University of Tennessee Department of Psychology & Neuroscience

09/17/2026

Taking notes isn’t just about recording what a professor or textbook says. Done well, note-making can help you pay attention, think more deeply, organize ideas, and build learning you can actually use later.

In Making Effective Notes to Learn, we’ll practice ways to make reading and class notes more useful—including annotating instead of simply highlighting, using Cornell/two-column notes, turning notes into questions for self-testing, and using visuals, examples, and connections to deepen understanding.

The goal: notes that help you THINK, SPACE, and TEST—not pages of information you have to relearn before the exam.

Monday, September 21 · 7–8 p.m. ET · Live on Zoom
Free virtual workshop
RSVP: tiny.utk.edu/LearnWithDrBob

09/10/2026

Thinking about grad school? UT Career’s Grad School Prep Month is packed with workshops and fairs to help you plan your next step, strengthen your application, and learn more about funding, personal statements, the GRE, pre-law, and health professions pathways.

Events run Sept. 21–Oct. 27, with both virtual and in-person options. Students can also increase their chance to win a GRE voucher and UT swag.

Scan the QR code on the flyer for the full calendar and virtual links.

09/10/2026

We’re excited to help share the Fall 2026 Lifelong Learning Book Club, featuring Parker Palmer’s The Courage to Teach.

This flexible, welcoming book club brings UT colleagues together to explore teaching, learning, purpose, and the inner life of educators across roles and career stages. No prior experience needed — participate as your schedule allows.

Begins September 24, 12–1 PM on Zoom.

A partnership between the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Teaching & Learning Innovation, and UT Libraries.

Learn more: https://lib.utk.edu/about/lifelong-learning-book-club

📚 The Lifelong Learning Book Club brings UT colleagues together to explore ideas about teaching and learning across careers and environments. With a flexible format and no prior experience required, you can read and participate as your schedule allows.

The book club begins September 24 from 12 pm – 1 pm on Zoom. It is a partnership between the Department of Psychology, Teaching & Learning Innovation, and UT Libraries.

Learn more: https://lib.utk.edu/about/lifelong-learning-book-club

09/10/2026

Consider attending “Sixteen Words Can Change Your Life… and Your Work,” a lecture and Q&A with Allan Cole, Dean of the UT Austin School of Social Work, on health humanities in social work.

Friday, September 25
10 AM–12 PM ET
Frieson Black Cultural Center, Rooms 102–104

Open to all UTK faculty and students. A wonderful opportunity to think together about meaning, care, mental health, and the human side of professional practice.

09/10/2026

We are to see research by Drs. Claire Hemingway, Jessie Tanner, and Alejandro Vélez Meléndez getting national and international attention.

Their recent iScience paper explores “choice overload” in female treefrogs — showing that too many options can make mate choice harder, even when the signal is clear.

Yes, even frogs may understand the dating-app problem.

Congratulations to Claire, Jessie, Alejandro, and their collaborators on this fascinating work linking animal behavior, decision-making, and evolution.

Research from the Smithsonian Institution suggests that there is such a thing as too many options – if you’re a treefrog

09/09/2026

Feeling busy, distracted, or behind?

This Monday’s free workshop, Staying on Course & Getting Things Done, is all about practical, evidence-based ways to manage procrastination, use your time wisely, reduce distractions, and follow through when life gets busy.

We’ll focus on strategies you can actually use to get started, stay focused, and keep moving when motivation is low or your schedule feels packed.

Monday, Sept. 14 · 7–8 p.m. ET · Live on Zoom

Free for UTK students. RSVP at tiny.utk.edu/LearnWithDrBob

09/04/2026

You can spend a lot of time studying and still not create much lasting learning.

Rereading, highlighting, and looking over notes can make material feel familiar. That familiarity can create an illusion of learning: we feel like we know it because we recognize it.

A better question is: What evidence do I have that I can retrieve, explain, connect, or use what I learned without looking?

That’s where THINK · SPACE · TEST come in.

Learn more: tiny.utk.edu/aceyourclasses

09/02/2026

"Nothing is less appealing to a college student than a conversation with their parents in which they’re asked the same questions they were asked in middle and high school: Do you have any homework? Are you ready for your Spanish test? Did you get everything you need to finish that history project you told me about? Unless there are notable academic problems, make the conversation about other topics: What has surprised her most about college life? What aspects of college life have been disappointing? How do kids generally find their friend groups on campus? Is being on her own more fun or freeing or anxiety-provoking than she thought it would be? Questions like these show interest in your kid’s experience of being away from home for the first time, and not just on their performance."

Every year, millions of parents get ready to send their kids off to college. These guidelines can help them remain connected without becoming overbearing.

09/02/2026

Interested in school psychology graduate school?

UTK’s School Psychology program is hosting virtual information sessions this fall for students interested in the PhD program, EdS program, or both.

Scan the QR code to complete the interest form and receive the Zoom link. Questions? Contact Paris Harrington at [email protected] or DM .

A great opportunity for students exploring careers that support children, schools, families, and communities.

08/27/2026

Join Dr. Bob DuBois for Maximizing Your Motivation to Learn, a free virtual workshop exploring what psychological research tells us about finding, strengthening, and sustaining the motivation to learn.

You’ll explore how self-determination, purpose, productive persistence, growth mindset, hope, and self-management can help you start, stay engaged, and keep moving when learning gets difficult.

📅 Monday, August 31
🕖 7–8 p.m. ET
💻 Live via Zoom
🎓 Free and open to UTK students

Come ready to think about what motivates you—and leave with practical strategies for staying on course, working through obstacles, and learning with greater purpose.

RSVP: tiny.utk.edu/LearnWithDrBob