University Student Transition Resources
This list of resources is meant to reinforce learning and the skills needed for academic success in university. The following programs are available to all students attending Ontario universities.
This list is not intended to be all-inclusive, partly because universities regularly make adjustments to services.
Have questions or need more information? Contact the appropriate university directly.
University of Guelph
- Science Commons, a dedicated space for chemistry and physics teaching assistants (TAs) to help students enrolled in UG CHEM and PHYS courses.
- The library offers many resources to help you prepare for and write exams.
- Provides assistance to help you enhance your skills and academic performance.
- Our professional staff, peer helpers and student athlete mentors provide information, individual and small group assistance, workshops and in-class sessions dealing with:
- Time management, project management and balancing life and academics
- Presentation and speaking skills, including poster presentations
- Controlling procrastination and perfectionism
- Exam preparation
- Working in groups
- Critical reading and learning from texts
- Learning in large lectures
- Concentration and memory enhancement
- Collaborative programs and partnerships:
- Engineering Peer Helpers
- Indigenous Learning Peer Helpers
- Learning Support for Science Students (LS3)
- Residence Life Staff Academic Support
- Studying Support
- Supported Learning Groups (SLGs)
- Peer-led study groups in historically challenging courses. They give you a more in-depth understanding of the course content as you learn in a small online group format.
- Academic Action Program
- A one-to-one academic coaching program to help you enhance your academic potential.
- Student Athlete Mentorship (SAM):
- Book an appointment for advice and information about developing effective strategies and study approaches for different types of courses and for ideas on how to create an Academic Action Plan.
- Appointments are free and confidential.
- The Math & Stats Learning Centre is a drop-in space where a team of tutors can help you understand and solve course work problems.
Student Accessibility Services (SAS)
- Facilitates a variety of programs and services to assist students with disabilities to participate fully in university life and maximize campus accessibility.
- SAS is for students who experience all types of disabilities, including (but not limited to) ADD/ADHD, hearing, learning, medical, mobility, psychological/emotional and vision.
- Available to full-time or part-time, graduate and undergraduate students.
- The SAS also has a number of services available to students with temporary disabilities.
- You become eligible for our programs and services when you register with the SAS and provide documentation to support your disability.
- We are with you from start to finish during your time as a Gryphon. We focus on you as a person, helping you to leverage your skills and strengths to live and learn at university. Some of our programs include:
- Bounce Back – An optional program for first- and second-year students who struggled with their academics in their first semester.
- STARTonTrack – For you if you want to start your first semester off right by planning ahead.
Supported Learning Groups (SLG)
- Free course-specific support outside of classes that is available for regular or drop-in attendance.
- Depending on the course, SLGs may be offered virtually, face to face, or a hybrid of both formats.
- University staff and trained upper-year undergraduate students help you succeed in historically challenging courses.
- Sessions are peer-led study groups that review course material and demonstrate new approaches to difficult concepts.
- We offer writing appointments, workshops and help in all aspects of writing:
- Citations and bibliographies
- Grammar and style
- Writing specific types of papers
- Writing papers in different disciplines
- We offer free, confidential, individual and group writing appointments to help you improve your writing.
- Writing appointments can be pre-booked or you can drop in for a same-day writing appointment.
- English as an Additional Language Support.