independent study skills essay

The Importance of Becoming an Independent Learner at University Essay

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Academic skills and independent learning

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University education is unique since student-learning process is partly guided by the academic staff, with most of learning responsibilities lying with the student as an independent learner. Independent learning is described as “autonomous learning, independent study, self-directed learning, student initiated learning, project orientation, discovery and inquiry, teaching for thinking, learning to learn, self instruction and life long learning” (Kesten 1987, p9).

Independent learning can also be described as “learning strategy that fosters self-improvement through planned independent study by students under the guidance or supervision of an instructor, can include learning in partnership with another individual or as part of a small group, possible instructional methods used include: reading, viewing, and assigned questions” (Nathenson, 1984).

Many scholars have defined independent learning in various ways, thus, independent learning is a concept that has no universally agreed definition. Independent learning has been receiving tremendous interest from governments, industrialists, and academics in the advancement of higher learning education strategies, since it is capable of producing lifelong learners, skilled, and self-motivated people who are pivotal to the future of any nation.

All definitions or concepts on independent learning are based on the learner taking control of their studies. Since the university students are adults, they are expected to achieve a balance between learning, work and their other attachments. For successful independent learning, the students must organize their learning through time and resources management, and prioritizing their tasks and structure of their schedule to achieve mutual balance between study and other activities.

A departure from dependent learning, independent learning is viewed as a tool that transforms education by enhancing many qualities such as the habits of mind that improve critical, analytical and reflective thinking skills, and also improve and shape students’ personality by enhancing self-reliance, self-confidence, and critical thinking skills (Najoua, et al., n.d).

All academic learning processes are supported by more than one academic skill. Academic skills are mainly composed of reading, writing and study skills, thus, any independent learning should encompass these skills. Therefore, it is important for an independent learner to develop these skills in order to achieve a successful independent learning outcome.

Studies have revealed that most students who join tertiary education institution without the requisite practical study skills for academic success often experience learning challenges not because of their lack of aptitude in their academic subject, but rather, because of lack of abilities in project, time, and self-management (Nathenson 1984, p281). Hence, the most suitable academic skills that a student needs to develop for independent learning include self-assessing skills, time management skills, and writing and study skills.

Though there are many study skills resources such as web sites and books, students in need of them mostly do not access them due to lack of self-motivation or the knowledge on how they are accessed.

To combat this challenge, it is important for the students and education facilitators to focus on development and implementation of assessment of independent learning skills. To achieve this, it is important for all stakeholders in independent learning to focus on improving students’ self-management and self-reflective skills that can eventually improve their study skills.

This should be an on-going initiative in all independent learning set-ups with the ultimate goal being equipping independent learners with the much needed study skills for lifelong learning. Studies have revealed that there are several simple techniques that support the development of self-management and self-reflective skills, with such techniques including things like learning journals that contain ongoing reflection which is useful for supporting planning, problem solving and creative thinking activities (Pickford & Brown, 2006).

Time management is another skill that is very critical to any learning process, since, at the end it mostly makes the difference on the whether the student is continuing with the learning process or not. Without appropriate time management, a student may not be able to cover learning materials or to get the learning concepts conveyed in the learning process.

Thus, it is essential for a student to develop a good time program that will enable covering the required learning materials, practicing the concepts learned in order to grasp them and revising to be well prepared for the independent learning outcomes.

Independent learning at university has been a key strategy in enhancing provision of university education to all students, but it has major impact in supporting distance education modules and application information technologies in support learning through internet resources such as online databases, libraries, and websites.

In future, all stakeholders such as governments, academics, industrialists, and students using independent learning will be able to develop critical competencies in accessing, analyzing, and applying information for independent learning to develop the ability to think creatively, to cooperate with one another, and make sound value judgments.

All these will lead to a modern society that encourages creative thinking, social responsibility, and adopting lifelong learning. Additionally, independent learning will increase innovations in education, improve assimilation of university education, and over all, reduce the burden on university infrastructures and resources.

Kesten, C., 1987. Independent learning: a common essential learning, A study completed for the Saskatchewan Department of Education Core Curriculum Investigation Project . Saskatchewan Department of Education, University of Regina.

Najoua, L. et al. N.d. Perception of Independent Learning. Al Akhawayn University, Morocco. Web.

Nathenson, M. B., 1984. Independent learning in higher education . New Jersey: Educational Technology, Englewood Cliffs.

Pickford, R. & Brown, S., 2006. Assessing skills and practice. NY: Taylor & Francis, Abingdon.

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• Our Mission

Guiding Students to Be Independent Learners

Three strategies for helping students become self-motivating and take charge of their learning.

It’s estimated that students in the U.S. spend nearly 20,000 hours experiencing classroom education by the age of 18, and that much of what is taught is forgotten within a short time. And there’s little evidence that they know how to apply effective learning strategies when they arrive at college.

In essence, many students have not learned how to retain and apply knowledge. Fortunately, current research offers fascinating insights about the brain’s capacity to learn at higher levels when effective learning strategies are used.

In the quickly evolving workplace and at a time when graduates are competing for jobs and careers with others around the world, the capacity to change rapidly and apply new skills is paramount. Bottom line: Learning how to learn is a game changer in the global knowledge economy, and it’s never too early to teach students how to begin to learn more independently.

Cultivating Independent Learners

Inspire student motivation for learning: Motivation to learn is key to success in school, after graduation in the global job market, and for life in a world of constant changes in technology.

Use the power of your relationship with students to show a passion for learning. When you embody passion for learning, your students are more likely to have a powerful, positive emotional connection to learning that will inspire their motivation to continue to learn. With teachers who release their passion for learning, students across all grades are free to learn new ways of learning with motivation and joy. Over time, expect self-motivation rather than compliance.

Guide students to imagine how they will feel when they learn something new. Allow volunteers to describe their feelings after they learned something. When appropriate, ask students to visualize what a finished project will look like.

Encourage students to tell a friend their learning goal and get their support. This allows students to verbalize their goal, which will help them internalize it. Students of all ages are inherently social, and getting support from a peer can be very motivating.

Coach students to set goals and develop a plan for learning: Support students in developing their own learning goals that are realistic yet challenging. Often the most motivating goals are those that allow us to use our personal strengths. Yet students often have goals set for them based on a one-size-fits-all curriculum or on their personal learning deficits—think individualized education program—which can be discouraging.

If you have students who currently lack motivation to learn, consider helping them to develop learning goals based on their personal learning strengths. For example, a personalized goal for some learners might be to design movement breaks for the class. Another student might set a goal to complete his or her appreciation or gratitude journal with photographs or illustrations. For another student, Pinterest offers ideas that might aid them in becoming curious about new topics to learn about. Teachers can support students in becoming aware of their strengths and figuring out how to set personal goals.

Teach students how to best structure their independent learning time. Our brains did not evolve to do several hours of physics without a break. We encourage students to plan a shift in focus after every 20 minutes of independent study. At least every hour or so, they should get up and move. When learning new material, they should utilize different locations. For example, we use an outside patio table, a particularly comfortable chair, an inside office desk, and different local cafes as places to work. Because memory for locations is powerful, using several locations for learning aids memory.

Encourage students to become self-disciplined learners. Support them in making a commitment to themselves to get started on achieving their goals. Assist them in affirming their commitment to organize themselves, manage their focus over time, and limit time-wasting distractions. Help students learn to consistently define themselves as people who commit to and achieve their goals. It will probably be necessary to remind them time and again that along the learning pathway, successful people forgive themselves when they make mistakes and then continue on.

Teach students to self-assess: Ask students to write a letter to a student who will be in the class the next year. Upon completion of a project, unit, or chapter, ask students to summarize what they have learned and tell the future student how they have overcome any learning challenges. This strategy provides an opportunity for student reflection on virtually any topic.

Have students pair up and take turns sharing what they have learned. This activity—we call it “brain buddies”—gives students opportunities to learn from each other. For example, each partner may remember different aspects of a lesson. And they may have different points of view, so when they share, each partner can learn to better understand a variety of perspectives.

As your students practice independent learning, encourage them to notice changes. For example, when we asked students to discuss changes in achievement, one student said, “Now I get assignments turned in on time, and my grades have improved.” Another said, “I enjoy school now because I know how to make better grades.” Over time, statements like these become a part of students’ positive identity for school success.

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How to Plan and Implement an Independent Study in High School

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There will be times during your high school career that you find yourself thirsty for knowledge that isn’t readily available to you. Maybe you’ve taken a class that has sparked your passion, but there are not more advanced classes in the subject matter available . Perhaps you can’t fit your favorite elective into your schedule, or your school doesn’t offer them at all. What can you do when you want to take a class that is not available to you at your school, and you want to make sure you receive credit for it, too?

If you are a self-motivated high school student who is finding that the class you want to take is not accessible to you at your school, an independent study might be a good option for you. Before you can know for sure, though, you’ll need to have a good understanding of just what an independent study is, what factors to consider before arranging one, and how to go about setting one up at your school.    

What is an independent study?

An independent study is a sequence of study that you undertake on your own, rather than a class that you take in a traditional high school setting.   Some independent studies can be arranged during the school day but often they take place outside of normal school hours.

Instead of relying on a teacher to present the material, you set your own learning objectives before beginning, and you pursue your own knowledge through a variety of sources such as textbooks, online lectures, or mentorships.

Independent studies are often self-designed, so they require focused planning and extended forethought well before the start of a new semester. Independent studies are less supervised than traditional classes, but usually students have a faculty adviser who helps to guide their work and offers feedback throughout the semester. This faculty adviser is also the person who will assess your progress during the course and assign you a grade at the end of the course. Because you are earning credit for your independent study, you can expect it to appear on your transcript with a corresponding grade. The grading scale will depend on the specific class and how many credits you are receiving for it. Generally, independent studies are graded on the same unweighted scale as regular classes, but sometimes, particularly if you are taking pursuing an elective, you may simply receive a Pass/Fail grade. Be sure to specify with your adviser beforehand so that you know what to expect.

Why consider an independent study?

The reasons for pursuing an independent study are vast. Some students turn to an independent study when they are interested in a subject not offered at their school. Others use independent studies to pursue in-depth knowledge of a subject they’ve already studied. Sometimes, students cannot fit a preferred class into their schedule or find that they need to learn at their own pace due to limited timeframes or extenuating circumstances. Whatever the reason for being interested in an independent study, it takes an especially responsible high-school student to effectively design and pursue one.

Are you ready for an independent study?

Before you move towards arranging an independent study, be sure that you are up to the task by asking yourself these questions:

• Do you learn well independently?
• Do you have any history of pursuing your own interests without the support of classmates or a team?
• Were you able to sustain that pursuit over time?
• Will you get lonely or unmotivated without study partners?
• Are you able to devote the necessary time to designing your own syllabus and course objectives?
• Is this something you’re passionate about doing?

If you ask yourself the above questions and, after considering them carefully, still believe you are a good candidate for an independent study, you should take advantage of the opportunity and move towards arranging one.

How do you set up an independent study?

The first step to setting up an independent study is to find out if it’s even a possibility at your school. Start looking into this early, as it can take a month or more to go through the full application process, particularly if you are planning to design your own course. Check at the registrar to see if they have a formal registration process in place for independent studies. Many schools will have an application process, and the application itself will shape your thinking as you plan.

If your school does not have an application process already in place, meet with your academic adviser or guidance counselor to discuss what options might be available. Go into this meeting with a solid idea of what you’d like to do and be prepared to discuss in detail why you believe that this is your best option for pursuing the coursework, and how you know you will be successful. Don’t go into this meeting with just a vague idea of what you’re hoping to accomplish. You should think of this as an opportunity to display your independent thinking and ability to take initiative.

Even if your adviser gives you the green light to move forward, you will probably still need to get your independent study approved through some formal process. Get advice from a teacher or your adviser on what to include in your proposal. Odds are, it will be a rough outline of your syllabus, a list of resources or materials you intend to use, and how you plan to produce evidence of your learning.

How do you plan the class?

If your academic adviser or guidance counselor indicates that independent studies are an option at your school and your proposal moves forward, really narrow down your subject area and make a list of potential faculty advisers who would be best suited to guide you through your work. You should ideally choose an adviser who teaches that subject area and with whom you have an existing relationship. An adviser who is already familiar with your work ethic and scholastic aptitude will be more likely to take on the project with you, and you are more likely to be comfortable seeking feedback from someone whose guidance you already trust. 

Next, arrange a meeting with your potential faculty adviser to discuss your goals for the independent study and how you plan to achieve them. Keep in mind, teachers are generally not paid extra to help students undertaking independent studies, so be grateful for the time and feedback. Be respectful by coming to meetings prepared with a list of questions or talking points. If the teacher is willing to be your faculty adviser during your independent study, make sure to have a clear understanding of what prep work you will need to do before beginning your project in earnest.

Should I take a pre-designed independent study or should I design my own?

Some students take pre-designed independent study courses. These include online college course work, online homeschool programs, or other classes that you can pursue outside of school. These are a good option if you are too busy to take on much planning and can find one in your subject area. These courses come complete with a list of textbooks or other assigned reading materials, assignments to complete throughout the class, and sometimes even access to online lectures. They save you a lot of work in the planning process.

The disadvantage is that these pre-designed classes will likely be less specific to your unique interests and you may find the pacing to be too fast or too slow, depending on how quickly you learn. These classes also come at a price. The independent study classes offered online through Brigham Young University , for example, tend to cost around $150 plus textbooks. 

The other option is to design your own course. This requires a lot of extra work, but the payoff can also be quite large. You will need to design your own syllabus, listing specific learning objectives for the class, the resources that you will use to meet them, and how you will display your knowledge both during the class and at its conclusion. You will need to design a way to track what you’ve learned as it’s happening, whether that’s through regular written assignments, a learning journal, or some kind of online assessment. When you complete your coursework, you should be able to measure your success through a finished product, final paper, exam, or presentation.

For ideas on what a course syllabus should look like, review past syllabi from your classes. You could also check with teachers who teach within your intended subject area for ideas on learning objectives and resources.

In general an effective class syllabus should include the following:

• What will you know when you’re done with the independent study?
• What will you be able to do when you’re done with the independent study?
• Will you have a set period during the school day to work on it?
• How often will you meet with your adviser?
• What materials will you read?
• What other resources will you use?    
• For each of the objectives above, how will you display your knowledge and ability?
• Essays, assignments, artwork, performance, etc
• What will your final project be?

Make sure to complete your syllabus well before the semester starts. You will need time to find resources and other materials for your work.

How can you be successful in an independent study?

Once you’ve developed your course syllabus, meet with your adviser to discuss it in detail. Make sure that you both agree on its effectiveness and that the standards established are high enough to keep you busy for the entire semester, but not so much as to overwhelm you.

As you undertake your work, start early and stay on top or ahead of schedule. It is easy to fall behind when you are relying on yourself to set the pace. Ensure that this doesn’t happen by challenging yourself to keep ahead of your work. This way, if you meet any unexpected obstacles, you should still be able to finish the project on time.

Also meet with your adviser frequently to solicit feedback. Remember, your adviser is the one who will be grading your work and you want to make sure that all of it is up to his or her standards.

Finally, arrange some kind of display for your final project. If you are writing a final paper or research project, find the opportunity to give a talk on it to share your knowledge with the community. If you are producing artwork, arrange to display it somewhere or host an art show. By sharing your independent study with the rest of your high school, you will encourage others to pursue their own learning and expose them to an area of study that may not be typically available.    

How will college admissions committees see my independent study?

Usually independent studies appear on your transcript as such. You should make sure that when you formally register for credit for the study that you include a descriptive course name. For example, the course may be titled Independent Study: Intro to Child Development. This way, the admissions committee will see which subject area you chose to pursue.

If you want to really highlight the independent study on your application, your faculty adviser may be a great option to write a recommendation. Who better can speak to your ability to take initiative and seek out unconventional learning opportunities?

Alternatively, independent studies can often be used as evidence of other core skills spoken to in the essay section of your application. Want to highlight your dedication to community? Write about how your independent study project enabled you to communicate with a classmate through learning American Sign Language, and how you went beyond that to share your knowledge with the rest of the class. Want to highlight your ability to think outside the box and overcome obstacles? Write about how a crowded photography class inspired you to build a darkroom in your basement as part of an independent study in photography, and expand on the engineering and design skills that you learned along the way.

An independent study can be a great way of pursuing learning on your own terms. It displays a passion for specific subject areas, it shows an ability to plan ahead, and it shows your dedication to independent pursuits of learning.

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How to be an independent learner

The following guide has been created for you by the  Student Learning Advisory Service . For more detailed guidance and to speak to one of our advisers, please book an  appointment  or join one of our  workshops . Alternatively, have a look at our  SkillBuilder  skills videos.   

What is independent learning?

University graduates are expected to be independent learners – to demonstrate initiative and the ability to manage themselves and their work. They should not require continuous instruction during their studies, or expect all knowledge to be given to them, or need their work to be constantly monitored. Independent learning – which is also known as ‘self-directed learning’ or ‘autonomous learning’ - is key to employability, postgraduate study and life-long learning.   

What does it mean to learn at university?

A university education is not necessarily about receiving and memorising ‘facts’ in order to provide ‘correct’ answers in assignments. Instead, a university education is more about developing an understanding of your subject, and recognising the complexity of ideas and range of conflicting opinions that exist within it. To achieve this, students need to explore new ideas and approaches on their own. As only about 20% of course study is ‘contact time’ spent in classes, seminars or tutorials, you should use the remaining 80% to develop your studies independently through reading, class preparation, organising notes, writing assignments and following up on tuition. Good time management and planning are, therefore, key to being an independent learner. As a student, this means learning how to: 

• set your own goals
• identify your own resources
• take responsibility for attending all aspects of your studies and catching-up
• monitor and manage your time and progress honestly and effectively
• produce assignments that meet the assessment criteria on time

These skills will help you become an independent learner:

• organisational skills including prioritisation and time management
• efficient and effective reading and note-taking
• reflection and personal development planning 

Developing independence

Exploring ideas and making decisions alone can feel a little uncomfortable at first. Reasons for this include:

• worrying about ‘getting things wrong’ e.g. misunderstanding instructions.
• anxiety about missing something important in the background reading.
• difficulty understanding or navigating lots of information.
• feeling overwhelmed by new information and practices.

However, it is important to persevere, and exercise initiative:

• ask specific questions to clarify instructions or assessment criteria.
• allow plenty of time for reading, looking up key terms and digesting information and ideas.
• develop a system for organising information.
• develop a time management system for managing work e.g. dividing assignments into small tasks and setting daily targets to complete them.
• self-monitor e.g. listen to feedback, learn from mistakes and adjust your approaches so that they are not repeated.
• develop your study skills by reading guides such as this, or booking workshops or tuition with the Student Learning Advisory Service (SLAS).

No one is expected to become an ‘autonomous learner’ overnight, so most programmes allow students to develop the learning skills they need gradually. However, to do so successfully you will need to engage fully in the process and seek guidance as necessary from your tutor, departmental Student Support Officer, or  Student Learning Advisory Service . 

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Make your pupils better independent learners

By Annabel Jenner 2019-10-15T09:24:00+01:00

Improve your students’ employability by developing this key skill

Source: © Jens Magnusson/Ikon Images/Getty Images

Students with the confidence to take control of their own learning will be better prepared for fast-evolving and flexible career paths

We are living on the cusp of the ‘fourth industrial revolution’. The pupils we currently educate will enter a world of work that is shaped by wide-ranging innovations in areas such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality and robotics. A 2018 report, Solving future skills challenges , published by Universities UK, highlighted the increasing demand from employers for transferable skills, as fast-evolving and flexible career paths involving lifelong learning are replacing the now anachronistic ‘job for life’. Initiative and independent learning were highlighted as key skills required from employees.

Policymakers in higher education have anticipated this, with ‘learning ability’ being included as a skill descriptor for all UK degree-level courses in the Quality Assurance Agency’s 2014 Framework for higher education qualifications . Indeed, last year, more than half of physical sciences undergraduates surveyed for a UK engagement report said they undertook 11 hours or more of independent study per week. It is, therefore, a great benefit to pupils to have the opportunity to develop their independent study skills before they embark on post-18 education or employment.

We are living on the cusp of the ‘fourth industrial revolution’. The pupils we currently educate will enter a world of work that is shaped by wide-ranging innovations in areas such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality and robotics. A 2018 report, Solving future skills challenges ( bit.ly/2KuJpzJ ), published by Universities UK, highlighted the increasing demand from employers for transferable skills, as fast-evolving and flexible career paths involving lifelong learning are replacing the now anachronistic ‘job for life’. Initiative and independent learning were highlighted as key skills required from employees.

Policymakers in higher education have anticipated this, with ‘learning ability’ being included as a skill descriptor for all UK degree-level courses in the Quality Assurance Agency’s 2014 Framework for higher education qualifications.( bit.ly/2W9jX9i ) Indeed, last year, more than half of physical sciences undergraduates surveyed for a UK engagement report ( bit.ly/35y2M6M ) said they undertook 11 hours or more of independent study per week. It is, therefore, a great benefit to pupils to have the opportunity to develop their independent study skills before they embark on post-18 education or employment.

The advantages of developing school-aged pupils’ independent study skills are far-reaching. Individuals who can plan their time efficiently and prioritise tasks effectively will generally find themselves with a more manageable schedule. Those who can assess their own strengths and weaknesses are more likely to set appropriate learning goals. They will also be able to evaluate their progress against targets they have set. Good independent learners will take responsibility for their own learning and are more likely to adopt proactive approaches and problem-solve when faced with challenges, accelerating their pace of progress.

So, what can we do to help embed these skills?

1 Make pupils responsible for their prior knowledge

Prior to lessons that build on content pupils have already encountered, give pupils a simple tick-list of ideas they will be expected to be familiar with, accompanied by a reference to a textbook page or website that will provide the necessary information. This can be an effective way of transferring ownership of pupils’ learning back to them, and could save time going back over old ground in the lesson itself.

2 Provide a set of criteria to help pupils assess their own work

Even the most diligent pupils can fall into the trap of assessing the quality of their work by their perceived input of time and effort. Teachers, however, are more likely to base their assessment on a very different set of criteria focusing on specific outcomes , for example: ‘including workings and adding correct units’ or ‘referring to structure and bonding when explaining the physical properties of sodium chloride’. Sharing a set of criteria with pupils at the time a task is set empowers them to ensure they have completed the task successfully.

3 Let pupils be their own examiner

When practising calculations, it can be helpful to give pupils access to the answers (without workings, if cheating is a concern) while they complete the task. Pupils should check their answers as they go, looking back through their workings to identify mistakes when they encounter an error. This encourages them to show their workings clearly by putting them in the place of teacher/examiner and facilitates problem-solving rather than allowing pupils to ask for teacher help immediately.

4 Make pupils responsible for each other’s learning

Certain topics lend themselves well to jigsawing tasks. For example, small groups of pupils could each be tasked with researching and explaining the trend in melting points across different elements in period 3. The groups would then come together and each share their piece of the ‘jigsaw’.

5 Let pupils fail once in a while

Time constraints and the ability to anticipate problems pupils will encounter can lead us to implement well-intended interventions to ensure pupils succeed in every task. This is an efficient route to producing an exam-ready chemist, but it can be at the expense of independent study skills if we step in too often. A well-designed homework task could provide an opportunity to let pupils discover strengths and weaknesses in their study skills for themselves. Setting a longer task over several homework slots that would usually be broken into two or three shorter and more structured tasks will challenge pupils’ time management and prioritisation skills. A review session afterwards could give pupils time to reflect on and evaluate their independent study skills.

• Problem solving
• Problem-based learning
• Study skills
• Working independently

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Independent learning plays a key role in university study, and that expectation increases with each stage until you become a confident, successful learner. It can cover a number of things and key to all of them is the idea of taking responsibility for your own learning.

This section examines what is meant by independent learning and offers resources for developing your strategies effectively.

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Celebrating 150 years of Harvard Summer School. Learn about our history.

Becoming Independent: Skills You’ll Need to Survive Your First Year at College

Are you ready? Here are a few ideas on what it takes to flourish on campus.

Pamela Reynolds

There’s more to succeeding in college than just scoring well on tests. Thriving on campus requires developing a few critical life skills before college.

Some of these skills are practical—like knowing how to do basic housework. 

Others are “soft skills” like knowing how to effectively manage your time, communicate well, manage stress, and cope with failure when it happens. 

In this blog, we’ll look at a few life skills for college students that are fundamental to success on campus. Some of these skills may surprise you.

What Basic Life Skills Do You Need to Succeed in College?

College campuses are the first time many of us experience living independently in a relatively unstructured environment. 

It’s up to us alone to wake up, get to class, eat nutritious meals, and manage every other aspect of our day without the sometimes annoying input (or useful suggestions) of parents and teachers. 

Navigating this freedom for the first time can feel liberating but can also be tricky. 

“ I look at it as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs,” says Samantha Gordon, assistant director of the Pre-College Program at Harvard Summer School. “If you’re not meeting your basic food, shelter, health and wellness needs, then you’re not going to be able to function.”

Food and Shelter

At the most practical level, by the time you arrive on campus, you should have learned all the basic skills necessary to live life on your own. 

These are the housekeeping skills that your parents may have nagged you about that you tried to ignore—taking care of personal hygiene, doing your laundry, making the bed, cooking a meal, and cleaning up after yourself. 

“ I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had to navigate conversations between roommates because one isn’t showering or washing their clothes and it smells,” says Gordon, who has seven years of residential life experience and has lived with more than 2,500 college freshmen over the years. 

Budgeting Skills

Basic housekeeping and hygiene are important. So is knowing how to make—and stick to—a budget.

To make your money stretch each month, you may have to prioritize purchases. That could mean skipping that restaurant meal in favor of eating in the cafeteria or turning to a local freecycle group instead of buying something on Amazon. 

Self-Regulation Skills

Self-regulation skills also fall under the category of self-care. 

They are critical because they contribute to your physical and emotional well-being. 

Self-care involves great feats of endurance (like resisting the urge to play another hour of Elden Ring at 3 a.m.) and engaging in activities that support a healthy mind and body. 

Setting a sleep schedule and sticking to it, taking medications as prescribed, and staying on top of doctor and dentist appointments are a few examples of self-care skills. 

So is recognizing when you’re stressed and knowing when it’s time to take a break. Regular exercise, good nutrition, meditation, or an hour spent tossing a frisbee on the quad with friends, are all possible ways to deal with stress. 

Gordon says that many new students come from competitive environments where they have learned to try to do everything perfectly. But in a more rigorous academic setting, perfectionism doesn’t always work. 

Students need to “figure out coping mechanisms, manage that perfectionism, and learn how to deal with failure and mistakes,” says Gordon. 

Explore summer programs for high school students.

The “Soft Skills” You’ll Need to be Independent at College

Soft skills are less about practicalities and more about knowing how to manage your time and interact with others. 

Students with these skills have learned to be tolerant, curious, open, think critically, problem-solve, and prioritize what’s important. 

Especially important, notes Gordon, is developing a sense of cultural awareness. For the first time, you may be living with a roommate from a different culture, race, ethnicity, or socio-economic background, who may think and act differently from what you are used to back home.

“ Cultural competency is definitely a huge part of college, especially if you come from a homogenous town,” she says. “That’s where listening and not judging somebody else’s culture but really trying to understand it, is really important.”

Other important soft skills include:

• Time Management. You’re going to have multiple classes, assignments, deadlines, and social commitments. Juggling them all requires setting goals, planning, and recognizing that perhaps another TikTok video is not going to help you prepare for that biology lab.
• Communication. On any given day in college, you’ll interact with professors, advisors, teaching assistants, staff, and students. Unfortunately, in our technological age, many students have forgotten appropriate ways to socialize.
• Conflict Management . You’ll need to dust-off your social skills and give others the benefit of the doubt when a conflict arises. 

Use “I am” statements that focus on how you feel rather than make accusations.

“Assume grace, assume goodwill,” says Gordon. 

Tips for Getting Organized

By now, it’s obvious that you’ll be balancing a lot of new experiences and expectations. 

How do you handle them all? Here are a few strategies:

Create a Study Routine Right From the Start

When a semester begins, use a course calendar to write down important dates which will become the key to organizing your entire semester. 

Part of your routine, says Gordon, should include choosing a place to study. Dorm rooms can be distracting so many students opt to reserve a desk at the library. 

Plan Activities Based on When an Assignment is Due

Your written list of important dates will structure your month, week, and day. 

It’s important to be realistic about the time you’ll need to study, cautions Gordon. You’ll need to find an organizational method—whether it is a physical planner, the school calendar, or spreadsheet—that works for you.

Set Goals and Eliminate Time Wasters

If you’re prone to spending hours scrolling through Instagram, Gordon recommends using apps that will help you eliminate such distractions.

“There’s tons of apps you can add on to your browser that will literally limit you to opening a tab or opening only certain websites,” she says. 

She also recommends investing in timers that will let you know when it’s time to take a break after a certain amount of focused study time.

Reward Yourself

You need to dedicate time to studying.

“But realistically,” says Gordon, “you need some time to just veg out and watch Netflix. That’s where the reward system comes in. So, you do an hour of reading, then watch a half hour of a TV show that you’ve been wanting to watch, then go back to studying.”  

Don’t Multi-task

Studies show people perform much better when focused on one task at a time. To help focus, turn off your phone and resolve to finish your task before you pick it up again.

Take Good Notes

Gordon recommends using apps like OneNote or Evernote to help keep your class outlines and notes organized. Remember to revisit your notes later in the day to re-organize, refine, and check out any reading the professor may have referenced.  

Getting Help

If you’re having trouble with roommates, classes, or coping with campus life in general, there are places you can go for help.  

The first option, says Gordon, is to confer with peers to “compare what’s happening on the ground.” 

A next stop might be speaking with a resident director or proctor who can direct you to myriad campus resources. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by classwork, for example, the academic resource center, an academic advisor, tutor, or instructor can help.

“ Going to your faculty or teaching assistants directly is how you can build some of your best faculty relationships,” Gordon says.

Finally, if you’re feeling down or struggling with mental health issues, you can turn to the campus counseling center. Most college campuses offer students short-term, long-term, and emergency counseling services.

Although some students may be reluctant to bring up issues with a parent or guardian, they can be an important emotional resource too. After all, they may have been through the same experience themselves!

When Should Parents Step In?

It takes time to adjust to college life, but parents can help. 

“ If you notice that your student is struggling, the first thing to do is to listen,” counsels Gordon. 

“Remember that the student is not you and their journey is a separate journey. It will be different from your own. And that’s okay. A lot of times we’ll have alumni parents who want their child to have a similar experience to them, but their child is different,” she says.

Some Parting Words of Advice

If you’re a new student, Gordon says you’ll have a far better college experience if you “put yourself out there.” 

Stay open. Introduce yourself to classmates. And if you find it difficult to make friends, let your residential assistant know. They can help. 

Reaching out to others may feel risky when you first arrive on campus, but you’ll find it’s worth the reward.

Learn more about Harvard’s summer programs for high school students.

About the Author

Pamela Reynolds is a Boston-area feature writer and editor whose work appears in numerous publications. She is the author of “Revamp: A Memoir of Travel and Obsessive Renovation.”

12 Strategies to Writing the Perfect College Essay

College admission committees sift through thousands of college essays each year. Here’s how to make yours stand out.

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Independent learning: what it is and how it works

What is independent learning what skills does it require how can you help students become independent learners find the answers here.

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths”

                                                                                                                         –Walt Disney

Independent learning is all about empowering students to take ownership of their learning. Knowing how to learn and explore topics of interest is a skill that will serve your students a whole lifetime. Here’s how to help them develop that skill.

What is independent learning?

An independent learner has all the tools needed to take their learning into their own hands, by investigating and exploring new knowledge with lower involvement from an instructor or institution.

With independent learning, students do their own research and ask questions, rather than relying solely on the materials that their teacher or instructor hands them. They also take ownership of their educational path by setting their own goals and monitoring their progress.

Needless to say, this type of student-centric learning gained a lot of traction with the popularization of the internet and experienced exponential growth during the CoVID pandemic.

Main benefits of independent learning

The following benefits are directly related to the student’s academic performance:

• Boosted student motivation and confidence
• Improved student performance
• Better understanding of the student’s own strengths and weaknesses
• Freeing teacher time to concentrate on different tasks and remediation

These 4 benefits are the direct result of the independent learners having a long-term view and feeling in control of their academic itinerary.

Why is independent learning so important?

It’s important to encourage your students to become independent learners because it will have direct repercussions on their academic performance, as discussed in the previous section. But independent learning also arms the students with soft skills that will help them be more successful in other areas of their lives, such as:

• Better time management
• Proactivity and initiative
• Organization and discipline
• independence

What are the key elements and strategies of independent learning?

Independent learning can’t work in a teacher-centric environment so, obviously, the first key element in enabling independent learning is the shift to a student-centric environment where the students get a higher-level understanding of their learning. One of the teacher’s new responsibilities here is to help the student structure their learning environment and turn the class into a community of independent learners.

A second key element of independent learning is self-regulation . Students are in control of their own planning, pacing, and evaluation. Self-regulation also includes self-motivation.

A third and last key element we’ll discuss is the role of the teacher as an enabler . Independent learning requires a strong student-teacher relationship with a high level of trust. The teacher must adapt their approach to deadlines, ensure access to relevant resources, and maintain open communication about tasks and student progress.

8 ways you can help your students become independent learners

In this section, we share some ideas on how to get your students into the right mindset and give them a roadmap in their independent learning trajectory.

• Inspire them

Nothing like a good pep talk to get people to take action and show initiative. Get them excited about learning. Show them the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) of independent learning. Inspire them as a group. Peer support and the feeling of community are strong motivators.

• Evaluate where they currently stand and where they aspire to be

To know where you’re going and to know how to get there, you first need to understand where you currently are. Help the students identify their strengths and weaknesses regarding the course topic(s). Ask them to formulate clear goals that are attainable yet challenging.

• Help them become the (wo)man with the plan

Now that they know where they stand and where they want to be, they should now be able to work out a learning plan to help them get there. Suggest specific resources to include in their learning plan. Obviously, you should also involve students in your lesson planning.

• Give a crash course on time management

Part of the learning plan should be a schedule that’s optimized for the student’s learning pace, other activities, optimal learning/working times, etc. Share tips on how to stick to their schedule, create structure and routine for themselves, and be more efficient learners.

• Create structure and routine

Students can allow themselves to learn more independently in a framework and routine that gives them the space to do so.

• Help them improve their questioning skills

To foster debate among the students, it’s important to help them improve their questioning skills and show them how to develop critical thinking and a problem-solving attitude. Asking open-ended questions is a great first step. To help them develop these skills it’s important not to provide your students with answers, but rather with guidance on how to find the answers by themselves.

• Enable online discussions and collaboration

Make sure to include group-based tasks and activities so students have ample opportunities to discuss with and learn from each other. Create online forums and groups where students can meet after hours to ask each other questions, collaborate, and support each other.

• Give them tools to track their progress

The best way students can track their progress is by keeping records. Maybe suggest a learning diary detailing what learning tasks they performed at a particular time, how long it took them, and how they experienced it. They should look back at diary entries, assess how they feel today about that piece of knowledge or task, and note the progress. The student can also pair up with a learning buddy. They can follow up on each other’s progress and assess each other.

What skills do students need to become independent learners?

Some students are independent learners by nature, others need to hone a new skill set to become independent learners, and yet others fare better in a more traditional teacher-centric environment. Independent learning requires the following skills:

Cognitive skills: thinking, reading, learning, memorizing, reasoning, and paying attention. Independent learning requires problem-solving skills, a sense for classification, and logical reasoning.

Metacognitive skills: these are the skills that underlying strategies that students apply to perform the cognitive skills listed above. Obviously, metacognitive skills are needed to monitor one’s own progress and self-assess.

Affective skills: These pertain to individual interests, values, and attitudes and help one manage their feelings. Affective skills will help the students self-motivate.

How can schools promote independent learning?

For independent learning to work, the school or institution first needs to enable and support it and put a school-wide practice in place:

Teacher support

Independent learning is mostly a bottom-up approach, and the educational institution must offer the same leeway to teachers as teachers do to students to make the new learning approach work. The institution needs to implement a structure where they can get direct feedback from students about their learning journey and progress.

Study support

Study support implies extracurricular learning activities that enable the students to choose their learning activities and set their goals. It also helps keep a communal study level within the community of independent learners. If a student falls behind, he or she can call upon tutoring services outside school hours to catch up.

Student empowerment

Empowering students to take ownership of their own learning is an impulse that needs to come from the institution, as well. It’s up to the school to hand students the relevant learning strategies, along with basic training on how to apply them.

Student feedback

As said earlier. Independent learning is largely a bottom-up approach where students shape their learning journey and consequently influence school strategies and the overall learning method. Therefore, institutions must have mechanisms in place to receive student feedback.

I hope this guide will help you foster independent learning with your students. The good thing about independent learning is that you can sprinkle it lightly onto your lesson plan or you can smear it generously. It’s really up to you, your students, and your institution. As long as all three are duly involved. To whatever degree you will apply it, it will provide your students with skills that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.

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Effective Study Skills, Essay Example

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Students must know themselves and adapt effective study skills to be effective learners. The attitude and approach towards learning determines the success of a student. Most of the successful students have learned how to prioritize stuff while working smarter, and not harder. Study skills helps one understand more about how learning tailor to an individual’s thinking styles (Lengefeld 69). Effective studying skills revolve around the knowledge of one’s learning style, time management, and self-organization among many other factors that this paper discusses.

Learning styles are the different approaches to retaining knowledge. It would be best to find one’s learning style whether visual, kinesthetic, or auditory. To process information learners must rely on their senses and it is essential to learn the style that applies to every individual. If, for example, a person learns by listening, he /she should not adopt a visual learning style. It would be more effective for him /her to use techniques that focus on auditory styles. Such students should attend lectures, take notes and consult peers to ascertain that they have the correct details. They should involve them selves in discussion groups, dialogues and debates to achieve their goal of obtaining knowledge.  A kinesthetic learner retains information best through experience (Lengefeld 15). In the kinesthetic tactile, students learn by being involved in physical activities like movements and demonstrations.  A kinesthetic learner could gain nothing or rather remarkably little  knowledge in learning activities that involve  purely involve  listening and viewing, as they would lose interest unusually fast. Such learners should involve themselves in drama, games, and learn to memorize their studies using body language and gestures. A visual learner is one who learns through observation. They are proficient in recalling what they saw especially in diagrams, charts, graphs, and videos. They use written notes to learn and draw instructions. Such students advised to use handouts for studying, and make sure they watch subject related films gain knowledge. They should try as much as possible to make diagrams from notes to gain a better understanding. The other learning styles include tactile learning where learners learn best by touching and manipulating objects. Such students perform well in practical studies. There are the active learners who gain knowledge through discussion groups, and the reflective learners who learn by thinking.

The other trick behind learning is time management. Time is as precious as the money spent on education (Martens MJC et al. 189). For best results in managing time, one ought to develop a schedule.  A schedule assigns time for every activity of the day. It allocates class time, lab time, social work time, study time, recreation time, and some free time for any emergencies, that may arise. Study time planned strategically to be at a time when one is rested, relaxed, and alert. Weekly schedule works well with minimum time wastage.

Self-organization marks a particularly crucial strategy to developing effective study skills. Self-organization is all about being able to manage all the workload entailed in every subject. The questions behind self-organization in learning include:

1)        When should one study lecture courses?

2)        How and when, should one-study recitation courses?

3)        How should one plan a schedule?

4)        How should one use time?

5)        Where and when should one study?

6)        When should one start revising for exams?

With these above questions in mind, one can organize him/herself perfectly. A study schedule will allocate the daily activities and the lecture notes read after or before lectures. If before lectures, one should read all assignments and make notes of what not understood. It is wise to review lecture notes after lectures when the information is still fresh. Recitation courses as learning of foreign languages studied before the lecture. A schedule planned in a manner that can accommodate revision (Martens MJC et al. 190). One ought to start revision right from the begging of the semester and studies should take place in the library, or in a cool, comfortable environment.

In conclusion, effective study skills differ from one person to another depending on the learning style and the IQ level. The grasping ability differs in different people. While some people may take a short while to learn and grasp something, others will take ages. Therefore, to make a successful student, one should understand his/herself to adapt effective learning skills (Lengefeld 56).

Martens MJC, Duvivier RJ, van Dalen J, Verwijnen GM, Scherpbier AJJ, van der Vleuten CPM,. “Student views on the effective teaching of physical examination skills: a qualitative study”. Medical Education. 2009: 184-91.

Lengefeld, Uelaine A., Study Skills Strategies: Get the Most from Every Minute of Learning . Axzo Press. 2009.

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Studying at uni or college can be different to how you're used to studying at school. Get a head start by brushing up on the skills you'll need now, so you're fully prepared when the time comes.

We're working in partnership with the  National Extension College (NEC) to provide a series of study skills guides to help you successfully make the transition to higher education.

Here are the guides we've produced so far:

These guides include practical activities and advice to help you develop the habits of effective, independent study.

NEC and UCAS believe everyone needs to invest time in learning the skills needed for independent study, if they are to become confident students and get the most out of their course.

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How to choose the right undergraduate course for you, ucas undergraduate entry requirements, preparing for your studies, students' unions, sponsored articles ucas media service, staffordshire uni clearing: apply now, clearing made easy – 5 tips for success, limited places available for september.

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What are Study Skills?

Study skills are the skills you need to enable you to study and learn efficiently – they are an important set of transferable life skills.

Our pages provide generic study skills advice – appropriate to learners across all disciplines and in different life circumstances: full and part-time students, those returning to education later in life, those engaged in professional development and anybody who wants to learn how to learn effectively. 

Key points about study skills:

You will develop your own personal approach to study and learning in a way that meets your own individual needs. As you develop your study skills you will discover what works for you, and what doesn’t.

Study skills are not subject specific - they are generic and can be used when studying any area. You will, of course, need to understand the concepts, theories and ideas surrounding your specific subject area. To get the most out of your studies, however, you’ll want to develop your study skills.

You need to practise and develop your study skills.   This will increase your awareness of how you study and you’ll become more confident.  Once mastered, study skills will be beneficial throughout your life.

Study skills are not just for students.   Study skills are transferable - you will take them with you beyond your education into new contexts. For example, organisational skills, time management, prioritising, learning how to analyse, problem solving, and the self-discipline that is required to remain motivated.  Study skills relate closely to the type of skills that employers look for.  (See Transferable Skills and Employability Skills for more.)

At SkillsYouNeed we provide quality content on many life skills – and many of these are relevant to studying.

You’ll find two types of study skills pages – pages that directly relate to skills you need for study (such as How to Write an Essay ) and pages that are more general life skills but which are also important to studying (like Active Listening ).

Our Study Skills Pages Include:

Getting Organised to Study

Getting organised is an important first step to effective study.  Our page covers the basic organisation skills you need to consider – fundamentals such as where and when to study and the importance of developing a network of contacts who can help you when you need it.

This page covers some of the basic principles of time management – with reference to study. If you manage your time badly then you will be less productive, which can lead to stress and anxiety. This page will help you by outlining the importance of a personal study timetable and how to set goals and prioritise your time.

Sources of Information for Study

Learn what is meant by, and the importance of, primary, secondary and tertiary documents and how you may source such information in a library or online.

By understanding different writing styles you can put what you read into perspective. This page covers the main writing styles that you are likely to come across, including academic, journal, and journalistic styles.

When studying, it is likely that you will need to read a lot of information – and you will wish to use this time effectively as possible by developing your reading skills. Discover ways that you can engage with your reading, form links, understand opinions and put ideas and research into perspective. In short, develop your reading skills.

Critical Reading and Reading Strategies

This page explains what is meant by critical reading and critical thinking – skills which are fundamental to true learning, personal development and advancement. The page also covers how to develop a personal reading strategy and use SQ3R to help you manage your reading.

Note-Taking

Learning to take notes effectively is not only important to study but also in many other situations, at work and in your personal life.  Develop your note-taking skills with our pages: Note-Taking for Verbal Exchanges and Note-Taking for Reading .

It pays to carefully think about and plan an essay or other piece of written work before you start writing.  This page provides you with a framework for planning which will help ensure your work is relevant, well-constructed and produced efficiently.

Essay Writing

Learn about the processes involved in writing an essay, or other piece of assessed work.  Avoid common mistakes and follow best practice to help ensure that the work you produce is of a high quality.

How to Write a Dissertation or Thesis

Working on a dissertation, thesis or other research project can be the most challenging part of study. Our guide offers practical advice and explains how to work on each part of a research document, including:

• How to Write a Research Proposal
• Ethical Issues in Research
• Researching and Writing a Literature Review
• Writing your Methodology
• Writing up your Results and Discussion

Learning how to reference correctly is vital if you are a student. This page not only covers why you should reference, and what may happen if you don’t, but also includes some detailed guidelines on how to reference different types of materials.

As a learner you will be required to engage with theory, but exactly what is a theory?  A theory is an attempt to provide understanding - theories attempt to answer the question, 'why?' and therefore satisfy our curiosity.  Learn more about theories and how they are usually developed.

Before you submit your assignment for school, university or work, run through a series of final checks.  Avoid potentially embarrassing or costly mistakes and increase the credibility of your work.

Reflecting On Marked Work

This page, for students, encourages you to engage in the feedback you receive from a marker when your work is returned.  Don’t just look at the bottom line, the mark, but understand the comments and feedback and learn from any mistakes.

Revision Skills

Revising for examinations can be a real challenge for many people. Learn and practice some key skills to make your revision time as productive and effective as possible, leaving you better prepared for exams and tests.

Further Reading from Skills You Need

The Skills You Need Guide for Students

Develop the skills you need to make the most of your time as a student.

Our eBooks are ideal for students at all stages of education, school, college and university. They are full of easy-to-follow practical information that will help you to learn more effectively and get better grades.

Other Areas Related to Study

Writing Skills

The writing skills section of SkillsYouNeed includes many other pages that we hope you’ll find useful.

Our pages: Spelling , Grammar and Punctuation for example can help with assignment writing.  You may also find information on our pages: Gender Neutral Writing and Clichés to Avoid useful.

Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills are the skills we use every day to interact with others and many are relevant to effective study.

For example see:  Listening Skills , Problem Solving and Decision Making , Questioning and Types of Questions , Verbal Communication and Effective Speaking .

Personal Skills

Our Personal Skills section covers areas of personal development . 

Useful pages for study include:  Building Confidence and Self-Esteem , Tips for Dealing with Stress , Relaxation Techniques , and Self-Motivation .

Start with: Getting Organised to Study

See also: Employability Skills for Graduates How to Systemize Your Study Develop Your Online Learning Skills and Get More from Your Online Classes

Fall 2024 Semester

Undergraduate courses.

Composition courses that offer many sections (ENGL 101, 201, 277 and 379) are not listed on this schedule unless they are tailored to specific thematic content or particularly appropriate for specific programs and majors.

• 100-200 level

ENGL 151.S01: Introduction to English Studies

Tuesday and Thursday, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Sharon Smith

ENGL 151 serves as an introduction to both the English major and the discipline of English studies. In this class, you will develop the thinking, reading, writing and research practices that define both the major and the discipline. Much of the semester will be devoted to honing your literary analysis skills, and we will study and discuss texts from several different genres—poetry, short fiction, the novel, drama and film—as well as some literary criticism. As we do so, we will explore the language of the discipline, and you will learn a variety of key literary terms and concepts. In addition, you will develop your skills as both a writer and researcher within the discipline of English.

ENGL 201.ST1 Composition II: The Mind/Body Connection

In this section of English 201, students will use research and writing to learn more about problems that are important to them and articulate ways to address those problems. The course will focus specifically on issues related to the mind, the body and the relationship between them. The topics we will discuss during the course will include the correlation between social media and body image; the efficacy of sex education programs; the degree to which beliefs about race and gender influence school dress codes; and the unique mental and physical challenges faced by college students today. In this course, you will be learning about different approaches to argumentation, analyzing the arguments of others and constructing your own arguments. At the same time, you will be honing your skills as a researcher and developing your abilities as a persuasive and effective writer.

ENGL 201.S10 Composition II: Environmental Writing   

Monday/Wednesday/Friday 1-1:50 p.m.

Gwen Horsley

English 201 will help students develop the ability to think critically and analytically and to write effectively for other university courses and careers. This course will provide opportunities to develop analytical skills that will help students become critical readers and effective writers. Specifically, in this class, students will:

• Focus on the relationships between world environments, land, animals and humankind.
• Read various essays by environmental, conservational and regional authors.
• Produce student writings. 

Students will improve their writing skills by reading essays and applying techniques they witness in others’ work and those learned in class. This class is also a course in logical and creative thought. Students will write about humankind’s place in the world and our influence on the land and animals, places that hold special meaning to them or have influenced their lives and stories of their own families and their places and passions in the world. Students will practice writing in an informed and persuasive manner, in language that engages and enlivens readers by using vivid verbs and avoiding unnecessary passives, nominalizations and expletive constructions.

Students will prepare writing assignments based on readings and discussions of essays included in "Literature and the Environment " and other sources. They may use "The St. Martin’s Handbook," as well as other sources, to review grammar, punctuation, mechanics and usage as needed.

ENGL 201.13 Composition II: Writing the Environment

Tuesday and Thursday 9:30-10:45 a.m.

Paul Baggett

For generations, environmentalists have relied on the power of prose to change the minds and habits of their contemporaries. In the wake of fires, floods, storms and droughts, environmental writing has gained a new sense of urgency, with authors joining activists in their efforts to educate the public about the grim realities of climate change. But do they make a difference? Have reports of present and future disasters so saturated our airwaves that we no longer hear them? How do writers make us care about the planet amidst all the noise? In this course, students will examine the various rhetorical strategies employed by some of today’s leading environmental writers and filmmakers. And while analyzing their different arguments, students also will strengthen their own strategies of argumentation as they research and develop essays that explore a range of environmental concerns.

ENGL 201 Composition II: Food Writing

S17 Tuesday and Thursday 12:30-1:45 p.m.

S18 Tuesday and Thursday 2-3:15 p.m.

Jodi Andrews

In this composition class, students will critically analyze essays about food, food systems and environments, food cultures, the intersections of personal choice, market forces and policy and the values underneath these forces. Students will learn to better read like writers, noting authors’ purpose, audience organizational moves, sentence-level punctuation and diction. We will read a variety of essays including research-intensive arguments and personal narratives which intersect with one of our most primal needs as humans: food consumption. Students will rhetorically analyze texts, conduct advanced research, reflect on the writing process and write essays utilizing intentional rhetorical strategies. Through doing this work, students will practice the writing moves valued in every discipline: argument, evidence, concision, engaging prose and the essential research skills for the 21st century.

ENGL 221.S01 British Literature I

Michael S. Nagy

English 221 is a survey of early British literature from its inception in the Old English period with works such as "Beowulf" and the “Battle of Maldon,” through the Middle Ages and the incomparable writings of Geoffrey Chaucer and the Gawain - poet, to the Renaissance and beyond. Students will explore the historical and cultural contexts in which all assigned reading materials were written, and they will bring that information to bear on class discussion. Likely themes that this class will cover include heroism, humor, honor, religion, heresy and moral relativity. Students will write one research paper in this class and sit for two formal exams: a midterm covering everything up to that point in the semester, and a comprehensive final. Probable texts include the following:

• The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Middle Ages. Ed. Alfred David, M. H. Abrams, and Stephen Greenblatt. 9th ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012.
• The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Sixteenth Century and Early Seventeenth Century. Ed. George M. Logan, Stephen Greenblatt, Barbara K Lewalski, and M. H. Abrams. 9th ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012.
• The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century. Ed. George M. Logan, Stephen Greenblatt, Barbara K Lewalski, and M. H. Abrams. 9th ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012.
• Gibaldi, Joseph. The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 2003.
• Any Standard College Dictionary.

ENGL 240.S01 Juvenile Literature Elementary-5th Grade

Monday, Wednesday and Friday noon-12:50 p.m.

April Myrick

A survey of the history of literature written for children and adolescents, and a consideration of the various types of juvenile literature. Text selection will focus on the themes of imagination and breaking boundaries.

ENGL 240.ST1 Juvenile Literature Elementary-5th Grade

Randi Anderson

In English 240 students will develop the skills to interpret and evaluate various genres of literature for juvenile readers. This particular section will focus on various works of literature at approximately the K-5 grade level. We will read a large range of works that fall into this category, as well as information on the history, development and genre of juvenile literature.

Readings for this course include classical works such as "Hatchet," "Little Women", "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "Brown Girl Dreaming," as well as newer works like "Storm in the Barn," "Anne Frank’s Diary: A Graphic Adaptation," "Lumberjanes," and a variety of picture books. These readings will be paired with chapters from "Reading Children’s Literature: A Critical Introduction " to help develop understanding of various genres, themes and concepts that are both related to juvenile literature and also present in our readings.

In addition to exposing students to various genres of writing (poetry, historical fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, picture books, graphic novels, etc.) this course will also allow students to engage in a discussion of larger themes present in these works such as censorship, race and gender. Students’ understanding of these works and concepts will be developed through readings, research, discussion posts, exams and writing assignments designed to get students to practice analyzing poetry, picture books, informational books and transitional/easy readers.

ENGL 241.S01: American Literature I

Tuesday and Thursday 12:30-1:45 p.m.

This course provides a broad, historical survey of American literature from the early colonial period to the Civil War. Ranging across historical periods and literary genres—including early accounts of contact and discovery, narratives of captivity and slavery, poetry of revolution, essays on gender equality and stories of industrial exploitation—this class examines how subjects such as colonialism, nationhood, religion, slavery, westward expansion, race, gender and democracy continue to influence how Americans see themselves and their society.

Required Texts

• The Norton Anthology of American Literature: Package 1, Volumes A and B Beginnings to 1865, Ninth Edition. (ISBN 978-0-393-26454-8)

ENGL 283.S01 Introduction to Creative Writing

Steven Wingate

Students will explore the various forms of creative writing (fiction, nonfiction and poetry) not one at a time in a survey format—as if there were decisive walls of separation between then—but as intensely related genres that share much of their creative DNA. Through close reading and work on personal texts, students will address the decisions that writers in any genre must face on voice, rhetorical position, relationship to audience, etc. Students will produce and revise portfolios of original creative work developed from prompts and research. This course fulfills the same SGR #2 requirements ENGL 201; note that the course will involve a research project. Successful completion of ENGL 101 (including by test or dual credit) is a prerequisite.

ENGL 283.S02 Introduction to Creative Writing

Jodilyn Andrews

This course introduces students to the craft of writing, with readings and practice in at least two genres (including fiction, poetry and drama).

ENGL 283.ST1 Introduction to Creative Writing

Amber Jensen, M.A., M.F.A.

This course explores creative writing as a way of encountering the world, research as a component of the creative writing process, elements of craft and their rhetorical effect and drafting, workshop and revision as integral parts of writing polished literary creative work. Student writers will engage in the research practices that inform the writing of literature and in the composing strategies and writing process writers use to create literary texts. Through their reading and writing of fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction, students will learn about craft elements, find examples of those craft elements in published works and apply these elements in their own creative work, developed through weekly writing activities, small group and large group workshop and conferences with the instructor. Work will be submitted, along with a learning reflection and revision plan in each genre and will then be revised and submitted as a final portfolio at the end of the semester to demonstrate continued growth in the creation of polished literary writing.

• 300-400 level

ENGL 424.S01 Language Arts Methods grades 7-12  

Tuesday 6-8:50 p.m.

Danielle Harms

Techniques, materials and resources for teaching English language and literature to middle and secondary school students. Required of students in the English education option.

AIS/ENGL 447.S01: American Indian Literature of the Present 

Thursdays 3-6 p.m.

This course introduces students to contemporary works by authors from various Indigenous nations. Students examine these works to enhance their historical understanding of Indigenous peoples, discover the variety of literary forms used by those who identify as Indigenous writers, and consider the cultural and political significance of these varieties of expression. Topics and questions to be explored include:

• Genre: What makes Indigenous literature indigenous?
• Political and Cultural Sovereignty: Why have an emphasis on tribal specificity and calls for “literary separatism” emerged in recent decades, and what are some of the critical conversations surrounding such particularized perspectives?
• Gender and Sexuality: What are the intersecting concerns of Indigenous Studies and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and how might these research fields inform one another?
• Trans-Indigeneity: What might we learn by comparing works across different Indigenous traditions, and what challenges do such comparisons present?
• Aesthetics: How do Indigenous writers understand the dynamics between tradition and creativity?
• Visual Forms: What questions or concerns do visual representations (television and film) by or about Indigenous peoples present?

Possible Texts

• Akiwenzie-Damm, Kateri and Josie Douglas (eds), Skins: Contemporary Indigenous Writing. IAD Press, 2000. (978-1864650327)
• Erdrich, Louise, The Sentence. Harper, 2021 (978-0062671127)
• Harjo, Joy, Poet Warrior: A Memoir. Norton, 2021 (978-0393248524)
• Harjo, Sterlin and Taika Waititi, Reservation Dogs (selected episodes)
• Talty, Morgan. Night of the Living Rez, 2022, Tin House (978-1953534187)
• Wall Kimmerer, Robin. Braiding Sweet Grass, Milkweed Editions (978-1571313560)
• Wilson, Diane. The Seed Keeper: A Novel. Milkweed Editions (978-1571311375)
• Critical essays by Alexie, Allen, Cohen, Cox, King, Kroeber, Ortiz, Piatote, Ross and Sexton, Smith, Taylor, Teuton, Treuer, Vizenor, and Womack.

ENGL 472.S01: Film Criticism

Tuesdays 2-4:50 p.m.

Jason McEntee

Do you have an appreciation for, and enjoy watching, movies? Do you want to study movies in a genre-oriented format (such as those we typically call the Western, the screwball comedy, the science fiction or the crime/gangster, to name a few)? Do you want to explore the different critical approaches for talking and writing about movies (such as auteur, feminist, genre or reception)?

In this class, you will examine movies through viewing and defining different genres while, at the same time, studying and utilizing different styles of film criticism. You will share your discoveries in both class discussions and short writings. The final project will be a formal written piece of film criticism based on our work throughout the semester. The course satisfies requirements and electives for all English majors and minors, including both the Film Studies and Professional Writing minors. (Note: Viewing of movies outside of class required and may require rental and/or streaming service fees.)

ENGL 476.ST1: Fiction

In this workshop-based creative writing course, students will develop original fiction based on strong attention to the fundamentals of literary storytelling: full-bodied characters, robust story lines, palpable environments and unique voices. We will pay particular attention to process awareness, to the integrity of the sentence, and to authors' commitments to their characters and the places in which their stories unfold. Some workshop experience is helpful, as student peer critique will be an important element of the class.

ENGL 479.01 Capstone: The Gothic

Wednesday 3-5:50 p.m.

With the publication of Horace Walpole’s "The Castle of Otranto " in 1764, the Gothic officially came into being. Dark tales of physical violence and psychological terror, the Gothic incorporates elements such as distressed heroes and heroines pursued by tyrannical villains; gloomy estates with dark corridors, secret passageways and mysterious chambers; haunting dreams, troubling prophecies and disturbing premonitions; abduction, imprisonment and murder; and a varied assortment of corpses, apparitions and “monsters.” In this course, we will trace the development of Gothic literature—and some film—from the eighteenth-century to the present time. As we do so, we will consider how the Gothic engages philosophical beliefs about the beautiful and sublime; shapes psychological understandings of human beings’ encounters with horror, terror, the fantastic and the uncanny; and intervenes in the social and historical contexts in which it was written. We’ll consider, for example, how the Gothic undermines ideals related to domesticity and marriage through representations of domestic abuse, toxicity and gaslighting. In addition, we’ll discuss Gothic texts that center the injustices of slavery and racism. As many Gothic texts suggest, the true horrors of human existence often have less to do with inexplicable supernatural phenomena than with the realities of the world in which we live. 

ENGL 485.S01: Undergraduate Writing Center Learning Assistants 

Flexible Scheduling

Nathan Serfling

Since their beginnings in the 1920s and 30s, writing centers have come to serve numerous functions: as hubs for writing across the curriculum initiatives, sites to develop and deliver workshops and resource centers for faculty as well as students, among other functions. But the primary function of writing centers has necessarily and rightfully remained the tutoring of student writers. This course will immerse you in that function in two parts. During the first four weeks, you will explore writing center praxis—that is, the dialogic interplay of theory and practice related to writing center work. This part of the course will orient you to writing center history, key theoretical tenets and practical aspects of writing center tutoring. Once we have developed and practiced this foundation, you will begin work in the writing center as a tutor, responsible for assisting a wide variety of student clients with numerous writing tasks. Through this work, you will learn to actively engage with student clients in the revision of a text, respond to different student needs and abilities, work with a variety of writing tasks and rhetorical situations, and develop a richer sense of writing as a complex and negotiated social process.

Graduate Courses

Engl 572.s01: film criticism, engl 576.st1 fiction.

In this workshop-based creative writing course, students will develop original fiction based on strong attention to the fundamentals of literary storytelling: full-bodied characters, robust story lines, palpable environments and unique voices. We will pay particular attention to process awareness, to the integrity of the sentence and to authors' commitments to their characters and the places in which their stories unfold. Some workshop experience is helpful, as student peer critique will be an important element of the class.

ENGL 605.S01 Seminar in Teaching Composition

Thursdays 1-3:50 p.m.

This course will provide you with a foundation in the pedagogies and theories (and their attendant histories) of writing instruction, a foundation that will prepare you to teach your own writing courses at SDSU and elsewhere. As you will discover through our course, though, writing instruction does not come with any prescribed set of “best” practices. Rather, writing pedagogies stem from and continue to evolve because of various and largely unsettled conversations about what constitutes effective writing and effective writing instruction. Part of becoming a practicing writing instructor, then, is studying these conversations to develop a sense of what “good writing” and “effective writing instruction” might mean for you in our particular program and how you might adapt that understanding to different programs and contexts.

As we read about, discuss and research writing instruction, we will address a variety of practical and theoretical topics. The practical focus will allow us to attend to topics relevant to your immediate classroom practices: designing a curriculum and various types of assignments, delivering the course content and assessing student work, among others. Our theoretical topics will begin to reveal the underpinnings of these various practical matters, including their historical, rhetorical, social and political contexts. In other words, we will investigate the praxis—the dialogic interaction of practice and theory—of writing pedagogy. As a result, this course aims to prepare you not only as a writing teacher but also as a nascent writing studies/writing pedagogy scholar.

At the end of this course, you should be able to engage effectively in the classroom practices described above and participate in academic conversations about writing pedagogy, both orally and in writing. Assessment of these outcomes will be based primarily on the various writing assignments you submit and to a smaller degree on your participation in class discussions and activities.

ENGL 726.S01: The New Woman, 1880–1900s 

Thursdays 3–5:50 p.m.

Katherine Malone

This course explores the rise of the New Woman at the end of the nineteenth century. The label New Woman referred to independent women who rebelled against social conventions. Often depicted riding bicycles, smoking cigarettes and wearing masculine clothing, these early feminists challenged gender roles and sought broader opportunities for women’s employment and self-determination. We will read provocative fiction and nonfiction by New Women writers and their critics, including authors such as Sarah Grand, Mona Caird, George Egerton, Amy Levy, Ella Hepworth Dixon, Grant Allen and George Gissing. We will analyze these exciting texts through a range of critical lenses and within the historical context of imperialism, scientific and technological innovation, the growth of the periodical press and discourse about race, class and gender. In addition to writing an argumentative seminar paper, students will complete short research assignments and lead discussion.

ENGL 792.ST1 Women in War: Female Authors and Characters in Contemporary War Lit

In this course, we will explore the voices of female authors and characters in contemporary literature of war. Drawing from various literary theories, our readings and discussion will explore the contributions of these voices to the evolving literature of war through archetypal and feminist criticism. We will read a variety of short works (both theoretical and creative) and complete works such as (selections subject to change): "Eyes Right" by Tracy Crow, "Plenty of Time When We Get Home" by Kayla Williams, "You Know When the Men are Gone" by Siobhan Fallon, "Still, Come Home" by Katie Schultz and "The Fine Art of Camouflage" by Lauren Johnson.