From Beginner to Pro: Your Growth Workshop Has Started!
Wenzhou-Kean University has launched the “First Year Learning Competency Workshop” to support first-year students excel and adapt to academic life. This 10-week program offers practical theme-based sessions on key skills like time management, exam preparation, goal setting and professor communication.
The director of the Academic Support Center states, “The first year of university is crucial in teaching students how to adapt academically and personally. The Learning Competency Workshop aims to guide first-year students through this transition with different themes and practical learning strategies to create a smooth academic journey.” Through interactive workshops like “Study Buddies” and stress management-sessions, students learn useful strategies such as the Pomodoro Technique and To-Do Lists to stay organized and balance academics with extracurriculars.
Wang Hao, a senior doctoral student, designed the workshop to address diverse learning needs and parents’ concerns about adapting to an international academic environment. With a strong focus on providing simple and effective tools to help first-year students overcome challenges and build confidence in their studies. One excited freshman shared, “In the workshop, I learned how to make suitable schedules and find my learning rhythm.”
The program introduced “Collaborative Learning with Study Buddies,” a unique approach that attracted many students. A computer science freshman shared, “Previously, studying alone often led to distractions. Joining study groups with motivated peers will improve focus and increase accountability.” To help students manage academic pressure and procrastination, the workshop series included sessions like “Breaking Procrastination: From Inertia to Action” and “Midterm Exam Preparation and Coping Strategies.” These sessions were highly effective as shown by positive participant feedback.
One of the workshop’s highlights was the involvement of peer mentors. Jiayi Liu, a psychology graduate student and a peer tutor at the Academic Support Center, joined after learning about the workshop series that started last fall. She was extremely eager to help students with tutoring. She shared, “As a student tutor, not only am I lending a hand to the new students, but sometimes their problems make me realize gaps in my own knowledge. In turn, it helps me review and refine my learning methods. It’s truly a win-win experience for me.”
“Every interaction with new students not only reinforces the value of education guidance but also provides valuable experience for my educational management practice,” said Jiao Xinyun, a master’s student in education management and the third peer tutor in the fall Learning Competency Series Workshop. While discussing learning strategies with first-year students, she applied educational management theories to real-life situations. This hands-on experience gave her a deeper understanding of the importance of support in learning.
The workshops also featured successful WKU alumni who shared their learning and growth experiences. Gao Chen, a graduate of the Class of 2022, spoke on the topic “From Procrastination to Action,” discussing how she managed academic stress and overcame procrastination. “I have gone through periods of academic stress, but by finding what works for me, I am able to break down tasks and work through them step by step. I hope the new students can learn from my experience,” she said.
Translator: Zhu Che
Proofreader: Amira Caballero, Wenwei Xiang
