A tutor works with students at CLASS on North Campus (Sydney Lee / UMass Lowell Connector)
Sydney Lee
Connector Contributor
As the Fall 2019 semester picks up, you may be wondering how to make sure your grades are as successful as your latest tv show binge. Fear no more! UMass Lowell offers a variety of academic resources to ensure students meet and exceed their classroom performance expectations.
If you are looking for someone to help you figure out those calculus problems you have been working on for the past two days, someone to help you study for your upcoming psychology exam or even someone who can explain what in the world a centrifugal force is, the Centers for Learning and Academic Support Services (CLASS) is a great place to start. Students can find tutoring for a wide array of subjects at four convenient CLASS locations on North, South and East Campus. These locations include the first floor of the O’Leary Library Learning Commons on South Campus, Southwick Hall in room 321 on North Campus, the first floor of Fox Hall on East Campus and the eighth floor of the UMass Lowell Inn and Conference Center (ICC) in downtown Lowell. CLASS tutoring services are guided by faculty-recommended students who have completed the course with a B+ or better. To find out exactly who, where and when you can get tutoring, visit www.uml.edu/class/tutoring/tutor-schedule and search for tutoring by subject, course, location, tutor or date.
For students seeking to improve their skills as writers, the Writing Center, located on the third floor of the O’Leary Library, is one of the best resources to take advantage of. The Writing Center offers various group workshops and writing events to promote writing and support the community of writers UMass Lowell throughout the semester. Whether you are struggling with brainstorming, planning, drafting, revising or editing, the Writing Center’s undergraduate peer-tutors are prepared to assist you one-on-one during any stage of the writing process. Tutoring sessions normally run 30 or 45 minutes long and are usually done by appointment. These can be made through the Writing Center’s online tutoring scheduler at www.uml.edu/writing-center/. Walk-ins are accepted depending on tutor availability, but making an appointment beforehand increases your chances of getting the help you need.
Is your schedule too busy to make it there in person? The Writing Center also provides an online tutoring option. When you schedule an online appointment, you will receive an email inviting you to join the tutoring session. For those who want in-person writing help but are not able to make the trip to South Campus, the Write Place is the right place to go. Located at the Centers for Learning on North Campus and in the residence halls, students can easily access writing tutors closest to their location. The Write Place’s tutors work closely with the English department to strengthen and improve written communication skills across UMass Lowell’s core curriculum. In order to make an appointment with the Write Place, go to www.uml.edu/CLASS/Tutoring/The-write-place.aspx.
If you feel that none of these work for you, there are still other options for you to be academically proactive. Do you remember that lengthy syllabus your professor went over at the beginning of the semester and they mentioned something about office hours? As it turns out, that information is actually very useful! When you find that you are really struggling in class and your friends and tutors cannot help you, do not hesitate to make use of your professor’s office hours. Believe it or not, your professors want you to pass as much as you do. If you contact your professor, either in person or by email, they may be able to help you understand what is being discussed in class. Additionally, if you believe you are failing or are on the verge of failing a class, reach out to your professor as soon as possible. Taking the time to talk to your professor shows that you care about doing well in their course and makes them more likely to work with you in bettering your grades. All members of the UMass Lowell community want to see you succeed and are willing to help.
