Learning resources for college students

Learning in college doesn’t just take place in the classroom. In fact, a lot of learning takes place outside the classroom, be it through independent study, study groups, tutoring or other learning options. Let’s explore how your student can use resources outside of the classroom to learn the material they need to know.

Tutoring

One of the most common learning resources for students is tutoring. Tutoring may be offered in person or online, or a combination of both. Many colleges offer tutoring centers for support in a variety of subjects. Your student might work one-on-one with a tutor or be part of a tutoring group. They might see a tutor every day or perhaps once a week. Additionally, the tutor might be an upper-division peer who has previously taken the subject matter or a full-time professional tutor. Whichever way your student’s college offers tutoring services, it’s important for them to get tutoring help if they are falling behind in a class and need the extra support.

Teaching assistants

Many of your student’s classes will have teaching assistants. Teaching assistants are usually graduate-level students whose role is to help faculty members by facilitating class discussions, designing quizzes and performing other classroom-related duties. However, they often have more personal, one-on-one interactions with students and are usually more accessible than professors outside of class time. Your student should get to know their TAs well and go to them whenever they have questions about course material and need assistance.

Academic clubs

Almost all colleges offer clubs that your student can join. These are clubs run by students themselves (and usually one staff or faculty advisor) and cover all sorts of interests. One type of club your student is sure to find on their campus is an academic club. These are devoted to diving deeper into a particular academic interest such as math, biology or engineering. What are the benefits of joining such a club?

• Opportunities to network with students who may one day be professional colleagues.
• Opportunities to learn more about or explore certain facets of their academic interests.
• Opportunities to take part in events devoted to an academic interest.

How learning outside the classroom can help your student be successful inside the classroom

Using academic resources outside the classroom often leads to better understanding of course material and better grades. Here are some more benefits:

Improved performance

Supplementing classroom learning with outside learning increases the knowledge that your student retains, which can help their confidence and performance.

Unique and individualized learning experience

When your student augments their classroom learning with outside learning through academic clubs, tutoring, etc., they end up with a learning experience more customized to their unique learning needs.

Self-paced learning

Your student may not be able to set their own learning pace in the classroom — that’s up to the professor. But they can set their own learning pace in their out-of-class learning, be it through setting their own pace with tutoring, or deciding how involved they want to be in an academic club.

Freedom to ask questions

When your student is in the classroom, they might feel a bit self-conscious asking more than one or two questions. But if your student is in a tutoring session or meeting with a teaching assistant or professor during office hours, they can ask lots of questions, and this leads to a better understanding of course material.

Help with assignments

Your student’s tutor or TA can go over course assignments and give feedback before they turn something in.

Confidence during tests and when completing assignments

It makes sense that the more your student studies a topic inside and outside of the classroom, the more confident they’ll feel in their work.

It’s important for your student to understand that learning doesn’t take place only in the classroom. Once they realize this, they’ll be able to explore and use all the tools and resources at their disposal to help them thrive in all their college courses.