ACADEMIC COUNSELING

Welcome to the college experience. You are now responsible for yourself, reaching your goals and realizing your dreams. It will appear at first as though you will have much more free time and will not have to work very hard to succeed. However, just the opposite is true: how you manage your time, whether or not you attend classes and keep up on assignments, whether or not you study 2-3 hours outside of class for every hour in class, whether or not you make the grade point average to continue to another semester or transfer to a four year college, whether or not you go for extra help as needed – these are all now solely up to you.

The Counseling Center stands ready to assist you with developing the academic tools you will need to have in your toolbox to succeed – your Survival Skills. Some of these resources

Individualized Academic Counseling

Counselors are available on an appointment basis to assist you with specific academic concerns.  The most frequent requests are for assistance with time management issues and Test Anxiety.  However, any concern that you may have that is interfering with your success as a student is important to resolve and we encourage you to make an appointment to discuss it with a counselor.  All services are free to students on an appointment basis.

  • Help with locating appropriate campus resources.  You may also find it helpful to refer to the Going To College pages on our Admissions link as it lists names, locations and phone numbers of some of the more commonly asked for resources.
  • Student advocacy for resolution of academic/interpersonal difficulties between students and faculty.  The Counseling Center staff often consults with members of the college community to assist students who may be experiencing a personal, academic or mental health crisis.  This is done only with your permission.  Please see confidentiality statement on the homepage and don’t hesitate to discuss this with your counselor.
  • Counseling regarding course selection and intra-college transfer requirements as well as issues involving course withdrawals that may be necessary for optimal academic achievement.

Learning And Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI)

The LASSI is an assessment to determine your study strengths and weaknesses in 10 categories. It will give you an idea about where you may need to improve learning and study skills such as time management, test anxiety, motivation, reading for comprehension, etc. Following the assessment, a counselor will review techniques that will help you strengthen weak areas.

The College Survival Guide

A most helpful booklet, published by the Counseling Center, and best read BEFORE classes begin. It offers over 100 pages of pertinent information related to going to college: study skills, what your professor will expect of you, the college requirements for dropping a course, withdrawing from college, etc., a description of your academic schedule, intercollegiate groups on campus, and many other items of interest. Copies are available, free of charge, in the Counseling Center.

Some helpful additional sites:

Help with solving math problems, identifying your learning style, and information on math study skills

Available in 10 languages on the following topics:  study guides and strategies for preparation, classroom participation, reading skills, writing basics, writing types, project management, math, science and technology, research, preparation for tests, taking tests, outlines, learning and community, learning with others, studying, mind maps, learning styles.

A website for determining your learning style: Visual, Aural, Read/write, Kinesthetic that gives you tips for studying and test taking using your learning strengths.

Calculating your Grade Point Average (GPA)

The following links to the STCC College Catalog provide the details you will need to know to maintain good academic standing.  If you have questions about any of these issues, please talk to your advisor, a counselor, or the registrar:

  • http://www.stcc.edu/studentservices/pdfs/stcc2006CompleteCatalog.pdf
    • Grading - p. 53
    • Academic Standing: - p.54
    • Developmental Courses (Non-college level) - p. 55
    • Class Attendance - p. 56
    • Mid-semester grades - p.56
    • Make up exams - p.56
    • Course changes (add/drop) - p. 56
    • Course withdrawal - p. 57
    • Repeating a course - p. 57
    • Auditing a class - p. 57
    • Directed Study - p.57
    • College withdrawal - p.57
    • Academic honors (Dean’s List, Alpha Beta Gamma Business Honor Society, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Talent Roster of Outstanding Transfer Students, Awards and Scholarships, Commencement Honors) - p.57
  • Here is a site you can use to calculate your gpa/qpa as well as calculate the grades you may need in future semesters to raise your gpa/qpa.

ERIC archives (Education Resources Information Center)

Need to write a paper or do a research presentation? Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) is a major resource for educational information - now available electronically. ERIC is the world’s largest digital library of education literature with free access to more than a million bibliographic records of journal articles and other education-related materials in its database. Visit www.eric.ed.gov to begin a search.

Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities have additional points to ponder as they prepare for college. The college’s Office of Disability Services should be the first stop.  Go to: http://www.stcc.edu/ods/ for further information.

Other helpful websites:

  • The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights offers a brochure to answer questions commonly asked by students with disabilities, such as when and how to disclose a disability, how to ask for accommodations, and which accommodations colleges must provide. You can read the text online at www.ed.gov/ocr/transition.html. This publication can also be made available in alternate formats, such as Braille, large print or computer disk. Contact the Department’s Alternate Format Center at 202-260-0852, or, for TDD, via the Federal Relay Service toll-free, 1-800-877-8339.
  • Attention Deficit Disorder  ADD/ADHD  http://www.chadd.com
  • Disabilities Law Center http://www.dlc-ma.org Legal representation, advice and referrals
  • Adolescents and Adults with Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorders http://www.rit.edu/~easi/easisem/ldnoelbw.html Scroll down to the table of contents and find many helpful resources and additional websites.
  • Closing The Gap, Inc. http://www.closingthegap.com An internationally recognized source for information on innovative applications of assistive technology for children and adults with special needs
  • Autism: Interventions and Strategies for Success.  http://www.specialed.us/autism/index2.htm.  An excellent site including six printable articles regarding autism spectrum disorder
  • Autism Spectrum Quarterly  http://www.asQuarterly.com  Brings down-to earth, practical information to families, professionals, and persons with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).