Briaunna Thornton, a Sinclair Community College student, was struggling to understand some of the coursework in her classes. Then she enlisted the help of the Tutoring and Learning Center.
She said that the Tutoring and Learning Center has provided her with the foundation she needs to succeed in all of her classes.
“I started going to the TLC in the fall,” Thornton said, who is majoring in respiratory care. “And now I am doing better than I expected on my exams.”
The TLC works on a walk-in, first-come, first-served system and is located in the right corner of the library in room 7L07.
The center exclusively tutors Developmental Studies subjects, such as DEV reading, English, writing and math.
“The Tutoring and Learning Center is an additional resource for students because some students will go to class and never need any more help but then other students don’t catch it [the material] as fast and just need extra help — and then they come here,” said Thelma Brown, clerk typist for the Tutoring and Learning Center.
Brown encourages students to drop in as many times as needed for help as long as the TLC is open. She also recommends that students drop in even if it is just to ask a question about a particular assignment because there is never an appointment needed.
To gain access to the TLC, students must have their Tartan Card and be enrolled in a DEV class. Students can then request to be tutored or work independently.
“We will tutor someone and explain what they’re having difficulty with and then once they grasp the material we move on to the next student and let them work,” said Jennifer Danner, DEV professional tutor. “What we find is that some students stay and work independently and others leave.”
Additional resources that the TLC provides include supplemental handouts for the various DEV subjects. DEV math videos and the math practice test can also be found online. All of the supplemental handouts can be accessed at www.sinclair.edu/centers/tlc/lmr/hw/.
Danner has worked for the TLC for three years and she said her fondest memory is when students come in frustrated or lost because they don’t understand their coursework but leave feeling confident.
“Then I know that we have done our job. I know that they understand what they are doing and they understand what is expected of them,” Danner said. “This will help them succeed in future assignments.”
Thornton is now enrolled in English 111 after she said she successfully passed DEV English 110.
“I am more motivated to get my work done because there are no distractions,” she said. “My essays have improved tremendously and I now use the Writing Center for help, but I use what I learned from the TLC.”