Tomás Rivera Center

Workshops | Academic Success Coaching

There are two types of workshops for undergraduate students:
the Expert Learner Series and workshops by request.

Click here to fill out a workshop request form.

Are you a student looking for a workshop to attend? Scroll down to see our current offerings.
Are you a student interested in meeting with a coach one-on-one? Click here to fill out the Academic Success Coaching interest form.

Expert Learner Series

Fall 2019 Expert Learner "How To" Series

Join us for 30-minute, hands-on workshops to add to your academic skill toolbox in the Fall 2019 Expert Learner Series!

Workshops are held on Wednesdays, 12:15 to 12:45pm at Main: JPL 4.04.22 (Assembly Room) and Downtown: DB 2.114 (DT TRC). Attend any or all of the workshops in the series.

September 11: How to create a semester calendar

September 25: How to create a study guide

October 9: How to create a priority matrix

October 23: How to read a textbook

November 6: How to create a goal tracker

November 20: How to create a finals game plan


Registration (encouraged but not required): bit.ly/fa19ws.

Can’t make it to a workshop? Call or stop by the TRC to schedule a one-on-one appointment with an Academic Success Coach! For accommodations to participate fully in the workshop, please contact us.

Expert Learner Series

Workshop Upon Request

If you are teaching a class or leading a program or organization, we can schedule our staff to present an in-person workshop to your undergraduate course or group. Workshops-by-request typically last 45 to 50 minutes, but can often be pared down to a specific timeframe. Academic Success Coaching service presentations can be conducted in as few as 10 minutes. Please note: the professor or their designee is required to be present during the entire presentation or workshop.

Topics include:

      Time Management

      In this workshop, students will learn to evaluate the use of their time, discuss the importance of planning, prioritizing, and avoiding procrastination, and explore different tools for managing their time effectively.

      General Study Skills

      In this workshop, students will be able to identify strategic approaches for college success before, during, and after class. Students will leave with a knowledge of different strategies for effective note taking and proactive textbook reading.

      Effective Note-Taking

      In this interactive workshop, students will explore how effective note taking can aid them in the learning process. Students will understand the reasons for taking notes, how to take effective notes, and discover methods for organizing their notes to create their own study guide.

      Proactive Textbook Reading

      In this interactive workshop, students will discover the importance of being actively involved in the reading process. Students will learn how to annotate readings, highlight effectively, and summarize readings in their own words.

      Effective Examination Preparation

      In this workshop, students will learn how to prepare for exams well in advance, as well as techniques for reducing stress associated with exams. In particular, students will learn how to generate questions from course materials, apply appropriate techniques for studying, and apply specific strategies for taking different types of exams.

      Effective Communication

      This workshop examines the elements of effective communication, the communication cycle, and tips for communicating effectively. Additionally, students will demonstrate an understanding of how to communicate professionally with their professors and peers via email.

      Presentation Skills

      This workshop provides information on how to prepare for a presentation, including how to handle common challenges. Students will be able to identify best practices for presenting their work, including audiovisual mediums. This workshop can be tailored for presentations utilizing mediums such as PowerPoint, Prezi, or posters.

      Reading Scholarly Articles

      This workshop provides a brief overview of reading scholarly literature and ways to avoid getting lost in the details of the article. Students will learn what annotated bibliographies are, how to annotate sources as they read, and how to organize multiple sources. This workshop is designed to help students dissect information from scholarly articles to smoothly transition into writing a literature review.

      General Research Processes

      In this workshop, students will gain a basic understanding of what a research paper is and how to execute one successfully from start to finish. Students will learn what should be included in the introduction, literature review, methodology, analysis, and concluding sections of the research.

      General Writing Processes

      In this workshop, students will develop a basic understanding of the phases of the writing process, including the pre-writing, drafting, revision, and editing phases. Students will also learn how to develop a research question, tailor their writing to a particular assignment, organize and plan to meet deadlines, as well as different methods for overcoming writing blocks.

      Writing a Literature Review

      This workshop provides a basic overview of what a literature review is, as well as the importance of providing a clear roadmap of explaining the gap in the literature. Students will learn various strategies for organizing multiple sources and be able to demonstrate an understanding of the difference between summarizing and synthesizing information.

Student Feedback About Workshops

"The speaker was great and very helpful!"

"I have learned about presenting a lot but this workshop actually taught me some new things that I haven’t been told before."

"This was an excellent presentation! I was honestly not that excited to come to class today knowing there would be a guest presenter, but [she] was engaging, intelligent, and really taught me so much about what I already thought I knew. Great job!"

"Thank you very much, I am now very excited to start this project and now I know not to waste my time, and how to spend my spend my time efficiently"

"Effective presentation that allowed to calm nerves about the upcoming assignment in class."

"I love the way these topics are presented. Also love the encouragement & help the speakers provide."

For more information, please contact Academic Success Coaching at:
Academic.Coach@utsa.edu.
Main Campus | MS 1.02.02 | 210-458-4694 | Downtown Campus | DB 2.114 | 210-458-2838