Working Girl: What It's Like To Work for the Learning Center
Erika Hefler
Issue date: 3/9/10 Section: Blog
Ask anyone what defines Hanover and you would probably get one answer. Sure, some people might say Greek Life or athletics, but the most common answer would be academics. As an institution that prides itself on providing young adults with an excellent and useful education, it makes sense that school work and learning would be the defining factor of our school. The education provided at Hanover while certainly an invaluable asset to graduates, can be quite challenging. That's where I come in.
The Learning Center is something that Hanover College students usually hear about the first time they step on campus. I can remember my guide pointing out the Center on my first tour of the school when Hanover was just a blip on my college radar. Then it was still located in Old Science Hall. Three years later and the Center has moved to the second floor of the Campus Center, a much more central location that helps to encourage students to use its resources.
This year marks my first working for the Learning Center. My work for the Center started last August, when I came back to Hanover several days early to go through training. During the three days we talked about what working for the Learning Center entailed, discussed the best ways to help students, and took part in small group meetings with others who tutored in our area of expertise. The past few months working for the Center have been interesting and challenging and above all rewarding.
There are two main aspects of my work at the Center. The first is open hours. These take place Sunday through Thursday from 7:00 P.M. until 11:00 P.M. Tutors usually work one or two times a week for two hours at a time. During open hours any student can come in and get help in an area in which they are struggling. While some tutors are specialized to help students in specific areas like Biology, Math, or Computer Science, I am simply a generalist, something akin to a Jack of all trades. This means that I spend most of my time during open hours proof reading papers and occasionally helping students with oral presentations. I have read everything from Philosophy papers to final independent study reports. While I can't guarantee A-plus grades, I can say that students who come to the Learning Center for help are taking an active interest in their education, something that professors notice and appreciate.
The Learning Center is something that Hanover College students usually hear about the first time they step on campus. I can remember my guide pointing out the Center on my first tour of the school when Hanover was just a blip on my college radar. Then it was still located in Old Science Hall. Three years later and the Center has moved to the second floor of the Campus Center, a much more central location that helps to encourage students to use its resources.
This year marks my first working for the Learning Center. My work for the Center started last August, when I came back to Hanover several days early to go through training. During the three days we talked about what working for the Learning Center entailed, discussed the best ways to help students, and took part in small group meetings with others who tutored in our area of expertise. The past few months working for the Center have been interesting and challenging and above all rewarding.
There are two main aspects of my work at the Center. The first is open hours. These take place Sunday through Thursday from 7:00 P.M. until 11:00 P.M. Tutors usually work one or two times a week for two hours at a time. During open hours any student can come in and get help in an area in which they are struggling. While some tutors are specialized to help students in specific areas like Biology, Math, or Computer Science, I am simply a generalist, something akin to a Jack of all trades. This means that I spend most of my time during open hours proof reading papers and occasionally helping students with oral presentations. I have read everything from Philosophy papers to final independent study reports. While I can't guarantee A-plus grades, I can say that students who come to the Learning Center for help are taking an active interest in their education, something that professors notice and appreciate.
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