Even while learning takes place remotely, academic resources are available to students as finals approach.

According to Caitlin Finch, peer support coordinator and academic counselor, drop-in help sessions will be available on Teams in the coming weeks for several classes that generate high rates of tutoring requests. Support for 100 and 200 level chemistry, calculus, and physics courses will be available Monday-Thursday at 3-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Support for STATS143 will be available Monday-Thursday at 7-9 p.m.

After Thanksgiving, the Center for Student Success will have academic counselors available to meet one-on-one over Teams upon request. These counselors are trained to help students with final exam preparation, developing study skills and remote learning and testing strategies, cultivating motivation, prioritizing assignments, increasing productivity, taking good notes, and other academic concerns. Academic counselors can also answer registration questions.

Success center counselors can also advise about accessibility, financial aid and housing questions. To request a meeting, students should visit www.calvin.edu/go/concern and choose “Help Request.”

Finch, told Chimes, “Some of the best advice for final exam preparation is as simple as this, make a plan and start early! If you have thought through what needs to be accomplished and have written that down, you’re more likely to get it done.” She recommended using extra time over Thanksgiving break to fill out an end-of-semester planner.

Finch also suggested finding study partners to help with the transition to fully remote learning and making plans early to facilitate success on online final exams, “Ask yourself: Will I have access to the internet? Where is a distraction free place to take the exam? Do I have a plan if there is a technology glitch?”

The Rhetoric Center, a resource for students who need help specifically with writing, continues to offer 30-60-minute online sessions on Microsoft Teams. Students can request “drop-in” sessions by emailing the consultant on duty or signing up for an appointment. The Rhetoric Center site also includes a page of resources for students struggling with writing assignments, including four considerations for approaching and planning for a written assignment effectively and genre guidance.

“The RC is normally busiest in the last few weeks of the term,” said Professor Karen Saupe, director of the Rhetoric Center. With some consultants travelling outside Michigan and others hard hit by end-of-the-semester projects and finals, the center may struggle to keep up with demand. “We will be understaffed and may not be able to handle drop-ins or last-minute appointments,” Saupe said. “We’ll do the best we can.”