Wesleyan’s department of Student Academic Resources (SAR) has been a valuable resource for me throughout my time on campus. I’ve learned about my own learning habits and the numerous preferences of learning that can exist within a single educational institution. In other words, an individual’s process of acquiring new information is multidimensional, reaching beyond one simple “learning style” label. 

Learning Differences & Student Academic Resources Support 

When I first arrived at Wesleyan’s campus, I noticed a difference in how I gained new knowledge compared to my peers. I struggled with the speed at which I took in such information, especially when reading, perfecting my every move and taking my time in doing so. As a result, I visited SAR and met with the director, a woman who became my mentor. 

During my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with learning disabilities. My mentor helped with various strategies (i.e. pomodoro method, Cornell note-taking framework, semester and course planners, goal-setting, read-aloud software, etc.) for addressing my learning challenges. I used these ideas to create a personalized toolbox of academic habits: semester and weekly planners, goal-setting, spaced practice, focused study sessions, efficient skimming and writing tactics, organizing my physical study space, read-aloud software, and Google Docs text styles. 

Becoming a Peer Technology Specialist: Initial Experiences

At the end of my sophomore year, I heard about a role titled Peer Technology Specialist (PTS) in which one would utilize the aforementioned technological tools as a means of advising fellow students. By the next year, I had applied and been accepted to be one of the 2023-2024 PTS. Along with two other PTS, we met with students across class years to help them navigate well-known resources (like those in the Google Suite) and less-known ones (i.e. Glean, CaptiVoice, Sensus Access, Bookshare, and BeeLine). I loved helping other students with experiences I had struggled with in the past. Our PTS team also participated in SAR workshops and held a session with Wesleyan librarians, discussing digital resources they can introduce to their students. As I had previously only taught children, working with adults was new to me. At first, these interactions were rather intimidating. It felt like I had more to prove than simply teaching them new online study strategies. In addition to the intimidation factor, some individuals were my friends, creating difficulties with setting boundaries. 

Learned Strategies for Individualized Support 

As the year progressed, I became more comfortable with student meetings as well as how to communicate in a work-appropriate, yet friendly manner. The latter consisted of a set of sequential practices and approaches that I came to naturally embody during every meeting with a student: match the energy the student brings and meet them where they are, get to know them and gauge how they are doing outside coursework, jump into the peer technology support and prompt them to explain their reason(s) for meeting, introduce each digital tools, close with supportive and reassuring words and offer a follow-up option.

Becoming an Academic Peer Advisor: New Duties & Lessons

During my final year at Wesleyan, I became an Academic Peer Advisor (APA) in addition to PTS. This new position diversified the focus of my student meetings to include navigation of course pre-registration, assistance with professor outreach, connection to Wesleyan resources, fine-tuning of executive functioning skills, and other general academic strategies. Though initially surfacing through my work as a PTS, my involvement as an APA solidified the fact I do not have the answers to everything. Sitting with this reality has encouraged me to engage in mutual learning with students seeking assistance and think on my feet. It requires me to adapt to the uncertainties I may encounter by learning what steps to take next. Over time, I’ve honed this skill to avoid panicking when confronted with an unfamiliar issue and instead take a deep breath and explore solutions with the student. 

Takeaways

By learning to work with like-minded adults and peers, thinking on my feet, and providing knowledge regarding experiences I lived, I’ve found a love for advising and co-learning. 

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Resources for Working With Students

Below, a few basic resources are listed that often help when advising students one-on-one or in larger groups. They range in their contents from specific study strategies to methods for increasing productivity and focus.

The Study Cycle

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Cornell Note-taking Framework

Organizing Your Physical Workspace

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Peer Tech & Peer Advisor Event Planning

The following documents outline notes for planning group events, including the digital resources session held during my time as a Peer Technology Specialist and the Class of 2025 liaison group events held as part of my peer advisor role.

Technology Demo Event Notes

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Class of 2025 Event Notes