Everyone loves free stuff, right? Students, just by being enrolled as a student at your school, there are free services available to you. Make sure you take advantage of them to the fullest extent.
I Love Books!
Just for starters, at your school library you can borrow books for free. There are likely one or more kind librarians who can help you find books appropriate to what you want to read or learn about, whether ancient literature, calculus, or just a fun science fiction book to read. Librarians are most likely librarians because they love books, so they will be very knowledgeable and able to make good book recommendations for you.
What to Do?
Uncertain future? Avail yourself of the services of your school’s counselor, or the career center. I recall that as a student at UC Riverside, I used the career center for help with finding jobs/internships and advice on writing a resume and cover letter to apply to such. Your school likely has similar resources, as most schools operate with a goal of helping students ultimately succeed. While you are still in school is the time to start thinking about what you will do after you finish school and graduate. The school career center or counseling department can likely help with this, and again, the service is most likely free for students.
Former Devil Dogs and Other Vets…
Are you a veteran facing challenges re-adjusting to being a civilian and a student? The school’s veterans resource center can help. I know Pasadena City College has such a center, and likely other schools have such resources as well. At the very least you will be able to get some help from people who have a heart for helping veterans, and they will likely be more understanding of the challenges that veterans face in returning to school. They also likely will know of other resources and benefits that you can access as a veteran.
Academic Help
Some schools also offer free tutoring for students. I remember at CSULA I saw signs at the library advertising free tutoring for students. I believe PCC also offers free tutoring for students. When I was a student at UC Riverside, I worked on campus for a program offering free tutoring for students in math, science, and engineering. Ask around, find out what’s available, and ask for help as needed to help you succeed.
Transfers
Some community colleges may also offer free guidance for students who plan to transfer to a full four-year university. I am not sure if PCC offer this, but I suspect it does. At the least, this is something worth asking about and checking out. The transfer process can be very involved and confusing, so definitely avail yourself of any help that you can get from the school.
For Those With Challenges
There also may be a Disabled Student Services office, or at least certain services available to help students with disabilities. If this applies to you, I definitely encourage you to check it out and see what help may be available. We all need help at some point in life. Be humble enough to ask for help when you need it.
Have I missed anything? Please leave a comment!