Abstract: 

Not all students who did well in high school are successful in college, particularly students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) majors. This problem strikes hardest in women, first-generation and historically disadvantaged students. Certain study strategies have been shown (in mostly laboratory settings) to produce greater learning, with self-testing emphasized to be the most beneficial. But little is known about how the use of study strategies is associated with course performance, particularly when controlling for student preparation. Even fewer studies have looked for differences in study strategies among different demographic groups. In a series of projects, I have surveyed students on their study skills at the start and end of their first quarter courses at UCI over multiple years and in different courses. In this talk, I will discuss: a) what strategies are most commonly used by students, b) are certain study strategies associated with higher grades, and c) do different demographics of students choose different strategies.