With midterm tests and grades quickly approaching, students who have done well in their classes up to this point may feel at ease. For other students who may be concerned about their grades in their classes, there are various resources on campus to help them.
“Classes are going pretty good,” said Amanda Martinez, education major at American River College. “I try to study at least an hour or 2 each day.”
Martinez also noted that she didn’t know much about the resources for students on campus.
“I usually try to figure out problems myself or find answers from someone who has taken the class before,” said Martinez.
Two programs on campus are designed to help students improve writing and reading skills, Reading Across the Disciplines (R.A.D.) and Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC).
“Essentially, WAC is a program that allows students to write more effectively,” said Dennis Lee, English professor and WAC Coordinator. “The program provides one-on-one and small group writing conferences, as well as workshops on common composition topics. We also have a drop-in center that is available for all students enrolled in WAC.”
WAC, which is located in the ARC Learning Resource Center, helps students compose outlines, revise drafts, proofread and edit outlines, and learn how to use MLA or APA format.
“Sometimes students put off writing an essay because they struggle to get started or they underestimate how long writing a good essay takes,” said Lee. “Good writing usually involves a lot of revision, so I recommend students don’t wait too long to begin.”
Students may also benefit from the RAD program to help develop effective reading skills. This program helps students prepare for tests, compose outlines, annotate textbooks, paraphrase, understand jargon and develop reading graphs.
“RAD makes things simple to understand,” said Xavier Chavarria, an undecided major. “It helps to understand reading comprehension. It used to take a long time for me to read chapters, but now I can look at something and understand it better.”
Tutorial Services are also available in the Learning Resource Center to provide students with assistance one-on-one and in small groups.
Although midterms are around the corner, it doesn’t have to be a stressful time.
