The Art of Success
This is the ninth of 12 post in the Tips for Success Series. This series is to help Rebels through the semester with tips and tricks for those high grades in the classroom. It may even help you keep your sanity on the worst of days!
The power that is in our hands as students to succeed and be the best we can be at UNLV is, most of time, underestimated. With every (or mostly every) schedule, there is always that ONE class; It sits there in bold print, on your phone on the UNLV website or even Canvas, and you quake in fear reading the title of that class, it could be Biology, English, or Math, we have all been there. The power to apprehend the demonic forces of your educational struggles is often overlooked; In this post, I will show you 3 ways that make even your difficult classes feel the exact opposite, also to save you from the days of staring at your assignments like they will do it themselves and screaming internally when things are just not going your way.
Professor Office Hours - Imagine being able to talk to the person who specializes in the material, and also by chance is the same person whose lectures you attend, LUCKILY, IT IS NOT JUST YOUR IMAGINATION. To be able to get your questions answered by the specialist of your subjects is a blessing; you can ask anything from why a certain problem was marked wrong or just clarification on a certain concept. Most professors are more than willing to go out of their way if you cannot attend their set hours, and in general, they are most likely not doing much at all during these hours so you might as well drop by and say hello. From personal experience, it has definitely helped me in my most dire times of need and is something I never forget to take advantage of. Sometimes the convenience can be a pain, but you know the saying, pain is temporary, GPA is forever.
Academic Success Center - The name says it all. This is the primary place people go to when having a mental breakdown due to college, BUT for good reason. The ASC provides more than just tutoring for subjects ranging from Accounting, sciences such as Biology and Chemistry, as well as Math and Physics. Did I also mention they can find you a COACH who gives you the tools to develop skills and qualities that will help improve the overall quality of life for you as a student and individual, and finally they also help save money through bridge programs for subjects like Math 95/96. Advising for undeclared majors as well as extra help outside of the classroom is provided and in general, it is a good tool to utilize for the many benefits that is has to offer.
Student Counseling and Psychological Services - People know the stress that college brings, and if it comes to the point where you have reached your limit, it may be time to see the Wellness center, specifically the psychological services, who can help you in problems that may not just be educational but outside of your school life, that may BE affecting how you perform during your classes. It is free of charge, included in the health fee of your tuition. Ranting on your Instagram is good, but ranting to a specialist who can truly understand is better, making this a valuable resource on campus that not enough students take advantage of.
College is a different beast than high school in every form. They HAVE these FREE resources for a reason; They understand that it isn’t easy, and any and every ounce of support you can get to achieve the goals you envision within yourself is something you should take advantage of. Investing time out of your day to understand the things you are confused on will pay off in the form of high test scores and a feeling that it is the end of the world. Remember that you are never alone, we’re all in this together!
Roman Papa, Sophomore
Orientation Leader
High School: Spring Valley High School
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Major: Pre-Nursing