Academic support on campus
Photo courtesy of Photo Editor, Faith Zatlukal
The Writing Learning Center opened their new location in the Milne Library in room 203 just a few weeks ago, making it the perfect opportunity to make an appointment!
Every year, the Spring semester sneaks up on college students as they return from winter break. Compared to the Fall semester, professors assume a higher level of familiarity, preparedness, and an already-in-the-groove spirit. This can make learning new material overwhelming, as students already try to grapple with various homework and reading assignments they might struggle with.
Luckily for students, SUNY Geneseo and its departments host a myriad of academic support services that can help students better understand the class material, refine work completed, or even advise students struggling to adapt to the collegiate landscape. Below are a variety of these services, what they offer, and how to make use of them.
For services that seek to offer support rather than more traditional tutoring, feel free to check out the Office of Advising support programs. Through the office, students have a ton of great places to start when it comes to trying to navigate, finding services they may not be aware exist, or helping those with more specific support needs. These more hidden elements can be found through inquiring with the Geneseo Points of Service (GPS) Guides, who are specifically trained to know what is available to students and advise them with the best fit for their needs.
They also have staff to fill more tailored student groups. This includes the office’s Academic Champions, who consist of staff, faculty, and fellow students who can help guide first-year Geneseo students through the tricky facets of becoming a part of college life. They are a friendly face and listening ear for students who face various personal and individual obstacles to succeeding here. They also can be a great way to gain helpful advice and insights about the college community and college demands in a more approachable and applicable way than vague self-help online articles online.
Lastly, they provide an Academic Coaching service built for students experiencing or at risk of academic probation. Experiencing academic probation/being at risk of it can be very stressful and alienating— as confiding this in peers can feel intimidating for many. This service can help students build better habits, learn how to set goals in a way that works better for them, and keep that student accountable as they work to better their academic standing.
Outside of the Office of Advising Support, a litany of resources are more oriented towards tutoring or supplementing regular class instruction. One of these is the Writing Learning Center (WLC). The WLC is a great place to consult on pretty much any kind of writing across the process; from helping to structure a thesis, outline a paper, or offer revision suggestions on a draft, these peer tutors can help with various writing-related assignments/activities. The WLC is not just for essays! Feel free to drop by or schedule an appointment to talk about lab reports, résumés, cover letters, or articles for The Lamron (wink, wink). They are open Monday through Thursday from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm and on Sundays from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm in Milne 203, and students can also schedule virtual appointments if that works better for them.
Adjacently, those struggling in mathematics can get help at the Math Learning Center (MLC) through the school’s math department. This is generally geared towards 100-level and 200-level math classes to assist students taking math as a general education course or as an aspect of their degree that might more broadly be less mathematical but require some degree of ability. This can be found in South 332 and is open Monday from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm, Tuesday to Thursday from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm, Friday from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm, and Sunday from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm.
Some classes students routinely experience difficulty with might also offer a Supplemental Instruction (SI) program. These sessions are largely for classes in the science and mathematics departments, but a few run for some of the more difficult social science courses as well. It has many of the same advantages the other peer-tutor programs have, such as being a little more approachable than a professor's standard office hours and having peers who have already taken the course and, therefore, have a more specific understanding of it be the ones students interact with. For more information on SI sessions, take a look at SI’s page on the Geneseo website!
Knowing where to start or who to speak with when you are struggling in a course or with an assignment can feel like just another task on your plate, but hopefully, this gives you a better understanding of what resources are available. These services are tailored for student use— so make the most of them! Also, remember that reaching out to your advisor, professor(s), or the Lauderdale Health Center’s Health and Counseling are additional avenues you may take if you feel it better fits your specific academic, personal, or mental needs!