Preparing for and transitioning to college presents unique challenges.  Students have worked diligently to get into the school of their dreams—hours of challenging courses, test preparation, and extracurricular activities.  Others view college as the necessary next step toward securing better professional future opportunities.  Transitioning successfully is a key component to making the most of the college experience to help ensure students are ready to meet every challenge and achieve their educational goals. 

High school students have a certain degree of structure in their day, when students go to college, they experience significantly less structure.  College students are typically in class with their professors for less time during the week but have significantly more work to complete assignments and study outside of class.  The sudden change in expectations is not always clear to students transitioning into college, leaving them potentially overwhelmed or caught by surprise at midterms.  Coupled with the social distractions, living on their own, and general self management, it can be difficult for college freshmen to find a way to focus on academics successfully. 

College is a critical time for students to learn about themselves while pursuing their academic interests, but transitions can be challenging even for very bright students.  When you’ve worked this hard to get to the school of your dreams, it helps to hit the ground with the tools you need to succeed—that’s where coaching for executive functioning can help.  

What is a college coach?

College coaches specialize in teaching executive functioning for students in the college environment.. Whereas college tutoring is designed to help students in a specific area of their education (math, chemistry, writing, etc.), academic coaching functions more broadly, emphasizing what’s known as ‘executive functioning’ skills—cognitive abilities that affect planning and executing, memory, critical thinking, and one’s ability to exercise self-control. 

College is a significant investment.  The dropout rate for college freshmen is 30% and college students generally, 40%.  College coaches can help students beat the odds by providing individualized instruction and essential guidance students need to transition to their new educational environment. Over time, students learn more about themselves and new ways to excel and/or identify and overcome challenges. College coaching can help students identify and access the resources that may be present on campus they may not know exists.  

What to expect when hiring a college coach from Effective Students

Life as a student is busy, that’s why we designed our academic coaching services to be flexible yet consistent.   If you’re considering hiring a college coach, here are some key details to consider beforehand:

• College academic coaching begins before students head to school in the fall but can start at any time.  
• Sessions are weekly and start at 1 hour but can move to 30 minutes depending on the student’s progress.  
• Effective Students works with students in-person throughout the Atlanta area. Prefer a virtual option? College coaches online services are also available!
• Our academic coaching for college students covers,
  • Time management
  • Study locations
  • Study skills
  • Self advocacy
  • Planning and forecasting
  • Resources (online, in person, at school)
  • Personal care, exercise, nutrition, sleep
  • Boundaries 
  • Project Management
  • Getting up and getting to class!
  • Checking on yourself and how you’re doing

Teaching self-awareness and essential time management skills are foundational to the success of transitioning students.  Rather than throwing them into a ‘sink or swim’ environment, college academic coaching with Effective Students gives them tools and resources they need early on to adapt and successfully meet new academic challenges.

Questions about how college academic coaching can work on your schedule or pricing? Contact us for more information!

Common Misconceptions of Students in College:

1. Professors make study guides for students, schedules for projects, and worksheets to learn content, etc.
2. Professors/Instructors will warn them when they’re underperforming
3. Their newfound freedom and independence will not lead them to slack or coast.
4. Professors/instructors will give second chances for missed assignments, absences, etc.
5. To be able to juggle social life successfully (partying, friends, activities) and school without forecasting intentionally.

College students should:

1. Find a study space that works for THEM and GO
2. Study in groups (if that works for them)
3. Balance social and study time – don’t party too much/don’t study too much. Be intentional about planning this on a weekly basis. College academic coaches can help with this by training students in specific areas of executive function.
4. Join activities and clubs to make new friends – variety is the spice of life!
5. Develop professional relationships with their teachers (office hours, emails, etc.). Yes – it matters. One day you will need favor and it’s best to build it ahead of time.
6. Manage their own deadlines and schedules – get help with this if you need to, it’s part of learning and learning is lifelong.
7. Set and track personal goals. It’s part of growing up! College academic coaching can help by keeping students accountable and assisting in the development of realistic goals.
8. Take care of their physical and mental health (exercise, diet, meditation, etc.). You get out what you put in.
9. Pick classes and plan their schedule strategically — have a plan. Will scheduling a morning class make you get up and get going? What if you need to have a part time job? When will you plan to study? College academic coaching can help students isolate their strengths and identify areas where they need to improve, helping them make the most of their academic situation.
10. Find out who can help them and what resources they have. Yes – they are there, but you will need to ask. College academic coaching can help identify what resources are available and how they can help them academically.
11. Set plenty of alarms and GO TO CLASS, GO TO CLASS. Did we mention, GO TO CLASS?
12. Sit in the front and take notes. It helps them to pay attention. College academic coaching can help by providing additional tips and tricks to help students better absorb and interpret material.
13. CALL HOME (parents and coaches are still their biggest supporters)