No need to fear because academic support is here! Navigating the academic world of post-secondary education can be somewhat worrisome and challenging during your first year, but before that school-induced breakdown hits you, get yourself connected to the multiple student support services that are available to aid and guide you through that educational stress!
If you are experiencing any amount of difficulty with any of your courses, have concerts about an assignment or paper, or simply are looking to improve your study skills, time management, or test taking abilities, then ease your school-related stress and anxiety and take advantage of the Academic Success Centre! The Academic Success Centre office provides professional academic support to aid students in maximizing their academic success and achieving their academic goals, by helping you learn better study habits, find a tutor, connect with a study group, and find access to other services that will help you succeed. This scholastic support offers appointments to get personalized advice in a 50 minute session that is tailored to your specific questions or projects, as well as workshops to strengthen your academics in a group workshop about university-level learning, writing or presentation and speaking skills. Surely, through this organization at the University of Alberta, you can easily seek out the academic support that you need.
For an individual and unique learning experience, the Tutor Registry is the campus connection for students and tutors alike. Students who are looking for extra support with their university and high school courses can smoothly search the Tutor Registry by using the navigation bar to guide them, or by searching a subject or course that they are in need of a tutor for. Tutoring is a fantastic option to improve academic performance, and even just to improve your self-esteem and confidence in a self-paced and self-directed learning environment.
In all honesty, writing essays, critiques, creative writing, critical analytical and research papers in university is not the same as what we wrote in high school. Expectations are drastically different, and sometimes those expectations are not communicated well by our professors. Instead of feeling lost, stressed and overwhelmed about how to write and do it well, take a breath and leave your anxieties behind by connecting with the Academic Writing Resources at the University of Alberta. With a variety of writing support, the U of A ensures that you can feel confident in submitting those term papers by providing accessible, learner-centred, relevant and responsive writing resources that are diverse to the needs of the student and staff community.
U of A Centre for Writers is just one example of the Academic Writing Resources, which offers free, one-on-one writing support to all students, instructors, staff, and alumni – in any subject, discipline, program, or faculty, and at all levels of study and with any type of assignment. Tutors at this Centre are also specially trained to help students from ESl and multilingual backgrounds, and is an excellent resource for international students. Book and appointment for peer tutoring, online tutoring, workshops, guided writing instruction groups, and more!
Academic Integrity is very important at the University of Alberta, and academic offenses are taken very seriously. The expectations of what is and what is not allowed may be different than the expectations that you are used to, especially if you are an international student!
To best serve international students, the University of Alberta provides specific resources through the International Student Services (ISS). Firstly, if you are an international student yourself, the ISS is excited to have you at the U of A! While your first year will be full of excitement, it may also feel overwhelming at times. If you’re feeling like you need help adjusting to academic life at the University, connect with the advisors at the International Services Centre to get support and start building a relationship with the ISS team. An overall Support Guide is provided by the ISS, and offers a great list of resources to utilize, including information and resources for academic support, general health, personal safety and security, counselling and clinical services, disability needs, and support from friends. To get an idea of what the Canadian academic environment looks like at the U of A, the ISS provides a clear list on the U of A website about the general academic regulations, expectations of student behavior, integrity and character, and offers checklists to help guide you through the transition into academic life abroad.
Aside from academic support available to international students, the ISS also helps students from abroad find employment through the International Student Work Experience Program. This initiative helps full-time international undergraduates attain employment, develop their career skills and gain valuable work experience.
An overall Support Guide is provided by the ISS, and offers a great list of resources to utilize, including information and resources for academic support, general health, personal safety and security, counselling and clinical services, disability needs, and support from friends.
