Some Things Never Change...

June and July mark the beginning of a four-year journey for the incoming students flocking to campus for their summer advising conferences.  In speaking with some of these students and their parents over the past week, I have come to this realization: some things never change.

While on an individual basis these incoming students are undergoing drastic changes in independence and responsibility, they are going through the exact same transformation I experienced three years ago. This also happens to be the same transformation thousands of other students currently at UK experienced. If you’re an incoming student and nervous about coming to college, but excited about all the new people and opportunities waiting for you, you’re not alone.  

How you choose to channel that nervous excitement once you step on campus in August is what will set you apart from the other students feeling the exact same way you are. Will you let our large, bustling campus intimidate you? Or will you dive into student organizations, make lots of new friends, and have fun? 

Getting involved will certainly make your college experience more worthwhile. Campus will start to feel like your second home and you’ll make friends that could easily be mistaken for long-lost siblings. With a whole week dedicated to introducing you to the ins and outs of campus, start off your college career on the right foot by attending as many K-Week events as possible. Not only will you get a ton of free stuff, but you’ll instantly feel welcomed to the UK family.

Once classes begin, take advantage of opportunities to learn from upperclassmen that have been through the same struggles you may be facing. Having a hard time studying for your first Chemistry exam? Feeling overwhelmed by your math homework? Come to The Study and have one of our peer tutors help you through it. All of our tutors have successfully completed the courses they tutor, giving them a unique insight on the professors, exams, and assignments. Free of charge, you will get all the academic assistance you could ask for, and then some. With over 17,000 tutoring sessions held last year, when you visit The Study, you certainly won’t be alone.

AE Spotlight: Study Smarter Seminars

As students line the halls of the Whitehall Classroom Building for Summer Advising Conferences, they will get their first taste of college. As they walk through the crowded halls and sit in the large lecture halls, students will quickly realize that college is nothing like high school – it is a whole different ballgame, especially when it comes to academics. With the higher level of expectations that come with the college territory, many of the study strategies that students utilized in high school may not suffice in college. For example, it is possible that some students may have never had to read critically in high school or have never learned how to effectively take notes. Nevertheless, when students get to college, they are often required to quickly adapt to the college environment, which can be extremely difficult; thus, it is with the Study Smarter Seminars that we, Academic Enhancement, hope to aid students in their transition from high school to college and to also give students a head start in the classroom. 

Designed to proactively prepare students for success throughout their college years, Study Smarter Seminars provide students with the tools they need to effectively manage their time, critically read, efficiently take their notes, and much more. Realizing the importance of studying smarter and not harder, Study Smarter Seminars aid students in their development of effective study habits so that they can not only succeed in their studies, but enjoy their college years as well.

Below is a quick breakdown of all the information you need to know about Study Smarter Seminars!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Summer...

Today wraps up the first week of Summer Advising, and of course, it did not disappoint! Our SPCs had a great time passing out all of our free goodies and talking to the new students and parents who packed out Whitehall. Check out some our pics below:

The Study’s Top 10 Places to Discover While Visiting Lexington for Summer Advising

While we are sure you’ll be busy with Summer Advising, we wanted to share with you guys our top 10 places to explore during your free time while you’re in Lexington! Make sure to visit these places while you’re in the city – you won’t be disappointed!

Welcome New Students and Parents!

Welcome to the University of Kentucky!

We first off want to welcome you! This is a very exciting time for everyone, and we cannot wait to see your faces! We are sure some of you guys are excited, maybe even a little nervous, but rest assure that AE will be here every step of the way. Having trouble in one of your classes? We can help with Peer Tutoring! Having difficulty managing your time? We can help with our Individual Consultations! Worried about making the transition from high school to college? We’ve got that covered too with our Study Smarter Seminars. Academic Enhancement is here for all students all the time!

There is so much to learn about the University of Kentucky, but we want to make sure that we invite you to our info session to hear more about Academic Enhancement. Come and hear an exciting presentation from some of our Student Program Coordinators who will introduce and describe several of our programs, specifically our most popular Peer Tutoring Program, and our Study Smarter Seminars that can help smooth the transition from high school to college. Throughout Summer Advising, our info session will be in room 114 in the Whitehall Classroom Building from 12:30-1:30. Even if you can’t make it to any of the sessions, make sure you come visit our table outside of Room 114 and talk to one of our SPCs who will be more than happy to talk to you!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Oh, the memories...

It’s that time again - the time where new students will flood the university to get the ball rolling on registering for classes, meeting new people, and learning about campus life. Tomorrow begins Summer Advising Conferences, and for many of us at AE, it brings back sweet memories – memories of first walking through Whitehall, memories of deciding between ENG 104 or PSY 100, and memories of grabbing all the free stuff we could.

Sigh. Those were the days!

Do you remember when you came to register for classes? What was it like?

Out With the Old & In With the New!

That's right - Academic Enhancement (AE) has officially launched its new website. Excited? We are! With a completely new design and layout, along with new material, expect to find all the information you need about Academic Enhancement on our new user-friendly website. Whether you are a student, parent, or faculty member, there is section designed especially for you to help answer any of your questions. There is even a new FAQ page! As with anything we do at AE, we designed this website with you in mind, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Check out our website below and let us know what you think!

Five Must-Read Books for College Students

College students have a lot on their plates. Working, studying, and getting involved on campus keep most students’ schedules packed.  Add on to that grocery shopping, cooking, doing laundry, and spending time with friends, and it’s easy to become overwhelmed.  Here are 5 books that can help you navigate through all aspects of the hectic college life without losing your balance:

Summertime Fun!

Students come from across the state and even around the globe to attend the University of Kentucky. For those students who travel far and wide to attend UK, each summer poses a challenge. If you aren’t from Lexington, odds are you have considered staying here over the summer break, but may be a little apprehensive about what Lexington has to offer in the UK off-season.

No need to worry if it’s your first summer living in Lexington. There are plenty of events to suit all interests. From artsy to sporty and everything in between, Lexington won’t leave you searching for summer plans. Check out The Study’s suggestions for fun events happening around town during the month of June:

The Study’s Suggestions for a Stimulating Summer

Eat. Sleep. Go to the pool. Repeat. Does this resemble your first few weeks of summer vacation?

After a stressful semester, you may be tempted to spend the whole summer relaxing, recovering and preparing to hit the books hard come August. However, the large amount of free time available to students during the summer break also leaves room for some productivity. For ways to inject some variety into your summer schedule, check out the following suggestions for a productive summer from The Study:

The first suggestion may make you cringe at first, but the easiest way to add structure to your summer schedule is to get to work. A part-time job is an excellent way to pad your pocketbook and lessen your financial stresses during the upcoming semester. If you’re tired of working in a typical part-time position, try to get an internship (paid or unpaid) in an area of interest to you. The experience can not only keep boredom at bay, but may also help you discover what profession is right for you.

If your summer schedule doesn’t suit an internship commitment, you can also make progress on your career hunt by job shadowing an individual in your field of interest. Spending just a day with an expert in the field can give you a better perspective of what that job entails — both good and bad. At the end of the experience you will walk away with a better-defined view of your future career options, as well as a professional mentor.

Aren’t sure what field you would like to pursue professionally, and facing too many options to choose an internship or job site to shadow? You may want to look into using your free time to volunteer around your community. During the semester it can be hard to find the time to give back, but the summer offers an excellent opportunity to do so. Choose to help an organization with a cause you are passionate about and you may stumble into a professional field you hadn’t considered before.

If you’re a junior or senior considering continuing your education after obtaining your undergraduate degree, spending your summer preparing for the appropriate graduate exam would be a smart decision. Without the pressure of a full class schedule, you can focus in on the material necessary to master the GRE, GMAT, etc. Many locations, including The Study, offer information to help students learn how to take these exams.

Invigorating your summer routine with these suggestions will prevent summer break boredom, while still leaving you with plenty of eat, sleep and go-to-the-pool free time.

So, what are your summer plans?

Welcome!

Welcome, welcome, welcome to our new blog! We created this blog with one thing in mind and that is you! With our Facebook page (like us!) and our new Twitter account @TheStudyScoop (follow us!), we figured, why not create a blog? Why not provide you guys with more of an insight into our department and what we do?

Just like Academic Enhancement is your one-stop shop for all of your academic resources, we designed our blog to be much of the same way. At our blog, you can find the latest news about The Study, find about what’s going on around UK’s campus, get a better look inside our department and possibly win some prizes all at one place! On the blog, we plan to have monthly spotlights on each of our services, monthly interviews with some our staff, and reminders about important events at The Study, around campus, and even in the city of Lexington. We also plan to have a little fun, too! Expect great giveaways, jokes, and even a few surprises! So, bookmark the blog, make it your homepage (a little much?) and tell all of your friends and colleagues to check back with us to get the latest information about The Study.

While you’ll be hearing a lot from us, we really want to hear from YOU! So, feel free to leave comments, questions, and any suggestions that you may have.

The first thing we want to know is: what do you think about the blog? Like it? Love it? Leave a comment and let us know!