Everything you wish you knew before your last semester was available at the Academic Success Fair on Wednesday, Jan. 18 in the Union Ballroom.
The fair was organized by the ASUU academic affairs office, which invited various services from across campus to table in the ballroom from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and helped make students more aware of the financial, post-graduation and networking opportunities available to them.
“We’re promoting available resources to allow students to get the most out of their academic experience,” Natalie Taylor, director of academic affairs for ASUU, said.
Taylor said the inspiration for the fair came from speaking with administrators who knew of several services that would benefit students but who had no way of telling students about them.
The most visited tables at the fair were those offering information about post-graduation options such as career services and test preparation.
Other tables gave advice about specific colleges, choosing a major, getting involved in service learning and even studying abroad.
One lesser known service highlighted at the fair was Student Support Services, a government-funded program for first generation college students and students from low-income families.
“We’re very small, but that allows us to interact with all the students on a very personal level,” Jason Luttrell, academic advisor for the program, said.
Student Support Services only has enough funding for 225 participants, so applicants should inquire now about the free classes, tutoring, advising and scholarship opportunities available through the program.
Taylor said another goal of the fair was to promote better scholarship. Philip Lockette, a tutor with the University Writing Center, said he and his colleagues are able to help with any part of the process of writing papers for undergraduate and graduate courses.
“We’re on the second level of the library-we’ve moved,” Lockette said. “We like students to come early in the semester and establish a relationship with the tutors.”
Anthony Buck of the Tutoring Center said building a relationship with tutors early in the semester is critical in order to get needed help.
“If you’re sensing any trouble with one of your classes, come get a tutor early. It’s hard to get an appointment late in the semester,” Buck said.
Many students who attended the fair, including Dan Visser, a senior in biology, saw it walking through the union.
“I picked up a lot of information about financial aid,” he said.
John McGroarty, senior in human development and family studies, said he received an e-mail about the fair from his department.
“This is very helpful information,” he said. “A lot of people don’t realize this is here. More students should be aware of these things.”