*CLS is open for a limited number of new schools. Please contact the course administrator for more details.

CLS 105 is the study and application of strategic approaches to learning. Strategies are presented and practiced in order for you to maximize your learning in the context of lectures, readings, recitations, and independent learning situations. The course content is based on the application of strategies to the learning requirements of the courses you are enrolled in concurrently throughout the University. Class sessions are a series of lectures, discussions, and one-on-one conferences. You are required to participate in classes and conferences and apply the strategies in your other classes. Note: Students enrolled in CLS 105 must take another college-level or AP course in same semester.

In general, the goals of the course are for you to maximize your learning in college. An awareness of how you learn is examined through the development of a variety of learning strategies. We will explore strategies in the following ways: (1) what they are, (2) how to use them, (3) when to use them, (4) why they are effective, and (5) how to adapt them. You will create your own strategies by defining your goals, selecting strategies, implementing them and evaluating their effectiveness in your courses.

Course Outline 

  1. Course Introduction: Syllabus & Web site, Learning Preferences
  2. Syllabus, Course Structure & Time Management
  3. Task Management, Study Environment
  4. Time Management, Organizational Patterns, Text Aids
  5. Note Taking: Discussion & Lecture
  6. Graphic Organizers
  7. Reading
  8. Memory
  9. Exam Preparation, Exam Taking
  10. Procrastination, Academic Dishonesty
  11. Motivation
  12. Problem Solving
  13. Stress Management, Collaborative Learning
  14. Collaborative Learning
  15. Self Assessment