Academic Support
Looking to sharpen your academic skills?
Do you ever lose track of time? Do you sit down to read for class but find yourself losing track of what the author is saying? Are you concerned that your note taking or test taking strategies aren’t working for your current courses?
The Educational Resource Center offers several services to help BU undergraduate and graduate students become confident, independent, and lifelong learners: Academic Skills Advising, Academic Skills Workshops, and an FY103 course—Academic Strategies: Mastering the Art of Learning. Click the links below to learn more!
Academics at BU can be difficult to navigate, but you don’t have to figure it out alone. We are here to
help!
During a 45 minute Academic Skills Advising appointment, you’ll meet one-on-one with a professional staff member to discuss your academic journey and build on your strengths. Common topics addressed during Academic Skills Advising appointments include time management, organization, study skills, exam prep and test taking techniques, stress and anxiety. During your appointment, our staff will work with you to develop a personalized plan for your academic success, and you will leave with tangible strategies to use moving forward.
Scheduling an Appointment
Log in to Handshake using your BU credentials. From the Career Center drop-down menu, select Appointments. Follow the prompts to select a date and time that works best for you.
If you don’t have a Handshake account and are eligible, you can request one here. Note: Professional school students, online students, BU Academy Students, and non-degree students, should request Academic Skills Advising via this form as they are not able to book appointments through Handshake at this time.
Cancelling or Rescheduling Your Appointment
To cancel, visit the Career Center drop-down menu and select Appointments. Click on the appointment you wish to cancel, then click the red “Cancel” button. To reschedule, cancel your existing appointment, then schedule a new appointment.
Note: cancelling an appointment less than 24 hours in advance is considered a no-show. Please review counseling appointment policies for related policies and consequences. If you have additional questions, please contact Kailee Traficante for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an Academic Skills Advising appointment look like?
When you come to
the ERC for an Academic Skills Advising appointment, you will meet with a professional staff member for 45 minutes. Appointments
typically focus on a specific topic (e.g. time management). During your appointment, we will collaboratively
discuss your academic background and share helpful strategies and resources. If
you have additional questions regarding a different topic, you might be asked to make a follow up appointment
to allow for an additional 45 minutes.
What should I not expect at my appointment?
You should not
expect the staff member to do all the talking; this is your academic journey and the process is
collaborative! Also, please keep in mind that ERC professional staff members are not tutors or Teaching Fellows. Our staff can
provide academic strategies that will assist you in navigating any course, but Academic Skills Advising should not replace going to office hours or taking advantage of
Peer Tutoring.
How can I get the most out of my appointment?
Showing up on time is crucial for a 45 minute appointment. Come prepared to participate! Do some
reflection prior to the appointment about what has worked for you in the past and what is working for you now.
Knowing and communicating your current strengths and weaknesses will help you leave the appointment with a
customized plan.
Whom will I be meeting with for my appointment?
The ERC staff members who conduct Academic Skills Advising appointments are full time professional
staff who are here to listen. We are dedicated to helping you be your best academic self and will do so with
empathy and understanding. Curious which staff member you might be meeting with? Check out our staff bios on our
About Us page. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Looking for new strategies to manage your time better, improve your study skills, and perform better on different test formats? Our Academic Skills Workshops are the perfect way to brush up your skills. Best of all, they are open to all BU undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and staff. Check out the descriptions of our current workshops below, then visit the ERC Calendar to sign up for an upcoming session!
We also offer custom workshops for faculty/staff and student organizations. Fill out our Workshop Request Form to request a presentation for your class, event, or student group.
Currently offered workshops are:
Avoiding Plagiarism
How do you use sources? When do you cite? How can you best avoid plagiarism? Based on Boston University’s policies regarding academic integrity, this workshop will demystify the proper way to integrate sources into your writing and provide accurate citations.
Boost Your Reading Strategies
Did you know that boosting your reading comprehension is one of the most effective ways to enhance your overall academic performance? This workshop will introduce you to a variety of techniques for reading textbooks, academic articles, and more. You will also learn annotation and note taking strategies to help you translate class readings into study materials for your next exam or paper.
Essential Tips to Manage Your Time & Reach Your Goals
Does it feel like there are never enough hours in the day? Are you pulling all-nighters to complete assignments at the last minute? Or, perhaps, you have all of your classes and extracurricular activities color-coded in your iCal or Google Calendar but you aren’t sure how to optimize your study time. In this workshop, you will learn essential time management principles and strategies for overcoming procrastination. You’ll also discover prioritization tools to help you confidently navigate your weekly routine and set achievable goals that build toward your long-term objectives.
Fostering Academic Motivation
Do you sometimes struggle to find the motivation to complete assignments? Do you wonder why sometimes you feel like you’re “in the zone” while other times you’re waiting for inspiration to strike? In this workshop, you’ll learn research-backed strategies to help you monitor and enhance your academic motivation so that you can better sustain it over the long haul.
Gear Up for Midterms: Study Strategies and Test Taking
This workshop gives you all the tools you need to tackle midterms season! From managing your study time to getting academic support, this workshop will help you study more effectively, lower your stress levels, and stay focused.
Get Ready for Finals
This workshop gives you all the tools you need to navigate finals–not just to feel ready in the exam room, but to get into the “finals mindset” and lower the stress that comes with realizing that finals are just a few weeks away. Whether you’re a seasoned test-taker or a finals rookie, this workshop will equip you with the test-taking, study, and self-care methods to ace finals week!
Intro to College Writing
Do you get nervous just thinking about a writing assignment? Are you hoping to gain confidence as a writer? This workshop will help you break down the writing process and gain familiarity with essential strategies and resources for approaching college-level writing. This workshop is geared toward students who are adjusting to new writing expectations, those looking for a refresher, and those seeking information regarding on-campus writing support.
Overview of CCD-ERC Services
“Introduction to ERC and CCD services.” A Student Ambassador will provide your class or student group with an overview of the services provided at the CCD and ERC and how to engage with them. As current students themselves, our ambassadors can share their own personal experiences utilizing the services. To request this workshop, please visit the
Center for Career Development’s website.
Self-Editing Workshop
Led by ERC Writing Fellows, this workshop will equip you to edit and proofread your papers with confidence! While learning how to revise the style and voice of your papers, you will also learn how to identify patterns of error at the sentence level.
Study Smarter, Not Harder: Effective Note Taking & Study Strategies
Are you tired of pulling all-nighters and cramming for exams? Research suggests that instead of cramming, you should space your studying out over several days and weeks. This workshop will equip you with active note taking and study strategies to improve your comprehension and retention of course material.
Test Taking & Test Anxiety
This workshop offers strategies that will help you navigate exams more efficiently, budget your time, and manage your stress levels during an exam. You will learn how to approach different types of questions on an exam and how to respond if you don’t know the answer to a question. You will also learn how to assess your performance on past exams in order to improve your study strategies.
Understanding and Overcoming Procrastination
Are you a procrastinator who is hoping to change your habits? In this workshop, you will learn how to recognize your individual patterns of procrastination. You will also learn concrete strategies to help you start building new routines to change the habit of procrastination.
FY103: Academic Strategies is a nine week course designed for undergraduate students who want to take control of their academic success. Throughout the course, you will become aware of your strengths and identify tools to address academic challenges. The topics covered in this course will empower you to become more self-aware as a learner while developing skills that will support your success in college and beyond. The course is open to current BU undergraduate students.
To learn more about the course, visit the FY103: Academic Strategies website.
