The Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center held a Learning Strategies Workshop Tuesday on “goal setting.” According to LEC Associate Director Patricia Feldman, student attendance was low.

In Feldman’s opinion, students believe they already have their goals and priorities straightened out. She says they just need to learn how to accomplish these goals.

“We understand that you don’t have time to flounder around and try to figure out your priorities,” Feldman said. “It’s not that students aren’t studying, but that the text takes a different meaning here than in high school, where students could probably receive an A without even trying.”

The ALEC’s series of Learning Strategies Workshops includes various lessons on taking notes, improving concentrations while studying, and learning and memory styles. There’s also an entire week, February 11-14, dedicated to the various forms of preparing for and taking tests.

“I’m not surprised at the attendance for ‘Goal Setting’; however, the ‘Tests’ series will probably be a huge hit as it always is,” Feldman said.

The Learning Strategies Workshops are designed for small groups from two to 10 people, according to Feldman. During these workshops, students have the chance to study examples, tables and methods of how to better their study skills, and in return, make higher letter grades on exams, assignments, essays and overall semester scores.

Some of the most popular classes are “Time Management and Organization” and “Taking & Using Notes,” which will be held Thursday at 4 p.m. A complete list of the upcoming Learning Strategies Workshops can be found at smu.edu/alec.

“Not everybody arrives in college with college skills,” Feldman said. “We help students to get more engaged through creating study summaries, analyzing information and helping them to receive the most benefit out of their study time. It can actually be fun.”