There are numerous resources on campus that can support you during your tenure as a students. While we were unable to try them all within our first year, here are some of the ones we used again and again.
C: This is our big gym complex that’s out by AV (Arroyo Vista). The membership is paid for through your tuition so there are no additional out of pocket fees to go inside. You can walk or shuttle there from your housing community. There’s a variety of work out options. Typically, I swim, but there’s also a couple of weight rooms, a basketball court that also double as volleyball and badminton courts, a track, tennis courts, and a huge field to name a few options. The ARC also offers a variety of classes, that include cooking classes. If you’re looking for somewhere to work out, I highly recommend that you try this place at least once.
V: I love the ARC!! It’s a really BIG gym! I often go there with friends to work out, play badminton, play basketball, and swim. Check the “Drop-in Hours” under Rec Facilities & Services before you go if you want to play badminton, basketball, and/or volleyball. There are also rooms with mirrors you can use upstairs if you want to dance or learn how to dance. The ARC is relatively near to Middle Earth compared to Mesa Court. However, Mesa has their own small gym and rec centers that are available to only Mesa residents. I live in Mesa so it’s cool to be able to go to both the Mesa gym/rec center and the ARC.
B: The Center for Career and Professional Development (Career Center) is located next to SSI (Across from the student center Starbucks) and is a resource for professional advice. They can help you with career exploration, offer career panels, and can help you prepare for job interviews and resumes. If you are unsure what you want to do, they can help. They even have a new program that can provide feedback on your resume through their website.
V: The Career Center is a really nice resource especially if you need help constructing and refining your resumes and/or cover letters. For more important things like career counselings and mock interviews, you need to schedule beforehand. However, if you need someone to quickly look over your resume, you can always just walk-in. Most of the time, you won’t have to wait long before someone is available to talk to you.
K: It is like a grocery store with free food, but you are limited to how much you can take. Be mindful of others when you go to the Hub and take what you need at the moment only because a lot of people rely on it weekly too.
C: To be a little more specific, I believe you’re allowed to use the Hub once a week. All you have to do is bring your own reusable bag, and fill it with what you need. I didn’t use this resource my first year since I had a 7-day all-access meal plan, but plan on using it next year. I felt that it was more important that others got what they needed. As Khanh said, be mindful of how much you take.
V: The hall that I lived in, called Jardin, was right next to the Hub. I find it pretty nice how I can just grab some necessary things whenever I need them. Be warned: The line for the Hub is really long, at least 2hrs+ if you go during peak hours like the afternoon… Plan your time wisely and bring along some homework or something to keep you busy and not bored.
B: LARC is a student-led tutoring service where you pay $110 (per class per quarter) for 10 weeks of tutoring sessions (2 per week on M/W or T/TH). If you need financial assistance, you can apply for the SSI Sponsorship where, if you qualify, they will cover the cost of your LARC sessions as long as you fulfill certain requirements*. The tutors are students who have already taken the course in the past and are required to attend your lecture sessions to make sure they are teaching you the right material. I took LARC for the entire Chem 1 ABC series and I really enjoyed it because my LARC tutor gave me extra practice problems to help reinforce the material. Also, I learn better in a small environment and each LARC session has a max 16 people, making it easier to ask questions. LARC isn’t offered for all classes; it’s usually for STEM classes like Chem, Physics, and Bio. I would highly recommend taking LARC if they offer it for your class because it helps you stay on track with the fast pace of the quarter system. (Note: your LARC tutor will vary and that can affect your attitude/experience with LARC)
V: I think LARC is relatively helpful. It’s a place where you can reinforce the materials that you’ve learned. It’s like a discussion class but smaller and more interactive and helpful. So far, I’ve taken 4 LARC classes: 1 Bio and 1 Chem in Fall, 1 Chem in Winter, and another Chem in Spring. I like the worksheets that we do for Chem because it forces me to do practice problems, which are necessary when taking math-related courses.
*requirements were 10 sessions for the quarter as well as an academic success plan appointment through SSI
C: This is where you can go for all of your writing needs. You can of course go to your writing professor’s office hours or correspond with them via email, but it is highly encouraged you try the writing center. Not only are they available for a fair amount of hours, they can also help you with writing from all classes. There are several different locations you can go to. Mesa Court, Middle Earth, and Langson all allow walk-ins. For the actual writing center itself (located at the Science Library), I believe that they prefer that you schedule an appointment with them. They also offer help via email. I used this resource once, but ended up wishing that I had used it more. I had writer’s block and didn’t know how to proceed. Going to the drop-in hours in Mesa helped direct my edits as I got a different perspective on my paper.