Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University students have a great opportunity to take control of their learning, success and academic progress by visiting the Academic Success Center (ASC) this semester.

The ASC seeks to help students become independent, efficient learners by supplying them with the tools they need to reach their educational goals.

“The main goal of our center is to provide students with the academic and student support they need to succeed in college while fostering growth in a nurturing environment.,” said Nicole Porchia, director of the center. “We offer tutoring, but we also meet with students one-on-one to discuss best practices for note taking, time management issues and identifying a student’s learning style.”

All tutoring offered by the center is free for current OBU students. The center’s Student Success and Tutoring Services offers many different forms of tutoring, including one-on-one, small group, walk-in lab and faculty-led options, as well as study halls for athletes.

“The faculty-led tutoring sessions are a great way for students to build lasting relationships with their professors,” Porchia noted.

Senior Anna Kumpuris added that the ASC staff’s “encouragement and commitment are contagious,” as she expressed appreciation for their work and the services offered. Kumpuris is a mass communications, Christian studies/Christian missions and Spanish triple major from Little Rock, Ark.

The ASC will offer multiple information and skills-based workshops throughout the fall semester, including:

• Sept. 17: Confessions of an OBU Professor, Developing Positive Relationships with Your Professors


• Sept. 21: If You Aim at Nothing, You Will Hit It Every Time, A Workshop on Setting Goals


• Oct. 14: YOLO Follows You, A Workshop on Social Media & Campus Communication Etiquette


• Oct. 27: The Road to 120, A Workshop of Degree Planning


• Oct. 28: Staying Healthy During Flu Season


• Nov. 5: My Heart Is Pounding & My Mind Is Blank, A Workshop on Test Anxiety


• Nov. 9-10: Personal Finances & College Life, A Workshop on Managing Your Money


• Nov. 19: Student Panel, An Opportunity to Hear Success Stories from Students Like You


• Dec. 3: So You’ve Procrastinated, Now What?, A Workshop on Waiting Until Almost Too Late

To sign up for tutoring, students should fill out a tutoring request form at www.obu.edu/success or at the Academic Success Center in Lile Hall, Suite 122. Students will receive a confirmation e-mail within three days of request.

“It is extremely important to take advantage of our resources early on in the semester,” Porchia said. “Do not wait until midterm or a week before finals.”

For more information, contact the Academic Success Center directly at (870) 245-5381 or [email protected] or visit www.obu.edu/success.

 

By Cimber Winfrey // Photo by Grace Finley