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From the program's beginning in 1993, statistics
have shown that nearly two-thirds of the SLA courses had higher pass rates than
other, non-SLA courses. In percentages that average to be 10.8% higher pass
rates. In terms of grades, that means the difference of one entire letter
grade.
Many first-year students are not prepared for
the college format. Many of these students have poor time management skills.
They think “Oh, three 50-minute classes per
day… WOW, that’s just
three hours
per day of school. I am going to have lots of
free time.” However, they are sadly mistaken. For every hour of
class lecture approximately 2 hours of additional study time is required to be
successful.
Few students schedule the appropriate amount
of study time to be successful. This often hits home about mid-semester, when
the mid-semester grades come out. Students then make a mad scramble to correct
behaviors and brush up on much needed study skills. This last minute effort may
be a case of “too-little, too-late.”
The “three
hours” of school a day that the student was expecting actually equates to
nearly 9 hours per day when considering the amount of time and effort success
will require. The SLA workshops strive to help students avoid this struggle
right from the beginning. We show students how to effectively prepare for their
courses based on specific course needs.
Many first semester students try to avoid
courses with SLA workshops. They may feel that they don’t need it, or don’t have
time for it. Unfortunately they realize too late the benefits of having a
regularly scheduled workshop.
On the positive side, those same students are
much more willing to schedule courses with SLA workshops the second semester as
well as the following year. It is no fun having to re-take a course because the
grade wasn’t good enough to qualify for a passing prerequisite. It’s also no
fun to be dismissed from a program of study because of low grade point
averages. The SLA program strives to help students avoid such pitfalls.
Our facilitators understand the importance of
passing a course the first time around. Success boosts students’ self-esteem,
confidence, and reinforces good study
habits.
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