As an incoming freshman, you will find your college courses to be more challenging than your high school classes. Sometimes despite paying attention and taking notes during lecture, you may find yourself struggling. College is difficult. Luckily, the University has plenty of other resources outside of class to help you with your coursework. Here are some of the many ways you can get help:

Office hours and TAs

Going to office hours or seeing your class teaching assistants are two of the best ways to answer your questions. During office hours, you will be able to directly ask your professor or TA questions in a smaller setting.  This allows the professor or TA to better help you with your needs. Many professors and TAs will also often offer exam reviews during office hours. It would be best to make a habit of knowing when the office hours for all your classes are, so you can schedule a visit anytime you have a question. You can also email your professor or TA to schedule an appointment if you can’t make it to their office hours.

On-campus tutoring services

There are a variety of tutoring services on campus, often provided to students free of charge. The Mathematics and Chemistry departments provide free tutoring services to students taking math and chemistry courses during the semester. Many service organizations, such as Tau Beta Pi, which provides tutoring for engineering subjects, also have regularly scheduled tutoring services. Usually your professors will give information on relevant tutoring services during your first lecture, but you can go to your department’s website for specific details. Also there are many upperclassmen and graduate students who will offer private tutoring for a fee. 

Undergraduate Library

In addition to being a good place for you to study, the Undergraduate Library also provides many services to help you with your coursework. The library provides a variety of resources including private conference rooms that you can reserve for you and your classmates to complete group work assigned by your class. It also loans out a variety electronics including laptops and cameras. Additionally, if you are looking for help on writing a research paper, the UGL offers office hours where you can receive help on how to properly use the library’s resources to find the information you need. The Center of Writing Studies also hosts a Writing Workshop, where you can find general writing help.

Grainger Engineering Library and others

Besides the UGL, there are other libraries on campus that may be more helpful to you depending on your major. The Grainger Engineering Library provides many helpful engineering specific resources, including an engineering computer lab in the basement. You can visit any library regardless of your major, but you may find some libraries more helpful for you than others.

Brian is a senior in LAS. He can be reached at [email protected].