Student Resources

The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing

A Thinking Guide filled with useful tools to help you become a better, more effective writer (MLA & APA).

Clues for College Writers

This guide gives you basic clues to follow in writing all papers. It also provides step-by-step guidlines for meeting the requirements for specific types of writing assignments

How to Beat Writers Block

This resource from MetroState will assist students that have gotten stuck in the writing process. The exercises should help to get the creative juices flowing again.

Easy Organizing with UNO

Another MetroState resource, this one helps you to organize your thoughts and materials by topic and priority giving you a structure for your paper.

Guide to Grammar & Writing

This helpful site provides helpful information of a wide variety of topics from grammar to sentence structure and includes resources for the entire writing process.

The Purdue OWL

Loads of helpful information about various grammar related topics in addition to paper writing helps (this site is provided courtesy of the Purdue University).

Citation Machine

A helpfule site that will actually created in-text as well bibliography citations for you, just plug in the required information. Provides both MLA and APA formats.

Integrating Sources

This resource, from Vanguard University, provides examples of the three basic ways you may use to integrate your reasearch material.

Run-On Sentences

This guide to run-on sentences, provided by Vanguard University, illustrates some of the most common mistakes and provide suggestions for splicing or fusing them.

Commas

This resource from Vanguard Universityprovides examples of correct comma usage and exercises to test your knowledge.

Transitional Expressions

This quick reference, from Vanguard University, provides a helpful list of example transitional statements and their usage.

Commonly Confused Words

A quick reference guide with examples for commonly missused words.

ESL (English as a Second Language) Tip Sheet

If English is not your primary language, these tips provided by Vanguard University can be helpful when writing your papers.

Editing Checklist

This writing resource, from Vanguard University, provides a checklist of items to look for when proofreading your paper.

Grammar Practice

This site provides short quizzes to help you learn the rules.

Fun with Grammar

This site has FUN interactive excersizes that test your grammar knowledge.

A Guide to Writing Research Papers (MLA)

Helpful tips for writing your paper following MLA guidelines, including examples for citing sources.

Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (MLA)

Another helpful site providing assistance in following the MLA guidelines as well as rules for grammar.

Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (APA)

Another helpful site providing assistance in following the APA guidelines.

A Guide to Writing Research Papers (APA)

This guide is based on recommendations of the fifth edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Assocation published by the APA (2001).

UW-Madison Writing Center's APA Guide

These materials will introduce you to APA documentation and show you examples which you can use as templates for citing your own references.

A Students Guide to Research, Writing, and Styles

This site contains many useful links for a number of writing styles, documentation formats including: APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, Harvard, CGOS, and CBE.

Assignment Calculator

This tool from the University of Minnesota is designed to help you plan your research project breaking it into smaller segments. It can also jumpstart your research by providing some possible resources.

Research Project Calculator

This site is designed to help you plan project so that you get it done in bite sized chunks over time instead of pulling an all-nighter...

Time Management Guide

Well-developed student time management skills is a foundation of good study habits. This site provides a number of articles to aid students in establishing the time management skills to be successful.

Managing Your Time

Many students discover the need to develop or hone their time management skills when they arrive at college. This site from Dartmouth has resesources that students will find useful for structuring their time.

Academic Tips

This site's survey and formulas help you to create a time management system that fits your needs and gives some very useful tips.

Lecture Note Taking

Notes provide a record of the lecture content. They should help you to learn and remember the ideas and facts presented. Learn tips for identifying the focus of a professors (taken from CalPoly).

Note Taking Methods

This page contains various methods for laying out your notes, it provides the pro's and con's for the different mothods as well as when to use them.

Note-Taking Strategies

Although students are expected to take notes well, they are rarely taught how. This guide will help you discover the technique that fits your learning style.

Note Taking (A Quick Reference)

This site contains some hints for surviving a lecture intensive course (i.e. a course in which the professor talks a lot and the student writes a lot). The first survival skill is notetaking...

Study Guides and Strategies

This site contains a wealth of resources covering the following areas: studying, writing, reading, research, testing, math and science. There is also helpful information covering projects and group work as well.

Study Guide Zone

This is site provides a variety of resources to assist students, including: notetaking, test preparation, reading tips, effective studying, test taking techniques, and various other tips for helping students succeed.

Study Hall

Memory Improvement, a web resource containing various note taking and other study helps.

How to Study

Welcome to how-to-study.com. Please use the free study skills, study strategies, and study tips on this site.

Homework Center Study Skills

There is no secret to being a good student, it takes a lot of hard work! Good students follow these steps to achieve top grades.

Mind Tools - Skills to help you excel

This website provides a variety of articles and practical tips for improving study skills, note-taking, reading techniques (including speed reading).

Tips for Better Test Taking

This website provides general tips for test preparation, test taking, and provides links to strategies for taking specific types of tests.

Test Taking Tips

This site provides a variety of resources. These resources include: test taking strategies, cramming techniques, and methods for reducing test anxiety.

Coping Strategies for Test Anxiety/Apathy

Too little anxiety (apathy) or too much anxiety (panic) are both problematic. A moderate level of anxiety gives energy and improves concentration.

Test Taking Tips (another online guide)

This site covers techniques for objective and subjective (essay) tests, and includes some other helpful information.

Proctor an Exam in the Student Success Center

Need to take and exam early or make up an exam due to illness. Follow this link for instructions on how to have an exam proctored in the Student Success Center.

Power Typing

Learn to type or improve your keyboarding skills using the various activities on this free site.

Touch Typing

This site helps you learn to type using a graphical interface that you can use online, or by downloading a free application.

Learn 2 Type

Another website that provides free online exercises to help you master the keyboard and improve your speed and accuracy.

Speed Test

A fun little exercise to measure the speed and accuracy on the keyboard. On you marks, get set, GO!

Multiple Intelligence Test

Find out what type of learner you are. By doing this you might unlock the secrets to strategies for improving you learning ability.

Debt Calculator

A handy-dandy credit card debt calculator from CNN Money.com

Hands On Banking

A free, fun financial education program covering the basics of smart money management. Covering topics such as: budgeting, saving, borrowing and more.