Some jobs on campus are recognizable. Every Asbury student is familiar with the baristas pulling espresso shots at the HICCUP, the circulation desk workers helping you check books out for those dreaded research papers and the CPO workers who ask you to sign for that care package from your mom.
There’s another job on campus that students don’t know as well. Housed in the basement of the library, tutors and academic coaches work with their classmates individually. Although the job isn’t as visible as others on campus, the work is just as important. Tutors and academic coaches are being celebrated during National Tutoring Week, which lasts from Oct. 5-9.
Tutors and academic coaches assist other students with every aspect of college academics, such as reviewing materials and coursework, study strategies and planning.
“Being an academic coach means that I help people organize their college life,” said second year academic coach, senior Emily Shank.
As an academic coach, Shank said she also works as a TA for a class offered to freshmen, where they learn more about themselves, which helps them uncover the best study strategies and schedules for themselves, which in turn allows them to be more successful in their classes.
“I facilitate discussion with my group,” said Shank. “The students in my group meet with me four times a semester so I can make sure they are on top of things and see what they need help with.”
Shank decided she wanted to be an academic coach after experiencing academic coaching from the other side.
“[My academic coach] helped me organize several four-year plans for college and my schedules every semester. She helped me so much that I wanted to help others like she helped me,” said Shank.
This desire to help others led Shank to become an academic coach, where she gets to assist other students in all areas of their academic life. Shank shared that she enjoys the job for many reasons, with one of them simply being that she gets to help and serve others.
“My favorite part of my job is when a student gets excited during an appointment,” said Shank. “I also love sitting in on the freshman class because I love getting to meet new students and hopefully help them ease into college life.”
Shank stressed that the purpose of the job is to help students on campus with whatever they need and that academic coaches are available to anyone.
“We want to help and bond through the struggles of class,” said Shank. “We help with any type of planning, 4-year plan, semester, writing in your planer, basically anything!”
