Success Center helping students reach their goals
October 15, 2018
At Eastern there are student resources that offer help all throughout the school year.
Alex Beres, a graduate assistant at the Student Success Center, said that during midterms and finals there is a noticeable increase in the numbers of students asking for help.
The student resource center assists students with more than just specific assignments. They also help students understand how they can personally succeed and meet their academic goals, said Beres.
“It is crucial to understand one’s own strengths to improve academic performance. All students have different strengths and abilities,” said Beres. “If a student knows their strengths, they can better understand how to apply them to succeed in classes.”
Another reason students reach out to the student resource center is to get help studying.
According to an article in USA Today, it is recommended that students spend three hours per credit hour studying weekly, resulting in somewhere between 36 and 45 hours a week studying on average.
Kylie Cox, a senior biology student, said she has her own way of studying that is effective for her.
“The only way I can study is by rewriting my notes and also by making flashcards and looking them over until I feel comfortable,” Cox said.
Beres said she believes studying and preparation is key to success in class.
She also said that from her experience students feel more collected and confident about their potential success moving forward following their individual consultation.
Another place Eastern students can go for help is the writing center.
The writing center offers help to students of all majors in any aspect of writing, from helping with story organization to pointing out grammatical errors and explaining the differences between writing styles such as MLA and APA.
Daiva Markelis, director of the writing center, said more students visit the writing center during exams.
“The number of students who use the writing center definitely increases during midterms and before finals definitely increases,” Markelis said.
Although students come in more during these times, the student resource center as well as the writing center encourage students to also come in during the rest of the year whenever needed, Markelis said.
There are a number of students that do not utilize student resources because of a lack of understanding of what they provide, Beres said.
What all the student resource centers offer, along with their contact information, can be found at www.eiu.edu/student_services.
Trevin Milner can be reached at 581-2812 or tlmilner@eiu.edu.
