When looking back on my first month of school, I remember being pulled in all different directions. I was told to focus on my studies, be as social as possible, join all the clubs, sign up for the service trip that’s 7 months away, and the list goes on.
College, from the first semester to the last, is a whirlwind that’s hard not to get caught up in. Inevitably, some students have trouble staying on track with their academics. Saint Joseph’s University offers many different opportunities for assistance and lots of campus resources, but unfortunately, many of these avenues go unrecognized and under utilized. To prove our point, we’ve explored one of those hidden avenues, the Rebound Program.
The Rebound Program
Photo by Caroline Beljan
Located in Barbelin Hall, Rebound is a program geared towards second semester freshman or transfer students who accumulated less than a 2.0 GPA in their first semester at SJU. The program offers academic assistance to those individuals who would benefit from it and allows them to get back on track. Rebound provides these students with:
- mentors
- targeted and focussed workshops
- organizational tips to stop procrastination
- motivational techniques
- scheduling help
- guidance on notetaking
- career exploration
- overall support
Upon completion of the course, students who are here on an academic scholarship are allowed to keep their full academic, GPA-based scholarship. Saint Joe’s clearly values its students and, by offering this invaluable resource, demonstrates their commitment to student’s continued academic and personal success.
Don’t just take our word for it! Here’s a statement from a current Rebound participant about what the program means to them.
“We have different sessions with new [speakers] that come in every time… they talk about resources on campus, and they show us how to achieve our goals… It’s definitely helped me to formulate a plan to be more organized… My mentor has helped me a lot in devising a plan, which was really crucial…. People who aren’t feeling comfortable academically should definitely join the rebound program” – anonymous 2019 Rebound Participant.
“My mentor has helped me a lot in devising a plan, which was really crucial”
Anonymous 2019 Rebound Participant
It’s now second semester and midterm season, so the Rebound program has been in full swing for a few months. However, when asking around campus about information on this program, we realized that no one, except for those involved, really knew anything about it.
You might be asking, “What does this have to do with me?”
This highlighted program is just one example of the many hidden academic gems here at Saint Joe’s. Some of them may fly under the radar, but that’s why it’s important to go out of your way and explore all the academic assistance this school offers. What if Rebound could have been a huge help to you? What if other programs such as INIGO and SOAR could help you to grow as a student and a person? Well, first you’d need to be aware of what these programs even are.
We all have academic setbacks and the transition to college is a tough one!
The best you can do is try to stay on top of your studies, but when classes inevitably get difficult, Saint Joe’s is here for you! If you’re in need of academic assistance, be sure to visit the Success Center in the basement of Bellermine Hall or check out the website to see if they can help you!
