You are not alone!

It’s almost August and in the midst of the balmy warm weather we’re having, university students – both new and returning- can be seen all around campus, signing up to meet advisors and browsing the bookstore as they gradually get ready for the upcoming academic year. Whether you’re a new or a returning student, you might be in the process of choosing your courses and getting ready for classes.

But what happens next? What if you aren’t as excited about that Introductory Logic course as you’d initially anticipated? Is the thought of dealing with written assignments causing you unwarranted stress, or are you worried you may need some extra help in Statistics? Irrespective of whether you’re feeling anxious, ambivalent, excited, or content about your academic goals, there is a host of services on campus ready to provide support and guidance to help you make the most of your academic experience at the U of M.

Perhaps the best place to approach if you’re curious about career options and degrees offered is your faculty’s office. Besides having handouts outlining programs of study and course requirements, academic advisors can help you work your way through VW deadlines, prerequisites and the like. However, if you’re interested in seeing for yourself what a prospective career may have to offer, you can drop by the Student Counselling and Career Centre, and possibly sign up for the Career Mentor Program

Other than offering a place for students to kick back between classes, many student oriented organizations on campus are also valuable resources for subject related concerns. The University of Manitoba Students’ Union, for instance, is in the process of setting up a tutor registry which should be accessible online starting fall 2007. Certain departments, such as the departments of Chemistry, Computer Science, Statistics, Physics and Astronomy have help centres open during the regular session run by senior undergraduate and graduate students.

If you’re looking to hone your learning, writing and research skills in general, why not drop by the Learning Assistance Centre? In addition to offering a variety of workshops year-round, writing tutors and learning skills specialists at the LAC are available to meet with students on an individual basis.

These are but a handful of the many services available on campus. Even a cursory glance through your UMSU daytimer may lead you to come across many other resources suited to your needs. In the end, while your academic career may ultimately be your call, don’t forget that there are many people cheering you on and wishing you success in every step you take.

Rebecca

Welcome to Summer Term!

Welcome to yet another new term! For those of you taking courses, congratulations!! Taking courses in July is a true challenge because the weather is usually quite pleasant, which makes studying even more of an undertaking. But if it is saving you a year or even another term of courses down the road, think of how happy you’ll be then.

Though this is the only time of the year that we at the LAC don’t offer any workshops, we are still open and available to meet you with you in our office at 201 Tier. In fact, July and August are two months where we are often available so students can drop in, but it’s recommended to make an appointment.

We have been busy gathering new resources and writing new material for the Virtual Learning Commons and we’re happy to share them with you. A section on Critical Thinking has been recently added and is beneficial to students taking philosophy courses, to those of you preparing for entrance exams and to those of you interested in improving your thinking skills for a variety of purposes.

To help you stay on track during this high pressure term, we have created a term schedule that is visually useful to remind you of the precious time this term. Check out this downloadable Excel document at https://www.umanitoba.ca/virtuallearningcommons/page/557

Cheers!
Natalie