New to CWRU: Get academic assistance during supplemental instruction sessions

Stepping onto campus for the first time as a Case Western Reserve University student is exciting as you consider your future, what knowledge you will gain here and who you will form friendships with along the way.

But there are plenty of uncertainties, too. Even the most basic everyday activities—such as grabbing a bite to eat or doing your laundry—will look different from your life at home. To help you find your footing, The Daily teamed up with some of the university’s orientation leaders to hear their advice on what new Spartans should know. Each day this week, we’ll share some of their tips to help you feel more prepared as  classes start next week.

Their final piece of advice: Supplemental instruction sessions are amazing. If you ever struggle in a class that has SI sessions, use them. They are a great resource for getting extra help on course materials.

At Case Western Reserve University, we’re known for our academic rigor—and we want all our students to succeed. To this end, a number of traditionally challenging courses offer supplemental instruction (SI) sessions, which are student-led, regularly scheduled study meetings outside of class. According to our orientation leaders, these SI sessions can be a game changer.

Students selected to lead these sessions have successfully completed the course in prior semesters and are able to assist students currently enrolled. In these roles, they prepare activities such as practice quizzes, review sheets, practice problems and more to help students develop greater understanding of the material. Our orientation leaders urged new students to consider going to SI sessions to understand their courses better.

“SI sessions are super helpful if you weren’t understanding what was going on in class, and [the SI leaders] always just want to help you out,” said Hannah Micias, a senior majoring in psychology and cognitive science.

Yaw Boateng, a sophomore studying electrical engineering, said the SI sessions are particularly helpful for getting through homework. Jordan Clark, a third-year majoring in biology and environmental studies, added that it’s a good idea to go before exams to get a review of the content and hear what questions other students may have.

SI instructors also have the potential to become mentors or even friends.

“They are also students and they are generally very highly involved and they’re a few years older than you, so they know a lot, not just about the subject, but about different ways to be involved in the particular area that they’re studying,” said Sedona Jolly, a second-year economics major.

SI sessions are available for some biology, engineering, chemistry, mathematics, physics and nursing courses. View the list of courses offering SI sessions.

Hear what other advice Natalia Chandra has for new students.