A Series from the UConn School of Business

Making Connections To Support Your Academic Success  As School of Business students, you know the value of building your personal brand and network. Choosing to invest time into your college connections through study groups, class teams, and your faculty will benefit you long after your graduation. If anything, engaging is now more accessible then ever before using virtual tools. All you have to do is use them! Learning With Your Classmates: Your classmates are a resource that can enhance your academic success and understanding of material - as well as nourish your abilities to work effectively on a team. Making Connections In The Classroom: Being efficient and effective when working with classmates can not only benefit your grades, but provide skills for your next steps after UConn. The Art of Office Hours: YOur instructors are available to help you! Read on for strategies that will help you make the most of Office Hours.

Connect With Your Classmates

Join A (Virtual) Study Group Study groups outside of class can: Provide more well-rounded insight and perspective Deter procrastination since you are not working individually Help you learn best practices when working on a team Give you the opportunity to more comfortably ask questions or teach others the material (which is one of the most effective ways of learning!)

Sign Up for a Virtual Study Group in Nexus

Improve the Quality of Your Connections

Be A Team Player: A Road Map For Success from Dr. Lucy Gilson UConn School of Business faculty member Dr. Lucy Gilson, whose research focuses on virtual teams, knows the road map to success for working on group projects or virtual teams this semester. Learn how to use three actions - planning, communicating, and sharing - to help you find success in the virtual team learning environment. These skills you practice now will no doubt make you more successful beyond your academic experience too. This practice may become one of your best assets in the future internship and jobs market.

Connect With Your Instructors

The Art of Office Hours Office Hours are dedicated time your faculty is available to meet with student individually outside of class to better help. A student's role is to attend these hours when possible with questions or goals for this time spent one on one. Some examples of when to attend Office Hours: You don't understand what is going on in class You missed a class You are unsure of how your grade was calculated You achieved a poor grade on a test or homework Inquiries about how to best study for the course Questions about important dates/deadlines (including exam dates) You have a desire to learn more about a certain topic or lesson You have questions about potential research opportunities Introducing yourself - This is by far the most important and underrated reason, try to do this before the first few weeks are over! Why Should You Go to Office Hours? How Can I Request A Virtual Meeting? Try this template: Good Morning/Afternoon Professor _______, I would like to organize some time to connect with you outside of class due to some questions I have about _____________. Are you available to meet virtually on Friday, February 5 at 2PM? If not, I am free on the following days and times: ________________. Please let me know what would best for your schedule. Thank you, _______________

Listen to the LAUNCH Podcast!

Hear From Experts across UConn's campuses. Recent episodes include: Inside the Hidden College Curriculum How to Get Involved with Student Organizations (and Why It's Important!) with Nicole Garcia

Questions? Do you have a suggestion for online academic resources that will help students while engaging in remote learning? Email ruth.morris@uconn.edu.