Making The Most Of Your Tuition: Resources You May Have Overlooked
Written By: Samuel MacQuarrie
You’ve paid tuition, and if you’re like many other students at SMU, that means more than you might realize. Many students go through university relying only on their own knowledge and skills, without consideration for the many sources of available support. In this article, I will bring attention to resources that are often overlooked and provide a sense of what they have to offer.
The Writing Centre
Located in Burke 115
Strong writing is a skill central to academia. Nevertheless, many university students struggle with writing at some point in their education. Fortunately, at SMU, writing support is included in your tuition (and it even remains available to you after graduation)!
The support offered at the Writing Centre is not just for English essays. Clear writing is integral to assignments across all disciplines and the support available reflects that. Tutors work with you at any stage of the writing process to address your concerns and help you improve your writing. Whether you’re interpreting instructions, outlining a paper, or refining structure, support is available. Tutors can help ensure your thesis is clear, your arguments are pertinent and your examples are integrated effectively. They also provide guidance on grammar, clarity and style.
Further, with distinct requirements for different disciplines, including the proper citations is often new and disorienting to students. Regardless of the style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago), there are resources at the writing centre that can help.
Finally, the support offered at the Writing Centre is not restricted to coursework; for prospective graduates, tutors can assist with applications where strong writing can help you stand out. Note that well written personal statements, research proposals, or letters of intent have the potential to influence the decisions of admissions committees. Why not improve your chances of acceptance by scheduling an appointment with the Writing Centre free of charge?
Students (and alumni) can meet with tutors one-on-one through drop-in sessions (20 minutes) anytime the centre is open or through scheduled appointments (50 minutes), available both online and in-person. To schedule an appointment, or to access a wealth of writing resources available at all times, just visit https://studio.smu.ca/wc-home
*Please note that the Writing Centre is not an editing service. It is a tutor’s role to help students develop their writing abilities, not merely to correct their work.
The Software and Application Support Centre (SAS)
Located in Atrium 107
Not all obstacles students face are purely academic. Struggling with an excel assignment? Locked out of your student email? You need not face these frustrations alone. Don’t let technical difficulties detract from your education. No appointments are needed, simply walk up to the desk and have your difficulties resolved. The support offered by SAS is included in your tuition; don’t hesitate to use it!
The Patrick Power Library
The library is not just a repository for assigned readings; as a student at SMU, you are provided with access to a vast collection of academic resources and services to help you make the most of them.
Research librarians are available to help you navigate databases, locate texts and organize a plan for conducting your research. Moreover, the Library at SMU includes a variety of quiet spaces to study (independently or in bookable rooms for group study).
Additionally, every Wednesday from 2-4pm in LI 135, the Library hosts a Study Hall. At Study Hall, support services, including a peer success coach, a research librarian and a writing tutor are gathered in a single study space to provide students with ready access to whatever assistance they may need. If that’s not enough to draw you in, you might note that the weekly Study Hall also distributes free snacks to visiting students.
The Professors
One of the most valuable and perhaps most obvious resources available to you is your professors. Professors are experts in their fields who have made a vocation of sharing their knowledge. Engaging with them, both inside and outside of the classroom, can significantly enrich your academic experience, not to mention that of your peers.
During class, don’t hesitate to ask questions and share your thoughts. If you’re unsure about something, chances are your peers are too. Taking the initiative to ask for clarification can benefit everyone. If something sparks your interest and you wish to explore further, ask about it! It is, of course, up to the discretion of the professor whether to pursue a question in class, but either way you demonstrate your engagement with the course and may inspire others to venture down new lines of constructive thought.
Office hours (listed in every course syllabus with times and locations) are required of all professors. If you have a question more suitable for a one-on-one discussion, want guidance or feedback on an assignment, or simply wish to continue a conversation from class, there is a designated time available to you to do so.
Attending office hours provide students with the opportunity to speak directly with an expert. By doing so, you can acquire immediate, personalized feedback on your work and ideas. This is not an opportunity to be squandered!
If office hours don’t suit your schedule, engaging with professors via email is a readily accessible alternative. Whether you are seeking clarification, feedback on an assignment, or happened to miss a class due to some unexpected obligation, communicating can often resolve the issue quickly. Again and again, difficulties arise that could easily have been prevented by just sending a brief email.
*Keep in mind that you are in an academic setting and should write to your professors accordingly: use formal language, appropriate titles (e.g., Professor, Dr.), be concise and be sure to have a clear subject.
In Summation
Ultimately your time at the university is what you make of it. It can be stressful or daunting but it doesn’t have to be. Don’t view your education as a task to be completed, instead reflect on the opportunity to participate in a collective (supported) pursuit of knowledge.