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| HOW DO I :: DEAL WITH BEING IN ACADEMIC DIFFICULTY? |
How Do I Deal With Being in Academic Difficulty?Students taking challenging courses and experiencing the fast-paced quarter system for the first time may find themselves in academic difficulty. How should students deal with the situation? Ward Stewart, director of the campus's Learning Skills Center offers some advice. "First," says Stewart, "Students should come to the Learning Skills Center and find out about the various kinds of assistance that are offered. Meeting with one of the specialists is an excellent first step." "Next," observes Stewart, "it's extremely important for students to check their UC Davis e-mail accounts regularly and read messages from the university. This is where the dean's office will send messages letting students know they're on academic probation or about to be dismissed. It is very important for students to read these e-mails and respond to them." Stewart says students shouldn't be embarrassed about academic difficulties and the need to talk with a counselor or adviser in their dean's office, academic department, Advising Services, or the Learning Skills Center. "Students can be paralyzed by fear and anxiety, and because they're afraid of humiliation, they don't take action," he says. "But people on campus want students to succeed, so students having difficulty shouldn't ignore their situation and hope it will go away. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to talk with someone." Stewart points out that the Learning Skills Center provides free academic assistance in study skills, writing, English as a Second Language, science, and mathematics. Center specialists teach workshops, offer appointments and provide daily drop-in hours, and student tutors offer weekly and drop-in tutoring services. In addition to academic assistance from tutors and specialists, student-retention coordinators at the Learning Skills Center are available to undergraduates for general academic and social advising, study skills assistance, and referral services. They also coordinate various retention efforts with the students of the Special Transitional Enrichment Program (STEP) and the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). Their goal is to promote retention and academic success of students. Appointments for services offered by the Learning Skills Center can be made in person, 2205 Dutton Hall, or by calling (530) 752-2013. |