Campus Resources & Asking for Help

How do I find college resources?

Students are often surprised to see how much information is available online, including information about college programs, offices, and individuals that can help in a variety of ways.  This is often the best way to get started understanding resources to help your success in college.

Aims Community College Website: https://www.aims.edu/ 

The following are just "some" of the resources your campus has accessible for you. Everyone needs help at some time—you should never feel embarrassed or ashamed to seek help. Remember that a part of your tuition and fees are going to these offices, and you have every right to take advantage of them.

Highlighted Services for Students: https://www.aims.edu/student-life/student-services 

• Pathway Advising. This office helps you choose courses and plan your program or degree. You should have a personal meeting at least once every term.

• Personal Counseling. This office offers students counseling for any personal problems, including stress management, interpersonal issues, anxiety, and other concerns.

• Financial Aid. This offer provides support to students to finance their education through financial aid including grants, loans, student employment (work study) and scholarships. 

• Learning Commons. This is the resource for students to receive support and help for their courses.  They can provide you with a device (e.g. laptop), calculator, internet hot spot, textbooks, access to printing as well as people to to support you such as tutors, the online learning specialist, learning resource technicians and librarians.

• Information Technology. This department can help you resolve issues with Aims Online (D2L, Okta, etc.) and other technology challenges you may encounter.   You have the option to call, email or complete a help desk ticket.

• Career Services. This center can help you find a student job or internship, plan for your career after graduation, and receive career coaching.

• Transitions Center. This office helps students interested in transferring by bringing representatives from various colleges and universities on campus, providing transfer coaching and more. The Aims2UNC program is unique to transferring to the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) and has many benefits.

• Disability Access Services (DAS). This office provices support and services to help students with disabilities adapt within the college environment.  They provide software such as Read&Write and EquatIO software to any student that could benefit from it.

• Student Life .  This department offers students a variety of opportunities for involvement and leadership.  This includes Student Government Association (SGA), Campus Activities Programming Board (CAP), clubs and organizations and more.

• Physical Education & Recreation Center (PERC).  Take advantage of this 46,000 square-foot gym to improve or maintain your personal health, which promotes academic success.

• Mosaic. This office serves as a resource for Aims Community College students to build community and to learn about and advocate for issues of equity and justice. Students have many identities that influence and shape their college experience and the MOSAIC fosters a culture of support, community, sharing, and acceptance.  

• Online Academic Workshops (Student Lingo). This interactive on-demand (online) workshops provide you with resources to help you achieve your academic goals.  *This is available on your MyApps  within your myAims account.  Click on "Student Lingo."

• Student Emergency Fund (SEF). This one-time emergency financial assistance (up to $599) is available to Aims students to help them meet an unexpected or unplanned hardship currently impacting their ability to complete their studies at Aims. Eligibility requirements include current enrollment in 6 credits, in good conduct standing and paying student fees.

• Coordinated Assistance and Resource Education (CARE). You can refer yourself or another student to get connected to appropriate campus and community resources. Areas of concern might be housing related, financial hardships, mental health, general wellness, or substance abuse.  Filling out the CARE report will prompt the Aims CARE team to assess the situation and reach out to the student.

• Mediation, Assistance and Advocacy Program (MAAP).  This program can help you if you have a complaint, issue, concern, or problem with a College employee or department, another student or an instructional situation. Their goal is to support, advise and help students resolve issues informally.

• Your Instructors. It never hurts to ask a friendly instructor if he or she knows of any additional college resources you haven’t yet discovered. There may be a brand new program on campus, or a certain department may offer a service not widely promoted through the college Web site.

What are resources for help in classes?

Aims provides multiple ways to access academic support and help specific to your classes.  These resources can be a game changer for your success in classes and don't wait until you're struggling.  and don't hesitate using them.  Think of tutoring as extra coaching and individual instruction that can support you throughout the entire semester. 

3. Aims OWL (Online Writing Lab)

Direct Link: https://sites.google.com/view/aimsowl 

This website provides you easy-to-use guides, videos, infographics, and more related to reading and writing in college.  For example, citations and formatting specific to disciplines is a commonly used resources on this site.

Watch the video to your left to learn about the resources and how to get started. 

4. Academic Coaching 

Direct Link: https://www.aims.edu/departments/academic-support-tutoring

You can work with an academic coach for help with time management, organization, and study strategies.  Make an appointment on Accudemia. Click here to watch a video to be walked through the process for setting up an appointment with a tutor. 

If you can drop into the Greeley Campus Learning Commons, located on the 2nd floor of the Student Commons, you can meet with the host of Arty's Study Sessions for academic coaching on a drop-in basis as well as participate in the program that incentivizes studying through tracking your hours, winning prizes and receiving support.  The hours are generally from 10-3pm, Monday through Thursday.  

What are resources for information such as policies, classes, etc.?

Why use college resources?

Ideally, you and your college collaborate to create success in every way possible. The cooperative nature of college life is echoed in the following practical advice from a college graduate, recounted in Foundations of Academic Success: Words of Wisdom:

"Professors do care about how you are doing in their class; they genuinely want you to succeed, but they will give you the grade you earn. There are people and resources on campus for you to utilize so you can earn the grade you want. Your professors are one of those resources and are perhaps the most important. Go see them during office hours, ask them questions about the material and get extra help if you need it . . . 

Another resource to utilize can be found in the campus learning center . . . The first time I took a paper there, I recall standing outside the door for about ten minutes thinking of an excuse not to go in. Thankfully I saw a classmate walk in and I followed suit . . . Thanks to that first visit, I received an A- on the paper!"

Why can it be difficult to ask for for help?

Why is it so difficult to ask for help sometimes? Logically, we know it makes sense to ask questions for clarification or ask for assistance if needed.  If that's true, then why don't student utilize the resources on and off campus more often?  There are various reasons.  Here are a couple examples.  

• Feel like an imposter. There is actually a name for this condition: imposter syndrome. Students who feel like an imposter are worried that they don’t belong, that someone will “expose them for being a fake.” This feeling is pretty common for anyone who finds themselves in a new environment and is not sure if they have what it takes to succeed. Trust the professionals who work with first-year college students: you do have what it takes, and you will succeed. Just give yourself time to get adjusted to everything.

• Worry about making a mistake. This concern often goes with imposter syndrome. Students who worry about making a mistake don’t like to answer questions in class, volunteer for a challenging assignment, and even ask for help from others. Instead of avoiding situations where you may fail, embrace the process of learning, which includes—is even dependent on—making mistakes. The more you practice courage in these situations and focus on what you are going to learn from failing, the more confident you become about your abilities.

• Try to manage everything yourself. Even superheroes need help from sidekicks and mere mortals. Trying to handle everything on your own every time an issue arises is a recipe for getting stressed out. There will be times when you are overwhelmed by all you have to do. This is when you will need to ask for and allow others to help you.

Here is a secret about college success that not many people know: successful students seek help. They use resources. And they do that as often as necessary to get what they need. Your professors and advisors will expect the same from you, and your college will have all kinds of offices, staff, and programs that are designed to help. This bears calling out again: you need to use those resources. These are called “help-seeking behaviors,” and along with self-advocacy, which is speaking up for your needs, they are essential to your success. As you get more comfortable adjusting to life in college, you will find that asking for help is easier. In fact, you may become really good at it by the time you graduate, just in time for you to ask for help finding a job!