Academic Transitions

Nervous about the transition from high school to college? Excited to learn as much as you can from your university courses? Want to maximize your grade point average from day one?

This is the class every university student wishes they could have taken before they started college. It will walk you through all kinds of practical skills you'll need to thrive in college: how to keep organized and stay motivated, how to take notes and read texts, how to study effectively, and more.

Mastering these skills before you start your first term at university will save you time and energy—and equip you to begin your college experience with confidence.

Overview

Academic Transition is an online, asynchronous class offered online through Calvin University. Students can complete the course at times that work for them while meeting weekly deadlines.

 

Summer 2023 - Incoming Calvin Students can take a 1-credit online version of the course over a five-week session from July 10 to August 11 for $575. Student should expect 8-10 hours of focused work each week.

Knight Scholars and TRIO-eligible students: You will receive an email invitation to register for this class at a discounted rate. Since you have already been admitted to Calvin, it's just a few clicks to confirm your spot!

 

Fall 2023/Spring 2024 - High school students can take a 2-credit online version of Academic Transitions over a 15-week fall (9/28 – 12/15) or spring semester (1/16 – 5/3). Students should expect 4-6 hour of focused work each week.

Over 200 students have already take Academic Transitions online to prepare them for the transition to college. Here are a few comments:

“ASC 111 greatly increased my confidence for going to college.” - Jenna

“The skills I have learned from this class have been invaluable. I plan to use these skills in college to effectively and efficiently aid my learning.” – Lopez

“An important skill I learned was to claim my education instead of receiving my education. In college I plan to use this knowledge to motivate me to seek out answers to my questions and to dig deeper in concepts for classes rather than just learn enough to get by.” – Sara

Content

Academic Transitions was built by listening to what students said was most important as they made the transition from high school to university learning. Academic Transitions has units that cover the following content:

Ownership, Learning, Notetaking, Reading, Studying, Questions, Motivation, Planning and Organization, Productivity, Focus, Wellness, Mindset, Taking Exams, and Metacognition

Content is pulled from a variety of fields and rooted in the interdisciplinary field of learning studies. Each unit contains videos, readings, interactive activities, quizzes, and discussion boards. Although online interaction takes work, students report appreciating the class content and getting to know their peers.

Instructor

Kyle Heys

Kyle Heys is co-director of the Center for Student Success at Calvin University. He has taught thousands of students effective learning practices and loves watching students walk across the graduation stage. When not teaching, Kyle enjoys climbing, running, and cooking.
Contact: kyle.heys@calvin.edu