In the Loop: Why do you need success coaching? (Season 3, Episode 1)

What is success coaching or why do you need success coaching? Our episode will help you get to know better how success coaching can help your academic career at UW through different approaches!

Academic Success Coaching focuses on building the basic academic skills such as time-management, motivation, and reaching you goals. Through a series of one-on-one appointments, you will work with your coach to get from where you are now academically to where you want to be, and create a secure foundation for success in college.

Learn more about success coaching: http://academicsupport.uw.edu/academic-success-coach/

Tips for a successful winter quarter

Ideas and insights from CIRCLE’s Student Success Coordinator Mary Kay Grossblatt

Welcome to the new quarter and new possibilities!

Although we find ourselves in challenging times right now, there are still opportunities to grow and learn. With the new quarter starting it is a good time to reflect on past experiences and apply that learning to prepare for future quarters. What strategies are working well and what do you want to change? Developing this reflective and adaptive process is an important skill that will benefit you in the future as you move through the UW to graduation and beyond. Listen to other students share about their past quarter experiences on our CIRCLE “In the Loop” podcast here.

As you prepare for Winter quarter, here are some tips to help you start strong:

1) Have a plan for your academics

How is your workspace? Now that we have been using our workspaces for some time, are there changes that you want to make? Consider posting inspiring quotes or special photos up in the area. Listen to other students share about how they set up their workspace here.

Time management is important! Use your planner and/or calendar to create needed structure to your days and weeks. Did you know that CIRCLE offers free peer coaching to help you improve your academic strategies like time management?

Keep improving your study strategies. Shorter, regular 1-2 hour study blocks are more helpful to retain information than less frequent, longer study times. Academic Support Programs has helpful tips for studying here. See what works for you and make changes as needed.

Connect with your TA’s and professors early in the quarter if you have any questions or challenges. Listen to recommendations on reaching out from two UW professors, Dr. Xiaosong Li and Dr. Megan Callow.

2) Add self-care activities to your daily routine

Creating daily routines is important when we are all working and studying remotely. Add in one or two daily self-care activities like brisk walks (if it is safe to do so), stretching or deep breathing exercises. Keeping a daily journal can be helpful and is also a way to document this unique time to remember once this time is long past.

3) Explore new ways to connect to community

Try out a new registered student organization (RSO), join CIRCLE Community Conversations or check out the new CIRCLE Discord platform coming in late January where you can join a virtual space and connect with students and CIRCLE programs. Hear a student’s perspective on the benefits of RSOs on this CIRCLE podcast.

4) Stay determined!

It is not an easy time right now to be a student, so stay strong and keep adapting. As we move along our academic and life paths, sometimes unexpected events come along and we need to reevaluate our goals and make changes, and that is normal. If you ever feel overwhelmed, know that it is important to ask for help and that is no reflection on your ability to be a good student. We are here to support your success as well as help you through any challenges you experience.

Throughout the quarter, please reach out to UW and CIRCLE resources, join our CIRCLE events or email us directly at uwcircle@uw.edu with any questions. We look forward to hearing from you.

Wishing you a happy, healthy, Husky winter quarter!

To learn more about CIRCLE Student Success Coaching and Mary Kay’s work, visit the Student Success Coaching page.

In the Loop podcast: Major Exploration (Season 2, Episode 8)

Have you ever wondered who is your advisor? Or if you do not have one, how do you find one? Ever felt pressured to chose a major or know what you are majoring right away?

Today we have Dan Feetham, director of undergraduate academic affairs advising, who will guide us through choosing our majors or reaching out to advisors. Feetham is a passionate advisor, who previously served as director of Advising and Student Engagement at the College of Engineering. In that role, he oversaw an award-winning advising staff that served more than 2,000 students annually. Listen now!

In the Loop podcast: Connecting with RSOs (Season 2, Episode 7)

Our podcast today is the first of two that will focus on connecting to community through UW registered student organizations remotely and how they can be an amazing addition to your college experience. During this remote quarter most UW student clubs are still very active and are a great way for you to to connect, share your passion with others and make a difference in areas that are important to you. Today we will talk with one student and find out about their experience and the impact that participating in UW registered student organizations has made on their time here at UW. Listen now!

New Scam Targeting International Students (Nov. 2020)

It has come to our attention that there is a new scam targeting international students. There are no reports of UW students falling victims to this scam but we are sharing this information so that you can protect yourself. This is what we know:

The scammers are disguising their phone numbers as if it is a local ICE phone number (known as spoofing), so when someone receives a call, the number will show as “ICE” or “Immigration and Customs Enforcement.” These callers are not ICE officers
If the person answers the phone, the scammers will tell them that their status is in jeopardy and that they must pay money to fix it. This is not how you resolve status violations – if you are ever concerned about your status, contact ISS

Please remember that ICE or any other government official will never call you and ask for money. Scammers tend to use official terms that will make it seem that they are a government agency, which is why student believe them—this is not the case.

If you receive a call like this, please do the following:

Hang up immediately.
Report the call to the anonymous ICE tip line at 1-866-347-2423.
Report the call to the UW Police Department (UWPD) at their non-emergency line, (206) 685-UWPD (8973).
Reach out to the ISS Office if you want to confirm your student status or to ask any questions that you might have.

Please stay alert and be safe

In the Loop podcast: Academic Support Programs at the UW (Season 2, Episode 6)

How can UW students get academic support remotely this quarter?

This week staff from Academic Support Programs (ASP) join us on the In the Loop podcast to talk about the various programs they offer to UW students. From CLUE tutoring to academic success coaching, ASP are here to support you through your college journey! Learn more about their programs and how they have updated their programs for the remote quarter.

Listen to the podcast here

Academic Support Programs website: http://www.academicsupport.washington.edu/

Dan Zhu, CIRCLE’s Assistant Director, is awarded the Outstanding Mid-Level Professional Award during Student Life’s 2020 Kick Off Event

Congratulations to Dan Zhu, CIRCLE’s Assistant Director, on being awarded the Outstanding Mid-Level Professional Award during Student Life’s 2020 Kick Off event!

“Dan joined Student Life with the distinct opportunity to create a program where domestic and international students could help enhance their transitions to and engagement with diversity. If you’ve had the chance to interact with Dan, you know of her exuberance, respect, joy and commitment to the Unite UW program and the UW. She is creative, engaging, and always answers the call to be of assistance to students and staff alike.”

Congratulations Dan and thank you for all that you do!

Check out Dan’s award video here:

In the Loop Podcast: Setting Up Your Workspace (Season 2, Episode 5)

In this week’s podcast we have two student guests who will be sharing what they learned about their workspace in spring and whether they are making any changes for the current quarter. After we hear from the students, we will share information on UW resources for renting equipment to use during the quarter & setting up your chair & desk ergonomically.

In the Loop podcast: How to Talk to Faculty Members (Non-Science) (Season 2, Episode 4)

There are many avenues to find success in a remote learning environment and Dr. Megan Callow is here to share them!

Our fourth “In the Loop” episode features special guest, Dr. Megan Callow, the Senior Lecturer and Director for Interdisciplinary Writing Program of the Department of Writing. This episode explores the topics of building successful connections with professors, expectations of a remote learning experience, and her tips on succeeding this quarter!

In the Loop podcast: How to Talk to Faculty Members (Science) (Season 2, Episode 3)

Have you wondered how to best connect with science professors while succeeding in a mostly online quarter?

Our third “In the Loop” episode features special guest, Dr. Xiaosong Li, a professor of Chemistry at UW to explore the topics of finding support, connecting with professors, and succeeding in a remote quarter. Listen now!