How Campus Resources Can Help Us Shoot for Success
With midterms, papers, miscellaneous assignments, and finals just around the corner, it can be easy to get lost in all the schoolwork. Now that we’re nearing the end of the Spring semester, it’s a good time to revisit the different opportunities available to help students at Arcadia succeed this testing season.
Tutors Are Here to Help
The Learning Resource Network, or LRN, is a phenomenal resource on campus, especially when we’re getting into testing season. Located on the first floor of Knight Hall, this resource is open to and free for all students to take advantage of.
Tutors at the LRN are hand-picked by professors and have taken the classes that they tutor for and excelled in them. If anyone can give great tips on how to succeed in these courses, it’s these students. You can book an appointment through Portalguard or follow this link.
I’m currently in Financial Accounting and have found that reviewing the material with a tutor helps to really solidify new concepts in my brain. Even if you go just to talk out your homework problems with them, and ensure you’re grasping concepts correctly, you will feel way more prepared for exams.
Don’t Forget the Writing Center
Similar to the LRN, the Writing Center features a curated collection of peer mentors, here to help others succeed on campus. Need help with essay writing, editing, referencing styles, or anything else writing-based? This is the place to go!
You can find the Writing Center at the bottom of the library. This resource is also completely free of charge for all students to use. Appointments with the Writing Center can be made through Portalguard or with this link.
Utilize Office Hours
When it comes to figuring out how to best succeed in individual courses, the best person to consult is the person teaching said course. As a faculty member, each professor is required to post office hours for their students. Go to them!
Office hours are a great opportunity to sit down with your professors 1:1 and go over the specific pieces of the course material that you may be struggling with. If you’re interested in meeting with a professor, their office hours may be listed in the course syllabus or available upon request.
I remember working on my case outline for Constitutional Law and initially being so overwhelmed and confused by the concept. I didn’t want to go to a tutor because I didn’t even know where to begin with what I was confused about, so I scheduled an appointment with my professor.
That meeting clarified SO MUCH and put me on the track to success. I don’t know how I would have gotten through that assignment without that added support and guidance.
Additional Opportunities
In many of the courses that I have taken here, my professors have offered additional opportunities to seek out assistance with the material that we’re covering in class. Whether that may be class study sessions, helpful handouts, or useful websites, most of my professors have found unique options that help students succeed in retaining their material.
Things like the Table Francais in the French department or Judge Cerski’s weekend review sessions have become cornerstones to success in many courses here at Arcadia. If your professor is promoting an additional resource, it’s for good reason!
We Are Here to Help Each Other!
The best thing about being a small and close-knit community is that we have the ability to grow a strong support system on campus. Everyone around you wants to see you succeed, whether or not you may notice it.
If you have a big test, project, essay, or anything else course-related coming up, remember to take note of the resources around you. I wish each and every one of you the best of luck with the rest of this semester; we got this!
