Thanksgiving break is here, meaning only a few weeks are left until the end of the semester. While it is almost time to break out the cooler temperatures, cozy sweaters and hot chocolate, final exams are the last hurdle between students and the end of the year.
To help overcome that hurdle and end the semester on a high note, the Academic Success Center (ASC) at Oakland University is a tutoring center offering a variety of different ways to help students with their studying. Whether you’re looking for help in a class, or just looking for a quiet place to study, the ASC is a one-stop-shop for academic support.
“The programs are here for students, so they can come and stay for as long as they want,” Clarisse Mikami, the ASC Interim, said. “If they want to stay here from 10am to 10pm with tutors, they can.”
The ASC offers four different types of services. There are academic support appointments, allowing students to schedule one-on-one tutoring with staff about study strategies; study groups where students can study with experienced student leaders; supplemental instruction, organized study sessions for difficult courses; and peer tutoring, drop-in tutoring available for several beginning courses at the 1000 and 2000 levels.
All tutors at the ASC are certified and cover several of the majors around campus. Mikami says that those with classes involving math benefit the most from the center.
“There are a lot of majors that use math classes, so we have a lot of help for math students,” Mikami said. “So, math statistics is another one that most majors will require at least one statistics course. So that is something that we can help as well. A lot of, like I said, the business courses. We have help for that. We have help for physics, a lot of chemistry, a lot of biology.”
While a majority of the services are offered in person, the ASC offers several online tools as well. The newest ASC student tool is the time management interactive system that students can use to plan out how many hours they use in the day for different activities.
“Let’s say I’m planning my classes, and I want to take 17 credits,” Mikami said. “Can I do that and still be able to do my hobbies? It’s a time management tool, so they can plan out if they have enough hours during the week to get done with everything they want.”
For students looking to become a tutor, the ASC offers campus jobs. Students can apply on Handshake for jobs such as SI (supplemental instruction) leader, a job typically chosen before a semester starts, and peer tutors, who can be chosen throughout the year.
“Basically, if we need more tutors or if you’re looking for specific courses, we may hire during the semester as well, based on demand,” Mikami said.
The ASC is located in room 1100 of Wilson Hall. For more information on the ASC and how to access their services, visit their OU webpage or visit their Instagram page @ouacademicsuccesscenter to stay up to date with their events.
