Expert Study Tips from the Skills Centre

Walk into the Skills Centre, located on the bottom level of the Senior School, any day and encounter a hub of activity, with Skills Centre staff helping students with class assignments, tutors coaching students one-on-one and students working on their own. 

Open Monday to Thursday from 7:30am to 4:30pm and Friday from 7:30am-3:30pm, the Skills Centre supports all senior school students, from those struggling with time-management or test preparation to those requiring assistance with AP exams, in all learning styles and levels to help them reach their academic potential. Skills Centre specialists Dana Watson, Trish Jakoy, Tina Wittmann and Shannon Green answer questions, explain concepts, offer resources and address any class-related issues, academic or social. Ms. Watson says, “The Skills Centre is an inclusive place where every student is welcome to ask questions, receive help or work independently. We want students to leave the Skills Centre feeling respected, positive and successful with the support and encouragement they received.”

One of the many ways the Skills Centre enables students’ success is through their signature study skills program, which offers subject-specific study and homework strategies. (Next year the Skills Centre will also feature a postsecondary study program for grades 10-12.) In addition, the Skills Centre offers a note-taking program, which is helpful for students who miss classes due to illness or school activities, and peer tutoring, in which grades 11 and 12 students (among the top 5 percent of their class) assist younger students in various subjects, in consultation with the student’s subject teacher.

Thinking about visiting the Skills Centre? Don’t be shy—head down before or after school, at lunch or during a study block. We are fortunate to have this excellent resource, so please use it! Assignments aside, if you’re having a bad day, drop in to the Skills Centre. We guarantee you will feel better after speaking to Ms. Watson and her team--they have that effect!

Top 5 Skills Centre Study Tips 
It's that time of year--the final stretch before Winter Break, and projects and tests are piling up. But don't panic. Take a deep breath, and then follow our Skills Centre specialists' advice for getting it all done.   

1. Connect with your teachers.
Find out the expectations or criteria of a project or homework assignment. Know what information will be covered on a test and the types of test questions (multiple choice, essay or paragraph responses, true or false, short answer, etc.) Knowing what is expected will help you use your time efficiently.

2. Designate a study space.
Ensure it has everything you need to study, for example, books, paper, highlighters, pen, pencils and good lighting. Minimize distractions, such as by turning off your smartphone. Consider using different coloured paper and pens for tasks, such as yellow paper to summarize your textbook notes, red pens to highlight important facts, green pens for secondary information, and blue pens for questions you wish to clarify with the teacher. 

3. Plan and manage your time.
Complete assigned homework first, but also block off time every evening for study and review. Be proactive--statistics show studying for a test at the last minute does not work!

4. Think about forming a small study group or meeting with a study buddy.  
This is a great way to get (and give) assistance and hold each other accountable.

5. Take advantage of teachers' tutorials and support classes. These can help immensely.