Imagine a room on campus in which there are dozens of computers that will actually print those assignments due in ten minutes. Envision this room, filled with trained staff eager to teach extremely necessary and specific information in a clear and concise manner, at no cost, on the student’s schedule. A student can stay for as long they need, for whatever they need; quick homework help? Trouble with a class? No problem–whatever the student wants and needs is what the student gets. This is a vision of The Learning Center. Available to all students enrolled at Pierce College, The Learning Center offers free tutoring in a vast range of subjects, a high-speed Internet-ready computer lab, and a variety of Learning Skills classes to help prepare students for the courses offered at Pierce. Students of all ages, learning styles, and academic progresses are invited to advance themselves with the resources of The Learning Center.The tutoring offered by The Learning Center (via the Tutoring Center) is an invaluable asset for students at any academic level. Tutoring, which requires nothing more than an appointment made at the Tutoring Center or over the phone, includes half-hour small groups, or one-on-one sessions, covering a broad range of subjects.Kathy Boddicker, director of the Learning Center since summer of 2004, strongly urges all students to consider honing and improving their knowledge. “There is no stigma attached to asking for help. College is about finding information you don’t otherwise have access to, and my God, it’s free!” Boddicker exclaimed.The tutoring offered is not strictly for students struggling in a particular subject; students can visit the Tutoring Center to receive help on an essay or homework assignment, as well. No worries if the student doesn’t enjoy the subject they are seeking help on; the tutors certainly do. “All of our tutors go through a tutor training program and have been recommended, have A’s in the subjects they tutor, and love those subjects,” assured Boddicker. Taking advantage of the service is widely recommended for all students, even those who feel that they couldn’t use it. “There’s always a different way of seeing the problem,” explained Sarah McCune, a teacher and tutor supervisor in The Learning Center. “Even if a student really understands the work, there still may come a point when they’re going to get stuck.” Students seeking help certainly don’t need to feel singled out when they visit The Learning Center; there are nearly always people being helped from the center’s early morning opening to its late close. “The Learning Center is packed,” stated Boddicker. “We’re bursting at the seams!” The tutoring facility in The Learning Center is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is located in Room 1613, next to the Life Science Building. The convenience of the computer lab, adjacent to the Tutoring Center, lends to its around-the-clock crowds. To log in to any of the computers, a student only needs their student ID number. Once logged in, a student can use a wide range of commonly used programs, including the entire Microsoft Office package, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and a calculator. Alexis Pacheco, a 20-year-old art major, frequents The Learning Center on a weekly (if not daily) basis. “I get so much of my work done here that some days I just walk in and sit down at a computer and then realize that I don’t have anything to do that particular day,” she said through a laugh. “I do all my assignments here, print them, pack up and go home.” McCune commented on how different students utilize The Learning Center. “We do have some students that come in and I feel like I never see them again,” McCune said. “But we also have other students that come in almost every day, a lot of them just here to do homework.” In order to print assignments, a student must put money on their student ID in the bookstore (similar to a debit card), because printing is ten cents per page and the printer requires a student ID to activate. Specialty programs are also available, including Keyboarding Pro Multimedia to practice typing and SkillsBank to practice subjects such as reading, language, math and science. The Learning Center’s computer lab is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is located in Room 1604, right next door to the Tutoring Center. Another valuable resource for students to consider is the Learning Skills classes, offered through The Learning Center just like any other course. These are credit/no credit courses that are designed to improve the student’s grasp of basic language arts and mathematics, and each one involves an individually prescribed program for developing the necessary skills for success. Information on the Learning Center and its services can be found at the Learning Center, reachable by walk-in or by calling (818)-719-6414. Information can also be found at http://www.piercecollege.edu/students/tlc/.
