Students receive peer tutoring in College Success Center

By Emmy Maschke

The tutor center has been renamed and is now the College Success Center.

The CSC allows students struggling in subjects from math to history to get help from their peers. Students who have received an A or a B in the class they are willing to tutor can help students learn better study habits and assist in learning the material for class. They also can help the student identify their learning style.

Part of a tutor’s job is to help the student recognize how they best learn and acquire better study habits.

“Identifying their learning style can make them feel more confident,” said Jamila El-Jabry. El-Jabry has tutored students at NCC for 5 semesters in reading, biology, and English composition.
The CSC has nearly doubled in students receiving tutoring, from 932 in 1998 to 1755 in spring of 2007. The subjects in great demand are, “math in first and science close behind,” said Karen McDowell, CSC coordinator.

McDowell has been at Normandale for 17 years. She recruits tutors for the CSC, but certain faculty may request tutors for a specific subject.

Some of the benefits for the tutors include the chance to become better acquainted with the materials they are teaching.

“Some students are desperate for help, it feels good to help others, they leave feeling happy,” said Charly Chai, who has tutored for three semesters. Tutoring is a good way to “keep your academic skills fresh” said McDowell.

Students looking to get a step above in their career or those looking to become teachers can excel because tutoring is “impressive on a student’s resume,” said McDowell.

Students with disabilities can also receive help at the CSC.

Director of Academic Support Center and College Readiness Program, Jim Sutton, supervises the tutoring staff but also has a role in the Office for Students with Disabilities.

Sutton helps students who need a test read to them or require someone to write for them on a test. He also listens when students need to vent or are worried about a test, “I calm them down when they are panicked about a test coming up” said Sutton.

Tutored subjects available for students at the CSC are math, accounting, biology, chemistry, physics, history, English composition and reading, just to name a few. The CSC is located in the library next to the testing center.