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Alumna Maria Poveda (Computer Science Co-op 鈥�20) knows what it鈥檚 like to feel lost 鈥� 鈥渃ompletely lost鈥� during first year. Now a successful graduate of Ryerson鈥檚 computer science program, she鈥檚 become the department鈥檚 Student Skill Facilitator, running its relatively new service known as the Debug Room.

If you鈥檙e relatively new to computer science at Ryerson, the Debug Room may well become a lifeline 鈥� for coursework support, hands-on skills, or even a friendly face in the pandemic鈥檚 distance learning environment. The resource started in fall 2020, and has been expanding ever since in response to student enthusiasm.

Check out which services fit your needs, and how you can access them.  

Don鈥檛 Wait. Get Help Early.
Harir Hadi, a second-year Computer Science student, was an early adopter of the Debug Room. With little prior computer science experience, but lots of stress during remote learning, Harir felt completely overwhelmed, almost to the point of breakdown. She turned to the Debug Room, dropping in 鈥渁t least three times a week, and during exams, twice a day, every day.鈥�

Her initiative and courage paid off. She now sings its praises: 鈥淭he Debug Room saved me. They were so professional, patient and caring. I honestly don鈥檛 know what I would have done without them. Maria gave me the confidence that I can do this 鈥� and I did, passing all six first-year courses with good grades. I just want to say thank you for this wonderful service.鈥�

Hadi鈥檚 advice: 鈥淒on鈥檛 be shy. Just go there once and try it out. I promise you won鈥檛 regret it!鈥�

How the Debug Room Works
Ryerson students in general may draw on broader Math and Computer Science Support from Student Life and Learning Support. Or they may turn to professors鈥� office hours, but these can often become crowded, rushed, and brief 鈥� sometimes as short as a few minutes.

The Debug Room is dedicated to students enrolled in computer science, and offers generous appointments any weekday, between 9am-5pm. The staff are also former computer science students at Ryerson. They鈥檝e been there, done that, and speak from personal experience.
Currently, the Room is run via Zoom, although a collaborative breakout room is already set up for when classes return to campus. Thirty-minute slots are typical, but some students stay for an hour or more. After you book, you鈥檒l outline your needs in a Google Form and staff will prepare accordingly before your appointment.

Services & Support: Here鈥檚 What鈥檚 Available
The Debug Room was designed first and foremost for program-specific learning support for students enrolled in Computer Science. Under that umbrella, there鈥檚 a variety of helps available. But as other complementary needs began surfacing, the Room expanded its offerings 鈥� and continues to do so based on student feedback.

Picture the following scenarios. Which ones fit your needs?

• You鈥檙e struggling with lessons, labs or assignments: Ask as many questions as you want. Debug Room staff have taken most of the courses themselves. They know the material and the professors, and can explain concepts, go over examples, or help you with course intentions.
  
• Your code isn鈥檛 working: Walk your Debug Room facilitator through your code. You鈥檒l learn debugging techniques, learn what error codes mean, figure out why the code isn't working, and how to get it back up and running.
  
• You want someone to observe your coding: Sit down and code under the eyes of an experienced coder. Work away at it, knowing that someone鈥檚 on hand to answer questions or guide you through a rough patch of code.
  
• You鈥檙e curious about co-op/internships: Not sure if it鈥檚 right for you? Debug Room staff have first-hand experience. They can give you an early, inside scoop on what co-op or internships are like and how the process works before you reach out formally to the Career & Co-op Centre.
• You want to access more resources: Need help beyond computer science? Debug Room staff can connect you to resources for anything from math skills and academic writing to mentoring programs, wellness, financial services and more.
  
• You just want to talk: First year, especially distance learning, can feel isolating at times. Drop in to see a familiar face, say hi and chat, or feel reassured that you have a friendly advocate during your early years at university.