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First-Year Peer Academic Coaching

First-Year Peer Academic Coaches offer peer-to-peer support to help you navigate the transition to university. Our coaching team is made up of successful senior students that want to help you get off to a good start. Connect with a coach to help you build a study schedule, discuss note-taking methods, learn effective study strategies and more.

First-Year Peer Academic Coaches are assigned to each LOCUS and Residence community. 

Coaches are available for:

One-on-one Appointments

  • First year students can meet one-on-one with a coach for a 25-minute check-in appointment
  • Go to the Student Success Portal to book a First-Year Peer Academic Coaching appointment
  • Topics to chat about may include how to: create a useful schedule, reduce procrastination, read digital text effectively, take meaningful notes, study for exams or whatever questions are on your mind! 

Connect with your coach when…

  • You are feeling overwhelmed.
  • You’re looking for study strategies and advice on how to succeed academically.
  • You need some extra help managing your schedule.
  • You want to chat with a senior student about life as a university student or to discover opportunities to get involved or volunteer in the Laurier community.

Get Stuff Done Sessions

We all have stuff to get done but sometimes it's hard to find the motivation to get started - that's why we have Get Stuff Done Sessions! Join First-Year Peer Academic Coaches and your peers at the same-time-same-place every week to stay accountable and get to work. Only have 30 minutes to join? No problem, stay for as little or as long as you like. These sessions are great for students who know what they have to get done, but need some motivation to set a goal and focus on a task. GSDs are open to all students so bring a friend or two or three every week to dedicate time to getting stuff done.

  • Every Monday from 2-3:20 pm on Zoom
  • Every Thursday from 1-2:20 pm on Zoom 

Workshops

The Final Countdown: Planning for the Final Four Weeks

Learn about creating an action plan to finish the term strong. We'll cover short-term planning tools and focus on prioritizing tasks in the final four weeks of the semester.  

Preparing for Final Exams

We'll discuss how to create a study plan to prepare for your final exams. We'll also cover strategies for effective studying to make the most of your study sessions. 

  • Friday, November 26 from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Zoom
  • Wednesday, December 1 from 2-3 p.m. on Zoom 

Mastering Multiple Choice

Learn about strategies to prepare and study for MC exams and effectively answer MC questions. 

  • Friday, December 3 from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Zoom 

Making Useful Notes and Summaries

Learn about how to create useful and meaningful notes to help you summarize and study content effectively.

Mindset, Motivation, and Battling Burnout

Learn about the importance of growth mindset and how to stay motivated during exam season including strategies to stick to your study plan.

Peer Academic Coaching Session (PACS) Program

Winter term only

The PACS program is designed for first-year students to connect frequently with a senior peer academic coach and fellow first-year students to develop strong academic skills to succeed in university. More information coming soon!