Eight times each quarter, the SFCC counseling department hosts a series of success workshops for students. Workshops are on a variety of topics such as taking notes, studying and test preparation.
On Wed. April 24, the workshop titled “Overcoming Math Anxiety” was hosted by Peter Wildman, mathematics department faculty member, at noon in building 24, room 103.
It was the third of eight different workshops this quarter. Among the ideas for successful test preparation presented by Wildman at the math anxiety workshop were: eating well and getting proper sleep, asking for advice from the professor whenever you could, not giving in to negative thoughts and practicing anxiety-relieving exercises.
“I used to be just like you,” Wildman said. “I didn’t know many effective strategies to help me prepare for math tests.”
Rhiannon Cook, a student who attended the math workshop, learned new study skills.
“The workshop informed me about many resources on campus I might not have known about otherwise,” Cook said. “If I write formulas down right at the beginning of the test, then I will still have them, even if I forget.”
“The workshop will probably result in less anxiety before tests,” Cook said. “So I’ll learn the material better.”
In “Plan My Schedule and Registration,” which happened Wed. May 1, Cindy Havko walked students through the SFCC website where students register for classes online, and gave them valuable tips to help them choose which classes to take.
“The most important thing students need to keep in mind when selecting classes is that they have to understand what is required for their degree,” Havko said. “If students are proactive in their educational goals and know what to do to achieve those goals, then it eliminates a lot of fear.”
In “Making a Come Back,” presented on Wed. May 15, Dan Whye, a financial manager for SFCC, gave an autobiographical account of his ascension to success despite limited means.
In his own words, Whye sought to “show students an example of someone who has been where they are and yet overcame various obstacles to achieve success.”
The next three workshops are as follows:
“Test Taking” on Wed. May 22, will be presented by Stormy Kurtz. In this workshop, students will assess their comfort level in taking tests with a “test-taking proficiency test.”
“We will be giving students useful strategies,” Kurtz said. “Which they can use to achieve success in the classroom.”
In addition, Kurtz will teach the importance of post-test evaluation. “Many students who do badly on tests throw away their test papers without figuring out exactly what went wrong,” Kurtz said. “We want to help change that.”
According to the workshop schedule, the “Financial Aid (What You Must Know)” workshop on Wed. May 29, will be presented by Bill Ramirez. In this workshop, Ramirez will walk students through the process of applying for financial aid.
The last workshop, called “Stress Management,” is on Wed. June 5 and will be presented by Sheri Staudinger. Unlike the others, this workshop will begin at 1 p.m.
“This workshop will help students in everything they do, from their everyday lives to their jobs and school,” Staudinger said.Workshops are hosted at noon on Wednesdays (unless stated otherwise), and are always in room 103 of building 24 for those who need help or wish to further their academic skills.