Every week at Oberlin I make a weekly calendar filled with events, homework, volunteering, and other activities so I can efficiently plan my time. Last week, one of my items on my to-do list was to write a blog. I planned to write it Sunday, but then unfortunately I had an evening activity I hadn’t taken into account. Same problem Wednesday, and then consequently on Friday. Well here I am now, and when thinking of a topic to write about, I could think of no better subject than what kept me so busy last week: taking advantage of Oberlin’s plethora of free academic resources.
As a Global Health major I spend a ton of time in the Science Center and taking STEM classes in general. While STEM is a big passion of mine, compared to many of my peers I find the subject material to be oftentimes challenging or confusing. Despite my initial hesitancy to study an unfamiliar topic when I arrived at Oberlin, the many different opportunities to reinforce knowledge and practice concepts in STEM were plentiful. I started utilizing these resources my very first semester and have continued using them consistently into my 4th semester here (as evident by my schedule!). While there are numerous resources for all subjects, in my blog I plan to focus on a few resources I use, particularly for my STEM courses.
1) The Center for Learning, Education and Research in the Sciences (CLEAR)
CLEAR is the center that is home to my favorite STEM resources: Oberlin Workshop and Learning Sessions (OWLS) and Hybrid of OWLS and Tutoring (HOOTS). Get used to the acronyms by the way, Oberlin loves them!
OWLS are essentially going to be bi-weekly supplemental review sessions hosted by OWLS student leaders who have taken, and done well in, whatever class you are taking. On top of hosting sessions, the student leaders will also sit in on every single one of your lectures to make sure that they are explaining material in a way that is consistent with the way that your professor is teaching it. I’ve found it to be incredibly helpful to be able to go into a OWL session and have the tutors know what we’ve been learning in class and how to best explain it. This is also helpful for them knowing what we don’t know, and how to explain it using terminology we have been taught in previous units. In addition to this, tutors also prepare worksheets and answer keys for students to work on during OWL sessions, although usually I need to prioritize getting help with homework first! Lastly, while I’m not sure it’s required, in every STEM class I’ve had at Oberlin the tutors will also usually host a dedicated exam review session for every test held. Personally, I love just dropping into these sessions and studying, knowing that should any questions arise all I need to do is raise my hand to get some help!
Similarly to OWLS, HOOTS are also a great option. Essentially, HOOTS are going to be drop-in office-hour-style sessions in which various peer tutors will be present. For instance, in Chemistry HOOTS there will be at least one tutor for each section of Chemistry offered in the semester. It’s a great option for quick questions, a dedicated STEM studying space, or even getting advice on future STEM courses to take. There have certainly been many times I’ve gone to a HOOTS session with only a couple of questions but then stayed much longer to have a conversation with an upperclassman about their path in STEM or what they’re doing after they graduate. Community truly is found everywhere on Oberlin’s campus, and I would urge everyone to take advantage of any sort of group studying or academic support!
2) The Peer Tutoring Program
The peer tutoring program at Oberlin is undoubtedly one of the most underrated opportunities available to students. At absolutely no cost students can get up to 2 ½ hours a week of free tutoring in whatever subject they desire. I’ve prioritized utilizing peer tutors for my STEM classes and I’ve found them to be unbelievably helpful! Working one-on-one with someone has always been more helpful to me than learning in a group setting, and that is especially true when it comes to understanding complicated scientific concepts. And honestly, I really have a lot of fun at these sessions (plus I also discovered how to make buffalo chicken dip at the dining hall).
3) Office Hours
No, this wouldn’t be considered a program at Oberlin, but I nevertheless wanted to include it due to the absolute essentiality of it in my schedule. One of the main reasons I wanted to come to Oberlin was because of the strong relationship between students and professors. Professors offer extensive office hours and are extremely amenable to opening time in their schedule for office hours if their current times don’t work for you. Every professor I’ve had has not only wanted me to succeed academically, but also had a genuine interest in getting to know me as a person. I’ve never felt scared to go to office hours, and have actually enjoyed going to them. In addition to free candy and snacks, I even had one Chemistry professor who told students to stop by her office hours even if they didn’t have any questions just to watch Gordon Ramsey cooking shows. That’s Oberlin for you.
That sums it up! If you are thinking about pursuing STEM courses at Oberlin I hope this helps you better envision yourself here. It’s easy to get discouraged when studying challenging topics, but Oberlin has made it easy to seek support in various and fun ways that have quickly become part of my everyday life here.
