More than 50 college students participated in an investigation of the extent to which content area study skills programs influenced the attrition rates and grade point averages of health science students whose performance was marginal. Two experimental study skills programs were developed. In the first, 11 students were placed in a "how to study the sciences" course that lasted for one semester. While the attrition rate for this group was lower than that for a matched control group in a general survey study skills course, there was no significant difference in the grade point averages of the two groups. In the second program, 23 students were placed in a "studying the sciences" five-week minicourse. After the course, the grade point averages of these students were slightly, but not significantly, higher than their averages before the course. Overall results indicate that marginal students require more than a one-semester or half-semester study skills course. (FL)