With a new semester comes a clean slate, an opportunity to put our best efforts forward academically, and make good on our resolutions for the New Year. Over holiday break I reflected on my first semester at LMU and decided to set some goals for myself going forth, such as managing my time more wisely to prevent any late-night cramming for tests.
LMU offers students a wealth of resources to aid them in their studies — most notably, the Academic Resource Center (ARC) and Katz Family Academic Skills Program in Daum Hall. The Katz program allows students to meet with Learning Specialists, people who will sit down with you to create a daily schedule to help manage your time. Not only that, but there are tutors who will guide you on getting that jump-start on an essay as well as assist you with other assignments you are struggling with. On their website, they have a list of courses along with times for tutoring services. Their writing support offers students one-on-one assistance, made possible either by appointment at the ARC or dropping by Room 117 in the Library between 8-10 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays. Additionally, on the ARC website is the Kickstart program, an online resource made up of videos that help students boost their academic standing from time management to learning strategies.
Another goal of mine for this semester is to spend more quality study time at our nationally-ranked William H. Hannon Library. It’s a great place to study quietly or look for books, and this library offers more than that. At the information desk on the first floor, anyone can come up and ask about recommended sources for a topic or guidance on finding a topic. Students can also set up an appointment to meet with a librarian, for which there are librarians for different areas of study to get more personalized research help.
Perhaps the greatest, yet least used academic resource are office hours. Despite it being so obvious, office hours are a chance for students to meet with their professor one on one to catch up on anything missed during a lecture, assistance with assignments, and just questions about the class in general. I plan on using this to my benefit this semester.
The resources I’ve discussed only begin to scratch the surface of the many found around LMU. Here’s to starting off the new year and semester on the right foot!