Now that there are approximately six and a half weeks left in the fall 2005 semester, many students feel the need to push the panic button. However, there are still many options available for students to regain focus.
Luckily, The University of Memphis has services available for students.
Barbara Bekis, coordinator of the center for counseling, learning and testing educational support program (ESP), said students that have been lackadaisical must take swift action before it is too late.
"They should immediately go to an ESP learning center, get a tutor, make a plan and study like they eat and sleep - everyday," she said.
Direct communication between student and teacher can be crucial for efforts to turn around a gloomy situation because they can give the best insight on what students need to work.
"The professor can be your friend," Bekis said.
Other helpful hints include reading written remarks on tests and papers and studying with higher performing individuals.
If these tips are not of interest, tutoring remains a viable option.
Many scoff at the idea of tutoring because they believe it is only for the academically inept.
Amber Floyd, a senior integrative studies major, said this could not be further from the truth.
"Tutoring is sometimes stigmatized with a negative connotation," she said. "However, students that come to ESP seek higher achievement."
Bekis said a student's decision to seek help hinges on the amount of college experience they have.
Bekis said freshmen must change the study habits they used during high school.
"They tried what worked for them in high school first, and when that doesn't get them the results they want, then they seek help," she said.
Upperclassmen do not have the same philosophy for handling a class workload.
"Upperclassmen wait for feedback from the first exam," she said. "Then they decide what they need to do."
Floyd believes in the experience factor as well.
"I think when you first start college, you don't know what to expect, so you are over zealous," she said. "In time you learn you can't approach every class the same way because each professor has a different teaching style.
"Some focus on lecture notes and others on textbooks. That's why it's important to go to class."
The ESP learning center offers assistance for all classes, with 82 tutors available.
Bekis said there are not tutors for some classes, but the program can help in other ways.
"We offer seminars, study groups and consultation," she said.
Kimberly Jones, a junior chemistry pre-med major, said her involvement in the learning center changed her scholastic performance.
Jones was experiencing trouble in an elementary calculus class due to a language barrier with her professor and material comprehension.
"The class was moving so fast," she said. "It was hard to process the information."
After receiving help from a tutor, Jones saw her test score skyrocket from an F to an A.
Jones recalls the day she realized how effective tutoring sessions can be.
"I saw the test upside down, and I thought it was a 61,"she said. "When the teacher turned it around, I saw it was a 91. I started jumping up and down. It was the best day of my life."
