The study described in this report was launched in Fall 1978 at Bronx Community College (BCC) to determine the efficacy of two procedures for enhancing the academic survival and study skills of students in academic difficulty. Introductory material looks at BCC's Operation Second Chance (OSC), one of these treatment procedures, which employs peer-mediated contracts in self-management. Next, a literature review covers developmental approaches that focus on improving study behavior and self-modification. After the study's methods and procedures are discussed, the four experimental groups are described: (1) 18 students in a Probationary Workshop Program (PWP), which combines academic survival counseling, study skills advice, and information on stimulus control; (2) 20 OSC students who received the same treatment as the PWP group and were also involved in self-contracting; (3) 20 students who registered for but did not attend the PWP; and (4) 16 late-comers who did not participate. Next, the study's outcome measures are delineated, including evaluation interviews, the pre- and post-tests, and grades and credits earned. Study results are then presented, revealing that the treatment groups performed better than the non-treatment groups, but that the OSC group did not perform significantly better than the PWP group. The report concludes with a discussion of the importance of student motivation and of the implications of the findings. (AYC)