Using Campus Resources Part 1: Academic and Professional
SaveThis article focuses on academic and professional development resources.
By Xavier Royer
Universities offer far more to students than simply courses. Particularly for students who live on campus, universities offer many resources to assist them in the classroom and some that help students outside their courses. This article is the first part of two that will identify and describe some of the student resources often found on campuses that students should visit early and often. This article focuses on those academic and professional development resources, while the next focuses on some lifestyle resources.
Tutoring Centers, and Especially the Writing Center
Most universities have some tutoring centers, though the setup may be different depending on the size and budget of the university. Larger universities will have a stand-alone writing center, a math center, and possibly others depending on what the university wants to prioritize. Smaller universities may consolidate the subjects into one center or space. But it is uncommon for a university to have no version of a tutoring center. The beauty of these centers is that students usually staff them, which creates a more welcoming experience. These services are almost always free with tuition, as well. I emphasize the writing center because the "level up" in writing from high school to college is massive and immediate. Even if Comp 1 & 2 were enough to completely develop students writing skills (they usually are not), students are still already a quarter of the way through their time before those courses are completed.
Writing is also a skill all students will use in multiple classes. Any social science, humanity, or business class will require writing— something even STEM majors must take before graduating. To get the most out of a writing center, students should not come with an editing mindset. "Editing" would mean the tutor would take the paper, make changes, and hand it back. This may be helpful for the individual paper but is not an excellent strategy for improving writing. Rather, consider the tutor a writing consultant who can help students find common mistakes are weak areas in their writing to improve on. I would suggest any student struggling with writing try to get an appointment once or twice a month, depending on how much writing their courses demand.
Career Center
Universities have a vested interest in ensuring their students go on to bigger and better things upon graduation. This is where the career center comes into play. This resource may have different names at different universities, and the scope may increase at larger and more well-resourced universities. However, every university should have an office dedicated to helping students get employed.
Career centers provide a few common functions that students should consider. One is interview and resume prep. Interviews can be challenging to navigate alone, even if students have successfully interviewed for part-time jobs. Often, the careers they are looking to move into after graduation have more rigorous or specific hiring processes that career centers help to make less daunting.
Resumes are also one of the most complex documents to create, and internet advice is inconsistent in its quality and often contradicts. This complexity extends to cover letters, portfolios, and other application materials. While the writing center can help articulate these documents, career centers specialize in structure and identifying what info to include and leave out. Career centers also specialize in networking. Career centers often have strong alumni connections that might score students internships or jobs they might not otherwise stand out enough to qualify for. They are also plugged into the local businesses the university commonly partners with.
Research Librarians
Research librarians are criminally underutilized on most campuses. Research librarians are tasked with knowing the campus's academic resources (books, journals, etc.) backward and forwards. The idea is that students and faculty can then come to them to reduce the time they need to spend searching for resources. Once again, larger universities will have more librarians, likely with topic specializations, while smaller universities may use more generalists. So many students will struggle with finding good sources for their research and never even think to contact a research librarian. Research librarians are incredibly knowledgeable, and refusing to contact one wastes time.
This article identifies three excellent academic and professional resources that often go underused on campus. These three resources make huge differences in student outcomes—whether on an individual paper or more long-term accomplishments. Classroom and professional success is clearly important, and these resources help with those directly. However, the key to being a successful student is maintaining good mental, emotional, and physical health. Part two in this series identifies resources to accomplish those goals.
Xavier Royer
I am currently a full time instructor at a William Penn University, a small private university in Iowa. I am the lone political science faculty member there. In my time teaching, I have already connected with an incredible cohort of students in ways I could never have expected. Partnering with SAGE will allow me the opportunity to help even more students across the globe navigate those tricky questions.Articles & Advice
Featured Articles from The SAGE Scholars Benefit
5 Tips on How to Make the Most Out of Your Internship
Why Do Clubs in College Matter?
