Abigail (Paige) Smith

Peer Academic Coach 

Hometown: Washington D.C.
Languages: English
Studying: Film and Video Studies, soon to be minoring in Photography

What inspires you about Film and Video Studies?
I really like to edit, I really enjoy putting things together and seeing the final product, that gives me motivation to create more.

What do you like best about your position in Learning Services?
Meeting Mason students throughout the week, relating to their struggles, but also helping them overcome their struggles is the most rewarding aspect of being a peer coach. I want them to strive in their academic years because college is not only an important aspect in their life but the most memorable.

What is one thing you want people to know about Learning Services?
Just like Mason students, we’ve been there too, some of us are students, some of us were, so we understand where they are coming from. We want to help every Mason student that comes to us that needs help academically, with time management, creating a study plan for their classes. We want to be there for Mason students every step of the way.

How would you describe your learning style?
I have a visual learning style. I like to see lots of colors when I study so I like to color code everything I do when reading, also, I like to brighten up my pages, so they are not so blank. Having something visually appealing like my notes for instance, helps me study.

What are your academic struggles?
I really struggle with science courses and math courses, numbers, and certain phrases I would have to remember, or even steps to a problem are difficult for me.

How do you overcome those challenges?
How I overcame that challenge was by meeting with my math professor everyday just before class started. This benefited me because it gave me the time to work with them to help better understand the concepts learning in class. Also, meeting with my professor helped her better understand my learning habits. Additionally, I spent more time working on the subjects I struggled with, even if it meant going to the dining hall and study, just to change my location, which was useful too.

How would you use that experience to help students?
I would suggest meeting with the professor in courses that you’re struggle with, even if it’s just occasionally. Also, focus more on those courses when studying, not too much thought, or not too little. Changing the location as to where you study can help as well, it is important to choose an environment that isn’t too distracting for you.

Hobbies & Interests
I enjoy creating machinimas on my computer, which are shorthand for  animated short films or videos based off a video game. I have a YouTube channel that I occasionally post on. I don’t tell many people this, but, I have over 300 pens, and I am not even an artist. I use my pens for note taking and bullet journaling. I very rarely I let other people use my pens. I count my pens every week just to make sure all them are tucked away in their homes.

Future Goals
To be able to use the videos and films that I create reach people across the world, I believe that the form of visual elements and sound elements help convey meaning to a story. When put together they are dynamic, but also when left separate they are just as astounding. Additionally, I want to have more pens.