A challenging Biology test was coming up and I was struggling to grasp some of the information on my own. I went to the tutor-led class available the day before the test and was surprised to find about twenty empty seats and just one other student who came to the session. It dawned on me on how many students share similar study habits.

I passed that test because of the tutor and those who didn’t would have benefited substantially if they had shown up.

Nothing is more stressful than feeling unprepared for an upcoming test. We have all had the night when it’s just you, a textbook and that one midterm the next morning you should have studied more for. However, as a City College student, optimal sources for support and success could be closer than you think.

City College offers a variety of learning resource opportunities free of charge in the forms of computer labs and study groups. And they’re all on campus. The unprepared excuse just doesn’t cut it anymore.

During my first year at City College I was far too enchanted by the mystique of my new home to adjust academically to a college climate. I wasn’t failing classes, but the way I was passing seemed inefficient to say the least.

As soon as I finished my classes I was headed straight home to Isla Vista. The large distance between City College’s campus and IV made it too easy to mentally disconnect when I got home. Then, a day or two before a test, I would try to brand the textbook into my head. While this technique was enough to get by, it resulted in a lot of stress and even poorer results than necessary.

The only way to take advantage of the learning resources at City College is to be on campus in the first place, not necessarily in class but just on campus. Finding time to be at school when you’re not in class will make you more inclined to seek help.

Most teachers will notify you about studying opportunities pertaining to their class on the first day. Courses with in-class tutors are designated as Gateway classes. These tutors offer assistance in the classroom or during specific hours at the Gateway Center in ECC 33. If you have a non-Gateway class you can always find tutors separated by subject at designated times in the Learning Resource Center. The LRC also has a computer lab that never has a waiting line and a writing center that anyone can use.

City College offers a specific lab for almost every major discipline and these labs bring together large groups of students, who are studying the same subject and often times working on the same assignments. It is the perfect place to form study groups.

There are times when the most rational way to study seems to be to just isolate yourself and read until your eyes bleed. However, I have found that many students are far more effective when working in groups. Normally it seems that when a concept is filtered through multiple minds there is a better chance to attain more of a well-rounded understanding of the topic.

The view isn’t the only great thing about City College. Use the learning resources offered and you will feel more prepared on a daily basis.