Academic Support Programs

Academic Success Coaching

Just as a sports coach encourages you to achieve your goals, our coaches help you identify and overcome academic challenges. Academic Success Coaching focuses on building the basic skills described below and is not academic advising, personal counseling, a disciplinary meeting, or individual tutoring. Through a series of one-on-one appointments, you will work with a coach to get from where you are now academically to where you want to be, and create a secure foundation for success in college.

Develop skills

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Effective study strategies

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Time management

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Setting and working towards goals

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Finding campus resources

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Motivation

Academic Success Coaching will be operating virtually until Feburary 4th, We plan to resume in person and hybrid services on February 7th.

Get started

Begin by meeting with one of our coaches. Currently, our coaches are available to meet through Zoom. Each appointment will be thirty minutes in length. Both scheduled and drop-in coaching are available.

Types of appointments

Academic Success Coaching sessions are available for all students at the University of Washington. 

Reinstatement Coaching is available for students who have been reinstated and support the transition back to the University of Washington, in partnership with the Reinstatement Committee for Pre-majors, College of Arts & Sciences majors, EOP, SSS, and CAMP affiliates.

Schedule an appointment

When scheduling an appointment, please ensure to answer the question indicating whether you would like to meet in-person or virtually. Details will be sent to your email after you schedule an appointment in a confirmation email about the process for checking in. If the available times do not work for your schedule, please contact aspcoach@uw.edu to find a time that works best for you.

Schedule a coaching appointment

Drop-in

We are providing drop-in coaching from Monday through Thursday nights from 7-10 pm. You do not need an appointment to come to meet with a coach during drop-in coaching hours. Visit the page linked to below for more information.

Drop-in

 

Study Skills Workshops

If you would like to learn more about the success strategies we offer in coaching sessions, attend one of our workshops! ASP hosts multiple workshops each quarter on various topics from study strategies to self-care. Keep an eye on our workshop page for newly added workshops and updates!

Study Skills Workshops

Meet the coaches

Linh, She/Her

Major: Philosophy and Psychology
Meet your coach: View video
Schedule
As an international student from Vietnam, I was once a shy and confused freshman figuring out how to best study for a class while adjusting to the new environment. However, as I reflected on how much I had grown during the past 3 years, I believed that my stories and experience can help support other students to navigate college and make the most out of it.

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Career goals Becoming a human/animal rights lawyer at a non-profit organization
Hobbies I love dancing, cooking, biking around Seattle, hiking, exploring nature, and trying new things. My most exciting experience this year was learning how to ski and slowly getting over my fear of height.
Notable academic challengeDespite always having aspiration to go into law, I never truly learned about it until I took LAW 100 in my first quarter. The class was super interesting to me, however, I only got 60% on my first midterm, which was below class average. I was devastated and started questioning myself if practicing law was even right for me. Without ever having come to an office hour, I was nervous but determined and prepared with an argument to defend my response and get the points back. As expected, I did not get any points back. However, to this day I still believe that what I learned at the office hour was even more important than the grade itself. I learned to accept my struggles and reflect on my study strategies. This experience helped shape my approach to studying completely and helped me gain confidence on my abilities to excel academically.

Gracie, Interim Reinstatement Coach, She/They

Major: Law
Meet your coach: View video
Schedule
As a first generation college student, I believe that students need to support each other and learn from one another. As a success coach I want to create a space where you can share about your academic experiences honestly and learn more about yourself and what success looks like for you.

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Career goals As a first year law student I am really passionate about civil rights law and I hope to work at a non-profit civil rights law firm or clinic like the ACLU, NWLC or a Fair Work Center. No matter where I work my goal is to serve underrepresented communities and use the legal system as a platform for ensuring equality for all communities.
Hobbies When I am not studying (which is all the time) I like to bake, play board games, go on bookstore dates with my partner, watch silly TV shows, and journal!
Notable academic challengeMy most notable academic challenge was during my first quarter of college when I failed 2 classes. These failures were not due to a lack of academic understanding but rather a result of lack of prioritizing myself and my health. Once I focused on my self care and trying out different academic paths I learned what worked for me and was able to get back on track!

Miguel, He/ Him

Major: MPH - Health Systems and Population Health
Schedule
I am a first generation college graduate and the oldest of four siblings. I graduated from the UW with a Bachelor's of Science in Public Health-Global Health in 2020. I decided to take a year off from school to focus on gaining field experience in public health and have since been working in COVID-19 related research.

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Career goals After graduating from my master's program, I aspire to continue working with underserved communities and vulnerable populations to improve health outcomes. My areas of interest include immigrant health, HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, and youth development.
Hobbies Outside of academics, I enjoy discovering new music, playing the violin, painting, and taking naps with my two cats!
Notable academic challengeOne of the biggest academic challenges that I had to overcome at the university was adapting to the types of exams given at the UW. I found this to be quite a challenge given that exams in high school relied heavily on memorization rather than application. After receiving low scores on my first chemistry tests, I feared that the rest of my time at the university would be like that. After meeting with an advisor, I was encouraged to take advantage of resources like the Instructional Center (IC) where I had the opportunity to learn about effective test-taking strategies as well as the opportunity to meet students who were on the same boat as myself. By taking advantage of resources I was able to change my mindset and build on my skills. I am a firm believer that everyone has potential to succeed academically given the right resources and I am excited to share my what I have learned with you!"

Angel, He/Him

Major: Public Health-Global Health
Schedule
I’m a first-generation college student working towards a B.A. in public health. I’m excited to be an academic success coach because I understand how discouraging it is to see a drop in academic performance and how overwhelming the unfamiliarity of college can be, especially early on. I hope to provide students with the knowledge that I have accumulated these past few years to lessen the stress students experience and enable them to thrive in a new setting.

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Career goals I have aspirations of becoming a physician that focuses on addressing the underlying social issues and improving clinical outcomes for marginalized groups. I hope to contribute to a shift in the way people think about immigrant health to an awareness that whether they are documented or not, all people are entitled to live in conditions that facilitate positive health outcomes.
Hobbies I like playing video games with friends, watching tv shows with my sister, and hanging out with my dog.
Notable academic challengeOne of my notable academic challenges came from a course I was taking for writing credit. Writing continues to be a skill I’m working to improve, and this particular course required me to write in an unfamiliar style. Although I knew that it took me a bit longer to compose a piece of writing, I still could not manage my time well, and as a result, I submitted my essay late and scored poorly. With two papers left to write for the course, I met with my professor to see how I could improve. I created a schedule that helped me stay on top of the long and dense readings and made sure to add a little bit to the paper every day to ensure that a ten-page paper did not sneak up on me on the due date. With a plan in place and some helpful advice from my professor, I scored much better on the following two papers, making writing a bit less daunting.

Katherine, She/Her

Major: Education, Communities and Organizations major; English minor
Meet your coach: View video
Schedule
I am an out-of-state student, originally from Los Angeles, California! Currently a senior working towards being more involved in the education field. Working as an academic coach, I hope to share my personal experiences and study strategies.

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Career goals I plan on getting my master's in teaching or working for a non-profit organization.
Hobbies Working out at the IMA, running to Gasworks, trying out new restaurants
Notable academic challengeDuring my sophomore year, I was falling behind and withdrew from one of my classes due to the lack of time management. I decided to talk with my advisor and looked into the resources at UW. I've learned to plan a schedule that was manageable. This was definitely a learning experience and helped me move in the right direction!

Kaylee, Transfer Student Coach, She/Her

Major: Business Administration, Information Systems
Meet your coach: View video
Schedule
As a transfer student with learning disabilities, I have tried numerous tips, tactics and resources to succeed academically at UW. These experiences provided me an expansive toolkit to draw from and an in-depth understanding of the challenges the come with transferring to a large university. I enjoy being a resource for others and can't wait to meet you!

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Career goals I aspire to work in the data industry and later teach financial literacy and basic business principles to high school students.
Hobbies I enjoy creating art, annoying my cat, and trying and failing to skip rocks.
Notable academic challengeI have severe attention and focus issues that require me to constantly evolve the ways I learn. I understand the frustration of trying numerous things and maybe finding something that works.

Alexander, He/Him

Major: Planning on pursuing Mechanical Engineering
Schedule
I am a first-generation college student from Yakima, Washington. I plan to get my bachelor's degree in either mechanical engineering or aerospace engineering. Ever since I was little I have been fascinated by the stars and what lies beyond earth. With my degree I would like to help expand our knowledge of the cosmos and help build the next generation of space technology.

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Career goals My main goal is to be a leading engineer at SpaceX or NASA, designing the next generation of rockets.
Hobbies I really enjoy playing video games, reading, listening to music, riding my bike, skating and working out.
Notable academic challengeI wanted to be an engineer, but unfortunately when I got my acceptance letter from the UW, I learned that I wasn't accepted into the school of engineering. This made me feel like a complete failure and made me question my future. After a while of sulking in my own insecurities, I realized the only way forward was to stop feeling sorry for myself. I realized that the only way that my dreams could become a reality was simply by existing and pushing myself toward my goal, no matter how difficult it might be. I understand that the acceptance rate for transfers in the college of engineering is quite low, but I am willing to take the risk and am willing to shed blood, sweat and tears to achieve my dreams. Through my determination, I will become an engineer.

Wintana, She/Her

Major: Informatics
Meet your coach: View video
Schedule
My journey to and at UW was not smooth, but I've learned a lot along the way about how to make the most of your college experience while still succeeding academically. I'm excited to share what I've learned with all of you and help you find strategies to reach your academic goals while still taking care of yourself!

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Career goals I want to do HR at a tech company and help people find jobs that are the best fit for them and help the organization I work for find ideal candidates for the position they want to fill
Hobbies In my downtime I like to just chill and hang out with friends if my social battery hasn't run out yet lol. My hobbies change every few months, but something that's stayed consistent is my ability to spend way too long on YouTube and my love for journaling + writing.
Notable academic challengeI joined a coding class in Week 3 of my first quarter at UW. That class was my first time coding, and needless to say I struggled! A few more weeks into the quarter, I found a system that worked for me, but my grade was still suffering. I decided to drop the class and retake it the next quarter. When I took it again, I got a much better grade. This experience taught me that your grades don't show how smart you are. I didn't get smarter that next quarter I took the class. I just had more efficient study techniques, devoted more time to the homework, and shamelessly asked for help.

Jermaine, Graduate Student Coach, She/Her

Major: Student Development Administration M.Ed Program
Meet your coach: View video
Schedule
I was born in the Philippines and immigrated to the United States with my parents when I was 6 years old. My parents wanted me to have a better education, but I struggled to connect to the school content and did not take my academics seriously because of it growing up. In high school, I had no plans of going to college until my college advisor Esther convinced me to "just try to apply". Additionally, with the motivation and support of my mother - I gave it a try. It was the best decision I have ever made. Within the next 5-7 years after my Masters program, I will be pursuing my doctorates.

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Career goals I am interested in social change and contributing to the holistic transformation of individuals and the well-being of communities. I enjoy being civically engaged and developing initiatives that contribute to educational liberation through the interconnections of community organizing, working in higher education, and policy. The relationship between educational equity/access, justice, and liberation is important to learn about mainly because it is directly connected to how resources and the well-being of communities signal the sustainable success and identity-developments of students as future leaders and responsible & loving community members.
Hobbies Watching HBO's Insecure, trying new recipes, walking in nature, completing 1- bucket list adventure each year, and diving into pop, art, and culture
Notable academic challengeI am working on improving my technical writing skills. English is my second language.

Jeffrey, He/Him

Major: Communication
Meet your coach: View video
Schedule
I became an academic success coach to help students through their college journey. Sometimes that journey comes with bumps in the road from personal hardships to academic struggles. For me, dealing with the expectations along with the multitude of personal struggles, hard classes, and confusing nature of majors has made my college journey, a rollercoaster to say the least, filled with plenty of down moments. That struggle and being lost pushed me to be an academic success coach. I spent years learning how to cope with all the issues as well as fundamentally improve by focusing and understanding myself. Like any good coach, my goal is to adjust to who you are as a person and your specific skill set, ultimately helping bring out your best to succeed in the college atmosphere.

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Career goals I am interested in human resources or counseling. My goal is to provide advice to various groups of people to the best of my ability no matter which field I end up pursing. My goals involve the success of the people around me and their fundamental growth in whatever they want to be successful at.
Hobbies Spending time with family, playing card games and board games, video games especially Nintendo party games like Mario Kart, Super Smash, and Mario Party, watching and analyzing sports (all kinds but especially basketball and football), food connoisseur (love to try food from small businesses in the area and critic)
Notable academic challengeTime Management

Tiana, She/Her

Major: Masters in Leadership in Higher Education
Schedule
I am a first generation student who studied Psychology for my undergrad degree at UW and I am now going into my Masters in Higher Education program! In my previous role I worked as a peer advisor with OMA&D and I look forward to transitioning to this new role as an Academic Success Coach to help students excel in their academics.

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Career goals I want to work with first generation and underrepresented students in a higher education setting to help make this level of education more accessible to these communities of students.
Hobbies Hanging out with friends, learning new recipes, karaoke
Notable academic challengeProcrastinating and forming healthy study schedules for myself

Daniel, He/Him

Major: Math and Psychology
Meet your coach: View video
Schedule
I am a senior at the University of Washington who recently decided to switch my career path from a data scientist to a mental health therapist. As someone who knows how intimidating it can be to switch careers, I want to help people who feel stuck in any part of their academic journeys.

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Career goals I am looking to open up a private practice and become a mental health therapist.
Hobbies I like to watch and play basketball, go on walks and play video games (primarily NBA 2k and MLB the Show).
Notable academic challengeLearning linear algebra was frustrating because my brain could not grasp abstract concepts and thus I ended with a 2.9 in that class. Although I was not satisfied with my grade, I went to office hours for the first time and saw the value in it. My teacher drew diagrams to help me understand the relationships in the 3D world that made learning the material more enjoyable. Because of this, I realized it was okay to ask for help and started going to office hours for other classes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I expect a coaching session to look like?

Every coaching session is personalized for you and depends on what you want to talk with an Academic Success Coach about. Coaches typically try to get to know you and what your current strategies for balancing your academics are. Coaches will ask you a few questions about your habits and work with you to find potential areas of change or growth. Our hope is that this is an interactive process where coaches work with you to reach your academic goals. It is okay if you don’t know where to start. We are here to help! Coaches will share strategies and various resources based on the conversation. In addition, they will help connect you with any campus resources that would be most helpful for you.

What should I bring to a coaching session?

Yourself and any questions you have! You do not need to have all of your questions prepared ahead of time as coaches are available to talk about anything that is most important to you. If you would like to connect with another peer at UW, our coaches are available to chat with you. If you do have specific questions, please feel free to bring those to your session and let the coach know what you would like to talk about.

How can I meet with an Academic Success Coach?

During fall quarter, Academic Success Coaches are available for both in-person and virtual appointments. In-person appointments will take place in Mary Gates Hall. Virtual appointments will be through Zoom. Coaching appointments can be scheduled by using our scheduling link. You can schedule an appointment with any of our coaches. Above, you can read more about each coach or watch a video introduction to learn about their major, career goals, and interests. All of our coaches would love to meet with you, but if you see something that resonates with you, feel free to make an appointment with a specific coach. If you have any questions, please email aspcoach@uw.edu.

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Other UW Coaches

Our program is aimed at overcoming academic challenges and fostering academic success. There is a complementary UW program offered by our partners in LiveWell called Peer Wellness Coaching. It is dedicated to health and wellness topics, skills, and development.

 

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