Arriving on a large campus like Illinois as a new student can be scary and overwhelming. Some people will try and make a large school sound like a bad thing, and say that there is no way that each student will get individual help with school work, studying, mental health and support. They will say that a student who prefers to have someone look over their papers, and help them study will not be able to succeed fully at a larger university.

This might seem like good advice to those types of students; however, this is not the case at Illinois. This campus boasts a vast majority of helpful student study resources that surely did not exist in high school. Each student can get the help they seek, whether it be from the writers workshop, counseling center, tutoring centers or advising services just to name a few.

The University is, of course, first and foremost a place to succeed academically. The Writers Workshop exists to help students who may have to write a paper for class, or just need to tune up on their writing skills in general. It is located in the Undergraduate Library, and writing experts are available by appointment and are willing to read and re-word and give writing tips to improve it until the paper until it is perfect enough to turn in.

The University also offers tutoring services; each department has tutors who apply, and they are accepted based on how well they did in a problem class. Athletes also have their own tutors, as well their own studying facility called the Irwin Center.

College advisors are also there to talk new students through classes, schedules, and even future job opportunities. Advisors are more than happy to help students and actually enjoy when students schedule appointments and take the time to know them.

Advisers are a pool of wealth and have seen many students go through similar classes and programs, so they have an abundance of wealth as well. Getting close to your advisor is one of the most beneficial steps a student can take to becoming successful in college.

For those students who are seeking other types of support, there are many health and wellness centers on campus as well. For anything from the common cold to getting the flu shot, The McKinley Health Center located on Lincoln Street in Urbana is always there to help. Make sure to get your free cold and flu packs each semester.

The Counseling Center, located on Green Street, is ready to help with any mental health needs. Mental health needs should not be ignored, and the Counseling Center has experts there who are trained to help college students who might be struggling. These services should be utilized because one cannot be a successful student if their health is failing them.

Services on campus are there to help further students in their education and success, and they should be utilized. New students who might be nervous coming to such a big campus can rest assure in the fact that everyone around them is working for them and with them to assure they can be as successful as possible.

Courtney is a junior in LAS.
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