Academic Advisor Shahid Bux shares study skills and strategies for academic success in university.
Host: Welcome to FYE Chats, an AUS podcast. I’m your host, Erica Payne. University is a BIG transition that can be a little overwhelming. We invite you to listen in on candid conversations with the AUS community because we want to see you THRIVE as you begin your First Year Experience.
On this week’s show, we’ve invited a...
Erica: Shahid is an academic advisor in the Academic Support center. He will share his wisdom on honing study skills that lead to success. Shahid, thanks for joining us on the show.
Guest: Thank you Erica, it’s a pleasure to be here.
Erica: Shahid, you have been an advisor for more than 5 years now, what have you found to be the greatest challenges that students encounter in pursuing their academic goals?
Guest: I think one of the greatest challenges, especially for students coming straight out of school is the approach and mindset towards college. Many students come to university thinking it will be easy, a smooth ride without any obstacles and that their talent and skills alone can pull them through. While talent and skills matter of course, university for me is more a test of character and mental stamina because one can expect ups and downs, not just in terms of grades but everything associated with coming of age in terms of how well you can manage yourself, your time, your habits and emotions. It will test not only your academic ability, but your desire, your resilience among other things, so I think ultimately those that pull through are those who can patiently persist when things are a little challenging and at the same time take full advantage when things are going well.
Erica: I love how you mention that there are bound to be obstacles throughout university, but it is the way that students respond to these that shapes their character.
Speaking of obstacles, this episode will be released around the time of the first wave of midterms approaching, giving students the perfect opportunity to begin developing university-level habits for exam prep. What are one or two effective study strategies that you recommend?
Guest:
Two of the most effective strategies for learning things faster are to frequently test yourself on the material that you are studying and to teach what you know to others. By testing yourself you can discern your mistakes before a major exam, can pinpoint areas of weakness and focus on those rather than spending time over-reviewing concepts you know well. The second is to make a habit of teaching what you know to yourself and others. When you force yourself to articulate, or to explain on a board using concept maps or diagrams it embeds the information deeper and becomes easier to recall in an exam.
Erica: Yes! Teaching what you know is a great way to test your own understanding. If you can simplify the content so that a younger sibling would understand, you have likely mastered it. Such a helpful strategy.
As you mentioned in your first response, the first year of university is particularly challenging. The pace and rigor of university classes can be surprising and many students take some time to learn the skills necessary to maintain good grades. At the end of a tough semester, it is possible for a student to receive an email that they are on probation. What does this mean for their next semester?
Guest:
It is possible and it can come as a big shock for many students. Probation essentially means that your cumulative GPA has fallen below a 2.0 and now the university will be taking measures to track your progress a little more closely to ensure that you can keep up with the required minimum GPA. As part of the probation process there are a number of things that happen. Students receive an email informing them about probation. The parents are informed about their child’s academic standing and they will be required to meet with the student’s academic advisor. Student’s are required to take a course called UPA 200 which teaches them the essentials of university success. This course forces students to take stock of their situation and develop a more thoughtful approach to what they might otherwise have taken for granted, like time-management, goal-setting, learning styles etc. And then lastly, they will be required to have at least three meetings during that semester with an academic advisor like myself. In those meetings, they will discuss challenges they faced, goals they would like to work towards, habits they would like to change, resources they can utilize, study-skills they can improve etc. The advising process is collaborative so students are not expected to come and listen to an advisor telling them what they should do, but rather it should be a conversation that opens up a space for self-awareness and self-improvement. The process in sum is designed to help students take responsibility for their academic progress, develop more awareness about what is not working, and to have a clear vision of what they need to do to be a successful student at AUS.
Erica: It sounds like the advisors in the Academic Support Center are helpful resources for students who aren’t achieving the GPA they hoped for. What are some ways that students can bring their grades up, after a difficult semester?
Guest:
I think for me the most important thing for a student if they get on probation is to do a little bit of self-reflection. This means that they need to accept a little bit of personal responsibility and to think about what went wrong. It is really important students do this before beginning the semester. Students who enter the semester thinking things will just be different are likely to come up short again. When you do this self-reflection you become a little bit more self-aware and understand what habits need to change. When you accept that change is necessary, it is important then to have some goals – identify what you want to achieve in the following semester and some habits that might help you realize those goals. Then finally what you need is feedback and support. Having an advisor to give you feedback about your progress really helps solidify your commitment to those goals, as does having friends with high ambition and purpose. If you don’t have those types of friends then there is nothing better than speaking to one of our amazing peer advisors at the Academic Support Center or to attend our Student Success Workshops where you will undoubtedly meet like-minded people.
Erica: Wow. It is amazing how you mention that accepting personal responsibility is the first step toward improvement. Another important lesson in character building.
First-years, if you meet Shahid, you will know that he is an avid reader with a wealth of knowledge from a variety of literature. Shahid, do you have any book recommendations for a first-year student hoping to set themselves up for a successful university trajectory?
Guest: Yes, if you want to master the art of learning difficult things in super-quick time then you have to read Scott Young’s Ultralearning. In this book he provides nine tried-and-tested principles to master hard skills and improve your retention. Whether you’re just starting out at university or deep into your programme, this book is guaranteed to shake up your way of thinking about how to learn effectively.
Host: Wow! Scott Young’s Ultralearning. Sounds interesting. I’ll link that to the show notes and may check it out myself!
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Before we close the show, I’d like to end with a few questions that we ask all of our guests:
First, What is your favorite part of the AUS campus?
Guest: I have to say there is nothing better than going to the mosque after a busy morning in the office. The mosque is the place for spiritual renewal and that for me is really important
Host: Mm. I love how you value and protect those times, even during busy days.
On a completely opposite note, Do you have an embarrassing moment while working at AUS?
Guest:
A moment that left me speechless perhaps more than embarrassed was when a parent of one of my students came to see me, and he was quite happy with the support I provided his son, and he was insisting that I come to his house. He told me that he has a courtyard full of Corvette’s because he is addicted to these cars. He said you can come and choose any one you like! I sat there for a moment thinking, “is this guy for real? a corvette for a little bit of advice”, I wasn’t sure if he was just playing with me or being serious. After a bit of nervous hesitation I just said, ‘Oh that’s really generous of you…but I couldn’t possibly do that” It suffices to say that I don’t have a Corvette but just a modest Toyota Yaris!
Host: Wow! That is hilarious! That certainly is a story to tell. Maybe more of an honor than an embarrassment...and a testament to the value of your advice!
Now, I can’t offer you a corvette in exchange for this...but what is one piece of advice you’d like to share with our first-years listening, as they continue in their first semester in a remote setting?
Guest: The watchword is anticipate – don’t wait for things to happen, make them happen. If you don’t have any quizzes, assignments and exams don’t think you can just coast because a storm is coming. Get ready, be proactive, prepare ahead of time for everything and you will hopefully coast through.
Host: “The storm is coming.” I had a recent first year send that to me in a message. A great word of caution to begin preparing before it hits.
Shahid, thank you so much for taking the time to join us on the show today!
Guest: My pleasure
Closing:
Host: I hope you enjoyed hearing from Shahid today.
We’ll link the resources mentioned to our show notes. If you found this information helpful, we would love to hear your feedback! Leave us a review on Apple podcasts or post a comment on the @ausfye instagram page.