The College Success Toolkit: Evidence-Based Activities for Student Success

Introduction: The College Success Toolkit

When I first started working with college students in 2011, universities were talking about low graduation and retention rates and started adding programming to address student persistence. From my perspective, students were struggling with managing occupations and how to be a college student, but the typical interventions focused mostly on study skills and academic supports rather than addressing the daily needs of students.

As an occupational therapist, I couldn't help but see these challenges and wonder how we were missing something so obvious. I saw students struggling with routines and poor fit between what they wanted to be doing and what they were doing.  As a former K-12 school-based occupational therapist, I worked with students in the classroom – addressing needs that were not directly academic, but supporting academic performance – like handwriting, sensory needs, and cognition.

One student in particular reminded me about the impact of the strategies we use as OTs on success.  This student had a head injury from a car accident. He couldn’t get into his locker and had a hard time organizing his materials to get to class on time, know what was due and when, and how to set up his environment for success.  I was able to support him as he recovered from the head injury – helping him feel successful in little ways while he learned to do things a different way to help him into the future. It made me really re-think OTs role with adolescents and young adults.  If I can help a high schooler be more successful in the classroom through OT intervention, why wouldn’t this same approach work with college students? 

My Journey
This realization led me to a line of research in 2014, asking the question: could an OT lens applied in higher education environments support student success? My first published study, “Occupational Therapy Services to Promote Occupational Performance, Performance Satisfaction, and Quality of Life in University Freshmen: A Pilot Study”, established that a short-term group intervention could support student performance and satisfaction in important occupations. What started as a 5-session program based on 5 core occupations – sleep, social participation, financial management, time management in academics and work occupations, and leisure – became a program that has evolved over 10 years of implementation, refinement, and additional research into the comprehensive approach I'll be sharing in this newsletter.

What has surprised me over the years is how receptive people have been about occupational therapy once they realize what we can offer. For example, at Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio I have an established relationship with the Sullivan-Deckard Scholars program.  This program supports foster youth who have aged out of foster care (young people from the foster care system who are entering adulthood and have not been reunited with family or adopted).  With these young people, I provide a summer bridge program that focuses on life skills, while keeping academic goals in mind. With this approach, students see success – they feel confident and they persist in school.

Because I cannot work with everyone (even though I want to!), I have made an effort to share my knowledge and skills with others. I have found that providing information to other professionals empowers them in ways that supports student success when an OT cannot be around.  For example, I have worked with student support centers to run workshops and have trained staff to run workshops with students when I am not available.  That way, they can provide help to students in more effective ways - and I can support when it is truly needed.

Why This Approach is Different

Traditional college success programs typically focus on academic skills and support, looking many times at academic deficits rather than underlying causes. My work takes a fundamentally different approach by viewing college success through the lens of occupation and occupational adaptation – that students can improve their success in higher education through mastery in occupation.

From an occupational therapy perspective, college isn't just about the academics, it's about the daily living that goes on both in and out of the classroom. OTs help students understand how their body works, how the environment impacts performance, and how they can adapt both - so that they have skills for life (academics and everything else in between). This strengths-based approach makes academic success possible.

Who This Newsletter Is For

This newsletter is designed for student success professionals who want to improve their approach with students. Whether you're a student affairs professional looking to improve orientation or first year experience, or an occupational therapy professional seeking to work more effectively with college students, you'll find practical, evidence-based activities that will helps students feel more efficient, effective, and satisfied in their daily lives.

What Makes This Evidence-Based

Every activity in this newsletter is grounded in the academic literature plus my personal experience working with countless young adults transitioning or in higher education settings. I use my knowledge from working with students from high school to graduate school, with and without disabilities. I also use published research from: general and educational psychology, teaching and learning, and occupational therapy and occupational science. I apply established occupational therapy frameworks including MOHO, Occupational Adaptation, and Kawa.

Students who have participated in programs based on my approach improve their basic living skills, problem-solve daily challenges more effectively, and know how to get help when they need it.  Additionally, students who have worked with me tell me how much this guidance has supported their growth, confidence, and success through graduation.

What to Expect from the Newsletter

I am planning to post once per week through academic year 2025/2026. At the moment, I am focusing mostly on group activities - things that can be done in workshops, orientation programs, and in courses. Over time, I will add more content so that it includes both group and individual activities that can be used with students to support their growth.

One post per month will be free. The other three posts per month will be subscriber-only. At whatever level you choose, I hope you will consider joining me!

Please reach out with comments or suggestions along the way!