My experience at SALS was an exceptional one and I learned a lot more about what SALS does

and all the services they offer. When I first got this assignment, my first task was to register for

a workshop and utilize an additional campus service. I ended up signing up through SALS first,

but I didn’t know what to pick so I ended up registering for SALS math tutoring because I could

use the extra help to bump up my mark and understand the content more thoroughly. When I

first got to SALS I met with a woman named Aleksandra Copija and she is the main math tutor

and I asked her about what SALS does and how everything works around SALS, and she

explained all the things that SALS does to help students succeed. She said SALS supports

student academic goals by providing students with the tools to build success in the classroom.

Those tools are ESL support, learning skills, peer tutors, subject-specific support, and writing

skills. She also mentioned that they provide these services through online modules, in

workshops and tutorials, and through individual appointments. I also asked Mrs. Copija about

my specific workshop that I enrolled in and she asked me “what do you want to improve on in

math” and I told her “I’m not sure I just need to improve on everything.” She then showed me

all the math that she helps students with and there were topics as hard as calculus and vectors,

and as easy as long division and that showed me that the people at SALS know what they’re

doing and do help a lot of students. I then went to a campus service called DCSI which stands

for “Durham college student inc” and I met with the general manager of DCSI and his name

Faris Lehn and I asked him about what DCSI is about and he told me “Durham College Students

Inc.” and they are a service-based association. “We put students’ needs at the forefront and

provide quality campus engagement for every full-time student” I then asked what does DCSI

offer to students he said “DCSI is a newly transformed student association that is a voice for
students. We service more than 12,000 DC students exclusively and we provide quality campus

engagement and services for every full-time student.” DCSI provides a range of services, from

recruiting volunteers and developing radio shows on Riot Radio, or the on-campus station and

goes all the way to outreach services where they offer support, counseling, information,

referrals, events, and training with a focus on four key areas: Women’s Issues, Pride + LGBTQ

Centre, Sexual Health, and the Campus Food Centre. I picked this campus service because I’ve

never heard of it or no one talks about it, so I thought that I’d go to it and learn what its about

and if it can benefit me in the future. There are a lot of connections that I can make from the

workshop to Prep class such as effective studying techniques, ways to deal with an

overwhelming class, effective time management, note-taking, how to deal with test anxiety,

and staying organized. There are many reasons why its important to get out and get involved in

campus resources, here are some examples: “It helps to build community”. Since most college

students live on campus, away from their family and friends back home, they may feel

homesick. Getting involved with a campus service enables you to re-establish a sense of

belonging and will ease the transition from your hometown to college. It allows you to discover

your passions, strengths, and talents. These can provide you with a sense of self-worth, and

help you succeed in life. A more enriched college experience can give you important life skills

and life experience that could be vital in a potential job interview. The SALS workshop has

contributed to my academic success by opening my eyes to all the great resources that they

provide, and I now know that they’re capable of helping anyone that needs it no matter what

the subject is or how difficult it is. DCSI has contributed to my personal success by showing me

all the services they offer and that if I need someone to talk to about anything, I can go to DCSI
and talk to someone about the troubles I’m having. It also benefitted me because I met some

cool and unique people there that I got to know a little bit about. Two other resources I would

take advantage of in the future is financial aid and Durham college student Inc. I think financial

aid would be enriching because I would a bit of extra money to help with the costs of school

and textbooks. Durham college student inc would be enriching because I would meet new

people and always have someone to talk to if I ever needed it.