Academic Success Centre launches Virtual Study Hall

Studying among friends and with the support of Learning Specialists is part of the way of life for university students, and the Ted Rogers School’s Academic Success Centre (ASC) is keeping the practice alive, even during a time of social distancing.

Virtual Study Hall is a place where students meet with a Learning Specialist and each other, set a goal, work quietly on their own and come back to check in on their goal within a two-hour window. The group meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in a Google Hangout from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.

After the initial goal sharing, students have the option to stay in the study session and work there together or to sign out and come back for goal check in. The Learning Specialist stays in the Google Hangout the entire time to provide support and answer any learning questions that may arise during the session. The main idea though is that students work quietly on their goal during the session.

“We launched the Virtual Study Hall on April 8, 2020 to provide a place for students to come together virtually for a sense of community and accountability,” says Sandy Carpenter (PhD), Student Success Facilitator, Ted Rogers School of Management. “At the best of times, it can be difficult to sit yourself down, create a concrete goal and then accomplish it, and during COVID-19 I think we all need an extra, but gentle, nudge toward keeping our days productive and value-full.”

Since launching, 2nd year Entrepreneurship student Sona Patel has used Virtual Study Hall regularly, attending the sessions all three days of the week. 

“The session is informal, so we don’t just talk about our goals, we also ask and answer learning questions and advice for learning strategies,” Carpenter explains. “I think Sona appreciates that we have this shared space to dialogue and connect with someone from school who knows what she is going through and can provide academic support.” 

“Through Virtual Study Hall, and working with a great leader like Sandy, this resource has been extremely helpful and has influenced a positive change in my academic career/personal life,” says Patel. “It is a great tool for staying engaged with my studies and keeping track of my progress and how well I am into achieving my goals.”

“I highly recommend this resource to anyone who wants to practise self-discipline and stay engaged in their studies,” says Patel. “To some, it may seem intimidating to share your goals or to discuss what you would like to work on in the two-hour period and reflect on it. To others, it may seem unbeneficial. My advice is to come out of your comfort zone and try something new.”

“The program is rewarding if you truly commit yourself to wanting to achieve your goals and wanting to master self-discipline in your everyday life,” she explains. “Without creating new habits and dedication, success does not happen overnight.”

Carpenter says that working with students is really rewarding and she gets a lot of satisfaction from seeing that "ah ha" moment when they try out a strategy or find out that she struggles with motivation and meeting her goals too.

Virtual Study Hall for the Winter semester just wrapped up, but it will resume for the Spring and Summer semesters on May 4, 2020. 

Carpenter thinks over the long term, it will be beneficial to continue these groups. “For me, one of the best parts of these groups is that you get to set a goal and then work on that goal,” she explains.  “A lot of times with learning strategies, we provide advice and then the student walks off and we never know what happens. But the power of these groups, I hope, is that we can dig deeper into how things are going by talking through why we did or didn't get a specific goal done and how we can keep moving forward in a supportive setting.” 

“I hope that more students will come to join us,” adds Carpenter. “Setting up a regular time to study and having a supportive accountability group helped me through my studies and I think a lot of folks would benefit from this.”

Students can register for Virtual Study Hall sessions on the Eventbrite page  (external link, opens in new window) and can also connect with Eventbrite through the ASC Learning Resources page. (external link)