Supplemental Instruction

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a series of weekly review sessions for students taking historically difficult courses. SI is for all students in the course section who want to acquire effective learning strategies and develop an understanding of difficult course material to improve their grades.

Attendance at sessions is voluntary. For students, it’s a chance to get together with classmates to compare notes, discuss important concepts, develop strategies for studying the subject, and test yourselves before your instructor does, so that you’ll be prepared. At each session, your SI Leader, a competent student who has already successfully completed the course, will guide you through the material.

Have you ever wished you could do something over, knowing what you know now? SI Leaders are students themselves and are prepared to share with you what they have learned about how to study for a specific course. They have taken this course, have done well in the course, and can be a valuable resource to you. Your SI Leader will be in class with you every day, hearing what you hear, and reading what you read. What they will not do is re-lecture; their job is to help you think about the lectures you hear and the books you read, and then put it all together during the SI review sessions. SI can help you learn difficult course material more efficiently.

On the first day of class, the SI Leader will survey you regarding your class schedule. Each SI Leader will set up two or three review sessions each week at times that are best for the majority of students taking the class. You can attend as many or as few sessions as you would like; each one will be different because you will have new material to discuss. SI sessions are informal. Bring your notes; bring your textbook; bring your questions; you may even bring your dinner!

If you attend SI sessions regularly, chances are you will learn a better grade. You also will have developed a better understanding of course content as well as more effective ways of learning. This will help you with other classes you are taking, now and in the future.