Academic Resource Center Programs & Services

Our approach is 100 percent student centered. Our goal is to help students make meaningful interventions at every stage of the academic life cycle, understanding that academic support is an essential good for all learners. We work to help students cultivate within themselves the skills necessary to manage competing demands, to deal productively with setbacks, and to approach with enthusiasm challenging situations both in and beyond the classroom.   

 

Where tutoring and coaching appointments help students learn to master specific course material, individual consultations are designed to provide support with the many other factors that contribute to academic success, including time management, metacognitive study strategies, test taking, and more. 

Academic Success Plan
Whether you’re just starting your Columbia journey or resetting at the start of a new semester, planning for success is key.  Meet with a member of the ARC team to develop a tailored academic success plan matching research-based study strategies and learning resources to your schedule of classes and academic plans. 

Study Skills
The ARC team has worked hard to become familiar with the ins and outs of how the brain learns and what strategies will be most useful in working with your brain to master course material.  Come meet with a member of the team to talk through the types of assessments you are facing this semester and which metacognitive strategies will be most useful to you.

Test Taking
Sometimes the hardest part of an exam is not the content but the format.  The ARC team is here to help you learn to approach midterms and finals thoughtfully, strategically, and mindfully.  Come talk with us about the most common types of questions you will face, and the most effective strategies for calming nerves, keeping on pace, and more.

Time Management
Successful time management is about more than just getting everything done.  The ARC team is here to help support you in balancing competing priorities, strategically approaching a challenging course load, keeping track of deadlines, maximizing your efficiency, and making time for wellness. 

Triage
Not every semester goes according to plan, and not every challenge can be easily named and overcome.  That’s okay.  Come meet with a member of the ARC team to talk about what’s going on and what resources might be useful. We can't guarantee a silver-bullet solution to every problem, but we can help you better understand what's happening and identify a few strategies that might help get you back on track.

Individual consultations may be scheduled through the Columbia GS Student Success Portal. 

 

University Studies is a course taken by incoming GS students designed to introduce the Columbia undergraduate experience.  What does it mean to be a student at an Ivy League university?  What are our responsibilities as part of a research and learning community?  What are the University's responsibilities towards its students?  The course explores these questions from both an abstract and a practical perspective, approaching with intellectual curiosity the University structure, curriculum, and place in American and global society; and introducing students to the essential strategies, resources, and partners that support their GS journey.

For more information, email [email protected].  

Getting Things Done is a skill and an art – and one not easily mastered. For students interested in improving time management, minimizing procrastination, and reducing the stress that comes from doing things at the last minute, the GS Getting Things Done Group is here to provide support and accountability. Members will have the opportunity to learn time management strategies and, with the support of the group, break free from the negative patterns that may be preventing them from accomplishing their personal and academic goals. Together we will learn cognitive behavioral techniques that can increase efficiency, effectiveness, competence, and confidence, thereby improving our ability to get things done.

The group aims to create a safe space and supportive community for students to share and support one another and strives to strengthen each member’s personal development and well-being and to provide tools and resources to improve their academic and personal goals.The group is offered in collaboration with Dr. Shirley Matthews from Columbia Counseling and Psychological Services.

Participation in this group is entirely optional, and all students are welcome to join. If you opt in, we ask that you commit to attending weekly one-hour meetings, and to maintaining supportive and collegial relationships with your fellow members.

Getting Things Done Interest Form

Because GS students are busy people with complex lives, we know from experience that all sorts of issues can arise that might cause challenges in the road toward graduation. We also know that talking about these challenges in a supportive and understanding space can help. Trajectory is designed to provide exactly that: a chance to check in with peers about what’s going on, to build a team that can help provide accountability and support. GS peer advisors host weekly meetings and guide conversations with the goal of helping you stay focused on academics, helping you remember that someone is looking out for you, and holding you accountable to the goals you set for yourself.

Participation in this group is entirely optional. If you opt in, we ask that you commit to attending weekly one-hour meetings, and to maintaining supportive and collegial relationships with your teammates.

To sign up or request more information, email [email protected].   

Studying together offers many benefits including accountability, structure, and support building momentum. The ARC offers study hall space for students interested in working independently in a shared learning environment. Reservations for one- and two-hour study windows can be made using our online appointment system. Please note that tutoring and coaching appointments may be happening during your reservation time, so there may be background noise.  

The ARC has partnered with Columbia University Libraries to offer students direct support with research.  Schedule an appointment using the online appointment system to meet with a research librarian for support on any aspect of your research project, from initial project conception to citation management to deep dives into the archives and everything in between.