Dashboard

Let’s Work Together!

Success coaching is about about empowering you with strategies, accountability, and personalized support so that you can overcome obstacles and reach your goals. Click below to get started or use the Contact Us page to schedule on-going support.

Goal Planning

You’re more likely to succeed if you have goals that fit your schedule. Below are a few things to keep in mind when creating goals.

1. Make Realistic Goals, Not Idealistic Ones

Minimize frustration by making goals that work with you, not against you.

Tip:
If a goal causes more stress than motivation when you say it out loud, it may need to be more flexible. Design your goals around your reality. 

2. SMART Goals: A Helpful Starting Point

You may have heard of SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. They can help you make a realistic plan.  

But you don’t have to master the SMART formula alone!  

Tip: 
If a goal feels too big or complicated, bring it to a coach. We love helping you shape your goals into something more manageable.  

3. New Semester Resolutions  

People make New Year’s resolutions at the beginning of the year. You can do the same thing at the beginning of a new semester!

Tip:
Think about these questions when creating resolutions.

1. What habits do you want to build this semester? 
2. What can you change to make this semester less stressful? 
3. What is one goal you want to finish when the semester ends?  

Stress Management

The goal of stress management is to use tools that help you regain a sense of control.

Your College Support System: You’re not expected to manage college stress alone. 

  • Professors – Office hours are a great place to ask questions, learn class rules, and learn more about course content. 
  • Academic Advisors – Advisors review your schedule, balance your course load, and plan a path that fits your goals and duties. 
  • Tutors – Practicing skills and working with a tutor can build confidence and reduce nerves before exams or other work. 
  • Success Coaches – Success Coaches help with study plans, time skills, goal setting, and tools to de-stress. 
  • Access Services – Access Services provide support for documented needs to ensure an even access to learning. 
  • Counseling Services – Counseling offers free support for your well-being, including tools for coping with challenges.. 
  • Financial Aid – Financial Aid can help you learn about aid types, forms and deadlines, and funding for college. 

Tip: If you’re not sure who to talk to, your Success Coach can help connect you with the right person or service.

Time Management

Time management is about using the time you have with more intention. It is highly personal, as everyone has different responsibilities.

1. Audit Your Time

Before you can manage your time, you have to know the amount of usable time you have.

Try this: 

List your commute, class times, work hours, caregiving responsibilities, meals, and anything else that fills your day. Then look for small gaps, as these are “hidden pockets” of time that often go unnoticed. 

Common examples of hidden pockets: 

  • Sitting in the laundromat or waiting on the dryer → read a chapter 
  • Waiting for dinner to cook → complete a short assignment or watch/listen to part of a lecture or other resources 
  • Driving → listen to audio notes or recorded lectures 
  • Arriving to class early → study notes 
  • Breaks between classes → draft discussion posts

The goal is not to fill every spare minute, but to reclaim the ones that help you stay caught up and not stressed out. Just make small, helpful choices.

Motivation

You may feel unsure where to start. That’s normal, and it’s something we can work through together!

Tip:
Talk to your Success Coach and let’s build a plan together before you feel like you’re drowning in assignments. Reaching out early can help you catch up! Reaching out late can cause more issues for you.

Yay for Little Wins

They matter more than you think.

Every finished paragraph and completed quiz is a step toward your larger goals. Celebrating these moments is part of staying motivated.

Treat yourself when you make progress. It’s about acknowledging that you moved forward!

When in Doubt, Just Start One Thing

You just need to start, motivated or not.

Once you begin, even with a tiny task, motivation often follows behind you. It’s easier to keep going once you’ve taken the first step.

Tip:

Action can fuel motivation.

Study Strategies

With the right study tools, you can work better and feel less stressed.

1. Break It Up

Long study sessions may cause your brain to stop studying correctly. Instead, try 25 minutes of focused studying followed by a 5-minute break (a tool known as the Pomodoro Technique).

Why it works:

·       Your brain doesn’t become as tired

·       You concentrate better

·       You fight burnout

·       You avoid the frustration of sitting for hours without remembering much

2. Active Studying, Not Passive Studying

Reading a chapter three times might feel like studying, but your brain won’t retain much without you being active.

Active studying includes:

·       Making your own test questions

·       Using paper or digital flashcards

·       Teaching the content to a friend

·       Explaining a concept out loud in your own words

Tip:
 If you can teach it, you truly know it.