Transitioning from high school to college brings varying degrees of ease for different students. While some may breeze through college exams with minimal effort, others struggle to adapt to the nuances of instruction, testing, and grading. Universally relatable among college students is the experience of failing an exam or falling short of anticipated grades, often occurring early in the semester as students navigate new class dynamics and subject matter.

Sleep is one of the most intriguing subjects to scientists, faceted at the intersection of Health, Psychology and Biology. While many of its components have been thoroughly studied, there is still much we don’t know about brain processes of sleep (like dreaming). One area that has been heavily researched and confirmed important in our daily lives in relation to good quality sleep is its impact on our learning processes, and ultimately, academic success.

The success of your study session can often rely on where the study session is held. Penn State Libraries are perfect because there are a multitude of study spaces that allow you to find a spot that fits your needs. These recommended and not recommended spaces are ranked based on three factors: Privacy, Noise Level, and Availability of Outlets. All of these spaces can be found at the Pattee and Paterno Library (Note: the Pattee and Paterno Library is one building and the differentiations indicate which side the of the library a space is located).

Navigating the academic landscape can be challenging, especially when it comes to understanding policies that can impact your GPA and academic standing. Penn State has introduced a grade forgiveness policy that offers a helping hand to undergraduate students striving to improve their grades and, ultimately, their GPA. Here’s a simplified breakdown of what you need to know about this policy.

For many Penn State students, the task of needing to scan homework with their cell phone for uploading to Canvas is a frequent and sometimes daunting challenge. This blog post aims to shed light on an effective solution that streamlines this process, ensuring that your digital submissions are as polished as your academic efforts.

As one semester concludes, the anticipation for the next one begins. This blog aims to guide students in effective preparation, helping them harness essential skills and resources for a successful academic journey. Alongside strategies for note-taking, course selection, and technology utilization, consider the invaluable support that academic tutoring can offer as you embark on the upcoming semester.

Self-study is the cornerstone of learning. It's where you explore new concepts at your own pace, develop critical thinking skills, and build a personal connection with the material. When students engage actively with the subject matter, they're better equipped to ask insightful questions and grasp the nuances of the topic.

As AI continues to make waves in every industry, high school students might wonder how they can get a head start in this exciting field. This blog post aims to demystify AI and provide you with practical ways to engage with it.

Goal-setting isn't just a January ritual; it's a year-round endeavor crucial for academic success. However, the art of effective goal-setting is often misunderstood, leading students down a path of frustration and self-doubt. The right goals can be a roadmap to success, while the wrong ones can be a recipe for failure. In this article, we'll dive deep into the SMART framework, a proven methodology for setting achievable goals.

In the dynamic world of economics, understanding the intricacies of production costs is paramount for businesses to make informed decisions and stay competitive. Among the powerful tools used to analyze these costs, cost tables stand out as an essential and versatile method. In this blog post, we will explore the importance of cost tables in economics, define the variables involved, and provide a detailed explanation of their significance. Additionally, we have an informative video below that will walk you through the process of solving cost tables step-by-step.

Are you struggling to communicate effectively with your professors via email? If so, you're not alone. In today's workplace, digital communication skills are essential, but many students overlook the importance of honing these skills in college. As a professor who receives countless emails from students every year, I understand the challenges of communicating professionally and respectfully via email. This post is intended to provide you with some practical tips to help you improve your email communication skills and make the most of your college career.

Exam wrappers are a powerful tool that can help students improve their learning and performance in exams. By reflecting on their exam-taking strategies and identifying areas of strength and weakness, students can gain valuable insights that enable them to make more effective study plans, address knowledge gaps, and approach future exams with greater confidence. In this blog post, we explore the benefits of exam wrappers and provide practical tips on how to use them effectively. Whether you're a student, teacher, or lifelong learner, exam wrappers offer a simple yet powerful way to enhance your exam preparation and achieve your academic goals.

Backward course design, also known as backward design, is an approach to creating educational curriculum that begins with identifying the desired outcomes and then working backwards to create learning activities and assessments that align with those outcomes. This approach, first introduced by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe in their book "Understanding by Design", is considered to be more effective than traditional course design, which often starts with the selection of content and then tries to fit assessments and activities around it.

At one point, the differences between the ACT and SAT accentuated their rivalry.  But both have been redesigned recently so that now, they are more like comparable alternatives in friendly competition. Both are still the major college admissions tests and criteria for national merit scholarships; both still test what students learn in high school. But here the differences begin and with those differences, the likely reason why which test to take became--and still is—a question for so many students. 

Now that New Year's celebrations have ended and the new semester is in full swing, it's time to maximize your study habits to ace your exams. But how? Perhaps by now, you've heard different ways to study effectively, such as studying right before sleeping, spraying peppermint oil on your clothes, using multi-colored pens— the list goes on. What if the solution to your study needs is much simpler than cramming in as much information as possible before bedtime?

Ah, the beginning of the semester… a time for new friends, new teachers, and new beginnings. For some, this period is like a refreshing blank slate; for others, it’s a time of much stress and responsibility. Fortunately, whether you’re looking forward to the new semester or already wishing for it to be over, there are apps available that will give you a leg-up. Listed below are 5 apps that will help you start strong this semester:

Are you ready to join the millions of people using Gmail as their primary email provider? Creating a Gmail account is quick and easy, and best of all, it's completely free.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to set up your own Gmail account:

As an educational consultant, one common concern I encounter when working with educators is how to best prepare for the start of a new semester. To assist my clients, I often share resources that have proved helpful in the past, such as the pre-semester checklist I used when I was a faculty member at Penn State. If you'd like to receive a free download of this checklist and other valuable educational resources, be sure to sign up for my monthly newsletter. One important item on the checklist is to send a welcoming email to your students. Below is a sample email that I used, which you are welcome to use as a template.

Holding office hours can be a crucial part of being an educator or mentor, as it allows you to be available to your students or mentees for additional support and guidance. Scheduling these meetings can be a challenge, especially if you have a busy schedule or if you work with people in different time zones. This is more common for those who teach online. That's where a scheduling app like Calendly comes in handy.

Starting a new semester can be overwhelming, especially if you're not prepared. One way to set yourself up for success is to make sure you're organized from the get-go. When you're organized, you'll be able to find what you need quickly and easily, which will save you time and stress. Plus, being organized can help you stay on top of your assignments and deadlines, so you can focus on learning and succeeding in your classes.