| Getting Started |
| • |
When you enter the LAC, please
sign in on the clipboard, even if
you’re studying alone or coming
for a tutoring session. The facility,
staff, and equipment are partially
grant funded, and we want to show
grant providers that students and
faculty are making use of the LAC.
Then feel free to ask the Learning
Consultant(s) on duty for help,
or you may work privately. Our staff
members are easily identified by
their colorful signs featuring their
names and specialties. |
LAC
Services |
| • |
One-on-one assistance without
an appointment is available anytime
that we are open, in just about
every subject under the sun. However,
keep in mind that not having appointments
means that sometimes we might be
busy with other students and you
may need to wait a few moments before
gaining assistance. Our busiest
hours are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
(In addition to our services, you
may get two regularly scheduled
weekly appointments with a peer-tutor
through Laurie Butler, ext. 231,
in Student Support Services, located
on the first floor of Oaks Hall.) |
| • |
We can help you to learn the content
area of any class (sociology, psychology,
biology, physics, chemistry, religion,
etc.), as well as offer tips on
how to study better/smarter. We
also can help when you’re
stuck on a math problem or with
papers and projects. |
| • |
We’ll assist with and train
you (beginners or advanced users)
on using a computer, offering help
with learning basic computer operation
and troubleshooting computer problems
as well as learning how different
software programs (such as Microsoft
Word, PowerPoint, Excel) work. |
| • |
LAC staff members will proctor
make-up exams. Ask your instructor
if you can make up a quiz or test.
He/she can leave the exam with your
name on it in a folder; then you
can take the exam in a controlled
setting to promote academic honesty.
We will return the completed exam
to the folder where it will stay
until your instructor retrieves
it. We are proctoring an increasing
number of exams for online courses. |
| • |
Workshops are offered on various
subjects related to college success,
study skills, and life after college.
Common topics include resume writing;
preparing for job interviews; managing
time; managing stress; effective
studying and test-taking; presenting
with PowerPoint; avoiding Internet
scams, hoaxes, and viruses; and
many others. Ask your instructor
if he/she is interested in sponsoring
a workshop in your classroom. Workshop
materials are available in the LAC
if you cannot attend a workshop. |
Math
Assistance |
| • |
Please stop by, call, or check
our LAC schedules posted at various
locations on campus to discover
when our math learning consultants
(as well as science and social-science
consultants) are on duty. Most of
our learning consultants can help
with basic math (such as 060), but
it’s best to work with one
of our math instructors for higher-level
classes. |
| • |
We can help with your homework,
ensuring that you are solving problems
correctly. |
| • |
We can help you to prepare for
math quizzes and exams. |
| • |
The math videos in our Resource
Library are very helpful and, thus,
very popular.
|
Writing and
Research Assistance |
| • |
We try to have a writing/research
learning consultant on duty at all
times. In the inside wall after
entering the LAC, there is a personnel
chart showing who is on duty. Check
each consultant’s specialty;
writing/research instructors can
best help with writing letters,
essays, and papers. |
| • |
You can come to us for ideas on
getting started, making an outline,
organizing a paper, structuring
a paper, etc. We also can help you
to edit and revise your draft(s).
Your instructor might grade your
paper then encourage you to work
with a learning consultant and allow
you to turn in a revised version
to improve your grade. |
| • |
We’ll help you to distinguish
between a credible source for use
in a research paper and sources
that can’t be trusted, as
well as between scholarly sources
and popular sources. This is especially
important when using websites in
your research. |
| • |
Academic databases are an excellent
place to conduct research for a
paper, but often students have never
heard of them, can’t find
them, or can’t get the search
results that they are seeking. We
can help to familiarize you with
these valuable resources and to
find what you are looking for. |
| • |
LAC staff can help you to correctly
cite the sources used in your research
paper to avoid plagiarism (using
MLA, APA, or other citation methods).
|
LAC Resources |
| • |
A lending library of novels and
books and videos on math, English,
other academic subjects, reading,
study skills, standardized test
preparation, life skills, test-taking,
and careers are available for checkout.
Please ask a learning consultant
to help you with the checkout procedure.
You can keep most materials for
two weeks, but we ask that you return
math videos within a few days, because
they are so popular. |
| • |
Handouts in “The Column,”
just outside of the LAC entrance,
can help with math, basic writing,
researching, avoiding plagiarism,
citing sources, and working with
computers, as well as a variety
of other topics. |
| • |
We can assist with color printing
for special class projects. |
| • |
We have computer software to do
word processing, databases, spreadsheets,
and PowerPoint presentations, plus
ZoomText, a calculator, and Internet
access, among others. |
| • |
There are tutorial programs to
help you to work through math problems
at various levels, including Math
060, 070, 080, and 171. You’ll
also find Math Check, EDUCO, and
Basic and Intermediate Math on SkillsBank. |
| • |
SkillsBank also offers writing,
language, reading, and information
skills help. |
| • |
We have a “Lost and Found”
basket, just in case. If you leave
behind your disk, CD, or thumb drive,
we will line it up in our windowsill
for you. |
CONTACT
INFORMATION |
|
Learning Assistance Center
Southwestern Community College
101 Oaks Hall • 447
College Drive
Sylva NC 28779
800.447.4091 • 828.586.4091,
ext. 325 |
|
Let Us Know If We Can Help!
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