UIS The Learning Hub

Check out our word cloud of all the great things students commented about our services last year. We were so great they said it twice!

Come in for tutoring, workshops, supplemental instruction, or just to study with us, and you'll have your own things to say about how helpful you find us.

Thanks to all who attended our SMART Goals event today! Students got a planner to decorate and some sweet treats and snacks to fuel their efforts to develop strong success goals for their semester.

Mark your calendars for our upcoming event!

𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐁𝐞 𝐚 𝐃𝐮𝐦 𝐃𝐮𝐦! 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐓(𝐢𝐞) 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥!
presented by The Learning Hub

Wednesday, September 9th
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Library Learning Center (BRK 230A)

Get a free planner or journal* from The Learning Hub to decorate and talk with us about your semester plans. Set SMART goals for yourself and get ahead early!

Dum Dum suckers and Smarties* available to fuel your creativity and efforts!

*while supplies last

Calling all UIS students! The Hub and library are partnering to offer amazing prizes for taking advantage of our services this semester.

Students will earn points for involvement, and get prizes once they hit our different tiers (and the prizes get better and better)!

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬:
⭐️In person Hub appointment: 5 points
🪐Online Hub appointment: 5 points
🌝Library research consultation: 5 points
☄️Email Hub appointment: 3 points
🌜SI session or workshop: 2 points
🚀Hub help station (if active): 2 points

𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬:
🌟1st visit - get a space-themed sticker
🌎 15 points - cooler prizes
🌒 35 points - even cooler prizes
🌌 70 points - the best prizes

Top 3 earners this semester earn a grand prize!

As we approach the start of the Fall 2026 semester, The Learning Hub’s staff are reflecting on what we’ve been up to this summer, and thinking about lessons learned that we can share with everyone to make the most of the next few months.

Here’s what our summer worker has to say about her experience:

As I finish work for the summer at The Learning Hub, following graduation from my master’s program in May, I’ve been doing a lot of reflection. Front of mind are the skills I’ve honed throughout my time as a Writing Tutor over the past three years and how they encourage me to continue learning beyond my college education.

Currently, I’m working on a myriad of projects for The Hub. Some, like finishing my assigned writing handouts, involve tying up some loose ends that I hadn’t already finished. Others, like brainstorming new workshops and toolkit ideas, involve creating entirely new threads that will be passed on to new and returning staff. Both are bittersweet in their own ways, but they emphasize the importance of lifelong learning; I’m still learning new concepts and refining old skills to complete my work. As a history student, I never thought I’d be learning as much as I currently am about data calculation for a work project, but here we are. Even after writing an entire thesis, I have things to learn about research, writing, analysis, and so on—and that’s a good thing!

Learning should not end once you cross the graduation stage. Always be open to learning new skills and looking at things in new ways. You never know where it will take you!

As we approach the start of the Fall 2026 semester, The Learning Hub’s staff are reflecting on what we’ve been up to this summer, and thinking about lessons learned that we can share with everyone to make the most of the next few months.

This summer our Math Coordinator, Nicole Meismer, took a vacation to Alaska!

During the trip, she knocked off one of her bucket list items by visiting the Fat Bears of Katmai National Park. The bears of Katmai are the largest protected population of brown bears with around 2,200 bears calling the park home. The usually solitary bears can live in such proximity due to the amount of salmon that run through the Brooks River to spawn. If you have ever seen a picture of a brown bear catching salmon on a small waterfall – that is Brooks Falls in Katmai!

The Bears of Katmai spend their entire summer catching and eating salmon in preparation for winter hibernation. Be like a bear and allow for proper preparation throughout your semester to make sure that you are successful. Use your resources such as tutoring to help you along the way.

Want to know what successful preparation for a Fat Bear looks like? Tune in to Fat Bear Week in September to see which bear became the plumpest of them all!

As we approach the start of the Fall 2026 semester, The Learning Hub’s staff are reflecting on what we’ve been up to this summer, and thinking about lessons learned that we can share with everyone to make the most of the next few months.

Our Writing Specialist, Morgan Keith, got a new couch this summer! Here’s what they have to say about it:

After a very long semester, it can be nice to just park on the couch and do nothing. It is especially nice when you have...a new couch! Celebrating the little things, investing in your space and comfort, and taking time for yourself to reset and relax is a vital part of the learning process.

As a student, you aren't always flush with free time. Scheduling your week out to work on things incrementally is important, but so is penciling in time to disengage from the work. You are a person first and a student second. Many students feel pressure when they are relaxing to switch gears and "be productive;" however, taking breaks for your own wellbeing is productive! Find some time to sit on your couch and just relax.

If you are trying to relax and are having trouble with feeling "lazy," try reading the NPR article "You Aren't Lazy. You Just Need to Slow Down": https://www.npr.org/2021/09/24/1039676445/laziness-does-not-exist-devon-price

As we approach the start of the Fall 2026 semester, The Learning Hub’s staff are reflecting on what we’ve been up to this summer, and thinking about lessons learned that we can share with everyone to make the most of the next few months.

Our Writing Coordinator, Sarah Collins, traveled to Boston, MA for a weeklong visit in May. Here’s what she has to say about her experience:

I had a blast in Boston! We did a ton of fun things, including seeing the sights, learning the history, and enjoying some amazing food and drinks. One of the first things we did was walk the Freedom Trail (https://www.thefreedomtrail.org/), a 2.5-mile journey through Boston, starting at Boston Common (the oldest public park in America), winding through town to see Paul Revere’s house, and across the bridge to Bunker Hill and the USS Constitution, with many other things along the way.

It got me thinking about our nation’s history, and how much we’ve been through (and what we’re still going through). It’s so important to learn from our mistakes, to try not to repeat them, and to think creatively about how to adapt and overcome moving forward. I think that’s an important lesson that applies to all of us as we head into the Fall 2026 semester. Take time to reflect on how it’s been going, and to be real with yourself about whether you should adjust your study habits or approach to your classes. Make changes, try things out, and remember that you have lots of resources and people to help you with taking the leap to improve yourself!

The Hub is hiring student positions for the Fall 2026 semester! We need Supplemental Instruction Leaders for ACC 211, BIO 201, CHE 124, and CHE 142, and we need Accounting and Anatomy/Physiology peer tutors.

Apply via Career Connect! Our positions look great on resumes, and you would work in a super fun, upbeat, and fulfilling part of the UIS campus!

https://uis.joinhandshake.com/login

If you would like help from a writing tutor but, for whatever reason, cannot meet at a set time, consider setting up an email appointment!

A tutor will review your work, add feedback and resources to support your revisions, and email it back to you. All you have to do is ask for an email appointment and send us your writing and instructions.

Contact us via email ([email protected]) or by using our Request an Appointment form! Your grades will thank you later.