Do you ever feel completely disconnected from the students around you while sitting in a class? How do they sit there taking notes and retaining the information? Are you somehow less intelligent than the people around you? The answer is no.

Everybody struggles to retain information at some point in their academic career. You are smart enough to earn admission into your university, which means you can learn the material. You may try studying alone, but nothing seems to stick. Many universities across the nation offer a variety of supports to struggling students through university or personally appointed tutors. Each tutor dedicates their time to your individual needs within the classroom.

Student Tutors

There are likely to be student tutors for larger majors on campus. If you are lucky, your university will have a tutor for every subject, though this may not be the case for every school. The first hurdle requires finding those tutors. Larger universities may advertise their tutors and tutoring services through posters, social media, or word of mouth. The tutors that work for the university have the training to tutor a specific subject and, therefore, can help you with your individual needs. You might feel weary about going to a tutor for fear of being judged, but fear not! Tutors are there to help you and not to judge you.

Writing Center

The Writing Center is a major source of tutoring services at any university. This space helps college students with academic, personal, or professional writing. You can go to the Writing Center for any writing assignment you might have for class, work, or otherwise. Those working at the Center can also help you regardless of the subject. Many universities base their Writing Center around a course taught to interested tutors where they learn pedagogies and curriculums to help with any writing. Even if the tutors know nothing about your forensic chemistry paper, they know writing conventions and learn to handle works like scientific papers — even if they know nothing about the subject. To get tutoring through the writing center, you likely need to book an appointment or walk to get help with your writing! However, these appointments sometimes fill up quickly, particularly around midterm and finals seasons. Make sure to check your schedule and plan in advance.

Math Tutoring

Where there is a need for writing tutors, there is likely also a need for math tutors, as they are the two major branches of knowledge on campus. Universities might house math tutors with other tutors for other subjects, or you might find them within your university’s math department. If you are in STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics), you are likely required to take multiple math classes. Math does not always come easily to some of us. Asking a tutor for help on a certain concept or a set of problems should not be embarrassing but encouraged. Like the Writing Center, tutors cannot do your work for you. They can, however, give you the one-on-one lessons needed to learn a specific concept to succeed in your classes.

No Tutoring Services? No Problem!

LinkedIn also works like a social media app. There is a feed. This feed helps you see the connections you have made and the organizations you have followed. You can also make posts and see other posts people have made. Making connections is the key to getting a good feed. You can start by adding people you know, like classmates and coworkers. After this, connections may begin to find you! Recruiters might see what you have to offer and want to connect with you for future purposes. You can also add people the same way. Look around for people within your field and add them. You may never know what that connection might bring you.

LinkedIn might seem like something big, scary, and only for people with corporate jobs, but you can use LinkedIn for your purposes. Sometimes, I use LinkedIn to keep track of my experiences. It helps me prepare for interviews by quickly reviewing my highlights. I also see what type of jobs and experiences my peers are into within their fields. LinkedIn can give college students many opportunities and experiences they might not have had otherwise.