I recognize I am the type of person that avoids realizing what I am not good at. I tend to ignore I am struggling and try to accomplish things all by myself. I guess some would say I am dedicated to succeed? Well at a certain point in the semester where I started getting some test scores back I finally came to the realization that I can't handle everything all by myself. I finally admitted, 15 years of education later, that for the first time I desperately needed some help.
I went through the whole "I can take all this academic stuff all by myself" and "I haven't asked for help academically all my life, why start now." My mentality about asking for help did not change over night. I believe that what got me to ask for help in the first place is noticing all the resources available at the University. I convinced myself that if there are so many resources for academic success and support then I am not the only one struggling a bit, and that made me feel more comfortable and confident already.
I found a useful
list of U of T academic resources for the Faculty of Arts and Science.
The best part? There is no charge for all of these resources! Do you know how expensive private tutoring is? Well, the answer is very expensive.
My experience with the learning strategist was a good one, she was able to help me better understand my least favorite type of exams (multiple choice exams). Other than receiving guidance, the most important skill I obtained from this experience is that asking for help when I need it is easier than I thought. Knowing when and how to ask for help can make your university experience much easier, and I am glad I learned this now and not later on.
I see now that I can't let "pride" or "fear" get in the way of my academic success. As a first-year student, it is difficult to get used to having so much freedom and independence in your learning experience. I say, take advantage of the resources the school offers since they offer them for a reason! It is okay to ask for help, and having a good support network makes the entire experience less overwhelming.
I went through the whole "I can take all this academic stuff all by myself" and "I haven't asked for help academically all my life, why start now." My mentality about asking for help did not change over night. I believe that what got me to ask for help in the first place is noticing all the resources available at the University. I convinced myself that if there are so many resources for academic success and support then I am not the only one struggling a bit, and that made me feel more comfortable and confident already.
I found a useful list of U of T academic resources for the Faculty of Arts and Science.
The best part? There is no charge for all of these resources! Do you know how expensive private tutoring is? Well, the answer is very expensive.
My experience with the learning strategist was a good one, she was able to help me better understand my least favorite type of exams (multiple choice exams). Other than receiving guidance, the most important skill I obtained from this experience is that asking for help when I need it is easier than I thought. Knowing when and how to ask for help can make your university experience much easier, and I am glad I learned this now and not later on.
I see now that I can't let "pride" or "fear" get in the way of my academic success. As a first-year student, it is difficult to get used to having so much freedom and independence in your learning experience. I say, take advantage of the resources the school offers since they offer them for a reason! It is okay to ask for help, and having a good support network makes the entire experience less overwhelming.
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