Academic Support Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

Need more information about our coaching program? Review these 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?

Academic Success Coaches are available for both virtual and in-person 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. On our webpage, 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.

How often can I meet with a coach?

You are welcome to meet with our coaches as many times as you would like. We are here to support you in what works best for you whether that’s scheduling weekly appointments or following-up later in the quarter. We recommend meeting with coaches multiple times to be able to focus on the goals you have. Academic Success Coaches you have met with will occasionally check in with you as the quarter progresses through email. You are free to email our coaches or schedule another appointment whenever you would like. 

You can meet with coaches on a regular basis. The page below includes more information about this. 

More information about Recurring Meetings

What can I talk to a coach about?

You can talk to a coach about practically any topic related to academics at UW. Academic Success Coaches help students with procrastination, motivation, test taking, effective study strategies, goal setting, getting connected to other resources and more. You don’t need a pressing reason to visit a coach. We realize that sometimes it can be nice to have a peer to talk to about classes or academic goals. Our coaches are available and excited to chat with you about anything that would best support your academic journey at UW. If coaches do not know the answer to your questions, they will refer you to other resources or point you in the right direction. 

What is the difference between tutoring and Academic Success Coaching?

Tutoring is focused on understanding subject specific concepts or topics. Academic Success Coaching provides a holistic approach and is broader in scope. Coaches can support you in exploring new strategies and developing skills for academic success. Oftentimes, seeing both tutors and Academic Success Coaches can be helpful in providing support for subject specific questions and holistic strategies. We encourage you to visit CLUE tutoring or any other tutoring centers on campus. 

Is an Academic Success Coach an Academic Adviser?

Academic Success Coaches are not academic advisers but rather peer coaches. If you have questions about registration, your course plan, and other factors to meet university requirements to achieve your degree, academic advisers can best address these questions. Academic Success Coaching supports the academic plan by working on achieving your academic goals. We focus more on building strategies to support your academics such as time management, study strategies, self-care, goal-setting, and more. It is recommended to meet with both your academic adviser and Academic Success Coaches to create the best plan for you.

How is a Reinstatement Coaching appointment different from an Academic Success Coaching appointment?

Reinstatement Coaching is specifically for students who have been reinstated to UW. In partnership with the Reinstatement Committee for Pre-majors, College of Arts & Sciences majors, EOP, SSS, and CAMP affiliates, Reinstatement Coaching is available for students who have been reinstated and support the transition back to the University of Washington. Reinstatement Coaching sessions are designed to support students who are returning to the University’s College of Arts and Sciences after being dropped for low-scholarship. If you are unsure about how to start the Reinstatement process, the Reinstatement Coach can connect you to the appropriate departments. If your reinstatement petition has been approved by the committee, the coach will provide a personalized session where you can talk about the recommendations made by the Reinstatement Committee.

How do I reschedule or cancel my appointment?

When you schedule an appointment, you will receive a confirmation email from Microsoft Bookings. You can click “Manage Bookings” located at the bottom of the email. From there, you will be able to cancel your appointment or reschedule it to another time. If you do not see this option, please email aspcoach@uw.edu and we can help with cancelling or rescheduling appointments.

Can I schedule an appointment outside of the ones listed?

We try our best to have different availability throughout the week, but we recognize that might not include every time frame that works best for you. If you would like to schedule a time that is not listed, please email us at aspcoach@uw.edu, as we would love to support you in any way we can. Please let us know what time frames of the week would work best for you and if there is a specific coach you would like to meet with.