Victus Study Skills REVIEW

I was very happy to have a chance to review the Victus Study Skills System.  There are 4 levels covering K - college and a student planner and we received physical products of all 4 levels plus the planner.  I used Level 1: Primary (K-2/3) with Little Bug who is in kindergarten and Level 3 (5/6-10/11) with Sam who is in 9th grade.  It goes without saying that my 9th grader was less than happy about it but I think he will appreciate it in future years. 

The Student Planner that is available

I really like that even though the kids are so far apart in age, we were still able to use the system together!  The books are written to be used together if needed for different age levels.  How cool is that!  It is always a big homeschool score if you can teach all age levels at once (usually why unit studies are so popular).

I used the Primary Grades with Little Bug

Victus means a way of life.  The idea behind this system is that, just like reading, the student(s) will learn skills that can be reiterated and expanded upon as they get older.  You can start at any level and gain great tools, but if your student is able to start at Level I and work through the system they will have the best understanding and skills necessary to not only study well but be organized for life in general.  I really wish I had known about this when my 9th grader was younger.  It would have helped to instill some of the concepts that I think are key for good study skills.  The skills that are taught are not only good for school but for life in general.  Victus created it to be that way. Some skills covered are goal setting, your vision for the future, your mission statement, how best to study for tests, test taking, note taking, and time management and organization using a planner.

The Victus Study Skills System has 4 main concepts:

1. Zeal without Knowledge is not good, but zeal with knowledge bears fruit.
2. Results come from the process.
3. Any system with all of its components must have an aim or purpose.
4. A unique and effective system of study has the greatest likelihood of aiding in success. (Student Workbook p. 5)

PQRST method for better study skills

The system also focuses on 3 foundational cornerstones that are reiterated throughout the lessons.  The 3 cornerstones are: Where am I now?; Where do I want to be?; and How do I get there?  There are 10 lessons that are broken down into 5 sessions.  You can complete the curriculum in about 5 hours by following the suggested schedule in the book.  One session a day for 5 days, about an hour long each, and you are done.  Our lessons generally took close to an hour to complete.  The skills learned can then be used throughout the student's school year to increase their retention of knowledge and organization skills.

Simplified Primary lesson

The Level 1: Primary (K-2/3) was a MUCH simplified version of the Level 3 (5/6-10/11) we used.  There were also only 6 lessons in the Primary workbook.  I had to work with Little Bug to fill her workbook out since she is not writing at that level yet.  I simply used oral dictation to go over her lessons with her.  You do need the Teacher Edition that explains the program and guides you through the lessons.  The Teacher Edition includes the answer keys for Level 3.  The answer keys for Level 2 are in the Elementary Teacher Supplement. There was a note in the College Student Workbook that gave the correct page numbers that correspond to the page numbers used in the Teacher Edition.

College and Elementary Workbooks

Answer Key in Teacher Edition

I think the best part was when my 9th grader completed the Learning Strength worksheet in Lesson 2 and made the connection as to why he likes to watch videos to learn.  It was his "aha" moment!  His greatest strength was vision with auditory coming in right after.  He thought it was pretty cool how that worked out. I just like the flow of the lessons and how it challenges your student to think about their future and what their goals are not just in school but in life.  I found the skills it teaches to be very useful and practical. I didn't master many of the skills taught until later in life so having my kids learn them early is a plus for me.

Learning Strength worksheet

Even though my 9th grader was less than happy with this and my Kindergartner really didn't understand everything she was learning, I know that they learned skills that will help them move forward in their studies.  I plan to continue to use this with both of them and know that with time, they will "get it."  I will also have my 9th grader use the student planner extensively next year for 10th grade.  I feel the skills presented are invaluable and highly useful at all ages.  I would recommend the Victus Study Skills System for grades 2 through college.

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Please be sure to also check out what other crew members have to say about this system.  Just click on the graphic below.