Meet Haythem Abdelkhalek, swimmer, lifeguard, and tutor

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Haythem Abdelkhalek and I am from Tunisia. I am a transfer student from the University of Rouen of Sciences (France) and now I am a senior Information Systems major and a swimmer on the UMBC Swimming & Diving team. 

 

Tell us about how you are involved on campus.

As a swimmer on the UMBC Swimming & Diving Team since 2016 I get the opportunity to compete for my university and represent its students and values. I tutor mostly French and Arabic at the Learning Resources Center but I also tutor Computer Science, Information Systems, and Math when needed. I lifeguard at the RAC and I give swim lessons to people of all ages and all levels. 

How and why did you get involved in being a tutor?

When I transferred here, in my first course: French 339, my professor advised me to join the Learning Resources Center as a French tutor. I thought this was a great opportunity for me to get more involved on campus, meet new people, and keep practicing my language skills.

What is your favorite thing about being a tutor?

The best reward I could ever get as a tutor is receiving emails from students I tutored earlier in the semester telling me that they successfully passed the course they were failing or for getting that A they were about to miss.

Why should students utilize the tutoring?

Tutoring is such a great resource that help students improve their grades, pass courses, or simply improve their speaking skills when learning new languages. 

What advice would you give students about how to prepare for a tutoring session? 

The best way to prepare for a tutoring session is to bring lots of questions and exercises or quizzes that the student is having trouble with. Making sure that the student understands what they got wrong in previous assignments is the most efficient way to build a solid base and start improving.

When and where can someone work with you through the Learning Resources Center?

My schedule is very flexible and I can adapt to students needs easily. You can find me most of the time at Sherman Hall 332 and just send and email to Mrs. Ira Fabri (fabri@umbc.edu) and we will get you started with your first step to success ASAP!