Located: 618 S. Michigan Avenue, First Floor Hours: Monday through Thursday: 9 AM to 7 PM Friday: 9 AM to 5 PM Saturday: 10 AM to 3 PM Sunday: Closed (J-Term and Summer hours vary. ) Call for general information or to book appointments over the phone: Phone: 312.369.8130 Email: [email protected]
Ahh, the first week back at Columbia. Always a whirlwind, always awesome.
However, when things settle down you'll always find yourself at week two. If you're like most students, that second week probably means the slow escalation of schoolwork.
We have good news. Whether this is your first semester or your last, The Learning Studio is here to help you stay on track.
Need math, science or accounting tutoring? No problem. Struggling with a Foreign Language? We've got you. Want help brainstorming or writing? Good news. Craving some popcorn? We might be able to help you out.
Whatever you need help with this semester, we're here to help you succeed. For more information on everything The Learning Studio offers, click here! Call, click or come in today to set up an appointment!
At the end of the day, however, entrepreneurship all comes down to execution. Anyone can have a good idea, but execution separates the winners from the losers.
Can Schools Teach Entrepreneurship? - Education - GOOD (via infoneer-pulse)
We at The Learning Studio hope you enjoy your Memorial Day weekend! Because it's about to get REAL. Yes, that's right, summer classes are about to start in just a few days. Kiss your free time GOODBYE because as of Tuesday, May 29th, it's back to the  daily grind.Â
OR IS IT???
The Learning Studio is here to help! Call, click, or come in to schedule an appointment with our wonderful tutors! They can help you get your homework done so you have as much free time to enjoy the summer as possible!
Enrolled in summer classes? The tutors at the Learning Studio are here for you!
Got a long paper to write and aren't sure where to start? Come brainstorm with our writing tutors! Don't understand your math homework because you're an illustration major and why would you ever need to know what a quadratic equation is anyway? Make an appointment to see our math tutors and they'll clear things up for you! Magnets: how do THEY work??? Come see our science tutors and find out!
SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER! Unless you're taking summer classes!Â
The Learning Studio is open from 9 to 5 to help you spend less time being stuck on papers and math homework and more time on the beach. Don't forget our tutors can help you with resume and scholarship essays too! See you soon!
Have you ever had an assignment where you just didnât know where to start? Well here are some tips on how to complete such an assignment as well as how to manage your stress as you go!
Youâve just been assigned a large project you donât understand:
The first step is to set aside the time needed to complete the project without causing undue stress for yourself. During this, you should also pick a location to work that will not be a large distraction, such as the library, a quiet student lounge, or even just a place outside of your normal environment to spark new ideas.
The second step is always research. A great place to go is the Columbia Library Web Page!
But what if you donât get enough information? Or even too much?
First, make sure the resources you have are scholarly. This is as simple as checking the box on the library search results! Second, never forget that you can get books from other schools using the libraryâs iShare feature! Third, a Writing Center consultant can always help you sort the information youâve found as well as help you find new key words to search for more.
Before you start trying to put all of that wonderful information to use, make sure you have it organized. The best way to do this, is an outline or bubble diagram!
Time to start Draft One. Keep in mind that the first draft does not have to be perfect! Just get down the ideas and facts you organized in your outline.
After you feel that you have written all that you can, it is time to revise!
Now, no one likes revision, but know youâre not FOREVER ALONE! This is a great time to visit the learning studio, once again! A consultant will gladly go through your first draft with you and discuss any points that need expansion or point out parts that can be condensed. Hopefully by the time you leave your session, you will be confident about constructing your final draft!
If you want, a consultant will go over your draft again or even help with citations. Weâre trained in all formats, especially MLA, APA, and Kate Turabian/Chicago Style!
Now youâre ready to turn in the project when the due date arrives!
Now you have all of the knowledge needed to complete a tricky assignment!
           Last semester, I babbled on and on about what the Learning Studio is. Now the end draws near, and youâre all interested in showing up to the Learning Studio, but you donât know what to do. Just keep reading, and all will become clear. I know it looks like a lot, but itâs the pictures. The pictures make it long. Promise.
           To make an appointment, you have three choices. Choice the first: Walk in. As (I hope) youâll recall from previous posts, the Learning Studio is the first floor of the 618 S. Michigan building. Walk in, go straight, go straight some more, and stop at the desk and say to one of the lovely ladies or dashing gents there that youâd like an appointment for (choose from Math/Science, Writing, or Foreign Language). Our front desk folks can set it up in no time.
           Choice the second: Call. The number is (312) 369-8130. Again, one of those intelligent, friendly, well-trained people from the front desk will answer the phone and hook you up with whatever you need. If itâs legal. Well, okay, they can only get you an appointment. But theyâre really good at that.
           Step 1: Log in to OASIS and click the âMake Appointmentsâ tab.
           Step 2: Scroll to the bottom and choose your department: Writing Center, Science and Math, or Foreign Language.
           Step 3: Select your appointment type, your session type, and your tutor from the drop down menus. For Science and Math, you can also choose the length (âDurationâ) of your appointment.
           Step 4: Choose your time. After selecting your appointment and sessions types, (your duration for math/science appointments), and your tutor, youâll get this fantastic grid.
           Just do as the instructions say and click on a white rectangle that matches your available time. This will take you to the next page, which is different in different departments. In writing, we ask you to tell us what you want to work on. In Science/Math, you get to tell us if youâre willing to work with a group or if you feel you need a one-on-one appointment.
           For all three departments, the last page allows you to set your appointment to occur more than once. You can set up monthly or weekly appointments by selecting the option you want in the drop-down menu. Or you can schedule weekly appointments for eight weeks only by typing the number â8â (or whatever number of appointments you want) next to âEnd after __ recurrencesâ. If you really want to come in every week all semester, you can select âEnd on or beforeâ and enter the calendar date you want to stop for.
           You will then be shown all the dates youâre scheduling appointments for. If there are any dates you donât plan on coming in, just uncheck the box for those dates. Then you wonât have an appointment, and we wonât feel like weâve been stood up. Then click âNextâ and youâre done!
           One final note: If you canât make your appointment, please, please, please cancel it. Iâve busted out the serious-face and am looking at you with all the seriousness of a seriously serious person. If you donât show to your appointment, someone else is losing the chance to work with that tutor. And thatâs just mean. So, again, stop by the day before your appointment and talk to the front desk; call the Learning Studio at (312) 369-8130 to cancel; or go online. To cancel online, log in to OASIS, clickâMake appointmentsâ and choose Writing Center, Foreign Language, or Science & Math. Then, instead of picking options from the drop-down lists, click the âMy Appointmentsâ tab at the top of the window.
This will take you to a list of all your scheduled appointments in that department. Find the one you need to cancel, and click the âCancelâ button to the far left of that line. Itâs as easy as that.
           And now, grasshopper, you know how to make and cancel appointments in the Learning Studio. Go ahead, give it a try. You know you want to.
Because at the Learning Studio, we work with all kinds of writing. (Unless you need help with math, science, or a language...)
1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.
2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
4. Every sentence must do one of two thingsâreveal character or advance the action.
5. Start as close to the end as possible.
6. Be a Sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to themâin order that the reader may see what they are made of.
7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.
8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To hell with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.
10 Things You Didn't Know About The Learning Studio
1. We take walk-ins!  An appointment isnât even necessary, just walk in and we will be here! Well, we take that back. We canât guarantee weâll be here at 1 am when your freak-out-level is at its highest. But if you just meander on in the next morning at 9, teeth brushed or not, we'll help you out no problem. Here are our hours.
 2. ¿Necesitas ayuda con tu Español? Français? Italiano? We have foreign language tutors to help you with all your second-language struggles.
3. The legend goes that, in the 1600âs, The Learning Studio was fortress where bloodthirsty pirates coming in off blustery Lake Michigan would hide their loot. To this day, itâs rumored that piles of gold are buried deep beneath our floors.  Â
4. On Tuesdays and Thursdays the smell of our (free!) freshly-popped popcorn wafts all throughout 618 S. Michigan, making us many new friends.
5. The Learning Studio now offers Peer Academic Coaching. Our peer coaches help you balance your schoolwork and develop strategies for studying, note taking and organization that work for you.
6. Supplemental Instruction, or âSIâ as the cool kids call it, is a study group for some of Columbiaâs most popular and tricky classes. Itâs led by students who have successfully completed the course and you can hop in at any time during the semester.  Click here for more information on the SI courses being offered now.
7. Our writing tutors can help you at any stage of the game. Whether youâre staring at blank word document, flushing out those body paragraphs or finally dotting the iâs and crossing the tâs, our writing tutors can help!
8. Is the Learning Studio a bit of a hike from where you commute? Need some last minute tutoring but itâs raining?  Do you prefer to write in slippers? Good news! We offer online writing tutoring via a live Skype chat or through email (both can be scheduled on Oasis.)
9. We have an awesome Facebook page for all the best Learning Studio updates and ridiculousness. Like us here!
10. Our Math and science tutors are geniuses with wonderful gifts for understanding the mystical world of math. Use them when you're stuck!
As a writer myself I thought I would share this interesting article with you all.
For those who struggle with writing, do not fear! You are definitely not alone. Check out these tips, tricks, and myths, from best selling author Ruth Harris. She has some great advice!
Feeling Stuck? Here Are Some Tips to Keep You Focused
By Amanda S. and Zach P.
Spring break is upon us and that means the end of semester is near, maybe nearer than you think! In just five quick weeks you will be cleaning out the proverbial locker to take in the summer sun. But you may find your concentration waning in the home stretch. If you find yourself stuck on an assignment, here are some quick tips to help you stay focused.
Mix it up! Try listening to music while youâre working. This could help get those creative juices flowing.
Give your brain a break. If youâre staring at a blank page or just feel stuck, take 15 minutes to focus your eyes on something, anything, else. You will go back to your assignment with fresh outlook.
Have a change of scenery. If you usually write alone at home, try going to a park or a coffee house. Maybe a different atmosphere will give you a new perspective on the assignment.
EAT! This is an underrated idea, but trust us: you need some brain food! Grab a granola bar or a piece of fruit, and give your system a boost.
Make an outline. We hear this all the time from our professors when weâre given a writing assignment, but it actually helps. Sometimes even just a few words to map out the essay can make all the difference.
Wherever you are right now, think about you for a second. Iâm sure it can be a pain to do sometimes, or maybe you do too much of it already, but why not really be aware? What sort of things are you worried about? What type of clothes do you wear?  Whatâs on your mind?
Ok, donât actually answer them out loud if you arenât at home. People might stare. If they do, donât cry; thatâs not the point. Now that youâre fully into the mind of present you, how about past âyouâ? Do you have the memory of what was really up with the âyouâ of 8 years ago? What was that long chain of events, scattered behind you into nothing, that really brought you to this moment?
Or maybe youâre sick of thinking about âyouâ. Maybe you would like to check out some other personâs âyouâ. What if you could see into how another person dealt with similar problems? You could use other âyouâs to help the blues.
Writing is great because it is actually time travel.
            Think about it, whenever you record your thoughts into prose, they are immediately documented and time-stamped. Sure, upon future review, there is a cultural bias in the language that you write. One could even argue a 4th dimensional bias between periods of time; there is massive difference in both thought and sentiment between decades. But if you record yourself thoughtfully, itâs possible to communicate with the future, or, really, the present.  Read anything youâve ever written, itâs a gift from past âyouâ.
Not only can you record yourself and save past "you" for future "you" to listen to, but you can also listen to anyone in history who ever wanted to do the same. Many women and men take notes; itâs a fact. Most of the things that we know today are around because someone had enough foresight to write it down! You could have a conversation with Marie Curie or Martin Luther King Jr. simply by reading the piece of work one of them wrote. And if one work of writing from Charles Darwin doesnât answer any questions about his thoughts and ideas, he has plenty of others for you to choose from.
            If you havenât already, try starting a journal. Write letters to your future self. A couple of thoughts every day, not necessarily grammatically correct or even that profound, can make a serious difference in your writing skills and even in your state of mind. Besides, itâs fun to review those notes after a couple months. It's time travel, after all.
If you enjoy a hobby or a profession that requires, well, practice (like music, athletics, poetry), you can be sure that communicating with the future is a HUGE help. Keep a log of your goals and your results so that the future version of yourself can approach his or her practice schedule in a more productive way. How often do you sit down to do something and are completely lost without a to-do list or a reminder of what you did last?
So, brace yourselves. Grab a pen. The laws of time and space are about to be broken.
STOP FIGHTING YOURSELF: start loving the pen & paper
by Katy LeDuc
1. Start slowly.
Have you ever pulled out a sheet of paper sure youâre going to knock out an assignment in an hour max? You think youâre totally going to pump it out and it will be good enough to turn in. Have you ever then sat there for twenty minutes staring at a blank sheet of college ruled paper? It kind of stares back doesnât it? Despite how it may feel, it is not judging you. If it were, however, the only way you would win is if you were to write stuff down on it! Yes, stuff! Single words, lists, idioms, drawings? Anything that narrows your focus from a mind full of many ideas and words to just a few words that can be rearranged (when youâre ready--donât rush yourself!). DO NOT think that whatever you do write must be final draft worthy. If you take the time to make the building blocks before you start construction youâll have a much easier time building a sturdy story.
                          The enemy.
 2. Use your words!
While it may sound like there are a certain vocabulary, organizational or professional skill sets that are necessary to academic writing this is not the case! One of my favorite poets, E.E. Cummings, completely ignored the rules of punctuation and formatting and went on to become one of the most highly respected poets of all time. If your content is worth it, people will read on. If you think you have something to say, write the way you speak! Donât worry about big words or commas, just share your idea! A paper with perfect grammar and no message is what really grinds my gears.
 3. Donât be afraid to make stuff up.
A big part of the reason I love writing is that not only can you create a world out of anything (seriously, anything- Iâm talking four-headed chair people who like Red Vines and hate Twizzlers) but you can share it! Now you have four-headed chair people eating Red Vines in your mind, and I put them there! Do I feel guilty that four-headed chair people donât actually exist? No, because I trust your critical thinking skills, but the same applies to more ambiguous ideas, too! Go forth and write absurdities!
                    Need absurd inspiration? Watch some Monty Python!
 4. Broaden your goal.
Donât try to think of the best idea. Just donât. Seriously! You, there, in the chair. I see what youâre doing and I want you to stop. Expecting your mind to hear you decide âI need the BEST idea youâve got and I need it now,â and just give it up is pretty ridiculous and rather unfair to your poor brain! Instead ask it for a whole bunch of GOOD ideas. That way, you wonât be disappointed when your first idea is a load of crap, no offense.
5. Take notes on life.
You have interesting thoughts all day every day. Donât feel special or anything, we all do, but what will make you special is writing them down so you can regurgitate them later, when the time is right. Insert creepy Mr. Burns cackle. Just carry a little notebook around with you and jot a few words down when you feel attached to a thought youâve had, or an idea youâve heard. Just remember: NEVER to show it to anyone or youâll kill the mysterious vibe youâve got going.
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