SI Program FAQs for Students
During the first week of the semester, the SI Leaders will introduce themselves, the SI Program, and survey their class for the best times to hold 2-3 one-hour study sessions. Your professor and SI leader will both continue to remind you throughout the semester of SI session times. Additionally, you can check the third tab of our FALL 2024 COURSE SUPPORT LIST, which lists specific course sections that have SI support.
SI leaders are students who have taken the class previously, enjoyed it, and were successful in it. Faculty typically recommends SI Leaders and the SI Program staff hires and trains SI Leaders to be effective facilitators. They will also attend the class lecture with you, take notes, and listen closely to the professor and class discussions. Their job is to help you think about the course lectures, readings, assignments, and exams. Your SI leader will bring together course content and study skills, in a collaborative manner, to help you learn more efficiently.
SI is open to all students enrolled in a specific course section. SI is provided for all students who want to improve their understanding of course material and improve their grades; it is not just for students who are struggling. Studies show that students of all academic and learning abilities benefit from participating in SI sessions, and tend to earn on average a half to full grade higher than those who do not participate.
SI Leaders design fun group study sessions that are tailored to your specific course and the instructor’s teaching style. You might play jeopardy for an exam review, create flashcards, review notes, make/take practice quizzes, or have a group discussion about key terms and concepts. Your SI Leader and your peers will help you know what to learn and how to learn for your course.
Come prepared to study, be ready to learn a lot, and have fun! You’ll get more out of an SI Session if you have your textbook, lecture notes, class handouts, and any other course materials. That being said, you don’t have to have questions, be done with the homework, or have finished your reading to attend (although it helps!). SI Leaders know students have different learning preferences, questions, and work at different paces, and they’ll take this into account when planning the session.
SI sessions are instructor-free zones. The focus of SI is on peer learning, in a collaborative learning environment. What this means is that you will have an SI leader (a student who has already taken the course) who will create activities, games, and worksheets to help you learn the course material in a fun, interactive, and engaging way that is different from traditional classroom learning. Your professor won’t be present; however, we still strongly encourage you to take advantage of their office hours and attend class regularly.
You’re never graded on anything you do in an SI session, so making a mistake or coming up with a less than perfect answer won’t bring down your GPA. Making mistakes and struggling is a natural part of the learning process. We can learn a lot from our mistakes, and SI sessions are the perfect places to ask questions, make mistakes, and try out new ideas. Making mistakes in sessions also gives you and the other students a chance to work through the challenge and come up with alternative approaches or more complete answers.
If you attend SI sessions regularly, chances are you’ll earn a better grade. Research shows that those students who attend SI sessions regularly tend to average on half to one full letter grade higher than their classmates who choose not to attend. When you attend SI, you’ll develop a better understanding of course content as well as more effective ways of studying. You’ll most likely make new friends too!
SI Leaders will introduce themselves, their role, and the program during the second or third week of classes. Once everyone agrees on SI Session days & times, sessions will begin during the second and third week of the semester. Check with your SI Leader for days, times, and location. SI leaders offer two or more regularly scheduled SI sessions that are held in designated classrooms on campus. SI sessions meet throughout the semester on the same day, at the same time and in the same location.
Yes, better late than never! SI works best when you attend on a consistent basis; however, new students are always welcome. Don’t forget that SI sessions typically follow the course lecture and readings for that week, so it’s best if you stay on top of course content.