Introduction
You likely came to UVic in order to get a degree, or at least to make progress towards one. In order to do that, you need to be successful academically. What worked for you previously may not be enough at UVic, so it may be time to recalibrate expectations and implement some new study strategies. – From the course front page
Academics are, unsurprisingly, a topic that is top of mind for our incoming students. What are university classes like? What will my day look like? Will I do well? We wanted to make sure we addressed as many of these concerns as possible and helped students to understand what to expect in the classroom, and what it takes to succeed.
This topic has four separate activities:
What is academic success?
What can I expect in my courses?
How do I maintain academic integrity?
Think Forward | My keys to success
By completing these activities, we hope that students will:
-
- Learn what to expect at university
- Prepare to maintain academic integrity
- Learn where to go for help
- Explore strategies for academic success
What is academic success?
What is academic success? is our introduction to the Academic Success topic of our program. The content is a short, written paragraph that reminds students of the importance of academics, and lets students know that doing well in university might not be easy, but it is possible.
>> View the full What is academic success activity
This activity also contains a video, in which two student/professor pairs go back and forth pulling questions from a bowl, asking each other and answering. The video helps us to accomplish a few key goals:
- The professors and students, through the answers the give, help to paint a picture of what university academics are like. Incoming students are more likely to trust what these very real people on camera are saying versus trying to convey the same information via a text explanation.
- The professors and students in the video share a number of tips and strategies that students can use to succeed academically, including advice on going to class, studying, taking notes, and more.
- The video helps normalize the feelings of our incoming students, as our students and professors share stories about their nerves on the first day of class, and how they have overcome difficult situations.
- The video helps to humanize the professor. Incoming students often see their professor as an intimidating person at the front of the classroom, and are afraid to approach them to ask questions or visit office hours. By showing the human side of the professor, and showcasing two examples of a positive and comfortable dynamic between a professor and a student.
The Academic Success video is 2 minutes and 41 seconds long.
What can I expect in my courses?
This activity provides students with an overview of what they can expect from academics at UVic. It introduces students to the syllabus, emphasizes the importance of going to class, introduces what studying looks like and means in the university context, and reinforces the idea that help and support are always available. Students are introduced to these concepts through a scenario-based activity, where they have to help a friend navigate their first semester at UVic.
Learning outcomes: Students who complete this activity will begin to:
- Learn what to expect at university
- Learn where to go for help
- Explore strategies for academic success
Complete the scenario-based What can I expect in my courses? activity. The activity will open in a new window. This activity works best on a laptop, desktop or tablet.
How do I maintain academic integrity?
Incoming students are often unfamiliar with the concept of academic integrity, and may commit academic dishonesty without even realizing they are doing anything wrong. This scenario-based activity aims to introduce students to the concept of academic integrity and teach them how to maintain integrity. Students are presented with three different scenarios where their academic integrity is challenged, and must make the correct choices to maintain integrity. The three different scenarios are related to an assignment, and essay, and an exam.
Learning Outcomes: Students who complete this activity will begin to:
- Prepare to maintain academic integrity
Complete the scenario-based How do I maintain academic integrity? activity. The activity will open in a new window. This activity works best on a laptop, desktop or tablet. 
Think Forward | My keys to success
In this text-based activity, we’ve summarized some of our best advice into seven keys to success. Within each key, we provide practical tips that students can implement into their lives that will help them succeed academically.
The keys to success are:
- Get to know your profs and TAs
- Know your resources
- Develop relationships, not competitors
- Plan and prepare
- Study effectively
- Go to class and pay attention
- Be successful outside the classroom
Once students have read through all seven keys to success, they are presented with a poll listing a number of success strategies, and asked to select three key success strategies that they want to focus on implementing at UVic. After students have submitted their selection, they are able to see the responses from their peers.
Learning outcomes: Students who complete this activity will begin to:
- Learn what to expect at university
- Learn where to go for help
- Explore strategies for academic success
>> View the full Think Forward | My Keys to Success activity