By Dalton Patterson
Staff Writer
The AAC (Academic Achievement Center) is a place for students to gather, especially around midterm and finals, as students cram for their tests. The AAC is located across the hall from the Library in room 102, and is open every weekday. Tutors per subject vary dependent on the posted schedule.
Luckily for students the AAC is full of friendly faces willing to help students having trouble with their studies.
Ann Kiesel, English tutor and director of the AAC, said that the tutors there often see a steady stream of students year round as students come and go. While they do see a rise in numbers during midterms and finals, it isn’t as drastic as predicted. However, waiting lists have been necessary at times in the past. When the students outnumber the tutors, there’s not much more that can be done. Just remember to keep that in mind the next time you think about waiting till tomorrow to drop by for help. This doesn’t mean that they want less traffic though. Kiesel was quick to add that she’s always looking for ways to get more students to make use of the resources they provide.
The stresses of students aren’t lost on these faculty members. Both Kiesel and Jim Dose, the calculus and stats tutor, corroborated this. Dose acknowledged that some students may have a stigma about needing help meaning that they aren’t as smart. “In fact I would say that students who seek help when they need it are more intelligent.”
Time is also a limiting factor. When student’s schedules don’t match up with the tutor’s office hours. In order to combat this problem this problem Kiesel and Dose recommend coming in well in advance in order receive as much help as possible. A helpful factor in all this is that most visits from students usually only take around twenty minutes for most students to have the problem sorted out or at least leave with a better understanding.
(Ann Kiesel)
When asked about what kind of impact they think the AAC has on the students, they had this to say. Kiesel answered by saying, “The AAC is very helpful to many students here at DMACC. I believe that we provide a positive learning environment and are capable of giving students any extra help that they need. Should a student ever feel like they’re overwhelmed they should stop by and talk with some of us.” To follow this up,, Jim Dose had his own comments to add. “I think that we are a positive influence on student’s overall learning experience. It’s our higher availability that makes us more accessible to students than say advisor after school hours. If students make sure to use the resources at hand, then I’m sure that they’ll have a fun and educational experience here at DMACC.”
The available schedules for the different tutors are always posted by their door down the hall from the financial aid office.
(Jim Dose)