Survive and Thrive - Trent University

A C A D E M I C S K I L L S C E N T R E ( A S C )
Survive and Thrive
A Guide to Your First Term at University
P e t e r b o r o u g h • O s h a w a

Contents
Welcome to University 1
What to do before you arrive 7
What to do during the first week 8
What to do during the first month 12
What to do during the first term 30
Thanks to Dana Capell, Mary Ann Armstrong, Erin Stewart Eves,
Paul Gamache and Ruth Brandon for their suggestions.
For information on this
or any of our services, contact
the Academic Skills Centre,
Trent University, Peterborough,
Ontario K9J 7B8
Phone (705) 748-1720
Fax (705) 748-1830
e-mail: acdskills@trentu.ca
www.trentu.ca/academicskills

Welcome to University
So, you have finally made it. Congratulations! Feeling excited? Nervous?
Wondering what’s ahead, and how you will do? University life can
be exhilarating, nerve-wracking, confusing, illuminating, and, yes,
sometimes boring. But no matter what happens, you will be forever
changed by the experience.
You want to do well, right? Naturally. It is also natural to keep on
doing what has worked for you in the past; after all, you have reached
university because you learned the skills and habits that brought
success in high school. But the game has changed, and there is a new
set of rules. University is a different sort of school, with its own way
of working and its own set of expectations. You must learn the ways
of university and learn how to meet these expectations if you are to
survive—and thrive—here.
This e-book will help you start off on the right foot. We have drawn
upon our own experiences (we’ve been hanging around universities
most of our adult lives) both as students and as teachers, and collected
the advice of thousands of students to help make the transition to
university as smooth as possible.
While there is no formula for success at university or anywhere else,
we will show you the problems that other students have encountered
and the strategies that worked for them. Think about what we have
to say; try things out. But, ultimately, you will have to figure out what
works for you. Remember, there is no one “right” way to do anything:
there are many ways.
1

What is University
Anyway?
“University” is as much a state of mind as it is a place. When you become
a university student, you do more than attend a particular institution;
you enter into the world of scholars, a world that engages many cultures
and reaches through time. You will be engaging with an intellectual
community that has deep roots, and just as you will build on the work
of others, future scholars may one day build upon the work you do.
This is serious business!
But it is also fun. University is the place where you finally get to learn
about things that interest you instead of just “giving them what they
want.” And, herein lies the first key to how you can survive and thrive:
figure out what interests you and work on that. The best part is that
by working on what interests you, you will be doing something that
you really enjoy!
How Does University
Differ From High School?
2
As mentioned, university is a different world. Think about it: you have
chosen which university to attend; you get to choose your own course
of study; you have actually paid to be here. The amount and type of
work differ from that of high school, as does the pace, purpose, and
style of your studies. These differences provide a wealth of opportunity
but also a range of challenges. Let’s explore these differences along
with the keys to successfully taking advantage of the opportunities and
meeting the challenges that university will bring.

A Difference in Attitude:
Independence and
Responsibility
Everyone at university will assume that you are an adult. “Good,”
you’re thinking. But with independence comes responsibilities. You will
be expected to manage your own affairs. No one will make you come
to class or hand in your work. You skipped class? You did not hand in
a major paper? You missed the deadline to drop a course? Unlike in
high school, no one will contact you to find out why or to make sure
that you stay on track. No one will contact your parents and express
concern. Instead, they will allow you to make your own decisions and
to face the consequences of those decisions.
What this means is that you need to make decisions that are in your
best interest. You are now responsible for your own education and
your own life. There are many qualities that can help you to make
good decisions about your education.
Key Qualities For Success
A Sense of Responsibility - You have a responsibility to yourself.
You must take control of your education, choosing the right
courses, making the right decisions, and acting in a way that is
in your own best interest.
Self-Direction - Too often, students see education as “jumping
through the hoops,” or doing what they’re told so that they can
get that elusive piece of paper – a degree. Certainly you must
3

satisfy the requirements of the institution: pay your fees, do
the work, satisfy the course and discipline requirements, and so
on. But academically, you should be setting the hoops, deciding
through your course selection and actual topic choices what ideas
you will pursue and what paths you will follow. In other words,
your university education must be self-directed, the result of your
choices, your abilities, and your desires.
An Open Mind - University will expose you to new ideas and
ways of doing things. Consider these new approaches carefully
and completely instead of dismissing them right away. At times,
you may find yourself disagreeing; this is natural. But resist the
impulse to reduce disagreements to merely “a matter of opinion.”
When these “opinions” involve a discipline, fellow students’ and
professors’ views are based on training, experience, and study;
theirs are “informed opinions.” This is what you have come to
university to get: the training that is needed for you to develop
educated and informed views. And you will – if you keep an
open mind.
Openness to Taking Risks and Making Mistakes - “We often
discover what we will do, by finding out what we will not do; and
probably he who never made a mistake never made a discovery,”
said Samuel Smiles. Don’t be afraid of making errors; just be
sure to learn from them. Instead of thinking solely about marks,
concentrate on doing your very best work; the marks will follow.
Persistence - In university, you will encounter challenges and
sometimes obstacles. When you do, persist. Keep trying, keep
learning, and keep asking questions, even when you feel like
giving up. You will find that reward comes from hard work and
dedication.
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Remember that the most important factor in your success at university
is your attitude. Take responsibility for your actions and for the shape of
your education. Keep an open mind and explore this new world openly
and honestly, using the methods taught by your professors. Above all,
do what you enjoy, and enjoy what you do.
A Difference in Time:
Managing Your Time and
Workload
Without a doubt, you will spend less time in class and yet do more work
in university than you did in high school.
The First Year Workload
On average, a Trent first year student
• spends 15-20 hours a week in lectures, seminars, or labs
• is assigned approximately 250 pages of reading per week
• spends approximately 15 hours per week completing weekly
reading assignments
• writes up to 64 pages per term for which he or she completes
additional reading and research
In high school, you probably completed many small assignments
throughout the year. In university, you will find that the work tends to
be less evenly distributed throughout the term. This means that you
may not have any assignments due until the end of term, but then you
will have five essays due on the same day (plus exams!).
5

What to do? Somehow, you will have to organize your time so that you
can get your class work done, get your assignments done (on time!),
and have a life too. The solution is to develop good time management
skills. Plan ahead; know when your crunch periods are and make them
easier by spreading work out throughout the term. Later we will
discuss specific time management tools that will help you to make an
effective plan.
How Can I Survive
and Thrive?
The following pages contain a variety of tips that can help you adapt
to the different academic environment that you will find at university.
There are four sections:
• What to do before you arrive
• What to do during the first week
• What to do during the first month
• What to do during the first term
But please remember that these are not “recipes” to be followed
slavishly; they are suggestions that have worked for some students in
the past. You must always discover what works for you.
6

What To Do Before You Arrive
Seek Out Academic Advising and
Choose Your Courses
Trent offers New Student Advising days throughout the summer.
Attend one if you can as they will provide you with valuable
information about choosing courses and preparing for university.
Please visit: www.trentu.ca/nsa
You should also spend some time familiarizing yourself with the
academic calendar. Know degree requirements for your program:
B.A., B.Sc., B.B.A., B.Sc.N., B.Sc.F.S. For some programs, your path is
determined, but you may have some choice in your courses. For other
degrees, it is wide open. Make choices for yourself based on your
interests and goals; be aware of course material, look at outlines, see the
reading list: Cultural Studies may not be what you expect or Astronomy
may require more math than you expect. Ask about courses, consider
long term planning, but be open: you may take ERS because you like
the environment, but it could become your major!
Prepare Yourself
Universities are not designed to do the same things as high schools,
which are supposed to give you the basic skills of communication,
thought, and expression. University, as the next step, will teach you the
methods of your chosen discipline(s), so you can begin to make sense of
the world at a more complex level. Your professors are expecting that
you will have already mastered the basic skills of reading, writing, and
speaking. As a result, they will spend little, if any, time showing you
grammar and punctuation or the paragraph, essay and bibliographic
formats that you will need.
7

Have you mastered these things? Are your skills good enough for the
next level? Are you confident that you know how to write well? If not,
consider what you can do about it.
Start Preparing From Home!
The Academic Skills Centre offers free online materials on
topics ranging from essay writing, critical reading, and
notetaking to mathematics and exam preparation. Check
out www.trentu.ca/academicskills to start preparing for
university from home!
Summary: Before You Arrive
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3
3
3
Attend a New Student Advising day.
Register for classes.
Find resources that will help you improve your reading,
writing, and thinking skills.
Get a feel for what is ahead and what will be required of you.
What To Do During the
First Week
Check Out Your Courses
8
Introductory Week is the time to check out all of the courses that you’re
thinking of taking. Go to the information sessions, listen, gather the
handouts, and ask questions. Many course outlines are available online.

Check them out to see what you’re getting into. Look at them carefully:
How much reading is expected? How much writing? What topics will be
covered? How many essays, exams, and other assignments are required?
Knowing this information before plunging into a course will help you
to think about its place amongst your other choices.
Seek Advice
Trent is a very friendly place, built on a personal scale. Take advantage
of this by seeking advice from as many people as you can. Ask secondyear
students about courses and professors and talk to the professors
themselves. Don’t forget to consult your Senior Tutor or Academic
Advisor for help with academic matters such as ensuring that you take
the courses that will allow you to pursue your chosen field, explaining
the sometimes confusing administrative requirements and deadlines,
and helping you to fill out and submit all the required forms. Your
academic advisor won’t know everything, but he or she will know how
to find out for you. Visit: www.trentu.ca/advising
Explore Support Options
In addition to academic advising, Trent offers many other support
services. Either online or in person, take an opportunity to find out
about the following:
Career Centre, www.trentu.ca/careers/
Disability Services Office, www.trentu.ca/disabilityservices/
Health Services, www.trentu.ca/studentaffairs/healthservices.php
Counselling, www.trentu.ca/counselling/
and the Academic Skills Centre, www.trentu.ca/academicskills/
The staff in these offices is committed to providing you with
academic and emotional support as you make the transition to
university. Do not be afraid to ask for help; indeed, asking for
assistance early, before a situation has become critical, is a key way
to survive and thrive!
9

Get to Know the Library
The library is the centre of the scholarly universe, its heart, if you will.
And like a heart, the library never stops, continually bringing in new
information and ideas and pumping them out again into the real world
(libraries even call this activity circulation). Material is available online
via the library website and on the web at large. But, please note that the
library houses many reference books, monographs, maps, government
documents, archival materials and the expertise of trained librarians
and researchers; these are not always available in an online format.
You may be used to doing all of your research online, but the librarians
can help you learn to find appropriate materials with directed searches.
So, learn how to use the library. The library provides excellent online
library skills tutorials that are available through the library website at
www.trentu.ca/admin/library/help/skills/ You can also register for an
in-person library workshop to see how the place works.
Find a Place Where You Can Work
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As soon as possible, stake out a physical space that meets your
requirements. If you need isolation and quiet, look for that. If you need
to be around people, search for that space. If you need food while you
work, look around the cafeterias. Different people require different
working conditions, so look for a place that offers what you need.
Get to Know Trent’s Technology
After arriving on campus, you will want to get acquainted with Trent’s
Information Technology department at www.trentu.ca/it/student.php
Here you can find out how to configure your computer for Air Trent
and how to access your campus email and MyTrent accounts. Use your
Trent accounts; important information is often posted on MyTrent, and

the administrative and academic departments at Trent often require
email to originate from a trentu.ca account.
Many classes use MyLearning System to post course outlines, lecture
notes, and assignments. Log on to the system at www.trentu.ca/mls
and get familiar with its features. Make sure to note which classes have
discussion forums as these are often places where students can post
questions or organize study groups.
Summary: The First Week
3 Choose your courses carefully and be open to making a change
– find the best fit for the year and your long-term plans.
3 Ask for advice from your academic advisor, upper year students,
and professors – but weigh it carefully.
3 Explore the campus; find out where everything is.
3 Learn the important dates for drop-add deadlines,
reading week and holidays; record them in your planner.
3 Explore the library; use the online tutorials.
3 Establish a workspace that will work for you.
11

What to Do During the
First Month
Organize Your Courses
Each course has a “course outline” (something called a “syllabus”).
READ IT! These outlines contain much of the crucial course information:
the goals and themes of the course, the schedule of class readings, the
seminar schedule, the lecture schedule, the assignment due dates (and
often, the assignments themselves), the professor’s office hours, and
much more. They serve as a type of “contract,” detailing what you
will receive and what you are expected to give in return, as well as all
of the deadlines. Often, professors will assume that you are aware of
the assignments and deadlines listed in the course and, as a result, will
never mention them in class.
As you get each outline, put it in a place of honour. Read each outline.
Then, compare outlines: are there a number of assignments due around
the same time? If so, start planning ahead to deal with these crunch
times.
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Make a Plan to Manage Your Time
Creating a time management plan can help you to meet the new
demands of university. First, your time is no longer as clearly organized
and structured by school as it has been in the past. Second, you are
responsible for figuring out what is expected of you and how you will
meet those expectations. Third, you need to have balance in your life;
it is important to have a great social experience that does not come
at the expense of your learning experience at Trent. So, consider how

you can adapt to university and succeed academically while having fun.
That is what time management is all about.
Short-Term Planning
Short term planning involves creating a weekly schedule
that allows you to complete your work. Creating a 24-hour
schedule is an excellent way to start your planning. A 24-hour
schedule sounds daunting, but it allows you to be flexible and
to work at times which suit you best, whether you prefer the
moonlight or early morning sun for study. The ASC provides
free, downloadable schedules like the one below, online at:
www.trentu.ca/academicskills
24/7 schedule
7 AM
SUN MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT
8 AM
9 AM
10 AM
11 AM
12 PM
1 PM
2 PM
3 PM
4 PM
5 PM
6 PM
7 PM
8 PM
9 PM
10 PM
11 PM
12 AM
1 AM
2 AM
3 AM
4 AM
5 AM
6 AM
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Making a 24-Hour Schedule
Block off all of your class, seminar, and lab times.
Block off your paid work hours, volunteer commitments, or
program placement.
Block off times for socializing, shopping, eating, and exercise.
For each course, start off planning for three hours a week per
course of “keeping-up” work such as weekly readings or exercises.
As time goes by, you may have to add more time or subtract time.
These can be in one large block or in three one-hour chunks of
time; you may adapt this as you work through your courses.
Schedule in “major assignment” time. This is time that you can
focus on research, writing, and preparation for essays, labs,
projects, or exams. Each week, you can decide which major
assignments you need to focus on based on your long term
planning.
Long-Term Planning
In addition to having a weekly schedule, it is essential to create
a long term plan that will allow you to know when your major
assignments are due and whether you have crunch periods during
which you have many assignments due at once. A 4-Month
Planner can be an excellent tool to use. Again, the ASC provides
free downloadable calendars like the one on the following
page, online at www.trentu.ca/academicskills/resources.php. The
bookstore also sells poster-sized “Term at a Glance” calendars
that you can write on with a dry erase marker.
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January 2010 – April 2010
January 2010 February 2010
S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 28
31
March 2010 April 2010
S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
28 29 30 31 25 26 27 28 29 30
Making a Long Term Plan
Go through the course outline for each class and carefully note
all assignment due dates and exams.
Put these dates onto your 4-month calendar. You can use a
different colour for each course if this helps. Keep this calendar in
plain view for quick reference. Don’t forget important birthdays
and planned trips home as you often need to work around them.
Block off reading week and know that you will have this time to
prepare assignments.
Indentify your “crunch times,” periods when you have multiple
assignments or exams.
Plan for these times by deciding when you need to start each
assignment in order to get it done in time.
You may want to make intermediate deadlines for different
stages of each assignment and put these on your calendar.
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Having a time management plan can give you control over your work
and your life. Review your plan constantly; update it often. If you fall
behind, don’t worry, simply rearrange your schedule. If something
unexpected happens, go with it and rearrange your plan later.
Remember, you control it; it doesn’t control you.
The Academic Skills Centre offers many time management resources
on our website. You can also book an appointment with an instructor
to create a personal time management plan.
Get to Class
As mentioned, one of the big differences between high school and
university is the difference in attendance requirements: in university,
you are often not required to attend class. You may be tempted to skip
a class or two for one reason or another, but don’t do it! Skipping class
has a number of repercussions.
You will create a bad impression with your professors and tutorial
leaders, implying that you have something more important to do
than to attend class. You will also miss the chance to participate
and to ask questions.
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You will miss both information and learning. The information can
be provided by a classmate, but the learning is gone for good.
Another law of life says that whatever is discussed in the one
class that you miss will make up the bulk of the exam!
Speak Up – Don’t Be Intimidated
For many students, university can be quite intimidating. Everything is
new and confusing, and the other students seem so much more at ease
and so much more knowledgeable about what’s going on. Everyone
else must be much smarter, you may think. Wrong!

Actually, everyone is in pretty much the same boat; it’s just that some
people are better at hiding their insecurities than others. Don’t be
intimidated! Forget about everyone else and concentrate on learning
what you need to know.
If you don’t understand something or have questions, ask! If you find it
difficult to participate in seminars, try writing out some ideas of interest
or questions before you arrive. Having something written down may
help you to speak with more confidence.
Develop Your Listening/Notetaking Skills
University lectures can be quite different from what you are used to. Basically,
a professor will stand at the front of a big room and talk to you for an hour or
so, trusting that you will be able to listen to what is being said, figure out what
is important enough to write down, think about the ideas being discussed,
and develop questions. Often, the lecturer will also use PowerPoint, requiring
you to read as well as listen. There will be few, if any, hand-outs and only some
indication of what the main points are. Welcome to the university lecture.
Many first-year students have trouble getting the most out of lectures,
especially at first. There seem to be two main problems that can cause
this difficulty:
1. Information goes by once, usually very quickly. If you miss
something (say, you are writing instead of listening), it’s gone.
2. It’s difficult to separate what is important, the main points
that you need to note, from secondary points.
One of the best ways to meet the challenge of understanding and taking
good notes during lectures is to think of the lecture as more than a
one-shot, fifty-minute experience. Instead, think of it as a three-part
experience, and realize that you will need to participate actively in each
part in order to get the most out of lectures.
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The Lecture Experience:
A play in three acts
Act I: Before
Prepare for lectures
before they begin and
try to anticipate what
they will cover
Act II: During
Listen actively and
find a note-taking
system that works
for you
Act III: After
Review and
respond to your
notes
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Part I: Before the Lecture
• Read the syllabus to see what the unit is about and what the title
of the lecture is. Think about where the lecture fits into the course.
• Consider what you already know about the topic and try to
anticipate what might be covered.
• Review your notes from previous lectures to further re-establish
the context of the course in your own mind.
• Do assigned readings. Anticipate how they might relate to the
lecture ahead.
• If they are posted ahead of time, download and copy any outlines
or list of key terms for the lecture ahead. If PowerPoint slides are
posted, print them in handout form so you can make additional
notes, identify key information and indicate connections.
• Make a list of questions you would like to have answered by the lecture.
Part II: During the Lecture
• Listen Actively; it is not necessary to record the lecturer’s every
word or idea. Not only is this physically impossible, but excessive
writing can become a barrier to listening. What good is writing
down things that you don’t understand, anyway?
• Listen for important points.
• Listen for relationships between ideas in texts, class discussions
and the lectures.
• Listen for cue words; they help you cluster and prioritize
information.

Cue Words
Words that signal emphasis
or importance
- essential
- crucial
- significantly
- vital
Words that signal the order or
scope of a topic
first, second, third
initially
finally
for instance
an illustration of this
Words that indicate the lecture
is moving in a new direction
however
nonetheless
whereas
in contrast
Words that signal that
parts of the lecture are
not relevant and may NOT
need to be written down
incidentally
by the way
Know What to Write Down
• Record new or unfamiliar facts and ideas.
• Include things that come in lists: if the lecturer has created a list to
categorize facts, reasons, themes, etc., it’s a good indication that
the information is important.
• Note the lecturer’s reasons for questioning or favouring a particular
approach or theory.
• Underline points which the lecturer pauses over or repeats: people
lecture with certain goals in mind, and usually when they convey
a point which is crucial to their thesis they repeat it.
• Don’t write down what is on the PowerPoint slide if you have
access to it later. There is no need to repeat information.
Develop a Notetaking System
• Develop your own short-hand of abbreviations and symbols.
• Write in point form.
• Leave lots of white space to fill in later when you complete your
comments on the lecture or fill in gaps.
• For laptop notetaking, make sure to save often.
• For tape-recording: ask for the instructor’s permission, sit near the
front of the class, and take notes as well if possible.
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The Cornell Method
The Cornell Method is one of the most common and popular
notetaking systems. In this method of note-taking, you begin by
drawing a line down the length of your paper about one-third of
the way through the page. On the left side of the page, write only
key terms or ideas. Leave most of the space blank. On the right side
of the page, take notes on the lecture in point form.
Later, the space on the left side can be used to add in or expand on
information, highlight key points, or raise key questions.
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Part III: After the Lecture
Just as the lecture experience begins before the professor begins
speaking, it continues well after he or she is done. Many students leave
the lecture hall and file their notes away until exams. Unfortunately,
research shows that in doing so, they lose a significant amount of what
they just learned. Instead, review your notes soon after the lecture ends.
• Read through your notes as soon as you can after the lecture
ends. Highlight or underline main points. Put stars next to key
information. Try to fill in any gaps in your notes.
• Respond to and reflect on your notes in the margins of the paper.
You can use one margin to make a list of terms that corresponds to
the information in the body of your notes. You can use the other
side of the margin to write a short summary of a key idea or make
a connection between the point made in lecture and ideas from
readings or seminars.
• Discuss your notes with a friend or study group. This can help you
to process information, fill in gaps in your notes, and deepen your
understanding of the main points.
• Make flashcards or lists of key terms. You don’t need to wait for the
end of the term to start preparing for exams. Take a few minutes
to put key vocabulary terms or concepts on index cards or a list of
terms with a brief definition.
Develop Your Reading Skills
Academic reading is almost always difficult reading. It is usually densely
packed with ideas and implications that need to be thought out and
considered. The result is that your reading will take time – lots of it.
It will also require that you read actively and critically. Critical reading
involves breaking the argument down into its parts to see how well
each part works and how parts of the argument work together. In high
school you developed the ability to determine what the text says. Your
post-secondary reading will challenge you to determine what a text
does and how it does it.
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Like lectures, one of the best ways to approach university reading is to
see it as a three-part experience: before, during, and after. And, what
you do before and after you begin a reading is as important to your
comprehension of it as what you do while you read.
Part I: Preview Before You Read
Critical reading is far easier if you have a sense of the purpose and main
point of a text before you begin reading it in depth. Having this in your
mind can help you to follow the author’s argument more clearly and to
separate essential ideas from supporting details. One way to develop
a sense of the purpose of the source is to preview before you read.
• Read and understand the title.
• Examine the table of contents and/or section headings.
• Read the introductory sections(s).
• Skim through the text looking for main ideas; read topic sentences,
transitional sections, bolded elements, captions, boxes.
• Read concluding sections(s).
• Read text summary and summary questions (if they are provided in
your text).
• Determine the thesis of article or book.
By the end of your preview, you should be able to explain and write
down:
1. The main topic or question that the text will address
2. The author’s main argument or thesis
3. The structure of the reading or how the author has
organized his or her ideas
Part II: As You Read
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Once you have previewed a text, you can begin reading it in detail,
confident in the knowledge that you know where the text is going. To
read critically, you must read actively. Ask questions as you read: How
is the author supporting his or her argument? What assumptions are
made? What types of evidence are used? How do the ideas compare to

other texts that you have read or to what you have heard in lecture?
What do you find intriguing or puzzling? Are you convinced by the
argument?
As for lectures, you will also need to find a good notetaking system so
that you can record the information and ideas that you will need for
seminars and exam preparation. There are many systems to explore,
including reverse outlining, concept mapping, and the Cornell method.
You can explore these methods in detail through the Academic Skills
website at www.trentu.ca/academicskills You may need to experiment
to find the method that works best for you.
Tips for Effective Notetaking During Reading
• Before you begin taking detailed notes, write down the topic
or question the text focuses on and the author’s thesis or
main point.
• Read a text in small chunks, the length of which will depend
on the length of the text. Take notes after you read a
paragraph, section, or chapter. This will ensure that you
write down only the most important information.
• Use point form. Avoid recopying the text.
• After you complete your reading, make a list of the 3-5 most
important points.
Part III: Review and Reflect After You Read
Just as we suggest you do after a lecture, take some time after
completing a reading to review your notes and reflect on them. If there
are review questions, answer them. If there are key terms listed at the
end, define them. You can even write them directly onto flashcards to
aid in exam preparation. If review exercises are not provided, make
your own. What 3-5 questions would you ask about the reading? What
23

terms do you think are most important? What questions will you ask or
points will you make about the reading during seminar?
Reading is a large and complex topic, and we have just touched on the
basics here. If you find that you need help, don’t wait! Check out the
resources on the Academic Skills website www.trentu.ca/academicskills
or book an individual appointment with a skills instructor by calling
748-1720.
Develop Your Math Skills and Keep Up
With Problem Sets
Don’t expect math in your studies at Trent? Think again; students
are often surprised to discover the importance of math in many
disciplines: statistics are integral to research in psychology, geography,
and environmental and resource studies; economics is discussed in
international development studies, politics, and history; and math basics
are necessary for nursing, accounting, and forensics.
Particularly for classes in mathematics, but also for problem-based
courses like economics, statistics, physics and chemistry, you will be
required to complete weekly exercises, which may be in place of or
in addition to text or online reading. Your success in these courses
depends on your commitment to completing these exercises; working
through problems, using formulae, and developing a mathematical
vocabulary and skill base through practice will help you to make sense
of course material that is more abstract and theoretical than the math
you know from high school.
24
Another difference you may not expect: there is no in-class time to
work on exercises; however, in some classes, voluntary workshop time
is available. Lecture time is usually spent copying notes from the
blackboard or overhead projector screen. As soon after class as possible,
re-read your lecture notes and the section of the text that covers that

topic. Use the margins to indicate important points and trouble spots.
Then, work your way through the exercises assigned in the lecture, using
the solved examples as a model. Although many exercises are designed
to develop skills, there are other types of exercises as well: some ask
for proofs, some have a number of correct answers.
Working alone on exercise sets may prove frustrating, and you may
find it hard to concentrate. Some students find it helpful to work with
a classmate or a study group to discuss solutions. If you get stuck, ask
for help at workshops and labs or during your instructors’ office hours.
Often, you may not find a solution to a question on the first attempt;
but if you persevere, you will probably find the solution later. For this
reason, you must not wait until the last minute to do assignments
or to prepare for quizzes and tests. Train yourself to think logically.
Understand the procedure used to reach solutions. While it is unlikely
that you will be able to memorize everything, you will be expected to
know basic formulas and to understand when and how to use them.
Learning math takes much time and effort; indeed, the time you need
to devote to studying math is comparable to the time required for
reading and lab work in other courses. To prepare for tests and quizzes,
you must try all the exercises suggested in lectures, even if you are not
required to submit them. This will require self-discipline. If you do not
stay up-to-date, you will quickly lose ground in the course, and it can
be difficult to catch up. As you build your skills, you will develop more
confidence and appreciate the beautiful challenge of mathematics.
Develop Your Writing Skills
Most of your marks will come from your writing, either in assignments
or exams. It makes sense, then, to focus on developing your writing
skills. Many students find the writing assignments at university to be
different and more challenging than high school writing.
25

What is an essay?: Thesis and Evidence
The essay or research paper is the most common university writing
assignment, and the university essay differs considerably from many
high school essays. In high school, your essays likely focused on providing
detailed information to describe a topic. In a university essay, you will
need to go beyond description to explain, analyse, and interpret a
question, issue, or idea. This explanation or analysis becomes your
argument, or thesis. You then need to provide detailed information,
or evidence, that supports your thesis.
Thesis Statements
A Good Thesis:
• is a declaration of the direction and purpose of your essay
• is clear and concise – generally 1-2 sentences
• indicates an argument or answers a question
• does something: answers a question or investigates an issue
For example:
Cable TV has not delivered on its promise to provide an
educational alternative to network programming due to its
reliance on major donors and sponsors within the business
community.
The aging of the Canadian population will eventually create
an economic crisis; unfortunately, because this problem is not
immediate, the government lacks the political will to solve the
problem.
The success of newspapers like the Sun, which focus almost
exclusively on human interest stories and rely on simple
language, indicates that Canadians want their news to be easy
to read and entertaining.
26
A good thesis is NOT
an announcement: “My essay will discuss whether cable TV
is educational” is a topic, NOT a thesis.

a factual statement: “The proportion of the Canadian
population that is over 65 is growing” is a fact, NOT a thesis.
a question: “How does the publishing industry cater to the
taste of Canadians?” is a research question, NOT a thesis. A
thesis is an answer to a question.
Moving Beyond the Five-Paragraph
Essay
In high school, you may have been taught one way to organize an
essay: the five-paragraph model in which you make one point and
provide three examples to support this point. While there is nothing
inherently wrong with this organizational model, at university you will
find that you will not be able fit every assignment into this pattern.
Indeed, the five-section model is just that – a model; it is one way to
write an essay, but it is not the only way. It was adequate for one stage
of your education, but now that you are becoming more intellectually
sophisticated, you will need to develop more intellectually sophisticated
ideas and methods.
Instead of relying on a set pattern, you will want to organize your essay
based on your thesis statement. An outline can help you to order your
ideas in an organized fashion. But an outline does not necessarily mean
you need three separate points. Use the assignment requirements, your
research, and your thesis to guide your outline. For more information
on moving beyond the 5-pargaraph essay and organizing your writing,
visit the Academic Skills Centre’s website: www.trentu.ca/academicskills
27

Avoiding Plagiarism
In any piece of writing, you will need to provide evidence to support your
ideas. Your evidence might include events, data, or other information.
It will very often include arguments, ideas, or words that you came
across in another author’s work. When using the ideas, information,
or the actual words of another author, it is absolutely essential to use
proper documentation in order to avoid plagiarism.
Plagiarism is the passing off of someone else’s words or thoughts as
your own. All students must confront these questions: Is this material
original (i.e. are these my own ideas)? If not, how should I use the
material appropriately in my own writing? And finally, how do I show
where I found this information? Failure to adequately deal with these
questions may lead to plagiarism, which is a serious academic offence
that may result in a failure of the assignment or the course. It can also
lead to a notation on your transcript. For more information about
plagiarism and its consequences, visit Academic Integrity website at
wwww.trentu.ca/deanundergraduate/integrity_students.php and the
Academic Skills Centre’s website: www.trentu.ca/academicskills
28
Tips for avoiding plagiarism:
• Anytime that you summarize or paraphrase (put into your
own words) an author’s ideas or information, you must cite
your source.
• If you directly quote (use the exact words of) an author, you
must put his or her words into quotation marks and cite your
source.
• When you are researching a paper, make sure to take notes
on sources in your own words. Avoid cutting and pasting. If
you decide to quote an author directly, clearly note this by
using quotation marks. Always keep track of the page number
on which you find a piece of information.
• Different courses require different methods of documenting

sources. Check your syllabus or assignment sheet to
see which style you should use for an assignment. If no
direction is given, use the departmental listing on the
Academic Skills Centre’s Documentation Website at:
http://www.trentu.ca/documentation/overview.php.
• The Academic Skills Centre’s Documentation Website at
http://www.trentu.ca/documentation/overview.php provides
complete information on what information needs to be cited
and how it should be cited. Consult it often.
Further Resources for Developing Your
Writing
This e-book provides only a short overview of university writing. The
Academic Skills Centre provides many other resources to help you
develop your writing skills. The ASC’s website contains tip sheets and
online resources on the writing process and avoiding plagiarism. We
also offer a series of workshops on essay writing each fall. Finally, you
can book an individual appointment with an academic skills instructor
to discuss any aspect of the writing process. For info on all of these
services, visit our website www.trentu.ca/academicskills Take advantage
of these resources, and remember, learning to write is like running a
marathon, not a 100-meter dash: pace yourself!
Summary: The First Month
3
3
Organize your courses; read your course outlines to know
what work you must do, the topics, and the deadlines.
Make a time management plan for the term so that you can
manage your time; include both your school work and your life.
29

3
3
3
3
Get to class; establish good habits right away.
Speak up; don’t be intimidated by anyone; persevere.
Develop your listening and your notetaking skills; find a
notetaking system that works for you.
Work on your reading and writing skills.
What to Do During the
First Term
Study Throughout the Term
30
Leaving your studying to the night before the exam is a sure-fire recipe
for disaster. Instead, spread your studying out over the whole term. The
easy way to do this is to preview the reading before each lecture, review
the lecture notes as soon as possible after each lecture, and review the
previous week’s notes before the next lecture. Not only will this make
cramming for exams unnecessary, but it will help you to fit the lecture
and reading material into a “whole” and give the course shape in your
mind, something which will also help you write your essays, participate
in class, and make reading less daunting. The more often you read and
re-read the material, the more sense it will make and the more useful
it will become.
Review Your Progress and Adjust Your Plan
Try to avoid living and dying with each class or assignment grade. Instead,
take the long view from time to time, and realize that everything has its
short-term ups and downs. But as circumstances demand, modify your

work habits and your time management plan. After all, it’s meant to
serve you; you don’t serve it. Always the question is what you need to
do to improve, regardless of the actual grades you receive. There is no
end to improvement, just as there is no end to learning.
Seek Help When You Need It
Too many students make the mistake of thinking that they are in this
alone. They are not, and you are not. Trent has numerous sources
of support for students in need: Professors can be reached during
office hours and by email: www.trentu.ca/advising. Senior Tutors and
the Career Centre can help with majors, www.trentu.ca/careers the
Disability Services Office can help with accommodations for disabilities:
www.trentu.ca/disabilityservices. Health Services and Counselling
provide personal help: www.trentu.ca/studentaffairs/healthservices.
php and www.trentu.ca/counselling, and, of course, the Academic
Skills Centre can help with reading, writing, math, and listening skills:
www.trentu.ca/academicskills. Ask around. The help is probably there:
you just need to find it.
Much research exists from psychology and education to suggest
that student achievement cannot be solely predicted by previous
performance or ability; rather it is the attitude of a student which is
more closely linked to success at university. This means your approach to
school, your willingness to participate and seek out assistance or advice,
and your openness to ideas all affect how well you do in your studies.
Summary: The First Term
3
3
3
3
Review lecture and reading notes each week.
Review and modify your study habits and time management
plan as needed.
Seek help if you need it.
Persevere if you face set-backs and challenges!
31

A C A D E M I C S K I L L S C E N T R E ( A S C )
The Academic Skills Centre supports and empowers
undergraduate and graduate students by providing
flexible instruction in the skills necessary for
them to succeed at university: the ability to think
critically, communicate their ideas effectively,
and take responsibility for their own learning.
Phone (705) 748-1720
Fax (705) 748-1830
e-mail: acdskills@trentu.ca
www.trentu.ca/academicskills