The First Year Success Center held workshops thoughout the week, with student success coaches Christian Chavez and Juan Moreno there to help students make the most of the FYSC’s facilities by helping them familiarize themselves with all the programs that Rio Hondo has to offer.

The Spring into Student Success workshop was held on March 14, where the coaches offered practical tips on many topics. They started by encouraging students to figure out which learning style they benefit from most.

Chavez also encouraged that students familiarize themselves with the syllabus saying that, “Oftentimes, students get their syllabus and file it into the backs of their folders, never to see them again.”

Chavez encouraged students to visit their instructors during office hours to help develop a bond that would further understanding between one another.

Another helpful tip the coaches gave involved pre-reading and note-taking.

One of the suggestions given was to first skim ahead to prepare for assigned reading, and then actively read, taking notes and carefully analyzing what is read. Moreno said “Simply reading aloud will help you retain what you read.” The use of bullet points and a highlighter was encouraged, as was summarizing key facts to help map out information for studying.

These ideas all led to test–taking strategies, which was their next topic of discussion, in which they pointed out easy-to-make mistakes, like studying late into the night. Moreno was firm in stating, “Never! Never study past 9 p.m.!” He instead encouraged having forty-five minute study segments throughout the day. The tip he encouraged most was simply having a study group or a network of friends that have the similar goals and will assist in educational successes.

They then moved on to discuss time management and how to avoid procrastination.

They explained to students the different kinds of stress procrastination can create and the negative effects it can have on a student‘s work. Having a detailed calendar was the first idea suggested, as they claimed that writing down the obligations of the week would help commit them to memory. Managing to work in fifteen minute breaks as needed was strongly encouraged, which introduced their next topic.

Stress management was discussed as a necessity for all students as they encouraged positive thinking. Moreno said to carefully evaluate situations and consider all possibilities while focusing on the positive circumstances. One way of doing this is to be prepared and aware of all resources available.

The coaches did much to keep their audience informed of all the resources Rio Hondo has to offer for their students. The handouts they distributed listed seemingly every department on campus. The coaches then shared their ideas with students and explained to them how they could use each department to benefit them in as many ways as possible. Both coaches agreed that visiting a counselor and revising an education plan is a must.