“Use the resources on campus.” It’s such a cliche. Almost on a weekly basis I have parents telling me that they said that exact thing to their kids. And yet, it’s so true. Students need to access the free resources on campus. There’s really no reason not to. Now, I will acknowledge that each campus varies in terms of what they offer. At a big state school, the opportunities are endless. At our smaller schools, it may be more limited, although students generally have easier access to their professors.
Why don’t students use campus resources?
So what prevents students from going to a tutoring center, writing center, or office hours? It fluctuates from student to student. Some students express to me that they’re too anxious to show and get help. Others tell me that they are embarrassed. Some have too difficult a time initiating to be able to get out the door and get to a campus building they aren’t required to be at. Some students despise help and can’t get themselves to be open to the idea.
Whatever the case, students need to get themselves to use these resources for the classes that are giving them difficulty. And the reason is: EFFICIENCY.
How using campus resources makes students more efficient.
Let’s say a student is having difficulty with a concept in Calculus, like multivariable chain rule. Many students will then lock in. They will buckle down and grind until they learn this. They will use Khan Academy, ChatGPT, and scroll through slides. They will keep working, and working, and working…which by the way is quite the admirable skill.
However, the question I always ask them is how quickly can you learn that with someone else? Oftentimes I’ll hear something like, “It took me 3 hours, but I probably could’ve learned it in 30 minutes with someone else.” Whatever the time breakdown, students must understand that the toll this takes on their mental energy and physical energy is much more draining. It will have a ripple effect into other work and make school more difficult. Students need to identify the class and concepts that they can get help with so they can be more efficient and learn from others. This is especially important when it comes to midterms and finals. The more students have on their plate, the more efficient they have to be. Accessing these campus resources will help them do that.