When it comes to academics and study habits, many incoming students find the transition from high school to college difficult.

Although students might struggle at first, many groups on campus offer services geared toward helping students reach their potential through tutoring services, writing assistance and academic planning.

The Office of Multicultural Student Services (MSS) gives undergraduates a chance to participate in mentoring programs and leadership opportunities as well as receive help with their classwork.

“All of the resources and services that we offer are retention tutoring – which is our service we offer for all of our students at WSU – which is for free,” MSS program assistant Dominique Fagaautau said.

“We also offer social aspects such as social networking,” he said. “They can join organizations, extracurricular activities as well as team mentoring programs. We have programs for STEM majors and first-year students.”

Through these programs, students receive aid specific to their individual academic and personal needs, regardless of whether those needs lie within the realm of classwork or extracurricular activity.

Other departments aid specifically in math, writing and other fields.

The Math Learning Center (MLC), located in room 130 of Cleveland Hall, provides extensive tutoring services that cover the full range of WSU’s math classes. Students can access group or individual interaction with undergraduate and graduate student tutors, who help others understand their classwork.

During the school year, the MLC provides students with specialized assistance for their specific classes.

For students looking to sharpen their writing skills, WSU’s Writing Center in room 303 of the Smith Center for Undergraduate Education, offers walk-in tutoring and small group tutorial classes.

“The Writing Center offers writing tutoring for any student, any discipline, at any point of their educational process – help writing whether it be an English paper to a physics lab to construction of a resume,” administrative tutor Laura Abbott said.

“We essentially aim to develop students’ writing skills, along with helping them find their errors in their papers,” she said.

The Center for Advising and Career Development is another helpful department that coordinates tutoring services at numerous locations across campus.

More information about each of these services can be found on the departments’ websites.