Learning to adapt: How CASA helps students find what works

An adult and two young people are gathered around a table, reviewing documents together in an office setting.

Teresa Harrison, center, talks with Caroline Redding and Grace Luther in the Center for Academic Support and Advisement. Photo by Angela Foster.

Transitioning from high school to college is more than a change in class times for a first-year student.

The first semester of college marks a shift from teachers structuring academic life to students navigating it on their own. This shift can be difficult for first-year students as they balance new responsibilities, academic expectations and campus life.

Starting the semester strong is ideal for any student, but many quickly learn that old study habits, time management methods and organizational skills don’t work efficiently. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga offers many resources to guide students in the right direction to achieve the strongest growth possible. UTC’s Center for Academic Support and Advisement (CASA) is a resource all students can turn to when this shift becomes difficult.

CASA supports students through tutoring, supplemental instruction and peer-led academic coaching. These free services emphasize becoming independent, active learners.

CASA is located in UTC Library Room 335 and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome, and students can schedule appointments through MyMocsNet.

Academic Coaching Program Coordinator Teresa Harrison oversees UTC upperclassmen who conduct the academic coaching sessions. Harrison has seen many high-performing high school students hit an academic wall when they arrive at UTC, and many find the transition difficult to manage on their own.

“In high school it’s not required for students to do anything more than kind of regurgitate the information they think about,” Harrison said, “and once they get to college they have to be able to take that information and really make it their own.”

Supplemental Instruction Coordinator Jenny Wells oversees student leaders who conduct SI sessions. She sees many first-year students come to SI feeling overwhelmed by the amount of course content.

According to Wells, first-year students quickly realize that college moves much faster than high school, leaving them intimidated and overwhelmed.

“College content is designed to be hard,” Wells said. “That’s why we tackle the courses we tackle.”

CASA’s advising team offers resources for all students. Advisors help students explore majors, understand degree requirements, plan their schedules and connect with resources across campus.

Academic coaches help students find alternative study strategies and build stronger habits for more complex content. Coaches meet one-on-one with students and suggest active learning approaches for coursework. Harrison emphasized that spaced repetition, revisiting information, and setting aside time to review material daily are crucial to active learning, even if it is 15 minutes.

Wells said she structures SI leader training around having students create their own study strategies. The goal is to empower students to take control of their learning experience rather than seek the answers from the session leaders.

SI leaders structure lesson plans to help students build on each other, whether by asking questions, making flashcards or solving problems on a whiteboard.

“Towards the middle and end of the semester they don’t turn to the SI leader for help anymore,” Wells said. “They just start to prove why they’re right.”

Three individuals engage in a study session around a circular table, with one person pointing to an open textbook.

Luke Lorkowski (blue shirt), talks with Tamiyah Mabeh, left, and Rachel Maneiro in the Center for Academic Support and Advisement.

UTC senior Claudia Malone, a native of Spring Hill, Tennessee, is majoring in health and human performance with minors in both psychology and pre-health. Malone attended tutoring in her sophomore year for guidance in precalculus and later tutored other students who needed help.

After tutoring for two semesters, Malone was referred to Wells to become an SI leader. Now in her second semester as an SI leader, Malone said she applies what she and her students practice in sessions daily.

“Establishing that you need to develop habits early and that it’s OK to change them is definitely a big point,” Malone said. “I feel like SI has taught me and I’ve taught my students.”

According to Harrison, peer-led programs and services are the most efficient way to integrate students and build comfort in asking for help.

“The ability to get that in the hands of new and current students is valuable,” Harrison said.

According to Wells, SI sessions encourage extensive active learning and are designed to be interactive because students learn by doing. Wells trains SI leaders to focus on the content that causes students to struggle instead of trying to cover everything. Organizational skills and building confidence in tackling content are crucial parts of these sessions.

“We connect what to learn and how to learn,” Wells said.

The payoff of these services extends beyond a better grade. For students like Malone, the bigger result is realizing they can meet college-level expectations.

Malone said her experience with CASA has changed how she approaches difficult coursework. Now as an SI leader, she can pass her strategies on to other students who may be experiencing the same uncertainty she once felt.

“You always hear that you’re not studying enough and never that you’re studying too much,” Malone said. “The more you study something and the more you practice with it, the better you get at it.”