by Gretchen | May 30, 2015 | blog, podcast
I love when students text me, and encourage my clients to contact me whenever they need to. The other day I was doing some housework when a heard the familiar “ding!” and a text from a grad school client popped up. She was excited to share that she is in...
by Gretchen | May 26, 2015 | blog, podcast
What’s your experience with using your class notes to prepare for an exam? Do you have a strategy or do you just review them? Recently, a client struggled with this exact topic, and I thought it would be helpful for others to hear what we came up with. Check out this...
by Gretchen | May 17, 2015 | blog, podcast
Is creating a block of time to focus solely on finals a problem for you? I deal with this on a weekly basis during my academic coaching sessions with clients. The other day, a client struggled with creating a block of time to study. Although we decided it was...
by Gretchen | May 11, 2015 | blog, podcast
Have you ever wondered what the point of your textbook really was? If the teacher is lecturing all of the information to you, how can you utilize your textbook to properly study? That’s exactly what my client and I discussed recently during our session! To find...
by Gretchen | May 3, 2015 | Academic Coaching, Procrastination
Have you ever worried about how well you (or your teen!) will handle all that free time in college? It can be a harsh transition to move from the structured nature of high school to the unstructured days of college. A college client of mine was struggling with her...
by Gretchen | Apr 26, 2015 | Academic Coaching, Procrastination
Is snoozing the alarm clock a problem for you? How about sleeping in all together? I deal with this on a weekly basis during my academic coaching sessions with clients, especially with students in college and grad school who don’t have parents around to make...
by Gretchen | Apr 19, 2015 | Academic Coaching, Organization, Procrastination
Do you ever make a great, detailed plan… which you then promptly ignore? I’m queen of this! Some of my teenage clients will often cite this as their reason not to do any planning in the first place: “But if I don’t follow the plan, I’ll...
by Gretchen | Apr 13, 2015 | Academic Coaching
Does doing homework stress you (or your teen) out? I don’t know of *anyone* who loves homework: parents, teachers, or students. Yet we all have to deal with it! Although I can’t totally take the stress out of homework for anyone, a client and I recently...
by Gretchen | Apr 7, 2015 | Academic Coaching, Communication
Is talking or confronting your teacher a problem for you (or your teen)? This is one of the most common problems my clients encounter — whether they are in 6th grade or grad school! The other day, a client and I chatted about how to work with this fear of...
by Gretchen | Mar 31, 2015 | Academic Coaching, Organization
Planners: students love them or hate them. Which one are you? I try to make sure that all clients who work with me have some method of what I call “making time visible,” even if you’re the type who hates planners. However, there is a common mistake...
by Gretchen | Mar 22, 2015 | Academic Coaching, Writing
Do you struggle to write the perfect answer for your essay prompts? A number of my clients get really stuck when they have to organize their ideas for essays, and they often say a lot without actually answering the question in the prompt. Recently a client was having...
by Gretchen | Mar 18, 2015 | Academic Coaching, Speed Reading
Is fighting to stay awake while reading a problem for you (or your teen)? Based on my experience as an academic life coach for students, you are definitely not alone! The other day, a client asked me how I managed to stay awake while reading. I was so inspired by what...
by Gretchen | Mar 11, 2015 | Academic Coaching, Writing
Does it take you a long time to organize your ideas when writing an essay? Recently, a client tackled his writing process, and I thought it would be helpful for others to hear what we came up with. Check out this video! Got any other ideas about writing more...
by Gretchen | Mar 4, 2015 | Academic Coaching, Speed Reading
Have you ever fallen behind in your reading for a class? No matter what level of schooling my clients are, they ALL want to learn how to read more efficiently. One of the secrets is to learn how to let go of needing to read every word — in other words: skim!...
by Gretchen | Feb 24, 2015 | Academic Coaching, Communication
Is anxiety a problem for you, especially when talking to teachers? I’m consistently amazed by how reluctant my clients are to reach out to their teachers when they become confused about something. Today’s video is relevant if you are a teacher AND if...
by Gretchen | Feb 18, 2015 | Academic Coaching, Communication, For Parents
Do you want to make sure you get your money’s worth when working with me (or any other academic life coach)? Recently a client blew me away with how organized she was at the beginning of our session, and I wanted to share what she did with you. Even if you...
by Gretchen | Feb 11, 2015 | Academic Coaching, Communication
What’s your biggest fear about asking a professor for help? One of my clients worries that his teacher is going to make fun of him; another is concerned that she’ll feel humiliated. During today’s video, I share about what happened when a client...
by Gretchen | Feb 3, 2015 | Academic Coaching, Communication
Are you (or your student) intimidated by a teacher, which is creating a problem for you? I deal with this on a weekly basis during my academic coaching sessions with clients.The other day, a client struggled with how to deal with this. I was so inspired by what we...
by Gretchen | Jan 28, 2015 | Academic Coaching, Writing
When your teacher lets you choose which essay prompt to write about, do you go for the easy one? Often my high school clients will ask me to help them choose which essay prompt to write about. They often ask, “Which one do you think is the easiest?” and I...
by Gretchen | Dec 27, 2014 | Academic Coaching, Procrastination
I hope you’re enjoying your time off, and aren’t secretly stressed out because of homework and/or studying that needs to be done! Recently, a client and I chatted about how to have time for work AND fun over the holidays, and I thought I’d pass along...
