Learn strategies to achieve in the classroom and in your career.

If you are among the thousands of students attending college to develop skills and behaviors for your career, then consider this opportunity to develop a strong foundation for achievement in college, career and life. The Student Life Skills classes (SLS 1103 and SLS 0005) at Florida Community College provide the essential content needed for students to succeed for college and beyond.  These courses have shown to significantly increase the academic success and retention of college students. Students who take these courses persist in college and succeed in completing their degrees more often.

How can you develop these skills? Add Strategies for Success in College, Career and Life or Foundations of College Success to your next schedule. You’ll gain a unique advantage in the classroom and the workplace with the survival and success skills taught in courses offered at Florida Community College.

Topics of the course include:

• Goals and priorities
• Voice mail and e-mail etiquette
• Maintaining commitment
• Dealing with successes and failure
• Communicating with individuals at work and at college professors, superiors, subordinates and peers
• Verbal and non-verbal communication skills
• Teamwork and decision making
• Learning skills
• Conflict management and resolution
• Leadership styles and skills
• Financial and debt management
• Long-term planning for career, education and wellness.

You’ll find a tremendous amount of information delivered in an active, engaging learning environment. Not only will this class build your success skills for your college work, but it also will give you a foundation of behaviors, habits and skills that will enable you to succeed and thrive in the working world.

Your desire to succeed is the only prerequisite. Register for SLS 1103— Strategies for Success in College, Career and Life or SLS 0005 Foundations for College Success — or see your advisor for further details and information to help you decide which course is best for you.

Some students are required to take SLS 1103 or SLS 0005. Starting in Fall 2005, students who are placed into two or more areas of college prep will be required to take an SLS course.  Students should complete the course within their first two semesters at the college, and are encouraged to take the course during their first semester. For more information, read the FAQ (PDF).

SLS Scholarships

Scholarships are available to pay for the tuition and textbook costs associated with SLS 1103 and SLS 0005.  Students who test and are placed into two or more college prep areas, apply for financial aid and are currently taking SLS 1103 or SLS 0005 may qualify for the scholarship. More information is available by contacting a campus financial aid office or Rosemary James at 904.632.5021.

Download the SLS Scholarship Referral Form (PDF). If you do not currently have direct deposit set up with Florida Community College, the Electronic Funds Transfer Enrollment Form (PDF) must also be completed to be eligible to receive the SLS scholarship.

What Students Say about the SLS Courses

The following comments came from student surveys and SLS 1103 course evaluations:

• “The important things that I learned during this course are that to be successful in career and college a person must be organized and dedicated. There are many things that have to be juggled to be able to be successful. The student can not let other obligations interfere with the time needed to complete their studies.”
• “By finding out what my personal learning style is I have found numerous different tips on how to study more effectively and what the best way is for me to take notes and listen to lectures in class. This will certainly assist me in the coming semesters of my school career and also in the workforce as I graduate school.”
• “I realize that there is one most important thing that I will take away with me from this class. It will be the time management and organization of time management. I recall this chapter really struck me, and I took more personal notes from this chapter than any of the others. Now, I’m trying to apply these things to my personal life as well as preparing for the future classes. I have truly taken a lot more from this class than just time management and organization, but these two things were the most important to me. I have had a great time doing this class. It’s been a lot of fun as well as very informative for the future classes.”
• “This course taught me how to reach for my goals as high as I can, and expect much more for myself.”
• “It helped me find direction in my life, which I think is hard to achieve.”
• “This is the most beneficial class I have taken! When I started this semester, I felt lost. My first semester ... I lost focus. This spring semester was my first time in class since then and I had a nagging fear that the same thing would happen again. On top of that, I felt discouraged because I still had no idea what career I wanted to go for. I really believe that without this class I would still be lost.”
• “I think it should be a requirement for students to take.”

In addition to SLS 1103: Strategies for Success in College, Career and Life, and SLS 0005: Foundations for College Success, Florida Community College offers other Student Life Skills courses.

• SLS 1201 - Personal Development
  Want to learn more about yourself and others?
• SLS 1301 - Career Planning and the World of Work
  Would you like to take a class to help you learn more about career planning and how your personal interests and attributes relate to careers?
• SLS 1371 - Portfolio Development for Prior Learning
  Do you have work or life experience that could earn you college credit?
• SLS 1401 - Computerized Career Exploration
  Need help choosing a career?
• SLS 1931 Selected Topics in Student Life Skills
  These three courses are customized each time they are offered, in one, two and three credit courses.
• SLS 1932 Selected Topics in Student Life Skills
• SLS 1933 Selected Topics in Student Life Skills

Student Resources

Counseling and Advising
Assessment and Certification Centers
Additional Student Resources

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Important Note:

SLS 0005 course does not apply toward the associate degree.

Both of the SLS courses (SLS 1103 and SLS 0005) have a co-requisite of placement into REA 0008 or higher. This means that if a student has been placed into REA 0006, then he or she must complete REA 0006 before the student may take SLS 1103 or SLS 0005.