As a senior, I realized how much of my tuition I was wasting by never really using the different centers and services that are provided to students. Even as an employee at one of these centers, I continue to struggle to use their services. Here are all of the really important services that everyone should use if they are at your university.
- Learning, Writing & Speaking Center
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Everyone should have at least one appointment with their learning, writing, speaking center. The best part of this center is that the workers who make up the center are primarily students across all the different majors. This means that there is no need to be stressed about talking through your problems because we can relate to exactly what you are going through. From not being able to come up with a good speech topic to make sure your paper is in perfect APA format, the LWS center is the way to go. We’ve probably been in the class that you’re taking now and already completed the projects/presentations that you’re struggling with, which is why coming to us for help is your key to success. If you want to improve your grade through tutoring or improve your public speaking/writing skills, the center is crucial to perfecting these necessary abilities.
- Career Services Center
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Somewhere I never thought of actually going to until I was a graduating senior was the career services center. In my head, I thought that they were just a center to help me find a post-graduate job and nothing more. I was very wrong… I believe students starting their first semester of freshman year should start making appointments at the center. From perfecting their LinkedIn profiles to building interview/networking skills, the career center is a major opportunity for anyone to succeed. I wish I had gone for help on getting an internship during my junior year, but instead I simply relied on Indeed. Now as I am graduating, I find myself scrambling trying to figure out what materials I need and how I can improve my skills needed for getting a job. Each person at this center is fully knowledgeable on the networking industry and how recruiters look for new applicants, which makes applying the right way much easier.
- Counseling & Psychological Services
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On top of academic help, the counseling and psychological services are always there to help with any needs and worries. Sometimes it can take a moment to get an appointment, but if it’s an emergency or urgent, they will gladly help you right away, no matter what. From stress to traumatic events, the counselors are there to help. They provide both one-on-one counseling as well as group counseling, and you can participate in both. They cover every topic imaginable that you might be facing from just overall stress to losing a loved one. Don’t forget about your personal needs and reach out because sometimes your school provides free mental health counseling sessions that you could be taking advantage of for personal betterment.
- Center for Academic & Student Achievement
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I know no one wants to hear this, but the center for academic & student achievement is also a good place to go to double-check on your academic standing and needed credits for graduation. I know it doesn’t seem like they can help because they seem one-track minded, but I have found that they know all of the loopholes and the perfect classes to take to graduate early, if that’s something that you’re interested in. They know which classes double count and which classes fit what core credit no matter what the major or minor is. If you don’t know what you’re interested in, they can help you find a sample of classes to take that might interest you in different fields. They can help connect you to the right resources in order to succeed and are the people to see if you want to change or declare your major.
Every school has a variety of different sources and centers to help their students succeed, but often don’t promote them as much as they should. This is why it is important to look into what your school offers to get the most out of your time and tuition.