March Madness: student advice on coping with midterms & more

The calendar has turned another page. It’s March! March is a time to take a well earned break from our studies (preferably somewhere warm) or just sit around and hopefully see our team cut down nets in New Orleans. But, it isn’t all fun and games. There is one major obstacle in our way: midterms! While they’re only a minor roadblock, they are not always easy to prepare for.

               One of my favorite spots is the academic support offered through The Study. Located on the 3^rd floor of the Commons building, The Study offers help through Peer Mentoring and Individual Consultations. Peer Mentoring (a FREE service) is offered in most introductory classes.  Classes from trigonometry and college algebra all the way through Calculus II, General Chemistry, Physics, and several Social Sciences are all offered on a regular basis. All you have to do is walk in and swipe your UKID. Check out their webpage for a full listing of courses and to see what times the tutors for your subjects will be there.

                This same time of my freshman year I was really struggling with my Calculus II and General Chemistry II classes. The great thing about the Study is that their tutors have taken theses classes and gotten A’s in them. They know what they’re doing. The best part is the personal attention. The tutors get to know you and help you with your specific weaknesses. They also get to know your name. It may not seem like much, but just having someone know your name makes a big difference. I frequently see one of my calc tutors, Steve. It’s been 2 years now, but he still knows my name.

                There is also a plethora of other ways to get study help. There is free help from the MathSkeller, They offer help in most math classes. It is located in the basement of White Hall. Then there is the Chemistry Help Center. They are located in the basement of the Chemistry Physics building.

If you can’t find time to make it to these campus services or need more help, there’s also private tutoring. One great thing I discovered is a little thing called office hours. My freshman year, I struggled to actually go to office hours. Professors were just really intimidating. They seemed like they didn’t have time to help me, a student. Luckily, I decided to break that barrier.  I walked into my professor’s office and discovered she was actually very personable. She sat down with me and walked me through several problems and made sure I understood what I was doing. It was a welcomed surprise.

 If professors aren’t available to help you, they most likely either know of someone who can tutor you or they have a list of people who are willing to offer help. I used one of these when I took Organic Chemistry. While it does cost more, they also will work around your schedule. We met in Willy T in a study room and worked through my homework. He answered my questions better than the book could and I really understood the material afterwards.

From start to finish, college isn’t a cake walk. We have to buckle down occasionally in order to get our relaxation time. Midterms can really be a scary time. Luckily, we don’t have to imAGine that 4.0. If we utilize our campus resources, we can all SeeBlue.

 Just for fun, check out The Study's UK Bucket List!

Zeb is a junior at the University of Kentucky, majoring in Biosystems Engineering.  He is from Pineville, Kentucky.  He is a Resident Adviser in Kirwan Tower, a COA Agriculture Ambassador, and in the BAE Student Branch.