Dear future university students,
I know I’m just a first year student, but I’ve proved all the teachers wrong! They scare us and tell us that our marks will drop significantly lower, but I’ve found I’ve maintained my marks, and even improved them from high school. Maybe it’s because I like university more, but it’s probably because I’ve found a lot of help at my school.
At the University of Calgary, there are a bunch of clubs to help people get cheap tutor sessions or tutors. Easy Ace is a great club where you can request as many tutoring sessions per year; I usually try to book one every week. I only have to pay $5 for the entire year, as the Student’s Union mandates that all U of C clubs have a membership fee. Students Offering Support is also another great resource, and all proceeds go towards helping communities around the world! They are 3-4 hour long cram sessions that prepare you for your midterms and finals. And to those students who might not be afraid of them now… don’t be. Just study hard and get help! Price ranges from $15-$20 (depending if you have a membership, which is $5) and they also give you an exam package with extra practice questions and tips.
There are also Undergraduate Society clubs (I’m in the Computer Science Undergraduate Society) and they usually should have an office. The Departments should sponsor these clubs, as well as give midterm and final packages where they can sell them for approximately less than $10 each. Membership at the U of C only costs $5, but if your Undergraduate Society has a strong team, then they should plan events and offer free food; making your membership purchase totally worth it. You can also find Teaching Assistants or generally just smart people who would definitely help you if you needed it.
Another resource you should use (which I don’t because I forget) are your professors and TAs! Remember when their office hours are and pop by; they’re a very useful resource, especially if it comes to writing essays and whatnot. If you’re afraid of finding them, then I guess you just have to find students. And try not to rely on your friends–they might get annoyed at you if you keep bothering them with questions. So get someone who volunteers or is trained to do that stuff! Students don’t make a lot of money, so if you don’t want to spend at least $15 per hour on a tutor, try your school’s resources first.
Lastly, check out if your campus has any resource centers. The University of Calgary has the Student Success Center, offering writing tips and even editing them! There’s also workshops going on throughout the year which can be surprisingly helpful.
Oh, and use an agenda. Please.