ama36 – Learning Strategies Center

Gearing Up for a New Semester

Posted on January 15, 2026January 16, 2026 by ama36

In the whirlwind of gearing up for the start of the new semester, it’s important to make time to reflect on the fall semester. What academic accomplishments are you proud of? What advice about your academics would you give yourself, knowing what you know now? The Learning Strategies Center is here to help you identify strategies you used last semester that will help you continue to be successful academically, identify what you might want to change to be more successful, and develop or refine a plan for academic success.

How can you get ready for and start the Spring semester strong?

1. Explore the LSC’s “Gearing Up for a New Semester” Canvas module

The Canvas module will help you:

Identify strategies you used last semester that will help you continue to be successful academically.
Identify what you might want to change to be more successful.
Develop or refine a plan for academic success.

If you are already enrolled in the LSC Study Skills Canvas site, click here to go directly to module. If you are not already enrolled in our LSC Canvas site, you can self-enroll to access study skills modules by clicking here. (Cornell students, faculty, and staff only).

2. Check out other opportunities to gear up and start the spring strong

Check out LSC peer study skills tutor workshops, held at the start of each semester, for practical tips about starting the semester strong.

Start Spring Strong

Posted on January 14, 2026January 20, 2026 by ama36

Welcome to Spring 2026! As you start the semester, what are some things you should think about to get started strong?

Think about what went well and what might change from last semester

Take some time to reflect on how your previous semester went. Find some time to think about the following questions:

What went well? Think about what you did that was helpful to your success. This is important so you can continue to use and adapt those strategies moving forward.
What might you have done differently? Is there anything you’d like to try differently this time around? Tweak and adjust? What is your plan to make the hard parts easier this time?
Final thoughts – take a big picture look at how things went. Celebrate your successes and identify your areas for growth. There will always be opportunities to work smarter, not harder.

If you haven’t done the LSC’s Canvas module on “Gearing Up for a New Semester“, it’s not too late to self-enroll and refine your plan for success this spring!

Develop a system to manage your time

Time management is one of the top skills current and former Cornell students say is key to success. So, how do you develop a plan to manage your time?

Create and maintain a schedule: even though it can be a challenge, it is important to create a schedule – and stick to it. Consider using semester calendars to map out big due dates and important events and weekly planner to map out how you will spend your time in a week.
Sleep: Sleep is necessary for processing and retaining new information-you need to sleep in order to learn. Scheduling enough time for sleep can be just as important as scheduling enough time to study.
Break the cycle of procrastination: if you procrastinate, LSC can help you figure out why. This info will inform what you can do to break the cycle.
Develop a plan for unplanned events: This may sound odd -how can you plan for something you don’t know about?- but things happen! Develop a plan for if you need to miss class before you need it.

Work smarter, not harder!

Get the most out of the syllabus and see what you need to focus on with LSC’s syllabus checklist.
Develop a study plan that spreads out your study time and preparation for exams.
Find effective study strategies that are ACTIVE, not passive. An example of a passive strategy is to re-read your notes or look over old homework–you’re not really working your brain when you do this. Active techniques might have you retrieve knowledge from your memory; an example is self-testing (taking a practice exam under test-like conditions – no looking at answer keys!) and blank-page testing or working with your study partners to develop your own sample test questions.
Amp-up your note-taking strategies by using Cornell Notes.

Get help when (not if) you need it!

Successful students ask for help when they need it! So, where do you get help? Check out our post on “Where to get help when you need it!” for some ideas.

Hear it from your peers! Check out successful students’ top 10 recommendations for starting strong!

Study Partner Matching is Back

Posted on September 2, 2025January 16, 2026 by ama36

LSC can help match you with study partners for your classes!

Why have so many students signed up for a study partner? Because they know that studying with peers is an effective way to learn complex and challenging material and helps them connect with each other. They are also really helpful if you need to miss class! Are you ready to sign up for a study partner?

**Click here to visit our “Find Study Partners” page.**

Do study partners and study groups work? YES! Take a look at what your peers had to say about…

… connecting with other students:

“I was so grateful to actually meet someone in my asynchronous class! Now more than ever, this one personal connection to the school was so important to keep me motivated and present.”
“The LSC study partner matching is very helpful especially if you are more introverted during this period where classes are mostly online.”
“It was helpful to just have a support system with another student especially in a course with such limited student interaction by default.”

… learning complex and challenging material:

“I learned a lot from just talking, seeing a different perspective in the class and building my own understanding on the topics.”
“We were able to go over homework and things together, so it was very helpful to have two perspectives to reference.”
“It helped me gauge how in depth I was supposed to know the material for my class, and it helps a lot to work together when you get stuck.”

Study partners are just one way for you get help in your courses when you need it. Check out some other academic support resources here.

Successful students ask for help when they need it!

Posted on January 10, 2024October 1, 2025 by ama36

At the LSC, you will often hear us say, “Successful students ask for help when they need it!”. This advice actually came from our student tutors. When we asked them what they would want to share with new students, this was the most common response.

So, you might be wondering, where DO I get help if when I need it?

Where can you get help?

Visit office hours with your course instructor or TA (Teaching Assistant). Office hours are times for you to come and ask questions – they are usually held at a variety of times. Instructors and TAs are there to help you learn, so visit office hours and take a look at how you can best use them! (New to Cornell? – check out our Cornell Terms to Know page!)

Look for LSC tutoring and LSC Supplemental Courses, which are available as a supplement to some challenging introductory courses and give additional problem-solving practice. Check out the LSC webpage for what courses are supported. All courses and tutoring offered by the LSC are available at NO COST to you!

Find a study group or study partner. Not only are study partners a great way to network and connect with your peers, studying together is a powerful tool for learning:

Other students may have questions you didn’t even know you have.
Setting a regular time and place to study can help with procrastination.
Explaining material to other students is a well-established method of solidifying your own knowledge.
Working with classmates from a variety of background helps you gain insights and experience perspectives you might not otherwise have access to.

Finding people to study with can be challenging (even when you are taking in-person classes), and Cornell’s Learning Strategies Center (LSC) helps match you with study partners. To find out more about study groups and partners and to sign-up for study partners for class you are in, visit the LSC’s Studying Together webpage.

Talk to your Advisor. Every college is different in terms of how advising works, but they all have staff who are there to help! College advisors provide information on where to get support while you are here and they can advise you on the courses you need to/should take.

Look at study tips and strategies offered by the LSC. Help with study strategies and time management can be just as important as help with content. Sometimes tweaking your current study strategies or trying new ones can help you save time and learn material better. Check out the LSC resources on how to study, managing time and stress, and learning online.

There are many place to get help! Your friends, residential staff, and family are great resources. Check out non-LSC academic resources and other campus support offices.

As you already know, it won’t always be easy, but you can do it!

Cornell WILL push you and it WILL be hard sometimes (that’s how we get better and learn). Remember, you have the tools and the resources – maybe you need to tweak them, maybe you need to try something new, but you have what you need, and you have a community of support (your peers, your instructors, your advisors, residential staff, and many others) here to help.

It’s easier to keep up than catch up, so make sure you get help when you need it. Have a great semester!