Luke ScherzBiological Sciences Senior and Study Lab Academic Coach Although this semester of virtual classes is far from being ideal, it is a necessary measure that both students and faculty must endure until this pandemic subsides. The transition from the in-person environment to the virtual platform has been rather difficult for students, including myself. At home, there are a variety of distractions that draw your attention away from coursework and towards procrastination. Motivation begins to wane and discipline begins to fade as the temptation of one’s bed and pajamas begins to win in the short two step commute from bed to desk (and back) that is now required for school. Although these effects associated with the virtual platform seem difficult to avoid, I am writing to tell all of my readers that each and every one of you is capable of resisting these temptations and excelling in this virtual platform. In this blog post, I am going to discuss some of the academic resources that are available to you all as Pitt students, with the hopes that something will be of assistance to you. Specifically, I am going to examine all of the services that are provided through the Study Lab, including peer tutoring, which consists of either one-on-one or drop-in appointments, academic coaching, and electronic resources pertaining to time management and study skills. Peer Tutoring The Study Lab offers the virtual services of one-on-one peer Tutoring and 30-minute drop-in appointments for a variety of courses. The list of the specific courses available for tutoring can be found on the Study Labs’ webpage. Some of these courses include biology, chemistry, physics, and statistics. During a one-on-one session, a peer tutor will cover any material that you may be uncertain of or even serve as a study buddy for the hour-long session - someone who listens and provides feedback on your current understanding of the material. In order to schedule an appointment, you can download the navigate student app on your smartphone. You must be enrolled in the course that you plan on getting tutored in order to schedule an appointment. Moreover, you may schedule up to two one-on-one sessions per week, per subject in which you are enrolled. Drop-in appointments are 30-minute sessions that allow for more flexibility, meaning you do not need to book an appointment days in advance. Rather, these are booked the day of, maybe even minutes before the drop-in session, as needed. For example, say a question arises during your studying and you need clarification, you can ‘drop-in’ on a tutor in that subject anytime between 6-9pm Sunday through Wednesday. Let’s say it is 6:15 P.M. on a Monday night and you need help with genetics, you can schedule an appointment through the Navigate app, at which point a tutor will be notified. The tutor will then reach out to you via email with a link to the tutoring session so you can join. On-demand help! Academic Coaching The Study Lab also offers academic coaching in individual 45-minute appointments. Academic Coaches like myself will provide insight into how real students succeed at Pitt. We’ll share with you what has worked for us and show you how to experiment with different skills so that you can develop the best study strategy for you. If you need specific help with identifying your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to studying, schedule a study skills inventory appointment with an academic coach. During this session, we will go over what works for you and help to construct an effective approach to your studying. All of these appointments can also be scheduled via the Navigate student app. Electronic Resources
Some of the fantastic electronic resources pertaining to time management skills, study skills, test-taking, note-taking, and active learning as well as tips for remote learning can be found on the Study Lab On Demand page on the Study Lab website. This page serves to consolidate information pertinent to academic success and provide students with a one-stop shop for all things related to it. The Knowledge Drop, for example, is a collection of short videos made by peer tutors that cover core concepts in many of the science courses offered here at Pitt. These videos help to minimize wasted time and attempt to provide students with only the important information they need in order to understand the concept. With this semester being virtual, self-discipline is of utmost importance. I know it is extremely difficult to stay motivated during this time but if you want to succeed, you must be resilient and continue to try! The multitude of resources available to you as Pitt students, particularly the Study Lab, are here to support you. Think about signing up for tutoring sessions as part of your routine and to provide some accountability in your schedule. I ask you all to not hesitate to reach out and utilize this resource. The virtual platform is far from ideal and makes learning/staying focused seemingly impossible, but it is up to you to hold yourself accountable and continue to fight! I believe all of you are capable of academic success and I wish you all the best during this semester.
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Pitt Bio BlogThe Pitt Bio Blog is maintained by the Department of Biological Sciences Advising Office. Posts are authored by our students Archives
January 2022
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