by Gretchen | Jan 2, 2018 | blog, College Prep, For Parents, podcast
Many families are confused about where to start with college admissions, and Megan has noticed there is a lot of faulty information out there. In this episode, she lays out, in concrete terms, what’s important when prepping for college and corrects some myths...
by Gretchen | Dec 27, 2017 | Academic Coaching, blog, Procrastination, Student Life
Do you ever notice that you are more likely to be more productive at certain times of the day and less productive at other times? I was just blown away by the self-awareness of one of my clients. Sixteen-year-olds, and especially boys, aren’t always known for...
by Gretchen | Dec 25, 2017 | Academic Coaching, blog, podcast, Student Life, Study Skills
There are seven different types of students, in Gretchen’s experience, each with different approaches to school and studying. As final exams approach, it’s a great opportunity to explore each type of student’s weaknesses in regards to studying, and...
by Gretchen | Dec 20, 2017 | Academic Coaching, blog, Student Life, Study Skills
I wonder if right now you have any habits that you are trying to solidify in your life? But something always slips, and you can’t get that habit going? My client — a sophomore in high school — had a habit he just couldn’t shift. We spent some...
by Gretchen | Dec 19, 2017 | Academic Coaching, blog, College Prep, Creativity & Edges, Student Life
Do you worry whether your high school student has the right kind of activities to impress the colleges to which they’re applying? Megan lays out an easy way to think about extracurriculars to help teens make the most of their time outside of school. She shares:...
by Gretchen | Dec 12, 2017 | Academic Coaching, blog, Communication, For Parents, Student Life
Parents, do you feel like you are endlessly nagging your teens to get their homework done? Teens, are you sick of hearing your parents nag? Some of my clients are benefiting from creating a “nag plan” with their parents. Check out this video to hear more...
by Gretchen | Dec 12, 2017 | Academic Coaching, blog, College Prep, podcast, Student Life
There are some basic life and school skills that adults assume teens know how to do — but they really don’t! Gretchen and Megan break down 12 seemingly simply skills they’ve observed in their practices and urge their adult listeners to support...
by Gretchen | Dec 5, 2017 | Academic Coaching, blog, Communication
Do you ever need to email your teachers because something they did or said is confusing, and you need clarification? One of the skills I work on with teenagers is how to communicate respectfully with teachers without sounding like you are blaming or accusing them....
by Gretchen | Dec 5, 2017 | Academic Coaching, blog, College Prep, For Parents, Study Skills
You’ve heard it’s bad for your brain to cram for finals, but what should you do instead to get ready for semester exams? Make an Anti-Cram! plan, of course! During this episode of the podcast (which is a reprise of Gretchen’s recent Master Class for...
by Gretchen | Nov 29, 2017 | Academic Coaching, blog, Procrastination, Student Life
Do you ever have the strong, stubborn feeling that you just DON’T wanna do your homework? In a client session recently, a junior in high school reported in that she just couldn’t motivate herself to get her work done over the past weekend. When I...
by Gretchen | Nov 28, 2017 | Academic Coaching, College Prep, For Parents, podcast, Student Life
Families often mistake financial aid with scholarships, which can lead to confusion, disappointment, and wasted time as seniors choose their college and figure out how to pay for it. In this episode Megan breaks down how to think about the different pathways to paying...
by Gretchen | Nov 21, 2017 | Academic Coaching, blog, Student Life
Do you hate one (or more) of your classes? I don’t mean mild annoyance or frustration with difficulty. I mean absolute hatred of the subject you’re learning? One of my clients truly detested a subject area she was learning, and we worked hard this year to convince the...
by Gretchen | Nov 20, 2017 | Academic Coaching, College Prep, Study Skills
It’s time for a mid-semester tune-up! Take a couple hours this Thanksgiving Break to organize yourself, clean up any broken systems, and assess your study skills. Gretchen will teach you how, including: How to tune up your organization systems, including what to...
by Gretchen | Nov 15, 2017 | Academic Coaching, blog, Creativity & Edges, Student Life
Do you struggle to get motivated to do your homework? You are not alone! I’ve had lots of videos on motivation in the past, but this one is different. As you may know, I like to collect data from all my clients in a process I call the Habits Graph. One client, in...
by Gretchen | Nov 13, 2017 | Academic Coaching, blog, College Prep, For Parents, podcast, Student Life
Have you ever taken, or considered taking, online courses as a high school students? Megan describes her daughter’s experience taking on online course through the Duke Talent Identification Program and delivers her final assessment about whether these programs...
by Gretchen | Nov 8, 2017 | Academic Coaching
by Gretchen | Nov 1, 2017 | Academic Coaching, blog, Procrastination, Student Life
Do you ever find that you run out of time to complete your assignments? I have a client in college who ended up having to rush to try and complete an assignment because he hadn’t planned it out. Calendars are super important for helping you to plan out your...
by Gretchen | Oct 25, 2017 | blog, College Prep, Study Skills, Test Anxiety
As an academic coach, I’ve spent thousands of hours talking to stressed out and/or unmotivated students (many of whom contact me right before final exams, totally freaked out!) and one pattern has emerged that is striking — Students don’t know how to study....
by Gretchen | Oct 17, 2017 | Academic Coaching, blog, Procrastination
Do you ever struggle to follow through on an assignment because it feels pointless? A client of mine was recently complaining about the pointlessness of his English class assignments, and you’d better believe this isn’t the first time a student has...
by Gretchen | Oct 10, 2017 | Academic Coaching, blog, Creativity & Edges
Do you have great intentions for following through on new habits, but then find yourself struggling to keep the momentum? This happens to me all the time in the transition between summer and the new school year. So this year, I got creative! Check out my new habit...
