Spaces to Know: Academic Resource Center (ARC)

The ARC open space is a collaborative learning environment where students, Learning Assistants and Writing and Speaking Fellows can support each other. It’s a great place not only for ideas to come together, but people too, says Ariana Fahl ‘26, an intended biology major from the US and frequent visitor at the ARC. “I like to [do work] here at the ARC…and a lot of the time, I see my classmates here, too,” she says. “I think that just being here in general is a really great opportunity to connect with other people taking classes, and I think that the ARC is really a place where we can help each other out.”

As you walk through the ARC’s cozy open area, you’ll be met with friendly faces. The ARC consists of two major sources of support: Writing and Speaking Fellows and Learning Assistants. 

Writing and Speaking Fellows: Here to Support You

_{Writing and Speaking Fellow Kenia Sophia Garcia Ramos supporting a student with a GPS reading}

Writing and Speaking Fellows are recent bachelor’s or master’s degree graduates trained to support students’ writing, reading, speaking, and listening skills, as well as general academic skills such as time management and note-taking. Tutoring consultations with Fellows are broad and open-ended. Whether you’re brainstorming ideas for a POH paper, drafting a science capstone thesis, or revising and polishing graduate school applications, writing consultations can support you at any stage of the writing process. Speaking consultations can help you prepare for a presentation, more effectively participate in class, and feel more comfortable in casual conversation. Having a hard time digesting a dense reading, or feeling like you have too many readings to complete? In reading consultations, Fellows can help you work through a challenging text, or discuss different reading strategies to try out. 

Senior Writing and Speaking Fellow Yuechi Kelly says that the diversity of the ARC Fellows’ team is an asset to the support they provide to students. “All of us have our own personalities [and tutoring styles], and that can be very beneficial,” Kelly says. “All students have their own unique learning styles and preferences, and so we hope to serve a diverse group of student needs through our own diversity and shared passion and commitment to education.” 

Learning Assistants: Helping You Level Up

_{Left: LAs tutoring in the ARC’s open space Right: Math LA Yao Xiao ‘24 supports calculus students in the ARC open space} 

Learning Assistants (LAs) are peer tutors who have excelled academically and received training to guide students through common challenges in their coursework. Course-Specific LAs are paired with a course to support, and tutor students on that class’s content and material throughout the semester. These LAs are paired with foundational courses in Natural Sciences, Computer Science, Math, IMA, Business and Economics, Finance, and Chinese Language. Writing and Speaking LAs are available to support students with writing, reading, speaking, and listening skills for any class. 

Tony Tran ‘23, a Business LA from Vietnam, says that LAs don’t give away answers, but instead guide students to truly understand the course concepts at their own pace. While students should definitely build relationships with professors and look to them for guidance, LAs can offer a different type of support. “We as LAs understand more of the struggles of the students–we understand where they might meet difficulties, because we already went through those difficulties ourselves,” said Tran.

Tran says that being an LA has been a great learning experience for himself, too. “Being able to relearn [foundational course content], teach other people, and reinforce your learning is very helpful towards your career,” he said. “As an LA, you practice your communication skills a lot–how to deliver [information] in a way that’s easy to understand. These are all very valuable skills.”

To book a tutoring session with a Fellow, Course-Specific LA, or Writing and Speaking LA, please visit our WCOnline page.

Resource Bookshelf

The ARC provides textbooks commonly used in foundational classes such as Global Perspectives on Society and Calculus. Students, LAs, and fellows can borrow these books to use within the ARC space. 

Workshops & Other ARC Events

_{Stay up-to-date with ARC events at our Current Events board}

Throughout the academic year, the ARC hosts a variety of events, ranging from academic skills workshops to social events like the ARC Open House, which gives students an opportunity to get to know ARC Fellows and student staff. The ARC holds workshops on academic skills throughout the entire semester, on topics such as time management, writing strong thesis statements, GPS readings, and more. Check out our Engage page to learn about our upcoming events.

Learning to feel comfortable asking for help and collaborating with others is key to learning–and that goes for every student and scholar. “Any learning is greatly enhanced when done in community with other people,” says Fellow Yuechi Kelly. “The ARC plays a large role in enriching, developing, sustaining, and even pushing the boundaries of the academic learning community that we have created and continue to create at NYU Shanghai.”