Course Content

We have made Psychology of Student Success an open-source curriculum program. The necessary materials — including assignments, lesson plans, worksheets and other materials required to implement the 14-session course — are all provided below.

Do you plan to use some or all of these materials in your own teaching? Please email bridgette.hard@duke.edu and let her know! We want to know more about whether and how these materials are useful and, critically, would love feedback on how to make them better.

The original Psychology of Student Success syllabus is available here.

Guidelines for all course assignments are available here.

Each lesson package is comprised of up to five components:

  1. Lesson plan
  2. PowerPoint
  3. Handouts/worksheets (if needed for lesson)
  4. Critical Analysis Assignment (CAA) due before each class
  5. Weekly Reflection (WR) due after each class

Lesson 1: First Day Introduction

Lesson 2: Development and Self

Lesson 3: Efficient and Effective Studying

Lesson 4: Getting Moving and Getting it Done

Lesson 5: Intelligence and Resilience: The power of beliefs

Lesson 6: Fitting in: Belonging to groups

Lesson 7: Getting along: Group differences

Lesson 8: Connecting and getting support: Love and friendship

Lesson 9: Making things happen: Persuading and leading

Lesson 10: Understanding and controlling how you feel

Lesson 11: Taking care of yourself: Sleep, stress and health

Lesson 12: When things go wrong: Mental health

Lesson 13: Being the “best” you

Lesson 14: Wrapping up