The Department of Chemistry provides free walk-in tutoring services in the Chemistry Learning Center (CLC) from 9 am until 5 pm Monday through Friday. The CLC also maintains a list of private chemistry tutors available for hire. The tutor matching service can be found here. Additionally, online tutorials are available in a variety of chemistry subjects. Visit their website for more.

The Chemistry Learning Center
212 Chemistry Annex

217-244-5581

With assistance from the Shell Corporation, the ChBE department is offering tutoring in CHBE 221, CHBE 321, CHBE 421, CHBE 422, CHBE 424 and CHBE 440. CHBE Shell Tutoring

The American Chemical Society Student Members provide weekly tutoring for a number of chemistry courses. For more information and a current schedule visit their website. uiuc.acs@gmail.com 

The Mathematics Department offers both free tutoring services as well as a list of graduate students offering private tutoring (for a fee). Hours vary Monday through Friday. Visit the Math Tutoring Services page to see tutoring hours for this semester. 

Department of Mathematics
273 Altgeld Hall
217-333-3350

The MCB Learning Center provides a space for students to meet with any available MCB 100, 150/151, 250/251, 252/253, and 354 teaching assistant during their office hours. Specific course and instructor hours will be posted at the entrance. Online videos and resources are also available. Visit their website for more.

MCB Learning Center Hours: Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM during the fall and spring semester. 

101 Burrill Hall
217-244-8877

Student tutors are available for general assistance on economics courses or economics related questions, primarily for ECON 102, 103, 202, 203, 302 and 303 (some of the 400s). There is also tutoring available for MATH 220/221 and MATH 231. Students should visit their Instructors or TAs with questions specific to classes, such as due dates, tests, etc. (most Econ classes have numerous TA Office hours). Visit their website for more information.

Econ Tutoring Center
DKH Room 21 (basement level)

Monday - Thursday: 1pm-5pm

217-333-2682

The Writers Workshop provides free writing assistance for all University of Illinois students. Our tutors can help with course papers, speeches and presentations, senior capstones, personal statements, resumes, group writing projects, and more. You can schedule a 50-minute appointment or learn more about our resources at our website.

The DIA provides individual tutoring and study hall hours to all student-athletes. Visit their website for more information and resources.

Irwin Academic Services Center
402 East Armory Avenue
Champaign, IL 61820
217-333-2240

SCS Academic Advising's Keys to Success in Science Courses at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Suggestions for Academic Success

• Attend every lecture
  • Read the text material before lecture and take thorough lecture notes
  • As soon as possible after lecture, rewrite and/or review your notes, rework example problems and write notes to yourself in the margins
• Do the assigned reading in an active, not a passive fashion
  • Always read the book with paper and pencil ready
  • Work through example problems as they arise and so some sample exercises in each section
  • Make notes on material that you want to ask questions about later
  • Diligently try to solve problems before asking for assistance
• Begin the problem sets as soon as they are assigned
  • Aggressively tackle problems after you have reviewed the relevant material
  • Do NOT look at the solution to a problem until you have worked on it seriously (could be as much as 20 minutes!)
  • The best preparations for exams is working problems through to their completion without having to refer to your notes or the text
• Utilize tutoring services and TA and professor office hours productively
  • Attend office hours regularly, ~once/week
  • Keep in mind that the tutor and TAs are there to help you work through problems, not give you the answers
  • Bring your work to the help session so that someone can show you where you went wrong
• Support people may ask you questions to help you solve the problem. Begin preparing for exams early
  • Keep your notes organized, your quizzes handy and constantly review material
  • Index cards with important formulas and information may be helpful
  • You can pull them out to review at any time
  • Don’t leave papers to the last minute
  • Research topics beforehand
  • Create an outline
  • Support people may ask you questions to help you solve the problem

• STUDY, STUDY, STUDY
  • Be proactive, not reactive and seek help at the first sign of struggle
  • You should be spending approximately  3 or more hours of study time for every hour you spend in class
  • This isn’t counting laboratories
  • Therefore, plan to spend around 9+ hours (some weeks will be more) on physical science and math classes each week

• Two Types of Learning
  • Rote Learning - Involves verbatim memorization, Easily forgotten. Cannot be manipulated or copied to novel situations e.g. remembering phone numbers, dates, name, etc.
  • Meaningful Learning - Learning that is tied and related to previous knowledge and integrated with previous learning, can be manipulated, applied to novel situations and used in problem solving tasks. Meaningful learning is a continuous, ongoing process; repetition is the key

Study Strategies

The Study Cycle with Intense Study Sessions

Phase 1: Read or preview chapters to be covered in class… before class.  Read the headings, bolded words, look at the pictures and graphs. What are some questions you have?

Phase 2: Go to Class.  Listen actively, take notes (“Answering those questions you made from above”), and participate in class.

Phase 3: Review and process class notes as soon as possible after class (within a few hours)

Phase 4: Incorporate Intense Study Sessions

Repeat

Metacognition –

Study to learn, not to make the grade!

The ability to:

• Think about thinking (know about knowing)
• be consciously aware of oneself as a problem solver
• to monitor and control one’s mental processing
• use appropriate learning strategies
• Have a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset

Exams - Hints

Spend enough time reviewing and mastering material

Aim for 100% mastery

Use study sessions for clarification

Use the Study Cycle with Intense Study Sessions

Use TAs, peers and instructors for help if you do not understand how to solve a problem

Remember to put your short and long term goals first

When you make an appointment with yourself to study,

KEEP IT!

Intense Study Sessions

2-5 minutes:

• Set Goals for next 40 minutes

30-40 Minutes:

• Read text more; Selectively highlight
• Make notes in margins
• Try working on example problems on your own

before looking at solution; compare methods

• Work on homework problem/lab

5 minutes:

• Review what you have just studied

10 Minutes:

• Take a break

Repeat!

Special thanks to former Chemistry Director of Undergraduate Studies, Gretchen Adams, who provided much of this material.