Help room provides extra support for Barnard computer science students

Barnards computer science community is getting more support, thanks to extended services at a student-run help room.

The help room for computer science and applied math, housed in available classrooms on Barnards campus, added two additional teaching assistants, expanded from two to three times a week, and is being utilized by more students on a regular basis this semester.

Hosanna Fuller, BC 16, started the help room last semester to provide more help for students outside of office hours.

The office hours that were available for more specific questions didnt help you with the high-level ideas, Fuller said.

Priority for help room use is given to Barnard students, who can come to the help room and receive more individualized attention and ask more in-depth question than teaching assistants have time to address during their hours.

Theres obviously not enough time for the TAs to help one student out for a prolonged period of time, Fuller said.

You can really ask any question you want, Fuller added about the help room. The last few sessions we had we gave class picking advice and mentorship advice, because thats what the students want.

Fuller said that in addition to providing more help sessions outside of class and office hours, her inspiration for the help room came from wanting to provide more support to women in the often male-dominated field of computer science.

Fuller said that she took a computer science course during her first semester at Barnard and felt alienated as one of only a few women in the course.

Dave Bayer, a professor of mathematics at Barnard and the help rooms faculty advisor, said that the community aspect benefits how students learn in the room.

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Help room provides extra support for Barnard computer science students