GREENEVILLE – Final exams are one of the more stressful elements of college life for students, and Tusculum University steps forward during this period with additional assistance that is designed to enhance student performance.
Maia Scott, right, reviews Hailey Silvestri’s paper with her.
David Hite, second from the left among the seated, speaks with some of his students.
Tusculum holds Exam Cram toward the end of each semester. The event’s name recognizes in a humorous way the crunch of academic activity students need to complete before the end of the semester so they can earn desired grades that will propel them toward graduation.
Exam Cram consists of helpful activities that can lead to success, such as the opportunity to meet with professors and receive tutoring from fellow students. This semester, the Center for Academic Success and Tutoring expanded the event and teamed with other stakeholders at the university to incorporate some fun and relaxing activities as well. Students were able to spend time making gingerbread houses; enjoy hot chocolate, hot cider and pizza; and watch a seasonal movie.
This semester’s event was held Tuesday, Dec. 2, in the Thomas J. Garland Library. Finals start Monday, Dec. 8.
“We wanted to provide a way for students to feel comfortable with their knowledge and their work as they head into finals,” said Lisa Chiapputo, associate director of tutoring services. “This semester, we thought it would be good to incorporate others, such as the Office of Student Affairs and the library, and offer something in the spirit of Christmas with a social component to relieve some of the pressure going into finals.”
Xavier Bynoe shows the gingerbread house he created.
Chiapputo noted that tutors can particularly help fellow students become better organized and prioritize their work flow. That enables students to feel as if they can manage their requirements and complete the work successfully before the end of the semester. Tutors can share some insight and provide tips for success with finals.
The tutoring element of the event also included traditional assistance with mastering the subject matter of a particular course. Tutors additionally were available to help students who might want someone else to review and provide feedback on papers they had written for classes. Students also had access to a presentation practice room, where someone was able to critique and provide guidance on the final product.
One of the other aspects of the event was the presence of a therapy dog. This type of animal is known to help people with their stress and perhaps provide a reminder of their own dog at home. Another item on the agenda was a raffle among those who attended, with the winners receiving gift cards to neighboring Creamy Cup.
David Hite, assistant dean of the Business Division and an associate professor of business, was one of the faculty members who attended Exam Cram. He met with many of his students and discussed their current grade and the next day’s quiz and prepared them for the final exam. He also sought their feedback on their courses and talked to them about internship possibilities.
He was pleased with the outcome and impressed with the number of his students who attended. He believed the event was a good use of time.
One of the people who organized Exam Cram was Sydney Poythress, a senior in Tusculum’s business administration program who is majoring in digital marketing. She became involved in the event as part of her practicum course for digital marking majors taught by Dr. Lanna Monday. The event was part of Poythress’ efforts to market the tutoring program.
We want students to recognize that this is a resource they have available to them year-round,” Poythress said. “The demand for this service is always high at finals, so we felt that if we showed off the program at this time, people will hopefully remember it in the future.”
Students pet the therapy dog.
Lisa Chiapputo, left, and Sydney Poythress announce gift certificate winners.
Poythress was pleased with the turnout and said the presence of professors was a factor in driving attendance. At future Exam Cram events, she wants to retain a competitive element to some of the side activities to inject fun in the events. She said student thoroughly enjoyed making the gingerbread houses.
Tusculum will conduct another event Sunday, Dec. 7, at 10 p.m. to help students navigate finals week. The university will hold the President’s Midnight Breakfast, where students can feast on pancakes, eggs, sausage and bacon made by faculty and staff. The goal of the event, held every semester at the start of finals, is to ensure students are taking time to feed themselves sufficiently and periodically relax as they pull late hours at the end of the semester. The event ends at midnight.
More information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu.