ASC Full Circle: Michael Smith

The Academic Success Center (ASC) regularly hires tutors and academic peer mentors as well as writing consultants for its undergraduate and graduate writing centers. Both positions are on-campus, paid opportunities for students who enjoy helping their peers be academically successful.

To share a full circle scope of what it’s like to not only provide services in the ASC but experience them as well, we spoke with some current student workers who utilized our services before becoming employees.

Michael Smith (Computer Science ‘24) started working as an undergraduate writing consultant during the fall of his second year. In this role, he helps students with a wide range of writing topics, from essays assigned in ENG 101 to graduation commencement speeches! The many types of essays he sees at the Undergraduate Writing Center (UWC) are one of Michael’s favorite things about being a writing consultant because he is constantly being introduced to new topics and knowledge.

Here is what else he had to say:

How did you find out about the ASC in the first place?

I found out about the academic success center through my English 101 professor who also happened to be a graduate writing consultant. She very much encouraged us to utilize the writing center’s services and gave us a rundown on the benefits of working with the ASC.

How did you get started with tutoring? What class(es) were you seeking help with?

I started going to the undergraduate writing center as a freshman for my ENG 101 essays! After my professor introduced us to the services the UWC offered, I decided to schedule an appointment to get assistance on my rhetorical analysis essay and received a lot of help that I valued a lot. I continued to make appointments at the UWC for all three of the major essays I had to write, and through my visits at the UWC, I believe my writing skills and knowledge vastly improved!

How did tutoring help you as a student in your classes? What was the most beneficial thing you learned from your sessions?

By scheduling appointments and working with the writing consultants at the UWC, I believe the quality of my essays improved and I became a lot more confident in my writing. The most important thing I learned from coming to the UWC as a student was that there are many different strategies and ways you can go about writing an essay, and you can always find a plan and strategy that works best for you.

What made you decide to become a tutor yourself?

I decided to become a tutor at the UWC because I wanted to provide the same service I received as a student and help students find more confidence in their writing.

What’s been your favorite part of working with the ASC so far?

My favorite part of working at the ASC and UWC is being able to work with the student body of NC State and meet a lot of new people! Going along with that, I love it when students continue to schedule more appointments with me throughout the semester because it shows me that they are working hard on their essays and appreciate the services at the UWC. I also enjoy working with all the essays and projects brought into the UWC.

What advice would you give students who are unsure about whether or not tutoring is for them?

The best advice I could give to a student who is unsure about coming to the ASC for tutoring is to go to the ASC and UWC website and look at the services we offer and see if it matches something you need/want help with. If the ASC has something that you think could help you out, I would highly recommend making an appointment and seeing how it goes!

What advice would you give students who are considering applying to work for the ASC?

My advice for prospective tutors would be to research the philosophy of the ASC and make sure you are passionate about assisting students and want to engage with them! If you are someone who loves to work and assist others in a collaborative environment then I think this job is perfect for you!

If you are a current student interested in working as a tutor, peer mentor or writing consultant within the Academic Success Center, please apply here.