More students should use academic resources
Let’s be frank: School ain’t a cake walk. As a premier, private research university, USC is academically rigorous and challenging. As students, we work and study hard in order to fully engage in our studies and learn. With multiple classes, papers, exams and numerous assignments, things can get hectic and stressful very quickly. Mix in family, friends and extracurricular activities, and keeping everything together becomes one tall order for young people. We often overlook how much of our academic performance is rooted in outside factors rather than our personal ability. The pressure of a high GPA and stellar grades often shames us into thinking we’re not good enough to succeed. That sort of philosophy could not be further from the truth. Succeeding academically is much more than personal ability, and there is one office on campus that works to directly combat that ideology. Regardless of its relative obscurity, the Office of Academic Review deserves more respect and students should take more advantage of its presence.
OAR aims to work with students who are struggling academically — namely those who are on academic probation. When working and communicating with OAR, it’s incontrovertible to say it is absolutely superb. In terms of professional performance, productivity and overall status, it is USC’s hidden gem.
Undergraduate Student Government and the Rini-Jordan administration have spearheaded mental health care initiatives this semester, underscoring the importance of offering care and support to students who may be overcome with stress, fatigue or mental health issues. In the spirit of these positive and progressive platforms, resources on campus should be utilized. OAR is one resource and avenue students can take to seek the help they need if they are struggling.
Led by a staff of well-trained, informed and competent counselors, OAR helps students perform better by consulting and guiding them through any academic or non-academic issues they may have. The staff understands what it is like to be a student and the stress that college often entails. In the huge pond that is the USC community, OAR is the source of guidance that USC touts during recruitments, tours and marketing campaigns. They serve students with respect and dignity and transform a stressful scenario into simpler steps that are easier to digest and process.
Let’s say you missed a final or midterm and you have to drop a class. You’re panicking — how do you move ahead with your schedule? OAR can help you make contingency plans or re-work a planned schedule to accommodate for setbacks. They’re the type of people who offer genuine help and support and don’t expect anything in return.
OAR is virtually unknown to many students. Most people will only recognize the office if they or someone they know has been on probation, or if they happen to be lingering around Pardee and Marks Tower and stumble upon it near Figueroa Street. Little do students know, however, the office can help students schedule classes and calculate GPAs, as well as address a series of other student needs.
To students: If you’re stressed about classes or an exam, you have no reason not to stop by the office and utilize the services you’re already paying for. Whatever your problem may be, OAR is perhaps the best resource for students on campus. While department and major counselors often see floods of students, OAR is an alternative avenue to answer any questions students may have. More importantly, the staff is present when students need help the most.
Though other offices and organizations may receive more attention or praise, it’s time more students take advantage of the Office of Academic Review.
Athanasius Georgy is a junior majoring in economics. His column, “Campus Talk,” runs Thursdays.