Bureau of Study Counsel
Center for Academic and Personal Development


Harvard University

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Self-Help Resources

HOW TO USE THIS PAGE
During your university years, academic development and personal development go hand in hand -- personal worries can affect you academically and academic difficulties can affect you emotionally.  The links on this page include a wide variety of resources related to both academics and student life.

Read what you find here with a critical eye. These links are not magic bullets, sure cures, or one-size-fits-all. Rather, they are tools, food for thought, and stepping stones in your efforts to develop as a student and person.  If you have worries or wonderings about what you read here, come talk them over with a Bureau counselor.  Appointments: (617) 495-2581.
   d The crimson shield indicates a Harvard University site or resource.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACADEMICS STUDENT LIFE MENTAL HEALTH
 Academic Integrity
 Anxiety
 Assertiveness
 Assessing Your Learning Style
 Career Decisions and Direction
  Concentration
 Motivation
 Exams and Tests
 Foreign Language/ESL
 LD/ADHD in College
 Listening
 Memory		  Note-making
 Perfectionism
 Plagiarism (see Academic
 Integrity)
 Procrastination
 Reading
 Study Groups
 Study in Sciences
 Study in Social Sciences
 Study in Humanities/Arts
 Study Tips, Guides and Blogs
 Time Management
 Writing		  Adjusting to College Life/Culture
  Alcohol and Drug Use
 Smoking
 Grief and Loss
 How To Help Someone
  Relationships
 Sexuality
 Sexual Assault/Rape
 Sleep
 Spirituality
  Stress

 		  Mental Health Information.

ACADEMICS
Academic Integrity  
  dHarvard - Harvard College Student Handbook: Academic Dishonesty
dHarvard - Writing Center 
Center for Academic Integrity - Clemson University
Plagiarism - University of North Carolina
How to Avoid Internet Plagiarism - University of Pennsylvania
Collaboration and Plagiarism (guide in a computer science course) - MIT
How Do I Know When I Am in Trouble? Self-Tests for Plagiarism - New Humanities Reader

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Anxiety  
  dHarvard - BSC Groups and Workshops (e.g., Insanely Busy; Speaking Up in Class; and Exam-Taking)
 Anxiety: Taming the Butterflies - University of Oregon
 Managing Nervousness During Oral Presentations - University of Guelph
Understanding Academic Anxiety - Cornell University
Letting Go of Test Anxiety - Cornell University
Study Habits and Test Anxiety - SUNY at Buffalo
Test Anxiety - George Washington University
Six Habits that Defeat Anxiety - MentalHelp.net
How to Handle Fears - University of Florida

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Communication, Assertiveness, Speaking Up in Class
  dHarvard - BSC Groups and Workshops  (e.g., Speaking Up in Class; Creative Relating; Cultural Transitions)  
 Public Speaking Anxiety - University of Tennessee at Martin
Assertive Communication - SUNY at Buffalo
Assertive Communication: An Introduction - University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Learning to Be Assertive - University of Texas at Austin
How to Approach a Professor for Help - University of Florida
How to Say No - University of Florida

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Assessing Your Learning Style
  dHarvard -  BSC Groups and Workshops  (e.g., Maximize Your Learning Approach)
dHarvard -  Bureau of Study Counsel  (individual consultation)
 Learning Styles - Pace University
Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire - Solomon and Felder, North Carolina State University
Learning Style Survey for College - Jester and Miller, Diablo Valley College
Paragon Learning Style Inventory PLSI -  Shindler and Yang, State University of New York/Oswego
Study Skills Checklist - Virginia Tech university

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Career Decisions and Direction
  dHarvard - Office of Career Services
dHarvard - BSC Groups and Workshops (e.g., What are You Doing With Your Life?)
 Decision-Making Techniques - How To Make Better Decisions - MindTools.com
Career Decisions: Self Assessment - About.com
Sexual Orientation and Career Decision-Making and Coming Out in the Workplace - Lawrence University
Planning Your Future - University of California at Berkeley

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Concentration and Motivation
  dHarvard - Harvard Course in Reading and Study Strategies
 dHarvard - BSC Groups and Workshops (e.g., Maximizing Your Learning Approach; Procrastination)
 Concentration - Massey University
Concentration - University of Guelph
Strategies for Improving Concentration and Memory - Virginia Tech
I Just Can't Seem to Concentrate! - University of Pennsylvania
Increasing Motivation - University of Victoria

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Exams and Tests
  dHarvard - BSC Groups and Workshops (e.g., Exam-Taking; Making the Most of Reading Period)
 dHarvard -  Preparing for and Taking Exams
dHarvard -  On-Line Final Exams from Past Harvard Courses
dHarvard - Harvard Course in Reading and Study Strategies
 Preparing for Exams - University of North Carolina 
Test-Taking Strategies - University of North Carolina
Multiple Choice Tests - Cornell University
Exam Strategies - How To Tackle Exam Questions - Cornell University
Study Habits and Test Anxiety - SUNY at Buffalo
Test Anxiety - George Washington University

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Foreign Language Learning and ESL
  Tips on Studying a Foreign Language - University of Texas
Learning Vocabulary - Frankfurt International School
Interesting Things for ESL Students (word games, study tools, etc.) - ManyThings.org
ESL Resources - Purdue University
How To Learn a Foreign Language - MindTools.com

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LD/ADHD - Learning Disorders & Attention Deficit Disorder
  d Harvard - Accessible Education Office
dHarvard - Bureau of Study Counsel, (individual consultation with a counselor)
 dHarvard - Strategies for Success at Harvard
dHarvard - Strategies for Staying Focused With ADHD
 Attention Disorders: College Student FAQs - University of Texas
Ask Noah about LD - noah-health.org
National Resource Center - Information about ADD - help4adhd.org
Information about ADHD - National Institute of Mental Health
Fact Sheet on ADHD - Attention Deficit Disorder Association - ADDA
Tips for Transitioning to College - ADDA

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Listening
  dHarvard - Harvard Course in Reading and Study Strategies
 dHarvard - BSC Groups and Workshops (e.g., Creative Relating)
 It All Starts with Listening - University of Pennsylvania
Learning From Lectures - University of Guelph
Listening Skills - Texas A&M University
Ten Bad Listening Habits - Dartmouth college

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Memory
  dHarvard - Harvard Course in Reading and Study Strategies
 Improving Your Memory - Texas A&M University
Remembering - Virginia Tech University
Memory Improvement Tools - MindTools.com
Strategies for Improving Concentration and Memory - Virginia Tech

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Notemaking  
  dHarvard - Suggestions for Effective Note-Making
dHarvard - Harvard Course in Reading and Study Strategies 
 dHarvard - Notemaking Self-Assessment
 Note-Taking Methods - Stanford University
Taking Lecture Notes - Stanford University
Taking Lecture Notes - Dartmouth College

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Perfectionism
  dHarvard  - Perfectionism at Harvard: Friend or Foe?
dHarvard - BSC Groups and Workshops (e.g., Perfectionism Workshop; Procrastination Group)
 An Imperfect Look at Overcoming Perfectionism - University of Minnesota
Perfectionism:  What It Is and How to Deal With It - University of North Carolina
Preventing Perfectionism - University of Buffalo

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Procrastination
  dHarvard - BSC Groups and Workshops (e.g., Procrastination Group)
 dHarvard - Overcoming Procrastination
 Internet Addiction Survey - StressCure.com
 Procrastination:  Putting A Stop To Putting It Off - University of North Carolina
Battling the Block: Writing Through and Beyond Writer's Block - University of Pennsylvania
One of These Days I'll Stop Procrastinating - University of Pennsylvania
Overcoming Procrastination - University of Buffalo
Procrastination: FastFacts and Strategies - University of Guelph

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Reading
  dHarvard -  Harvard Course in Reading and Study Strategies 
dHarvard -  Interrogating Texts: 6 Reading Habits to Develop in Your First Year at Harvard
A Classic Method for Studying Texts: SQ4R - University of Guelph
SQ3R Method - Stanford University
Six Reading Myths - Dartmouth College
Reading As A Skill - University of Minnesota

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Study Groups
  dHarvard  Working in Groups - A Quick Guide for Students
 Collaborative Groupwork - University of Guelph
Study Groups - University of Illinois at Chicago
Collaborative Learning: Group work and Study Teams - University of California at Berkley
Collaboration and Plagiarism (guide in a computer science course) - MIT
Collaboration and Computer Science - James Madison University

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Study in Math and the Sciences
  dHarvard - The 4-Point Approach to Problem-Solving in Math and Science 
dHarvard - Reading Mathematics 
dHarvard - Harvard Course in Reading and Study Strategies
 dHarvard - BSC Groups and Workshops (e.g., Exam-Taking; Time Management)
 dHarvard - Harvard Writing Project (Discipline-Specific Writing Guides for Students)
 Preparing for Exams in Science and Engineering - Stanford University
Writing in the Sciences - University of North Carolina
Study Tips in Physics - Cornell University
General Chemistry Study Tips - Cornell University
Biology: I Thought I Knew Everything But I Still Got a Bad Grade - University of Pennsylvania
How to Study Math and Science - University of Minnesota
Developing Math Confidence - University of Florida
Math Study Skill - Texas A&M University

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Study in the Social Sciences
  dHarvard - Harvard Course in Reading and Study Strategies
dHarvard - Study Guide for Social Studies 10
dHarvard - BSC Groups and Workshops (e.g., Exam-Taking; Time Management)
 dHarvard - Harvard Writing Project (Discipline-Specific Writing Guides for Students)
 Reading, Writing, and Researching for History - Bowdoin College
Writing a Psychology Literature Review - University of Washington
How to Write an Anthropology Paper - Skidmore College
Writing in Anthropology - University of North Carolina
Writing in Sociology - University of North Carolina
Writing Tips for Political Science Students - Northern Illinois University

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Study in Humanities/Arts
  dHarvard - Harvard Course in Reading and Study Strategies
 dHarvard - BSC Groups and Workshops (e.g., Exam-Taking; Time Management)
 dHarvard - Harvard Writing Project (Discipline-Specific Writing Guides for Students)
 Coping with Music Performance Anxiety - University of Wisconsin -- Eau Claire
Art History Writing Guide - Wesleyan University
Writing Guide for Theatre Papers - Wesleyan University
Guide for Writing on Film - Wesleyan University
Basic Guide to Textual Analysis in English Literature - North Illinois University
Writing in Literature - University of North Carolina

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Study Tips, Guides and Blogs
  dHarvard - Study Tips 
dHarvard - Secrets of the Super-Learners
dHarvard - Harvard Course in Reading and Study Strategies
 dHarvard - BSC Groups and Workshops (e.g., Exam-Taking; Time Management)
 Basic Study Techniques - Texas A&M University
Study Hacks -  Blog created by Cal Newport
Ten Traps of Studying - University of North Carolina
Top 11 Study Skills - Stanford University
Study Environment Analysis - Virginia Tech University
Study Skills Checklist - Virginia Tech University
Study Strategies - Anxiety, Procrastination, Time Management - SUNY at Buffalo
College Survival Skills - Clemson University
Effective study methods for economics students - Ron Cronovich, Associate Professor of Economics
                                                                                                       University of Nevada, Las Vegas

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Time Management
  dHarvard - Time Management
dHarvard - Harvard Course in Reading and Study Strategies
 dHarvard - BSC Groups and Workshops (e.g., Time Management; Procrastination)
 dHarvard - Time Management Self-Assessment
Time Management - Stanford University
Time Management for Right-Brained People (or What To Do If To-Do Lists Aren't Your Style) - Cornell University
A Simple Effective Time Management System - Cornell University
There's No Such Things As Time Management - University of Buffalo
Time Management - University of Florida

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Writing
  dHarvard -  The Writing Center
dHarvard -  Harvard Writing Project (Discipline-Specific Writing Guides for Students)
 dHarvard -  Twenty Tips and Worksheets for Senior Thesis Writers
dHarvard -  Making the Most of College Writing: A Guide for Freshmen
 dHarvard -  BSC Groups and Workshops (e.g., Senior Thesis Workshops, Perfectionism)
Editing - University of Minnesota 
Writing in College: A Short Guide to College Writing - University of Chicago
Critical Writing and Thinking - Brown University
The Writing Process: General Tips - Wesleyan University
What I Wish I'd Known 4 Years Ago: A Senior's 20/20 Hindsight On Writing - Wesleyan University
Revising for Simplicity, Clarity, and Cohesion - Wesleyan University
The Writing Process: Finding a Topic - Wesleyan University
Pressure vs. Process: Writing - University of Pennsylvania
What is an Academic Paper? Writing For College - Dartmouth College

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STUDENT LIFE
Adjusting to College Life and Culture
  dHarvard - Adjusting to life at Harvard - Harvard
dHarvard - Resources for International Students and Scholars - Harvard
dHarvard - Adjusting to a New Culture and Country - Harvard
dHarvard - Getting to Know Americans - Harvard
dHarvard - BSC Groups and Workshops (e.g., Cultural Transition Support Group)
International Students Coping with Culture Shock - University of Wisconsin
Overcoming Homesickness - University of Wisconsin
 Adjusting to College - CollegeView.com
Crossing Cultures  - Kansas State University
Developmental Tasks for College Students - Hampton Sydney College
International Students' Adjustment - University of Miami

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Alcohol and Drug Use
  dHarvard - Office of Alcohol and Other Drug Services 
dHarvard - Where to Go With Questions About Alcohol and Other Drugs
dHarvard - New Directions - UHS Group
dHarvard - Guidelines for Helping a Friend Who is Intoxicated
Alcohol Use Quiz - George Washington University
Let's Talk Facts about Alcohol Abuse - American Psychiatric Association
"Sharing" Prescription Medications - American University
College Alcohol Inventory - University of Wisconsin
FAQs About Alcohol Use - National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism - NIAAA
 How to Cut Down on Your Drinking - NIAAA
 Drug Abuse - National Institute on Drug Abuse
 Cough/Cold Meds - CBS News
Cough/Cold Meds - University of Texas

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SMOKING
 dHarvard - Tobacco Treatment Resources for the Harvard University Community 
Complete Guide to Quitting - American Cancer Society
Tobacco Cessation Guidelines - Office of the Surgeon General
AU Counseling Center Resource Page - Quitting Smoking
You Can Quit Smoking - Center for Disease Control
I Quit! - Center for Disease Control
Help for Cravings and Tough Situations - American Cancer Society

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Grief and Loss
  dHarvard - Grief and Loss
dHarvard - Taking Care of Yourself After a Traumatic Experience
dHarvard - The Trauma Response
 dHarvard - LIFE RAFT Support Group
dHarvard - BSC Groups and Workshops (e.g., Seasons of Grief)
 Understanding Grief - University of Florida
How to Cope with a Break-Up - University of Florida
Death, Loss, and Grief  - Hampton Sydney College
About Bereavement - City University of New York
Grief and Loss - George Washington University
Life After Loss:  Dealing with Grief - University of Texas

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How To Help Someone You Are Concerned About
  dHarvard - Guidelines for Helping a Friend Who is Intoxicated
dHarvard - BSC Groups and Workshops (e.g., What Should I Do? A Workshop for Friends, Lovers, and Roommates of People with Eating Disorders)
dHarvard -  Bureau of Study Counsel, (individual consultation with a counselor)
Helping Someone in a Suicidal Crisis - University of Florida
How Can I Tell if Suicide is a Possibility - University of California Santa Cruz
What To Do When A Friend is Depressed - National Institute of Mental Health
Dealing With An Alcoholic Family Member or Friend - University of Florida
How to Help a Friend Who Has Been Sexually Assaulted - University of Oregon
Eating Disorders: Helping a Friend - University of Wisconsin
For Loved Ones of Sexual Assault/Abuse Survivors - University of Illinois
Self-Injury: Notes for Concerned Others - University of Chicago
How to Help A Student In Distress - American University

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Relationships
 

 

 dHarvard - BSC Groups and Workshops (e.g., Creative Relating)
 dHarvard - Connections - UHS Psychotherapy Group
Becoming Open to Others - University of Florida
Building Healthy Relationships - University of Wisconsin
Handling Common Relationship Problems - University of Florida
Intrusive Contact (e.g. Stalking) Following a Breakup - Cornell University
Coping With A Broken Relationship - University of Florida
Fair Fighting in Intimate Relationships - University of Florida
Controlling Anger Before it Controls You - American Psychological Association
Anger Tool Kit : Four Proven Techniques for Managing Anger - AngerManagement.com
Is Your Relationship Heading Into Dangerous Territory? - University of Texas

Roommate Relationships
dHarvard - Getting Along With Your Roommate(s) 
Life In a Residence Hall - University of Minnesota
Roommates - Saint Joseph's University
Roommate Relationships - University of Georgia
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Sexuality
  dHarvard -  Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response
Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire - SUNY at Buffalo
Sexual Orientation - American Psychological Association

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Sexual Assault, Rape
  dHarvard -  Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response
Date and Acquaintance Rape - SUNY at Buffalo
Date Rape Prevention - SUNY at Buffalo

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Sleep
  dHarvard - University Health Services
dHarvard -  UHS Mental Health Services
dHarvard - Sleep Disturbances
dHarvard - Healthy Sleep
I Just Can't Sleep! - Massey University 
Improving Your Sleep- University of North Carolina
Do's and Don'ts for a Good Night's Sleep - University of North Carolina
 How to Get a Good Night's Sleep - Kansas State University
 Sleep-Inducing Techniques - Hampton Sydney College
Better Sleep Council - BetterSleep.org
National Sleep Foundation

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Spirituality, Religion, and Cults
  dHarvard - United Ministry
Going to Class or Mass? Getting Religion at College - student.com
Conversion Experience (American students converting to Islam) - student.com
Characteristics of Cults  - International Cultic Studies Association
Cults: Questions and Answers - International Cultic Studies Association

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Stress
  dHarvard -  UHS Mental Health Services
dHarvard - Stress Management  
 Managing Stress: Signs of Stress, Stress Checklist, Tips - University of Texas at Austin
Stress Periods for Students - Hampden-Sydney College
Top 10 Strategies for Wildly Effective Stress Management - University of North Carolina
Stress and College Students - University of Florida
Stress - How Can I Cope? - Cleveland Clinic
Resources for Coping with Stress - Ask NOAH
On-Line Relaxation Exercises - Georgia Southern University

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MENTAL HEALTH

Your primary resource for information and support regarding mental health issues is the HUHS Mental Health Services, (617) 495-2042. In addition, the links below provide information regarding a wide range of mental health topics, including Anxiety Disorder, Bi-Polar Disorder, Depression and Suicide, Eating Disorders, Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder, PTSD Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Medications, Schizophrenia, Self-Injury (e.g., cutting), etc.
dHarvard - UHS Mental Health Services
APA HelpCenter - APA American Psychological Association
Mental Health and Behavior - NIMH National Institutes of Mental Health
Mental Health Topics - Ask NOAH
Information for Students and Young Adults - NIDA National Institute on Drug Abuse
Help for Substance Abuse Problems - SAMHSA Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Mental Health Information - SAMHSA Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
 

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Cambridge, MA 02138-5004

Phone: 617-495-2581     Fax: 617-495-7680
E-mail: bsc@harvard.edu		 Fall and Spring Hours
Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
In case of emergency contact:
  Harvard Police, 617-495-1212
  University Health Services, 617-495-5711

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