Academic Advising and Counseling Services (AACS) provides academic and personal counseling services for undergraduates in The College of Arts and Sciences.
The primary goal of AACS is to help students to better themselves and to help them learn to use the resources of SU to meet their unique educational needs and aspirations.
To meet with an academic counselor, you have several options. You can call our office at 443-2207 or come in personally to schedule a half-hour individual meeting. You can also stop by during our walk-in hours (listed under “Office Hours and Appointments” below) to see an Academic Counselor on a first come first-served basis.
If you are a professor, a staff member, or a concerned friend, we invite you to encourage a student you know to meet with one of us if you think he or she might benefit from it. You can also contact our office directly if you would prefer that we contact the student to invite him or her to make an appointment.
Services Offered
There are many reasons to meet with an academic counselor, and some of them may surprise you. Read on, and if you find a description that fits you, we invite you to call 443-2207 to schedule an appointment.
High School to College
College culture, with its many new demands, can be very different from high school. You may find that you are having difficulty with the transition (we often hear “I never had to study in high school!”). We can work with you to make this change more enjoyable and productive.
Strategies for Success
Do you know how to use your time effectively, remember what you read, and tackle big projects without getting overwhelmed? We can help you develop customized approaches to get the most out of your courses, improve your grades, and lower your stress level.
Core Requirements
The Liberal Arts Core requirements may seem complex, especially at first. If you’ve reviewed the requirements and still have some questions, make an appointment to come on in and we will look at them together.
Academic Decisions
If you’re trying to decide whether to drop a class or declare a certain major, we are here to discuss your choices. We don’t tell you what to choose, but we will do our best to review your options and help you evaluate the pros and cons.
Academic Probation
Some students don’t come to our office until they are placed on academic probation, when meeting with an academic counselor is required. We work with probation students (and students who don’t want to end up on probation) to address the challenges that got them to that point and how to turn things around.
Exams and Presentations
It’s natural to feel a little nervous about taking a test or giving a presentation for a class. But when that worry starts to get in the way of learning, we offer techniques and coaching to aid you in approaching exams and presentations with confidence.
Where to Go for Help
College students encounter all kinds of problems that affect their academic work, and Syracuse University has a wide range of offices that can help (sometimes these resources are right down the hall from us!). If you’re not sure where to go, make our office your first stop—and we’ll point you in the right direction.
Support and Encouragement
Sometimes you know what you need to do (such as going to a professor’s office hours, or starting a paper the week before it is due), and you just need some support or encouragement. We can support you as you take on academic goals that feel challenging or new to you.
Selected Studies
When you have a unique topic you would like to study in depth that cannot be accommodated by an existing major, you may want to consider Selected Studies. A Selected Studies major requires an in-depth proposal, a willing faculty advisor, and approval from the Director of AACS. Interested? Stop by to pick up a brochure.
Student Peer Advising
The Student Peer Advisors (or SPAs) help first-year students acclimate to college and register for classes. They also conduct outreach activities throughout the year. If you would like to become a SPA, visit 329 Hall of Languages for more information on how and when to apply.
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