Take advantage of student resources on campus

Written by Tyler Schendel | Archived Nov. 10, 2020

The tutoring center tends to be the busiest in the afternoon as classes are getting out. Photo by Tyler Schendel.

A new school year has begun, and now is the time for students to take full advantage of the many resources available to help them get the most out of their college experience. Dedicated people at UMD are willing to help students with academic help, career advice and more.

The UMD Tutoring Center, located on the second floor of the Kathryn A. Martin Library, is available Sunday through Friday for students that either need help in a class or want to take on a leadership role as a tutor. Ranked as the nation’s most outstanding tutoring center by the Association for the Tutoring Profession in 2014, this resource offers assistance with biology, chemistry, math, physics, computer science, business, engineering and languages. Senior Ruta Wheelock, who is in her second semester as a computer science tutor, said that it’s never too late to ask for help.

“I think the students who come here show their initiative and realize that there’s something they don’t know and they seek help, so it can never be too late to stop in,” Wheelock said. “Sometimes I see people coming not only when they have problems, but before the problem arises, and that’s a really good way to learn.”

For those that are experts in a particular subject, the Tutoring Center offers opportunities for tutors to expand leadership, communication and analytical skills.

“Of course it’s really important to know your subject well, but it also takes communication skills to understand exactly what the student needs,” Wheelock said.

For students that need help deciding on a major, exploring internships or planning a career path, the Career & Internship Services (CIS) offers resources to help guide students to meet their professional goals. Cassie Karpi, the front desk assistant, said that CIS is there to help college students throughout their college career and after graduation.

“We help students find out what they want to do for majors and what they want to do after graduation,” Karpi said. “We also work with alumni so if you graduate from UMD, even if you’re 90-years-old and want to get back in the workforce and write a résumé, we still help you with that. We just want students to get the most that they can out of their college experience and prepare them as best as we can for the work force in the future.”

Located at 22 Solon Campus Center, CIS offers job and internship listings, résumé drop-ins, mock interviews, graduate and professional school advice and career counseling that can help shape a student’s career path.

“Even if you’re not sure about coming in, definitely sit down and make an appointment with a counselor,” Karpi said. “It can really change the tone of your career at UMD and you can really figure out what you want to do for the future.”

The International Programs and Services (IPS) is a resource that assists students who are interested in studying abroad during their time at UMD. Rachel Steglich, a peer advisor at IPS, said that they help students plan and manage their goals so that they can get the most out of the study abroad program.

“We offer advising for students who are interested in studying abroad so we can help them pick a program, look at classes and just help them decide what programs are the best fit for them,” Steglich said. “We also help to manage when students are going abroad so we offer short term and long term help with the applications and any information that they may need on the way.”

IPS offers students opportunities to study abroad in Africa, South America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Steglich strongly advises students to get a head start on the planning process, even if they’re not quite sure if or when they want to study abroad.

“If there’s even a little part of you that thinks it might be cool, absolutely look into it and get started as soon as you can,” Steglich said. “Even if you don’t necessarily want to go right away, the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll be able to tell what classes you should take here and what classes you should take abroad. You’ll be able to find a program that works for you, you’ll be able to figure out the financial aspects of it, and you’ll just have more time in general.”