“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”
– Ernest Hemingway

Self-Improvement Month is celebrated during the month of September.

Your main purpose for being at Madison College is to get an affordable, high-quality education to get a good job or to transfer to another school.

While you’re here, though, you might want to consider taking advantage of a plethora of experiences, opportunities, and resources to improve yourself personally or your marketability in employment.

Learn a new language or musical instrument, improve computer and software skills, get in shape, eat better, or explore a new hobby.
The Libraries and Academic Support Services offer many free resources and tools to improve yourself in a variety of ways.

In addition to curriculum-based material you might expect, the libraries have many books, e-books, and audio-visual material available for checkout to improve yourself in a variety of ways. Type in the title phrase “Teach yourself” to see a series of almost 400 book and e-book titles covering many topics.

In addition to books and audio-visual items, there are other resources available. For example, if you wanted to learn a foreign language, the Truax Library has on reserve the Rosetta Stone software for six different languages that you can try out. The iPads and other tablet devices on reserve at the Truax Library contain many apps for self-improvement. Explore software productivity apps and learning apps like iTunesU, Epicurious, and more.

As a Madison College student, you can get Microsoft Office software for free. Also, Madison College students are entitled to discounted software from the Wisconsin Integrated Software Catalog. Find out about both at http://libguides.madisoncollege.edu/technology.

One of the many databases provided to you by the libraries is LearningExpress. While many students use LearningExpress to take practice tests in their field, it also offers modules to improve your skills in computer, the Internet, writing, math, workplace skills, and more.

Brainfuse is an online tutoring service provided for Madison College students through Blackboard. In addition to tutoring services for courses you might expect, there is also a foreign language lab, writing lab, and more. Visit either the Library or Student Achievement Center home page to find out more about Brainfuse.

Even if it’s just in a small way, use your time at Madison College and the resources available in the libraries and academic support services to improve yourself.