Student resources

Learning & studying

• 5-Day Study Plan offers a more effective and less stressful approach compared to pulling an all-nighter. Use the steps and template to create your own 5-day study plan. The focus is on active preparation and review strategies to solidify knowledge before the exam.
• Focused Study Session (FSSs) can optimize your retention of course material through short, focused study time chunks. This method can motivate individuals to schedule several focused study sessions per class each week.
• Study Cycle is a five-step systematic process that involves previewing, attending, reviewing, studying and monitoring your progress. This method is designed to help students engage with course material more effectively, improve understanding and enhance retention and information.
• Note-taking before, during and after a lecture helps you stay organized and remember important information. It’s a great way to actively participate in your learning and improve your understanding of the material.
• Bloom’s Taxonomy guides students in progressively developing cognitive skills, ranging from remembering and understanding to applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating.

Group work

• Study groups provide a supportive environment for discussing challenging material, sharing resources, deepening understanding and improving study habits.
• Working in teams helps develop communication, problem-solving, leadership and interpersonal skills.

Time management

• Smart goals are beneficial for both short-term and long-term goals as it helps individuals stay focused, motivated and organized in achieving milestones within a specific time frame.
• Time budget sheet helps you manage your schedule effectively and make time for important tasks. It can also help in identifying distracting activities.
• Week-by-week time management allows you to plan and organize activities and appointments each specific week.
• Weekly planner can be used to assign specific time blocks for tasks like classes, studying, assignments and personal activities to improve time management and productivity.
• Creating a weekly to-do list with high and low priority tasks helps individuals stay organized, prioritize important tasks, manage time effectively and reduce stress.

Faculty & staff communication

• Improving class participation helps you learn, think critically and communicate effectively.
• Office hours are not just for doing damage control for your grade. Common reasons to attend office hours include seeking clarification on course material, discussing assignments or exams and receiving guidance on careers and research opportunities. Creating a relationship with your instructor through attending office hours also opens the doors to letters of recommendation.

Archived workshops

The following slides and resources are from the workshops we have run in the past. Curious what workshops are happening this quarter? Check Gather to view a list of upcoming Academic Success workshops.

Winter Workshop Series (2026)

Focuses on strengthening the cognitive tools that help you manage your time, take initiative, organize tasks, and study smarter. You’ll learn practical strategies you can use right away… plus the WHY behind them, as the Counseling Center breaks down the psychology of stress, motivation, and overwhelm.

Topics for this series include:

• Time Management/Taking Initiative
• Communicating/Networking with Professors
• Working in Teams/Navigating Conflict

view ASC workshop slides and worksheets view workshop slides and worksheets

Communicating with Professors

We assist students in brainstorming effective and professional ways to communicate their questions, concerns and interests with their professors in person, during office hours and through email. Additionally, we guide students in learning how to build long lasting relationships of trust with their professors.

• Workshop slides: Communicating with Professors
• Communicating with Professors Tips

Goal Setting & Motivation

We guide students through concept mapping, vision boarding and long/short-term goal setting. We ask students to uncover their “why.” Why are they at an institution of higher learning? Why are they seeking a higher education degree and more opportunities? Knowing their “why” can assist students in recognizing what motivates them and keeps them going. Students learn how to break down their bigger goals into smaller tasks.

• Workshop slides: Goal Setting Tips
• Goal Setting Tips

Learning Strategies

We share with students studying skills, meaningful learning, diverse learning styles and the impact of various learning environments.

• Workshop slides: Learning Strategies

Note-Taking

Students learn how about multiple forms of notetaking, efficient listening, and ways to organize information learned. Additionally, students learn about retention and critical application of knowledge learned.

• Workshop slides: Note-Taking & General Success Strategies

Test-Taking

Students learn how to best prepare for and study for exams while learning how to overcome test anxiety.

• Workshop slides: Test Taking Strategies
• Test Taking Tips

Health & safety

The CARE team is a group of trained campus professionals who quickly connect students to resources that address student concerns related to both academics, health and wellbeing — including, but not limited to:

• Concern for student’s health, safety, and well-being
• Financial or situational crisis
• Significant change in student’s behavior
• Disruptive of learning, living, or work environment

Math resources

• Khan Academy provides free lessons, practice exercises, and instructional videos to help you strengthen foundational skills in math, science, and other subjects so you can build confidence at your own pace.
• Desmos Calculator is an interactive graphing tool that helps you visualize equations and is useful for experimenting with graphs and checking mathematical ideas.
• Wolfram Alpha has computational tools for solving problems, exploring concepts, and checking mathematical work through detailed calculations and visualizations.
• Paul’s Online Math Notes offers clear explanations, examples, and practice problems for topics including algebra, calculus, and differential equations.
• 3Blue1Brown helps you visualize and understand challenging math concepts through engaging videos and intuitive explanations. It is especially useful for exploring topics in calculus, linear algebra, and other areas of higher-level mathematics.

CSS resources

• GeeksforGeeks and W3Schools are beginner-friendly resources that covers topics such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, SQL, and other essential coding skills.
• LeetCode and HackerRank will help you build programming and problem-solving skills through coding challenges, practice exercises, and technical assessments. Use it to build confidence with algorithms, data structures, programming languages, and technical interview preparation.
• The UWB CSS Wiki helps you navigate course technology, computing resources, and programming tools used in CSS courses. It includes guides for accessing lab machines, setting up development environments, using tools like Linux, Docker, and Visual Studio Code, and finding course-related support resources.
• Cracking the Coding Interview shows you how to prepare for software engineering interviews through practice problems, explanations, and strategies for solving common technical questions. The book is available for checkout and is a useful resource for improving skills in algorithms, data structures, and coding problem-solving.

Science & engineering resources

• UW Open Source Textbooks gives access to free digital textbooks and learning materials to supplement coursework and provide affordable alternatives to traditional textbooks.
• HyperPhysics explores physics concepts through organized explanations, diagrams, and interactive concept maps.
• The Engineering ToolBox provides reference information, formulas, and data related to physics, materials, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and other engineering concepts.
• McMaster-Carr serves as a comprehensive online catalog of engineering parts, materials, and hardware used in design and manufacturing.
• Ansys Education provides access to engineering simulation tools used for modeling, analysis, and design for structural analysis, fluid dynamics, electromagnetics, and other engineering applications through hands-on simulation.
• Jeff Hanson’s channel helps you learn engineering and mathematics concepts through clear video lectures and worked examples.
• PhET Interactive Simulations provides interactive virtual experiments and visual models for physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, and mathematics. You can experiment and observe concepts in action.
• Shigley’s Mechanical Engineering Design is useful for learning about machine elements, stress analysis, materials, and design methodology.

Available software

The QSC computers have the Microsoft Office Suite and other programs standard to all UW Bothell computers, as well as the following specialty software:

• ArcGIS 10.2.2 for Desktop
• BlueJ
• EASy68K, Sim68K
• Eclipse
• Emacs
• Google Earth
• IBM SPSS Statistics 21
• LTspice IV
• MATLAB R2013b
• Microsoft Mathematics (64-bit)
• Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2013
• NetBeans IDE 8.0.2
• PuTTY
• Python 3.4.2 (64-bit)
• QB64
• R for Windows
• RStudio
• Tableau
• TortoiseHg 3.1.1 (64-bit)
• TortoiseSVN 1.8.8.25755 (64-bit)
• Wolfram CDF Player
• Scratch
• Maple

Citing sources

Citation requirements in assignments differ by professor. We recommend double-checking the guidelines before choosing a citation method. A variety of tools for common citations can be found below.

• APA Style
• MLA Style
• CSE Style
• Chicago Style
• IEEE Style
• Citation Machine creates citations in APA, MLA, Chicago, and other citation styles with this easy-to-use citation generator.
• UW Libraries Zotero Guide teaches how to use Zotero to organize research sources, manage references, and generate citations while streamlining the research and writing process.

Communication practice

Build confidence in your spoken communication through one-on-one practice with a tutor.

Conversation Partners: Practice speaking English in a supportive, low-pressure environment. Conversation Partner appointments are a great way to build fluency, expand your vocabulary, improve pronunciation, and gain confidence in everyday, academic, or professional conversations.

Presentation and Speeches: Prepare for class presentations, speeches, or other speaking engagements by practicing with a tutor to help you communicate your ideas effectively. Book an appointment independently or with your presenting group.

To schedule a communication practice appointment, use our online scheduling system and indicate the type of support you’re looking for in the “Is there anything else you’d like to share?” box when booking your appointment.

learn more about how to access WaCC tutoring learn more about how to access WaCC tutoring

Campus Library

On the Campus Library website, use the “UW Libraries Search” tab to discover articles, books, media and more. Use “Course Reserves Search” tab to find course-related required materials made available through the UWB/CC Campus Library. You can also select “Research by Subject” to explore the A to Z database. The subject librarians are a good resource if your topic is in depth.

Writing guides

• Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab) A comprehensive writing resource with guides on the writing process, grammar, citations, formatting, research, and academic writing. A great starting point for nearly any writing question.
• UW Bothell WaCC Technical Writing Guide helps you develop skills for creating clear and effective technical documents.
• UNC Chapel Hill has practical guides for every stage of the writing process, from brainstorming ideas and developing a thesis to revising a final draft.
• Harvard College Writing Center Resources focuses on analytical and research-based writing with guidance on argument development, organization, evidence, and academic essays.
• University of Toronto Writing Advice explores strategies for different types of academic writing, including essays, literature reviews, reports, and other common assignments.
• George Mason University Writing Center Quick Guides gives concise, easy-to-follow advice for common writing challenges such as organization, integrating sources, revision, and clarity.
• Reverse Outlining is a simple revision technique for evaluating the organization, flow, and logic of your writing while identifying gaps and repetitive ideas.

Grammar & editing resources

• The Punctuation Guide reviews punctuation rules with clear explanations and practical examples.
• Purdue OWL’s Grammar explores grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, style, and other essentials of academic writing.
• Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary & Thesaurus includes an audio pronunciation feature.
• Ask Betty gives grammar explanations, instructor margin comments, FAQs, and links to additional writing resources.
• Grammarly provides automated feedback on grammar, spelling, punctuation, clarity, and writing style while revising your work.

ESL resources

The Writing & Communication Center welcomes multilingual and English language learners at any stage of their language development. Our tutors can help you better understand assignment expectations, brainstorm ideas, organize your thoughts, develop confidence in academic English, and strengthen your writing and communication skills.

• Purdue OWL ESL Resources provide guidance on grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, punctuation, and common challenges faced by English language learners.
• Book a Conversation Partner appointment to practice English conversation, or combine it with writing support to better understand assignments, brainstorm ideas, or anything else you need support with.

CSS 301 Technical Writing

Please note: These resources are intended as learning examples. Assignment requirements vary by instructor and course, so not all content, formatting, or recommendations in the sample papers or slideshow may align with your professor’s expectations. Always follow the instructions and grading criteria provided for your specific assignment.

• CSS 301 Patterns
• Compare & Contrast Sample Paper
• Persuasive Sample Paper
• Problem Solution Sample 1
• Problem Solution Sample 2
• Process Sample Paper

Need additional help? Schedule an appointment for one-on-one support with your technical writing assignments.