“When I was a freshman, I ate to relieve stress,” biomedical engineering senior Princess Rivera said. “That didn’t go too well for me.”
Everyday during her freshman year, Rivera would visit The Avenue and Starbucks to buy her daily dose of caffeine, chips and various snacks. Her busy schedule made her health the least of her worries. Even though she had heard of the “Freshman 15,” she didn’t start worrying until she found that her naturally slim physique had put on about 10 pounds.
“I realized my on-the-go diet was actually affecting me a lot,” she said. “It was making me lazier, so I tried to find other more productive options to help lower my stress levels.”
These more “productive options” included Rivera’s discovery of Cal Poly’s variety of academic resources; students can turn to these programs and services when they’re struggling with classes.
The Academic Skills Center (ASC), for one, provides a variety of retention programs and campus support services like Student Success Seminars, the Online Study Skills Library, the Study Session Program and the Tutor Referral Service.
“It’s better to get familiar with the resources early,” Rivera said. “I didn’t start actually using them until my second year, but I know it would have helped me a lot my first year.”
Student Success Seminars are interactive presentations with specific focuses, such as note taking, stress management and test preparation. The seminars are offered every day during this October. Since all students are welcome and no reservation is necessary, they are an easy way to find new ways to improve in your classes, anthropology and geography senior Jessica Lam said. Lam attended a seminar called “Learning Styles” last year, and took a self-assessed test to find what studying techniques work best for her personality, she said. Similar to these seminars is the Online Study Skills Library, which students can access in their own time to read up on academic tips.
Besides the study skills services the ASC offers, the academic enhancement programs within the ASC are the Study Session Program and Tutor Referral Service. To get involved in a study session, students need to submit a request to join a study group for selected courses in the Colleges of Science and Math and the College of Engineering. Groups are led by an upper-division student and meet twice a week throughout the quarter. On the other hand, one-on-one, free tutoring is available for certain classes through the Tutor Referral Service. Students can find available tutors through the list posted each quarter.
For students looking for resources specific to their department, programs such as the Multicultural Agricultural Program, Multicultural Engineering Program and Supplemental Workshops in Math and Science are available. Students can also apply to the Disability Resource Center and Student Support Services.
Another crucial aspect of doing well in your classes, Lam said, is to keep in frequent contact with your professors.
“Going to my professors’ office hours, even if it was just to check my grade or review one homework problem, made me feel more in control of my grade,” she said. “When I’m actually looking actively for help, I usually find it. And having a good relationship with your professor never hurts.”
In addition to visiting professors, touching base with your department advisor is just as important, Lam said. Students can find out who their advisor is by visiting their college’s advising center, and can make an appointment to see the advisor through email. Talking to advisors is good for making sure you’re on the right track to graduating on time, Lam said.
Besides all the academic resources the university has to offer, it’s important to stay grounded socially, animal science senior Calista Randazzo said, in order to help deal with the stress freshmen will probably experience.
“I think you need to reach out to people who have been through what you’re going through,” Randazzo said, “and even to people who are experiencing the same things you are, like your classmates. Locking yourself in your room and studying by yourself all day isn’t usually the best way to go.”