The Counseling Centre of the College of Education Studies, University of Cape Coast has orgainsed a day’s Study Skills seminar for all level 100 students of the university.
The purpose of the seminar was to equip the students with the requisite studying tools to enable them acquire good grades and go through their academic work with less stress.
Topics that were presented at the seminar included “Time management, “Test taking skills” and “Becoming a Grade ‘A’ Student.”
Welcoming the students to the function, the Director of the Centre, Dr. Godwin Awabil said the Centre decided to hold the seminar so as to give the first years students the needed techniques in studying during their academic pursuit on campus.
The Dean of Students’ Affairs, Dr. Koawo Edjah who chaired the chaired the programme advised students who want to become grade ‘A’ students to minimize spending most of their time at functions that would not allow them to realise this dream. He noted that “Most of you are at every programme so at the end you want to cheat during exams since you have not studied enough”. He encouraged the students to advantage of the programme and improve on their learning skills to enable them achieve their aims of coming to the university.
In an address, the Provost of College of Education Studies, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, said study skills was essential in the life of every student. He noted that students who normally fail exams lack learning skills. “A student needs some techniques to write and pass exams but most students lack that so they fail”.
He said that the lack of efficient note taking and retaining information by students make them copy notes from friends whether they are correct or not and therefore they “borrow mistakes”. The Provost added that “if students were taken through the right studying skills they would do very well at exams”. He called for the seminar to be made compulsory for all students of the university and indicated that if the university did not take it up, the College will do it.
Speaking on the topic “Time Management”, Prof. Frederick Ocansey said most students at the SHS did not have to manage their time because they were brilliant, but at the university if they do not practice time management they were likely to fail. “Those who manage their time well at the tertiary level excel but those who do not might fail. If you do not use your time well it will slip through your fingers like sand”.
Prof. Ocansey reminded the students that there was no one particular way of managing one’s time so they should manage their time according what suited them. He entreated the students to find time to study on their own, meet deadlines for submission of assignments, prevent social activities from interfering with their academic work and consider their studies as full time work. “Some students do not see studying as full time job so engage in other activities that distract their attention” he wondered He finally asked the students to always monitor their own activities to see how they have spent their time and make the needed adjustments where necessary.
