Academic Support at OSU
Have a general question or not sure who to ask?
Send us a live chat, drop by 125 Waldo Hall, email [email protected], or call us at 541-737-2272.
Materials & Technology
Service Desk (Tech Help)
Media Hub
BNC Textbook Lending Program
Library Course Reserves
Canvas
Beaver Hub
Academic Calendar
People: Who's on your team?
Often when we think of resources, we focus more on offices or programs than on the people around us, but people are some of the best resources you have. As you think about your support team, here are different types of support to consider.
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Your academic advisor. Advisors are here to support your academic journey. Connect regularly with your advisor so you can share what’s working or what isn’t, ask questions, and get help planning for goals and opportunities.
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Instructors and professors. The folks who teach your courses are some of the greatest resources you’ll find at OSU. They can help with content, deconstruct how to study for their course, and sometimes even point you toward research opportunities or internships. Use office hours, email, and class time to get to know them.
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Teaching assistants, learning assistants, and graduate teaching assistants. If your class has a TA, get to know them as part of your support network. Ask them questions, talk through concepts together, and learn about strategies for success in the course.
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Classmates and people in your major or college. Study groups are a great way to keep yourself on task, learn content, and receive and provide support. Find strategies for effective study groups and team work on the ASC website.
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Academic Success Center. You can count on Strategists at the ASC to help you answer questions about navigating OSU or about topics like planning your time, study skills, procrastination and motivation, or test preparation. It's okay if you don't know where to start or what to ask. They're students just like you, and they’re here to help you identify and harness your strengths to reach your academic goals.
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If you’re living in a residence hall with an Academic Learning Assistant (ALA), you’ve got access to someone who is there to support your academic development. But even if you’re not living in a residence hall, think about the kinds of support you have in the people you live with as cheerleaders, study buddies, or just a form of accountability.
Email, Technology, and Beaver Hub
OSU considers your OSU email address the official channel of communication to you, meaning that important notices, action items, and information will come to your OSU email address. To make email more manageable, build a folder system and create email filters to make sure you are able to keep track of important information.
Bookmark Beaver Hub, OSU’s online portal for resources, appointments, and more. You can even customize your Beaver dashboard to help you find what you need quickly.
As a student, you have access to a lot of technology resources at OSU, like Canvas, the learning management system, and Zoom, our video communication platform. The OSU Service Desk is the support unit that helps you with your technology needs, whether that’s troubleshooting email access, getting your smartphone connected to wifi, software issues, hardware issues, and more.
Tutoring and Content Help
Students often ask about tutoring. There isn’t one tutoring center at OSU, but there are a few different ways to get content help. There are some subject help centers like the Math and Statistics Learning Center, the Econ tutoring lab, and the Mole Hole (for chemistry) that provide subject support to students taking those classes. Additionally, Supplemental Instruction is a group study table program that gives students in some challenging courses access to high quality guided study sessions. Some colleges offer additional tutoring on a course-by-course basis as well. You can get a more comprehensive sense of what’s available by talking to a Strategist at the Academic Success Center, your academic advisor, or asking your instructor about support available for that course.
Research & Writing
Research and writing transcend specific courses, and students often say this is an area where they could use more help. The Writing Center supports students throughout the writing process. They’ll talk through your assignment, consult on your draft, think with you about next steps, and provide you with strategies for future revisions. Undergraduates can visit the Undergrad Research & Writing Studio on the Corvallis campus, and all students make a zoom appointment or submit a draft for written feedback. Graduate students will find nuanced help via the Graduate Writing Center. The OSU Libraries are filled with resources for research support, including librarians who can answer your research questions. The OSU Libraries search function helps you find the books, journals, and articles you need. Get started with instructions for optimizing your use of the library or with a research guide for your assignment, course, or major.
Better Studying
Students often ask about more effective ways to study and learn, tools for time management, techniques for note-taking and more.
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The Academic Success Center offers information and tools online through the Learning Corner, and academic coaches can help you build up your study skills.
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Set yourself up for success with a study space that helps you get things done. Your ability to focus or concentrate impacts the quality of your studying and your sense of motivation.
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Access course materials, laptops, calculators, and study spaces at the OSU Valley Library and use or donate to the Basic Needs Center’s Textbook Lending Program.
