Where to Get Help in College
College is a whole new world with so many different opportunities, challenges, and a lot of different support centers and offices. So many, that you might not even know where to start when you need help. Below, you can find some examples of common offices found on college campuses, and the types of resources they provide in order to address your needs. Keep in mind, these services are included in your tuition, so they are typically completely free for enrolled students to utilize.
Advising Office: This is where you can go if you need support on which classes to take, changing majors, adding majors, your academic progress towards graduation, and other topics related to your academic plan of study.
Academic Support Center: Some colleges will have academic support centers for you to go to if you are looking for tutoring, need help with time management or other areas of your academics. These centers may include writing or math centers, while at some schools they will be separate centers.
Accessibility Services: These centers are often called disability support services or disability resource centers. They are dedicated offices that provide support, resources and accommodations for students regardless of physical or cognitive abilities. Students who need academic or housing accommodations can make specific arrangements with these offices based on their unique needs.
Bursar: This is the office that handles student charges and fees, which includes tuition and student health insurance. As a student, you will likely only need to go to the bursar’s office for issues with insurance as all financial questions should be first directed to financial aid offices.
Campus Dining Services: This is the office that is responsible for your dining plan. Therefore, you may want to contact this office if you are having any trouble with your meal plan, requesting dietary accommodations or want to address any issues related to the dining facilities.
Career Center: If you need help with career exploration, job searching, resume writing, interview preparation, internships and networking opportunities, the career center on campus is a great place to start. Whether you are in your first term of college or your last, career centers are accustomed to working with students with a wide range of professional goals and postgraduate study interests, and are always eager to help you navigate the job and internship search process in your field(s) of interest.
Counseling Services: For mental health support, counseling sessions, crisis intervention and guidance on your personal or emotional challenges, the counseling services office is a good place to go. Staff in counseling services work with students to address immediate and long-term mental health challenges and develop ongoing solutions and coping mechanisms.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Center: DEI offices provide support, resources, and initiatives related to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion on campus. This could include addressing issues of discrimination, both at the individual and the systemic/policy level; organizing cultural events that foster a sense of belonging for students who hold specific identities; offering diversity training to students, staff, and faculty to better support those they work with, and providing resources that address specific needs for marginalized communities on campus. DEI centers may also engage with the community surrounding their college, leveraging the resources of the college to directly address the community’s needs, as well as connecting students with resources in the broader community.
Financial Aid Office: This office provides assistance with financial aid applications; information on grants, scholarships, loans and work study programs, as well as questions regarding your tuition bill and payment plans. The financial aid office also helps you address any need for additional aid depending on your family’s changing financial circumstances.
Health Center: For any basic medical care needed as a student, the health center is a great place to go for check-ups, treatment of minor illnesses and injuries, vaccinations, sexual health services, mental health support and referrals to specialists if needed. Be mindful of which services provided by the health center are covered by your health insurance, or have additional costs associated with them.
Interfaith Center: The interfaith center serves students looking for religious or spiritual support, access to prayer spaces, meditation sessions, religious or interfaith events, and anything related to religious and spiritual community events.
Provost: The Provost is the chief academic officer of the college. While students do not typically engage directly with them, the office of the Provost is responsible for decisions related to the academic future of the college that can affect students’ academic well-being. This can include curriculum development (including the availability of specific majors and minors), academic and grading policies, and faculty hiring and promotions.
Residential Life Office: Often referred to as “Res Life” on many campuses, this office is responsible for all issues pertaining to on-campus housing, such as room assignments, roommate conflicts, maintenance requests, residence hall policies and community-building activities. Some Res Life offices also maintain off-campus points of contact for students who wish to look for housing options in the broader community, and can help you narrow down options based on amenities, cost and commute time.
Study Abroad Office: This office is available for information regarding study abroad programs, including the application process, program options, academic credit transfer, financial aid and logistical support for international travel, visa applications, and living arrangements. Keep in mind that studying abroad often involves coordinating with the advising center so you know which courses you will take abroad, which of them will count for credit upon your return to campus, and how this fits into your progress towards graduation.
Student Activities Center: If you’re interested in getting involved in extracurriculars such as clubs, organizations, campus events, leadership development opportunities or student government, the activities center would be a good place to start. This center also tends to hold large-scale events that aim to build community across campus, especially at larger colleges that may have multiple schools. They also often coordinate campuswide wellness activities around what can be stressful times of the school year for students, such as holiday breaks and final exams.
Library: Of course if you need access to books, articles in academic journals, or quiet study spaces, the library is a great place to go. But you can also go for assistance with research, citation help, and even for printing services.
Technology Center or IT Services: If you’re having trouble with campus technology, or even some of your own technology or internet issues, most colleges and universities will have a designated resource center for you to utilize.
Transfer Student Services: When you’re transferring to a new college or are considering transferring out of your current college and need assistance, the transfer center is a great place to go. They have resources to get you set up for a smooth transition.
Tutoring Center: While some colleges may offer a more general academic services office, some may also have a tutoring center where you can go to get academic support, including assistance with specific subjects, help with homework, study skills development and more.
Veterans Resource Center: For military-affiliated students, your college or university may have a center specifically for veterans where you can go for support and resources tailored to you including assistance with educational benefits, academic advising, transition services and access to community and campus resources.
Writing Center: While some colleges will have an overarching academic resource center, others may have a dedicated writing center that focuses on improving students’ writing skills. This includes providing feedback on writing assignments, brainstorming ways to get started on a writing assignment, addressing writers’ block, guidance on grammar and style, maintaining academic integrity in the writing process, and supporting academic writing across various disciplines. Some colleges also have specific resources for international students to improve their proficiency in academic written English.
Hopefully now you fully recognize all of the resources that are available to you as a student. If you’re looking for college-related terms, check out our College Glossary or our Financial Aid Glossary for more insight on terms you may not already know.
