When the Work Gets Tough

Not to burst anyone’s bubble or anything, but Gatton course work is not easy. Students come to Gatton to be challenged, to grow and learn how to handle difficulties. My classmates and I have rigorous schedules, and not only do the Gatton staff offer help, they encourage us to ask for it. Each semester there seems to be one particular class that requires more effort and time than the others. For me, these courses were Computer Science first semester, then Computational Problem Solving the next, Calculus 2, and finally Physics. There have been several occasions over the past year and a half where I have hit a wall, and I have learned how to ask for help. 

One great thing about Gatton is that when you are struggling with a class, so are 99 of your closest friends. From 3 AM impromptu CPS peer-tutoring to Calc 2 group reviews, I have benefitted from close-knit communal learning. My classmates and I are always ready and willing to help explain a topic that someone just cannot seem to understand on their own, or look at the code that they have have been struggling with for the past 3 hours.

Gatton also provides tutors in the Great Hall on week nights. There are in-house tutors for Math/Physics, Computer Science, and Biology/Chemistry, but the staff are happy to get students tutors in whatever subject they need. I have personally made sure that the Math and Computer Science tutors earn their pay; last semester I spent approximately six hours each week with the Math tutor thanks to Calculus 2.   

Although the courseload is rigorous, Gatton provides a supportive learning community and tutors for all of your academic needs. After three semesters, I have learned that asking for help is not a sign of weakness or admittance of defeat, but a humbling and mature decision based solely on the desire to succeed. Even Kentucky’s Brightest need a little boost every once in a while.