Triboro News

The Student Learning Center, otherwise known as the SLC, is one of RMCAD’s unique resources for students. Not every school has a tutoring center that offers the breadth of services and the number of weekly tutoring hours that we do! 

The SLC is a free tutoring center for both online and on-ground students. We are a team of staff tutors and peer tutors who can help you with writing, software programs, studio courses, presentation skills, time management, job applications, and more. Take a look at our online scheduling website for an idea of our hours.

Cool SLC Resources You Might Not Know About 

Physical and Digital Tip Sheets
We have an extensive collection of tip sheets, covering everything from AutoCAD to Scholarly Articles. Need a quick refresher or more information on a specific topic? Access them online from the SLC’s Google Drive (make sure you’re using your RMCAD email when accessing the drive).  

Online Appointments 
Don’t want to leave the comfort of your home? Whether you’re an online or an on-ground student, you can always schedule an online appointment. Online appointments take place via Zoom or Google Meet, which allows us to share screens so that we can see what you’re working on. 

Repeat Appointments 
You can schedule repeat appointments with a tutor! If you know you’re going to need extra help in a class, or if you just like the idea of having a set time each week to talk through your assignments with someone, then repeat appointments might be just the thing for you. Regular appointments can keep you accountable, and they also allow you to develop a relationship with a specific tutor. 

Help with Presentation Skills
Did you know we can help you work on that presentation you need to give in your Art History class? Getting feedback on your presentation or speech can provide you with the confidence and tools you need to speak in front of an audience. 

Time Management and Organization Help 
College is not easy. Luckily, many of our tutors can help you improve your time management, organization, and general academic skills to set you up for success in your classes. Scheduling a session for guidance on these skills might be especially beneficial if it’s your first year in college or if you haven’t been in school for awhile.

How to Get the Most Out of a Tutoring Session 

Bring in any assignments you want help on
Need some feedback on a paper? Struggling with perspective in a drawing? Tutoring sessions are a lot more productive if you bring in the assignment you’re working on!

Don’t schedule an appointment at the last minute
Scheduling an appointment the day on which your assignment is due is generally not a good idea. If there are major improvements that need to happen, you likely won’t have time to work on them. And, if your tutor knows that you don’t have a lot of time, they won’t always address some of those larger, global issues that might be present in your assignment (issues that could seriously affect your grade). 

Come with specific questions and a goal in mind 
While not required, bringing in questions and a goal can make a tutoring session more productive. For example, if you’re struggling with understanding an academic article, try to pinpoint areas in the article that are particularly confusing. If your goal is to identify its thesis, maybe highlight a few areas where you think it’s located. 

Interested in working one-on-one with a tutor? You can self-schedule an appointment here or contact our office directly at learning@rmcad.edu.

Hey everyone!  Welcome back! Here is a refresher about who we are!

Martha (me) - I’m in charge. I have an MLS (my daughter thinks it is hilarious that I went to “library school”), and MA in art history, and I’m working on a PhD in information science. I can help with research of all kinds. 

Aura - Library manager. Aura takes care of all the behind the scenes things in the library. She also has a degree in Game Art from RMCAD.

Jenni - SLC Coordinator. Jenni does design work for Student Affairs and tutors a lot for foundation classes. Ask her about felting!

Katharine - SLC Coordinator. SLC Katharine has an interior design degree from the Art Institute of Colorado and specializes in tutoring interior design students. 

We also have a number of library students and peer tutors who fill in the gaps. You can email the library at library@rmcad.edu and the SLC at learning@rmcad.edu. 

And check our our guide for college success here: https://rmcad.libguides.com/101 

The fog rolls in

And I can feel the air again.

It’s ruffled, and cold fabric wraps around my shoulders

To take me into the next season.

Leaves turned to fire red, and their brothers and sisters

Spread out on the pavement.

Their tannins leave their stories for a short time before

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Ah, another week, another set of readings AND discussion posts to tackle. If you’ve ever felt this way, this post is for you. I have some ideas on how to tackle this challenge with less stress and more success. See what I did there.

Start with Reviewing

Before diving into the weekly readings, check out your course’s weekly overview and the focus of the weekly discussion post. From there, copy and paste the discussion post questions into a separate document. I use Microsoft Word but use what you prefer. This way, you have a document set up with everything ready to go before you begin reading.

Read with Purpose

It’s time to roll up your eyelids and begin your weekly readings. As you read, keep an eye out for anything that connects to the discussion questions. It could be directly related or through broader concepts. Jot those down under the appropriate discussion question in your prepared document. Don’t forget to add your citation and page number!

Weave it Together

Once you’ve finished with your readings and you’ve gathered the relevant information needed to create your post, it’s time for the fun part: weaving everything together. Review everything you’ve collected and craft your response in your own voice utilizing the collected information, and don’t forget to cite your sources as you go. It’s important to give credit where it’s due, but it also shows that you’re engaging with the material.

Reflect

Discussion posts may seem like a lot of work at times, but they’re your chance to explore ideas, ask questions, and connect with your classmates and instructors. Spend time reflecting on the class material and your discussion post. Check out our Discussion Post tip sheet for additional tips.

AND If you ever feel stuck or need a bit of extra help, the Student Learning Center is there for you.

Here's our info to get in touch:

Email: learning@rmcad.edu   Schedule: rmcad.mywconline.com

Yes, midterms are just ending. Now is the time to regroup. 

Take some time to go outside and refresh yourself. In Colorado it is finally starting to feel a little cooler. 

Outdoor activities stimulate creativity, be it a brisk walk, a hike, or even just sitting in the sun. Spending enough time outdoors, with more frequent exposure to sunlight, enables the body to synthesize Vitamin D, a nutrient that is beneficial for healthy bones and a sound immune system.

Beyond the physical, spending time outdoors has deep implications for mental well-being. In an age of high stress, anxiety, and mental fatigue, nature stands as an antidote.

Take some time for yourself and breathe. 

When you have a lot of sources to manage, you can use the tools within Ebsco and Jstor to store your articles and books, but that can be cumbersome. Instead, you might try a manager like Zotero 

With most citation managers, you can import the citation, or the whole pdf, and tell the manager which style you want to use. If you are switching between Chicago Manual of Style and APA, this can be a lifesaver. 

You can also create folders for different topics, or classes. 

There are a number of managers. You can see a list on this page. Zotero is easy to use, but managers like Paperpile work closely with Google docs. Take a look and see if one might benefit you.

How did it happen that it is already week 3. Almost midterms!

Some of you may be nervous about the research you are doing. To that end, let me walk you through my research process. It might give you some ideas. 

First, I like to see what I already know about a topic. A mindmap is a great way to draw what you know. Then you can see gaps and make a plan. 

Second, yes, I like the internet. It's a way to start. It is quick and dirty and very often wrong, but sometimes you get something good. 

Third,  at this point I have an idea of what I don't know. I make a list of topics where I need more information. An online encyclopedia is a help, but again, be careful. It is very easy to edit Wikipedia, for example. 

Next, I get into the library databases with a plan. It is good to have a plan. I go first for the topics I don't have a lot of information about, then I look at the big picture. 

MEANWHILE, I am saving everything I find in Zotero. I will talk more about Zotero next week.