Taking Advantage of Tufts’ Approach to Self-Advocacy
Tufts and SMFA offer an incredible catalog of classes. While some might consider one course easier than another, any ascription of course ‘difficulty’ can wildly subjective. I find economics classes woefully challenging, while my best friend had the time of her life in Ec-5. Nevertheless, in my five years at Tufts, I would argue that the most important skill is self-advocacy—no matter how difficult the class, active self-advocacy can significantly improve both performance and enjoyment. As always, I have developed another formula to improve/establish self-advocacy—objectives, communication, commitment.
First, I highly recommend setting objectives before any semester—whether you hope to achieve Dean’s List or make it through your first economics class, any established objective helps guide your self-advocacy process. Often, for my mathematics or science courses, I set a very simple goal: complete the class. With this objective in mind, I can recognize which resources are most beneficial—perhaps, rather than trying to complete an assignment from my notes only, I might find it more fruitful to reach out to a TA for assistance. In the end, self-advocacy is entirely circumstantial and subjective. Now, with an objective in mind, you can enter the second stage of developing self-advocacy—communication. In most cases, communication in self-advocacy occurs both internally and externally—with yourself and with others.
Essentially, positive communication in self-advocacy relies on, first, acknowledging your strengths and weaknesses, then, communicating those. For example, entirely aware that I struggle with mathematics, I spoke to the professor of my mathematics courses—I explained that I have difficulty with math. In these early communications, my professor acknowledged that, although several components of the course might prove difficult, she is always a resource; moreover, the STAAR Center, on-campus tutors, and even my classmates, might be beneficial should I need additional help. In this instance, the professor served as the primary source for information, assistance, and communication. In many heavily-populated lectures, TAs/AICs occupy these positions. Now, if you, perhaps, find office-hours intimidating, tutors are available on-campus for more personal assistance. If you find tutors even more intimidating, many professors (or TAs/AICs) are more than happy to assist. If neither work for you, I guarantee that Tufts and SMFA have the resources on-hand to help you out.
The final stage of self-advocacy, commitment, refers to both commitment to communication and commitment to the objective—oftentimes, courses fluctuate between easier and harder weeks. Whereas the third class might seem relatively simple, the seventh class might prove substantially more difficult. In these instances, committed communication with yourself (essentially, checking in) and with your support system (academic, emotional, etc.) represents positive self-advocacy. In reference to commitment to the objective, this does not necessarily mean adhering to your original goal regardless of circumstance. Sometimes, our goals change. Perhaps, you have found yourself excelling in an English class in which you expected to perform poorly. In this case, maybe your objective changes from simply passing the course to earning an A? Ultimately, self-advocacy is an ability that, with the support of staff and students at Tufts and SMFA, can ensure collegiate success, however that looks for you.