Most students starting university find that their main challenge isn’t the stuff they’re asked to learn but (a) the amount of stuff they’re asked to learn, and (b) the time in which they’re asked to learn it.
StFX’s eXcel program has been designed specifically to help first-year students manage the transition from high school to university by assisting them in ramping up the skills that will be most crucial to them, including report writing, effective studying, and overall time management. A student’s first year sets the tone for their entire university experience. The eXcel program teaches habits and principles that will carry all the way through to ensure your Xaverian experience is an unforgettable one.
I’m in grad school studying for my Masters of Science in Clinical Psychology. I’ve been in classes for two weeks now, and let me tell you, the writing skills I developed and the learning opportunities provided through the eXcel program have been indispensable. My colleagues and I are taking a library introduction course and the syllabus covers APA and MLA formatting, research using electronic data bases and library tools, time management skills, using appropriate referencing and citation, and on and on. I was surprised to learn that about half of my colleagues hadn’t received any formal or ongoing training in these areas during their undergrad programs, especially since most of them came from prestigious universities across the US. Now that I’m gone, I realize how much I’ve benefited from the services the Writing Centre provides.