With the formation of the First Year Advising Center, the Academic Skills Center changed to the Tutoring Center and now provides tutoring for more classes, as well as new hours and services.

The Tutoring Center is located in 103 North Foundation Hall and offers supplemental instruction courses Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tutoring will continue to be provided by students trained and certified through the College Reading and Learning Association, according to Tutoring Center Director Elizabeth DeVerna.

“With the addition of the First Year Advising Center for new students, we decided to change the name to the Tutoring Center so students would know the main objective we offer,” DeVerna said.

Individual and group tutoring will still be available in addition to 26 sections of SI, in a variety of courses including higher-level physics, mathematics, chemistry, biology and psychology.

Paid tutors work at the Center to help students learn or reinforce the material, as well as develop better test-taking and study strategies.

Additional services are offered through the Center to prepare students for exams.

The Society of Scholars at Oakland University hosts the Snack and Study Program, giving concentrated study sessions with free food and beverages for about five topics, which will be announced closer to the date. The programs will be offered before midterms at 5 p.m. Oct. 12 and prior to finals Dec. 7, according to Society of Scholars President Elizabeth Silverman.

According to Laura Wicklund, special lecturer in math and former SI and tutoring coordinator, with the raise in enrollment the Snack and Studies Program will seek more teaching assistants to instruct the higher number of students.

Another option to help deal with exam stress is the Test Anxiety Program. Last year, the Counseling Department partnered with the Tutoring Center to create the program after many students visited seeking help and ways to deal with exam-triggered stress, according to Counseling Center Director David Schwartz.

TAP meets as a group, going over different methods to help students succeed and lower stress levels.

One of the first TAP sessions was done with the Physical Therapy Program for an  exam. For the first time, all students passed and the average was at its highest than it was in past years when students had not gone through the process, according to Schwartz.

“Research shows that these techniques work,” Schwartz said. “During the Test Anxiety Program, we provide different tools for concentration, including breathing techniques and strategies for gaining confidence.”

Students who attend get an overview of what causes test anxiety, as well as reassurance that it is normal.

The program then discusses how to manage stress levels on both the day of and leading up to exams.

 

Contact Multimedia Reporter Stephanie Sokol via email at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @StephanieSokol