It's almost October which means...

October is one of my favorite months. My birthday, Halloween, and fall weather. One thing I don’t particularly look forward to…midterms. Midterms are something that will be fairly new to students who have never taken a college course before. Perhaps you have a friend or family member who is in college and has mentioned midterms before. Most students actually dread them. What exactly are midterms? Midterms come at the middle of the semester and it is typically an exam covering everything that you have learned in the course up to that point. Now, there will be times when you come across a professor that will take a more laid back approach to midterms. I have had it both ways. Some midterms will be nothing more than just the second exam of the semester. Usually students start to panic because all the classes will start to have exams at the same time. There is no need to panic at all! Just study like you normally would. This is when it becomes beneficial to have friends in the same class. Perhaps you can form a study group. Whatever works best for you as the student. As a tutor for the university, I also strongly urge students to come see us sooner rather than later. If you know you are kind of struggling in a course and the midterm is coming up, come see us as soon as possible. This will ultimately help you in the long run. You can also come see us even if you know what you are doing, but want an idea reinforced. I have had numerous students come up with a study guide and say quiz me. We can help do that as well. All in all midterms are nothing to stress over. They are just one of many exams you will take in your college career.

©Kelsey Jordan  

Stressed?? Who Me?

Stress and the College Student 

          

         They seem to go hand in hand. Oh, the beginning of the semester you are filled with excitement.  New Classes.  New Instructors.  New Friends.  New Dating Options!   

         But then, after Week Four, the realization sets in.   

You have a lot of work to do. 

  

And, you only have 12 more weeks to get it all done.  Less than that, once you factor in Thanksgiving and October breaks.  So, what does all this have to do with stress?  You as a student and as a son or daughter, worker or parent have a lot of juggling to do.  So many demands on your time and so little time to address those demands.  For many students, Week Six in the semester is one of the most likely times that a student will feel stressed out.  Why?  MIDTERM EXAMS!  

    

        Suddenly, you don’t have reading and homework, you also have four to five exams all scheduled in the same small window.  You have to get everything else done PLUS study for exams. 

        How do you avoid letting the stress get the best of you?  Create a study plan.  Manage your time.  I know, you are like…whatever, Dr. Brooks.  That’s what you always say.  This is TRUE; however, if you create a schedule for studying you will feel more control of your life.  Better yet, you will BE in control of your life.  How does all this relate to stress?  The more you can structure the chaos, the more relaxed you will feel.  More relaxed = less stress.

      OK. OK.  We know that tests can raise your stress level, but what else contributes to your stress level as a new college student.  Loneliness.  Many of you have lost the every day contact that you had with your high school friends.  If you have someone you know from high school here on campus, they are most likely not one of your best friends.  By week Four or Five, it really becomes noticeable that you don't have friends.  And, maybe at this point you haven't made any friends.  What do you do now?!  

 

                                

Well, remember Up there???

     Use Midterms Exams as an excuse to talk to somebody in class.  Ask them if they want to get together to study.  Talk about the exam.  Use the exam as a way to reach out and connect with someone in your class.  

                                                                 OR

      Come to the Student Success Center!  We have lots of friendly tutors AND students who visit them.  The best thing about the Success Center isn't the tutoring (although, they are pretty darn awesome if I do say so).  It's the connections you make.  People who want to do well in their classes just like you.

      If stress is still getting to you, then look at the checklist below.  How many apply to you?  What can you do to help reduce some of your stress?  What resources should you access to help you?

     Stress Management Plans?   

What the heck?  How do I go about creating one of those?

     Look below for resources on campus that can help you manage your stress:

• Check out the PNC Student Activities page for fun things to do on campus. 

• Go to our Fitness Center.  It's FREE for students and located in the basement of LSF.
• Visit the Dean of Student's Office.  Diana Marovich's office is located there.  She can help you on campus and hook you up with many off campus resources.

       Don't worry.  Stay the course.  Stick with us.  Come see us if you are worried, but never fear we are here to help you.   Soon you will be on the other side of midterms and looking toward the end of the semester.....and Final Exams.  But, we will talk about those in another post.  :)

(C) 2012 Jane Brooks

Boring...when is this class OVER?

Everyone has at least one.  If you asked them, they could probably name it right off the top of their head.  The class they dread attending.  The class that isn't necessarily hard.  It might even be on a topic you are interested in....BUT, the instructor is boring.  Or, sometimes, the material is boring.  The book is boring.  You are boring.  What??!!  Whoops.  Forget that one!  Seriously.  You will have classes you don't like.  I did.  My friends did.  Sometimes they were the same, sometimes not.  What's the catch?  You often have to take that dreaded class for some reason.  Major requirement.  Core requirement. Any way it shakes out, you have to take it.

So, how do you make the best of a boring class?  This really isn't an easy question to answer.  It depends on the situation.  Does the instructor give you a lot of information that you need to know, they just do it in a way that lets your mind wander off to what's happening on Facebook instead of in the classroom?  In that case, just try writing down whatever they say.  Even if you write every word, at least you are keeping yourself busy and you look like you are paying attention.  A similar strategy can be used for the boring books.  Keep track of the most important page every couple of pages to keep yourself in the moment.

A simple thing that you can do to make MOST classes more interesting is to raise your hand.  I know.  You are thinking "Whatev!"  But, it is true.  Ask a question.  Answer a questions.  Whichever you choose, you will have added a new voice to the classroom.  And, really.  That is part of what college should be about.  Learning to listen to and appreciate new voices.  To find your own voice.  To raise that voice and add it to the discussion.

So maybe, the question to ask yourself next time isn't "when is class over," but rather "how do I use my voice to make this class more interesting to me?"

(C) 2012 Jane E. Brooks

First Week as a Freshman: I Survived

Another look at the first weeks of classes and the change from high school to college by one of our new PNC students.

First Week as a Freshman: I Survived

From the Librarians' Desk: What's to Know?

Every year we hear “I didn’t know this campus had a library” or “I can find everything I need on the internet.” With modern technology who wants to read these old books anyways.

Our library is so much more than a library.

We have a mini computer room, where you can work on research papers, homework or surf the net.  There are plenty of spacious comfortable seating areas, to work on class work or just to relax in between classes (just keep the snoring to a whisper). We also have a small selection of magazines for leisure reading.

If you need help finding books, articles, or just need to know where to start, ask our staff to get you started in the right direction. We offer off campus access to our databases so you can do your research from home 24/7.   PNC Library  Click the link to check out our online offerings.  You can also email a librarian if you are having trouble finding a resource.

If our library doesn’t have the information you need for a project you are working on, we have an Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service that you can request books (sorry unfortunately we cannot request course books) or articles from other libraries. We also have an ALI card which allows you to go to other universities like Notre Dame and Valparaiso University and use their library resources.

Speaking of course books, the library does have a few of the course books, and other course materials that your professors have put on reserve for their classes. They are located at the front desk.

While you are up here check out….

The Student Success Center         
Are you having trouble understanding your homework? They can help you with your homework, or maybe you don’t need the tutoring and just want to check and see if you understand the work correctly they are here for you. The Student Success Center also helps students learn the academic, professional, and time-management skills to help them succeed.

The Academic Advising Center              
They assist students in find and understand their academic directions and educational goals. They also help students develop and maintain effective plans and strategies for continued success. Our advisors are very knowledgeable in the areas of which they advise, and are always available if you just need some reassurance or need a shoulder to lean on.

The Writing Center    
You can go here to get one on one help creating, developing and editing your papers. They will not proof read, but they will help you understand the different style of writing your professors ask for.

(c) 2012 Susan Anderson

To Drop or Not to Drop, That is the Question

    The beginning of the semester hits faster than you would think.  You go from getting a syllabus and introducing yourself to classes filled with lectures and the expectation as you walk in to class that you have read and UNDERSTOOD the reading.  The second week slides in like a slow-forming mist and suddenly you are engulfed.  You are a college student and whether first year or seasoned veteran, you are expected to hit the ground running.  And, that isn’t easy.  

 

    Somewhere between Weeks Two and Four is also when the dreaded Syllabus Shock hits.  Yeah.  You looked at the syllabus during the first week when you sat in class, but you didn’t really read it.  A glance.  A looksy.  A quick skim.  But, read it.  Not so much.  Then, Week Two, maybe Three.  You realize that you not only have to read that thing, but the syllabus (and you have one for each class!) is the guide, the map, the structure for your next fifteen weeks.  OMG.  The realization hits that you will actually have to complete these readings, the assignments, the quizzes, the discussions and the list goes on.  It can be an overwhelming amount of material to look at, to sort out, and to think about already.  So, what happens to a lot of students during this time?  

   THEY FREAK OUT!  They think “I can’t do this.  NO WAY!  Ain’t gonna happen.”  They go to their advisor and they drop.  And, once a student drops a course, it is like a seal breaking.  It is just easier when you feel overwhelmed to drop another one.  Students who were registered for 15 hours will drop to 9.  Students registered for 4 classes, drop to 2.  They think that this is helping them.  It is an immediate fix to the chaos that surrounds you in that moment.  Except.  It isn’t an easy fix.  More often than not, those classes are required.  You will have to take them again.  More importantly, you will have to PAY for them again.  Students who drop often don’t get the full refund.  Many will end up paying for the same course twice.  Drop three courses over the course of your undergraduate studies and you have added another semester to your timeline. In the moment and the long term, this is not a great strategy because you pay for it in so many different ways: financially, academically, emotionally...

    

         What do you do instead?  What do you do when you think that you can’t possibly take all 4 classes, or all five classes?  How do you make it through a challenging time without backing off or full-out running away? TALK to your instructor.  Go see your Academic Advisor.  Seek out someone in your school’s Student Success Area.  These people are here to help you jump these hurdles.  Remember, some folks are born with special talents, but to be GREAT they have to work at it.  Not every track and field star finished their first race without bulldozing through a hurdle or cracking a shin.  You might get some lumps, but what you will learn is how to PERSEVERE!  Sometimes, when we are in the midst of the chaos, it is hard to see a way out.  That’s where talking to an instructor, advisor or even a friend (who is good at organizing things!) comes into play.  Once they show you the path, you will be able to find your way.  That fog will lift and you will see yourself through, successfully to the end of the semester.  You will save yourself money in the short term and the long run.  And, most importantly you will have faced a challenge and won!  And that is a truly wonderful feeling! 
(C) 2012 Jane E. Brooks