Resources at Columbia

Resources at Columbia


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One of the many reasons that I was drawn to the Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling MA program at Columbia was the many resources available to me on campus. I would like to share with you a few of the resources available to me as a student.

I have recently been using many of the resources that the Portfolio Center has available to students.  This has been particularly helpful for myself as I finish preparing my resume and cover letter for submission to potential practicum sites.  There are tutorials available online that have been an excellent guide for me, along with opportunities to have someone in the Portfolio Center review my resume.

There is also the lovely Graduate Student Lounge.  Only a building away from where I typically have class, it is a great place to eat lunch during break.  It is also a great spot for all of us in the program to meet up and have study sessions.  My cohorts and I have taken advantage of holding study groups here as it is a comfortable place to work.  I also enjoy using the space to meet for group projects and independent study as there are two printers from which you can connect to wirelessly.  There is even a projector available, which allows us to hold presentations or events in this space.

There are also many resources specific to the Dance/Movement Therapy & Counseling Department.  Different books and videos are available in their office for me to check out.  There are also a couple of different people I can go to within the department for assistance on essays.  A recent graduate of the program, Sondra Malling, and Bethany Brownholtz, who is an Administrative Assistant in the Dance/Movement Therapy & Counseling Department, are both available to assist students in our department with writing.

There are also a number of facilities that are available for me to use as a student.  I enjoy that our classes are held in a classroom that is adjacent to a movement studio.  This is an excellent resource, because it gives me the opportunity to apply the knowledge that I have just learned in the classroom through experiential learning in the studio. I can even request to reserve studios around campus to practice for movement exams or to use when choreographing.  This freedom to reserve space also allows for the student organization MOVED to rent out studio space on campus for a student-run dance class each week.

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Then there are the little things.  The simple joys that just make each day a little easier.  I love that my department has two different locker rooms so that I have somewhere to keep my stuff.  These locker rooms are also equipped with a coffee maker, which is beneficial for us as graduate students who, lets face it, get very little sleep.  Our department also has different props available for us to use for experientials, including these comfortable cushions.
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Last but certainly not least, the building that I typically have classes in is also home to the Library.  There is even a section on the 3rd floor that holds a number of books specific to dance/movement therapy and counseling.  I have utilized this resource quite a bit throughout the semester already.  It is comforting to know that when I begin to write my thesis, an informational outlet is literally a hop skip and a jump away from where we hold classes.