

“Really pay attention in class. In first year, I would just mindlessly copy down everything the teacher would say, in the fear that I would miss something that could’ve come up later on a test or exam. It didn’t do me any favours because it resulted in me going over my notes for hours after class to understand the material, which was not sustainable long-term. Go over what you will learn in class, before and after, writing down the key points that you struggled with. I found after my first semester that much of my understanding of course material occurred outside of class, on my own time, which meant by the time that I fully understood the material, I had already fallen behind in class. It took some readjusting, but I learned to maximize my in-class experience which increased my comprehension and promoted active thinking.”

We have lots more advice coming from our SASS peers throughout the next couple of weeks, so make sure to stay tuned!

#queensu #queensuniversity #queensu2024

Throughout university, students learn a lot of ski

Throughout university, students learn a lot of skills and strategies that they wish they knew in their first year. Victoria (French/Linguistics, Class of 2018), is one of those students. One thing that Victoria has learned during her time at Queen’s is the importance of taking regular breaks. She recommends, “don’t try to power through five hours of readings in one sitting – university is a marathon, not a sprint. Try the 50-10 rule – set a timer for 50 minutes and spend that time working towards a goal with no interruptions, then set another timer for 10 minutes and use this time to take a break and recharge.”

Check out Victoria’s blog for other great tips that can help you to have a successful first year at university!

Grad students, do you need support with your writi

Grad students, do you need support with your writing? We have writing appointments available tomorrow to support you, no matter where you are in the writing process. Get the support you need from our expert staff. Book on our website!

Your first year at university can be daunting –

Your first year at university can be daunting – it’s a new experience and it’s filled with change. At SASS we are here to support you. From now until the beginning of the fall semester, we’ve asked our upper-year SASS peers to share advice that they would give to their first-year selves, advice to support you through your first year at Queen’s.

Meet Andrew (B.Ed., Class of 2021). Throughout his time at Queen’s, Andrew has learned a lot, but most importantly he has learned the benefits of asking for help when it’s needed, something he wish he did more in first year! Andrew advises: “I wish I had known how valuable it was to ask for help! I was a good student in high school but could have been an even better one in first year. Asking TAs, professors and friends for help made a big difference for me in later years. If you are ever even the slightest bit unsure - ASK! You become a much smarter person when you can admit you don't know.”

Make sure to stay tuned for more advice from our SASS peers throughout the next couple of weeks!

#queensu #queensuniversity #queensu2024

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