A, B, C, D, E and F. These letters make up only 23% of the alphabet, yet at one point or another, they have defined every Villanovan on campus. As people, we seek success and we seek greatness in all that we do. However, as college students, we take particular interest in our grades. Sometimes it seems really ridiculous. How can a letter grade define me? The reality is, that we allow it to define all of us, from how we feel about ourselves to how we judge what we will each achieve. The hopelessness I feel when I receive some of these letters is overwhelming, but if there is one thing I have learned since coming to Villanova, it is that the University is here to make sure we don’t have to feel this disappointment again. The writing and tutoring centers on campus are there to support each Villanovan to become the best possible student we can be, but also reminding us that it is okay to struggle.
During my first semester at Villanova, I was very overwhelmed. I was brand-new, away from home and trying to make friends all while adjusting to college-level schoolwork. The main bane of my existence was my intermediate Italian course. I hadn’t taken Italian since my junior year of high school and for some reason, I remembered just enough to match into a higher-level class. I was so nervous on the first day, I never had a teacher who only spoke the language being taught, and after a week in the class, I was convinced I was going to fail. However, after a long phone call with my mom, I decided to stop into the tutoring center and see if it could help my what-seemed-hopeless situation. I will never forget how welcoming the entire staff was to me, making me feel supported rather than judged. After just two sessions, I felt way more confident in class and my professor was impressed that I had taken the initiative to seek out my own help so early into my college career.
However, one major thing I have noticed is that it feels like most of the time, people fail to utilize all of the resources these centers have to offer. Sure, they are packed during finals and midterms, but what about the rest of the semester? I feel that so many students on campus are not aware of how easy it is to get support from these centers, as well as the idea that there is nothing wrong with needing the extra help. There is a vulnerability in seeking any sort of support, especially in something such as education. Yet, the benefits outweigh the ideas of wasted time or being too busy to stop in and make an appointment.
“What I appreciate about my role as a tutor is that what I share with a student in one hour lasts far beyond that moment,” Emma Hlousek, a tutor in the Writing Center, said. “The center is so valuable because we approach each session with the goal of prioritizing growth over perfection. Tutees gain feedback that they can apply to everything they write, which I feel strongly enhances their education.”
This resource that Villanova provides for its students gives everyone all an equal opportunity to succeed in the classroom. However, the greater lesson I have learned from my time at the center, will carry me far beyond the walls of my education. As someone who prides myself in the effort I put into my schoolwork, it is disheartening that the end result does not match with my expectations. Additionally, it is frustrating when I struggle in something I feel I have always tended to be good at. Seeking out help and being welcomed by tutors at both the Learners’ Studio and Writing Center, have helped me to realize that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but rather one of strength. It takes vulnerability to stand up and admit that you need help, and there is so much power in being vulnerable. The first step is always the hardest, but now for the rest of my life, when I stumble and need some help, I am going to remember that there is nothing wrong with grabbing onto an outstretched hand.
