Student resources are designed to provide support and improve your college experience. Students should take advantage of every resource available on campus to help reduce stress, promote success and become more organized.
Students should take full advantage of on-campus resources such as the Student Success Center, health center or computer labs, to name a few. Students can also ask for guidance from advisors, professors, counseling or tutoring services—all excellent resources that can sometimes get overlooked.
These resources are there for students to help prevent stress during the semester.
"Students should ask for assistance because it’s harder to figure things out on your own than to chat with someone who has been in your shoes before and has already figured it out," Dana Talbert, director of the Student Success Center, said.
The semester will only be more difficult if students struggle alone. Students' stress levels will decrease as a result of having something or someone to rely on.
As a student, it can be easy to neglect things like mental health and it can be hard to seek help. Procrastination, feeling unmotivated or overwhelmed are all indications that a student may need assistance.
USC online mental health services, mental health screening and counseling services are just a few examples of on-campus mental health services.
After all, on-campus resources are intended to assist and their efforts will be wasted if they are not utilized or valued.
If students don't use the resources that are at their disposal, it can be challenging to stay organized and productive during the semester.
"(The Student Success Center believes) that student success should start early and that it is important to lay the foundation of positive academic behaviors," Talbert said.
To effectively employ their resources for success in the future, students must develop the habit of doing so now. Students will find it easier to use their resources later on and will be able to accomplish their goals if they start now.
Students can also utilize these resources to be productive and stay organized.
Using services like computer labs and study rooms, which require no additional outreach, can be helpful to maintain and promote productivity and organization.
Even personal resources that students can carry around with them, like a planner or schedule, can aid in productivity and organization.
“I got me a really good planner that I’ve been using to write down all my due dates … so that has helped me stay focused and stay on track,” Jada Kirkland, a second-year broadcast journalism student, said.
Students will be able to build a support system that will work in their favor if they use resources to help themselves.
Students' academic experience can be enhanced with the aid of a support system, such as a professor.
Professors are among the best resources for students because they can assist students in ways that other individuals might not be able to, such as with the curriculum.
“I definitely use my professors if I’m struggling in class,” Kirkland said. “I definitely go to them, talk to them whenever I need to.”
Students must understand how these resources will enhance their learning in order to benefit from them. Many free materials are available at their fingertips that only require time and effort to attain.
Academic peer mentoring and academic coaching are additional USC services. According to the USC website, depending on the individual circumstances, both academic resources are terrific sources for academic assistance and guidance.
Students will form new habits and accomplish different goals by using these resources. For example with the Student Success Center, which offers tutoring services, students may develop new study habits that will help them with difficult assignments.
“There are several ways to help students be prepared ... depending on the resource that they need," Ashford said.
Students should utilize the resources available to them to reduce stress, ensure their success and maintain organization and productivity throughout the semester. By utilizing on-campus resources, students' overall experience will be improved in both academic and extracurricular areas.