“The NYIT LEARNING CENTER provides a friendly, comfortable, open, and intellectually stimulating approach to developmental, supplemental, tutorial, and multi-disciplinary instruction. The environment is individualized, self-paced, and rich in multimedia, and computer-assisted instruction. The goal of this center is to improve students’ academic performance and assist them in their learning” (NYIT Undergraduate Catalog 2004-2005).

Looking for help with that Marketing project or Computer Programming assignment? Having trouble understanding quadratic equations? Not happy with your test grade and you want to improve your writing skills? The Learning Center may be the answer!

NYIT’s undergraduate campus has a “headquarters,” the LEARNING CENTER, for students who want to succeed in their courses. It is the first of its kind in the Middle East. With Dr. Mohammed Hussein’s support, Dr. Rasmi Jaffar has been appointed as the Learning Center director for his exceptional love for teaching, his dedication and devotion to his students and most of all his passion to help the people in need.

At the Learning Center, we offer a variety of academic support activities for students. We have instructional materials organized by topic, Internet links to helpful websites, professionally trained tutors, and a director with experience supporting students. We even have our own website. You can check it out and find materials that will answer some of your academic questions: www.nyit.edu.jo/learning.htm. Most American universities have a Learning Center. In fact, you will find one at each of NYIT’s main campuses in New York. Students can make appointments with tutors, attend seminars on topics like “Power Point” and “Writing a Good Paragraph”, or just come in and browse through the materials or the website links.

Every week students visit the “LC” as it’s called. Some request assistance with a course they are taking. We have tutors arranged for many of the courses (e.g., MATH 125), and we can help locate a good tutor for other courses. Sometimes, a small group of students just wants to organize a study group with an A student.

Some students want a bit of help with writing an essay or preparing a presentation. Some just want a quiet place to study. Need help? We can help with just about anything related to academics, including test anxiety and test-taking skills. Exams? When midterm or final exam weeks roll around, the LC is busier than usual. We encourage students to come to the LC earlier in the quarter (at the first sign that the course might be hard for you) and not to wait until the week before exams. There are two reasons for this:

• It’s usually too late to cram whatever you missed during the semester.

• Our tutors are also students who have to prepare for their own exams and they may not be available at the last moment. It’s best to register early at the LC and get the help you need during the quarter, not at the end.

How can you access the Learning Center’s services? Just stop in and fill out a registration form. Dr. Rasmi will do this with you and try to get a good idea of what kind of assistance you require. Together, you will set up a plan (tutoring, self-study, mini-workshop, web learning) with a review date. You can work in the LC or meet with a tutor in the library, off-campus, or at the graduate campus at 6th Circle. It is important that the LC meet your needs in a convenient way and we try to do this with the resources we have available.