Center for Academic Success and Achievement

Take a look at common student concerns to find out where to go.

Need help studying content for a specific class?

• Book an appointment with an individual tutor.
• Check out our drop-in tutoring schedule (no appointment needed).
• Visit SmartThinking or StudyEdge for 24/7 online tutoring, videos and study guides on course material.

Need guidance on managing coursework, project planning, or building academic skills?

• Book an appointment with an academic coach to receive 1-on-1 support.
• Attend a success seminar to develop knowledge, skills, and behaviors for your academic success.

Do you have a paper due soon?

• Schedule a writing support appointment with a writing specialist who will coach you toward your writing goals in any class.
• Visit SmartThinking for online paper assistance.

Does your class have in-depth reading requirements?

• Book a reading support appointment for guidance with reading complex texts efficiently.

Working on a research paper or project?

• Book an appointment with a reference librarian for help with database navigation and finding sources.
• Attend a Research Paper Boot Camp Workshop to work through the most challenging steps of the research process.
• Make a reading support appointment to learn how to synthesize ideas from multiple articles.

Need to edit your writing?

• Check out Grammarly software, provided by the University.
• Schedule an appointment with a writing specialist who can help you spot grammar issues and teach you to improve your usage.

Still not sure where to go? Contact us and we’ll point you in the right direction.

1-on-1 collaboration with a coach to identify academic concerns and troubleshoot solutions.

Academic coaching is a working partnership that focuses on identifying barriers and fostering new ways to achieve academic success. You can meet with a coach to discuss academic concerns and brainstorm solutions. The coach can provide a range of services to match each student's unique academic goals.

Schedule an Appointment

Coaching Support Includes:

• Where to Start
• Note-Taking
• Achieving Balance
• Goal Setting
• Motivation
• Getting Organized
• Countering Procrastination
• Managing Time and Priorities
• Test Preparation
• Project Planning
• Online Learning
• Learning Strategies
• Using Technology for Academics

Interactive, discussion-based seminars that strengthen academic skills.

Success seminars are weekly in-person and online workshops designed to be interactive and tailored around your personal experiences. Sessions focus on developing knowledge, skills and behaviors for your academic success.

Success Seminar Topics Include:

• Learning Strategies
• Note-taking Tips
• Motivation
• Goal Setting
• Finding Balance
• Planning and Organizing
• Countering Procrastination
• Making the Most of Online Courses
• Finals Week Preparation

Smarthinking

24/7 online access to learning tools and tutoring support.

Smarthinking offers 24/7 online tutoring and expert writing guidance. It provides online support through live, one-on-one tutoring in 150+ core subjects and asynchronous writing critiques for research papers, creative writing, resumes, and application essays. Students can get assistance on-demand and also archive sessions to view later.

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Smarthinking Resources

• List of supported courses
• Smarthinking FAQ
• Smarthinking Tutorials:
  • Smarthinking Tutoring Overview
  • How to use Drop-In Tutoring
  • How to Get Writing Help

Study Edge

Online library of engaging videos, study guides and practice problems for more than 30 college courses.

Study Edge features a comprehensive library of essential study skills materials. "Study Experts" lead pre-recorded video sessions paired with study guides and practice problems. Study Edge also provides 24/7 support for some of the most challenging STEM, accounting and economics content.

1. Go to Study Edge.
2. Select a subject.
3. Enter your first and last name.
4. Enter your BW email address (username@bw.edu).
5. Enter access code BWU1845 and continue.

Grammarly Premium

Download Your Grammarly Premium Account

Grammarly is a writing and grammar tool that, once downloaded, automatically checks grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style errors for everything you type. BW provides students with a Grammarly Premium account for free. Grammarly is available to download for Microsoft Office Suite, Windows, IOS, Android, and any other apps you use.

• Tips on getting the most out of Grammarly
• Grammarly Tech Support

Access Your Premium Account

Academic Honesty

• Academic Affairs Academic Honesty Policy

Schedule 30 or 60-minute appointments, in-person or online

Individual tutoring is available in most subject areas. Meet with tutors to bridge gaps in knowledge and supplement, complement and enhance your learning.

Schedule an Appointment

Request a tutor for courses not currently supported

No appointment necessary, just stop in at the scheduled time

Make drop-in tutoring a part of your weekly schedule to complete homework and prepare for tests with support of our trained tutors. Drop-in tutoring is a great option for last-minute questions in classes such as biology, chemistry, economics, mathematics and statistics.

Drop-In Tutoring Schedule

Regularly scheduled small groups work with a peer tutor facilitator

Discuss material shared in class, upcoming assignments and prepare for students. Commitment to regular attendance and active participation ensures the group’s success.

Weekly study sessions facilitated by a peer leader for students in pre-selected courses

The supplemental instruction (SI) peer leader guides students on what to learn and how to learn. Regularly scheduled out-of-class study sessions focus on collaboration and group study. Attendance is voluntary but highly encouraged as data suggests students who regularly attend earn higher grades.

Read to learn more effectively and efficiently

Receive reading support by meeting individually with a reading specialist to learn the most efficient and effective reading strategies to suit your learning goals.

• Get help with one particularly tough assignment or meet with us regularly for ongoing reading support.
• Appointments are offered online or in our CASA offices on the top floor of Ritter Library.

Schedule an Appointment

Reading Resources

• Annotation
• Reading to Learn: Before-During-After Reading Strategies

Meet individually with a writing specialist, who will coach you toward your writing goals.

• Obtain writing assistance for any course or assignment, plus resumes and job or graduate school application personal statements.
• Get help with one tough assignment or see us regularly for ongoing writing help.
• Support available for both English as a primary language and as a secondary language.
• Appointments are offered online or in our CASA offices on the top floor of Ritter Library.

Schedule an Appointment

Grammarly

Automated grammar and revision support tool to reinforce proper editing habits and prevent plagiarism.

• Automatically checks grammar, spelling, punctuation and style errors for everything you type
• Built-in plagiarism checker
• Adjust settings to meet your goals
• Available for multiple browsers, the Microsoft Office suite, Android and iOS Apps, and Desktop Apps
• Access your account

Citation Resources

• Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
• Modern Language Association (MLA) Handbook Plus
• APA Style Online
• The Chicago Manual of Style