Update:
Good luck to all 170 individuals who attended the first-ever Study-a-Thon. 600 study hours were logged during the 12 hour event. Thanks to the ingenuity of the Owen Center, and the dedication of 'Berg students, this finals week will be a piece of cake for everyone involved!
This year on Reading Day, December 10th, the Owen Center is hosting Study-a-Thon! Study-a-Thon is a new program designed to help students prepare for finals and utilize all of the resources at their disposal. Owen Center staff will be available from 11 AM to 11 PM, and students studying there during that time will receive one entry to a prize raffle for every hour spent studying. The prizes range from local restaurant gift cards and Heidelberg merch to a grand prize of a $100 Amazon gift card!
This idea originated with David Briggs, the Academic Advising Coordinator who was brought on to the Owen Center team this summer. Although he didn’t know about Reading Day when he began crafting this new event, he knew that students needed support on that day before finals more than ever. “It’s an opportunity to explore what the Owen Center has to offer in terms or support,” David shared, “while preparing for final exams – and winning prizes!” It’s David’s hope that students are encouraged to study in a different space, stretch their legs, and receive more support and encouragement to really focus and study than they would if they cooped themselves up in their rooms. “It’s a quiet space, but we also offer things like collaboration tables for students working on group projects.”
During finals season, students can be tense. The support offered at the Owen Center works to help students feel less anxiety and more confidence going into finals week. “Preparation is the key to helping with test anxiety,” Morgan Harrigan, Director of Academic Support, explained, “so we’re trying to create an event that makes studying fun, productive and relevant to our students’ needs.”
During that day, students can take advantage of a drop-in writing coaching from 11 AM to 3 PM, and again from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM. From 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM, there are supplemental instruction (SI) sessions scheduled for Intro to Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Genetics, Principles of Accounting, General Chemistry, and Statistics. From 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM, there is a scheduled time for practicing presentations, with faculty and staff scheduled to offer feedback and help. All day, there will be fruit and cookies and hot drinks available for students to keep them recharged and refreshed, provided by Student Senate.
“It’s going to be so fun!” student worker at Beeghly, Katy Meeker, said upon learning about the event. More than fun, the event promises to be effective. Students who utilize the Owen Center’s resources are more likely to be successful than those who don’t take advantage of their offerings. The infographic here highlights the Owen Center’s impact from the last academic year!
This new event ends at the beginning of a returning favorite, Late Night Breakfast. At 11 PM, students can end their study sessions with star tater tots, french toast sticks, and the good company of a supportive campus community.