Here at Grove City College, our faculty and administration understand and highly emphasize the significance of providing their students with many different tools for success. During Finals week, we receive specialized forms of Academic Assistance and utilize some of the more pertinent resources at our disposal as college students.
Study Day is one of the more bittersweet days at Grove City College (make sure to check out the Study Day post on Thursday, December 10!). A day completely dedicated to studying for final exams, it is a gift that should not be taken for granted, but it also marks the beginning of the long, hard exam process. During Study Day, and throughout the rest of the week, many different faculty members hold extended office hours that are tailored to the classes they teach. Sometimes, professors even hold review seminars for entire classes. To be able to come and talk to professors on a personal basis about final exam content can prove to be one of the single most beneficial aspects of Academic Assistance.
Similarly, if you realize throughout the semester that you are struggling with a specific subject, you can find a tutor, who would be a fellow student who excels in that particular discipline, to sit with you for a few hours each week and pour over the content until you’re feeling more at ease! This is another fantastic resource because you are not only talking to your professors about confusing or challenging concepts, but having someone else who has recently experienced the class to describe it for you. Having multiple points of view and several different explanations and approaches can be exactly what you need to nail down that concept!
Finally, one of the best resources to use around finals time is the Henry Buhl Library. Henry Buhl Library is staffed with professionals who are always willing to provide helpful insight! If you’re trying to locate a particular book or resource, they have all of the answers. Best of all, if there is a resource you are looking for that the library doesn’t have, we have an inter-library exchange program with other local and collegiate libraries to secure the resource you need. Also, our Writing Center resides in the same building–directly under the library. This is another great tool to use, especially for writing a paper. If you ever have any questions about formulating a thesis statement, honing your arguments, or how to improve your writing style, you can visit the friendly students majoring in English who work there. They love to help, and it’s free of charge for students!
Finals week can be a stressful time, but professors and other staff understand how crazy things can get! By providing resources that aid in alleviating stress for us as students, it allows us to study and prepare with less worry!
Grove City College senior Machaela Irving has spent the past few years excelling here as a Communication Studies major. Finals Week is often the most stressful time of the year for college students at any school but Machaela has some great advice and tips to share during this time of year. From Newtown, PA, Machaela offers this piece of wisdom for deciding on colleges: “I wish someone had encouraged me to pray about my decision more. Following the Lord’s will and listening to Him is always better than trying to figure it out on your own!”