Why Hire an Executive Function Coach
for a College-Bound Student?
Starting college is a huge milestone, which comes with new challenges that can test even the most capable students. The transition from high school to college often requires students to navigate a world of increased independence, increased academic rigor, and many new responsibilities. For students who struggle with organization, time management, or focus, hiring an executive function coach can be a game-changing investment in their success.
What Is an Executive Function Coach?
An executive function coach is a specialized mentor who helps students strengthen the skills they need to succeed helping students grow in the following areas:
- Time management
- Prioritization
- Organization
- Goal setting
- Focus and attention
- Emotional regulation
The coach provides strategies, accountability, and personalized support to help students use resources to thrive in their new college environment.
How Effective Students can help
Schedule a free call
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 coaches provide 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.
By working directly with an experienced academic coach, your student can build skills in the following areas:
- Improved Time Management
- Enhanced organization Skills
- Increased independence and accountability
- Reduced stress and feelings of being overwhelmed
- Study skills
- Customized support
- Stronger academic and personal performance
- Balancing academics, personal care and social opportunities
- Refined self advocacy skills and improved communication
Who Can Benefit From an Executive Function Coach?
An executive function coach can be especially beneficial for:
Students with ADHD or learning differences who may find self-management more challenging.
- Students transitioning from highly structured high school and home environments to the enhanced freedom of college.
- Students who want to maximize their academic potential and set themselves up for success.
Serving Students at these Colleges and Universities
Why Parents Should Hire an Executive Function
Coach for a College Student with ADHD?
Transitioning to college can be both exciting and overwhelming for students with ADHD. The shift to a less structured environment, combined with increased academic and personal responsibilities, often highlights challenges in self-care, time management, and organization. An executive function coach can be a vital resource to help your student thrive in this new phase of life. Here’s why:
Unique Challenges for College Students with ADHD
ADHD can make tasks like planning, prioritizing, and staying organized more difficult. In college, where independence is paramount, these challenges can lead to missed deadlines, poor self-care habits, and increased stress. Without proper support, a student’s confidence and academic performance may suffer.
How an Executive Function Coach Can Help
- Teaching Time Management Strategies
- Promoting Self-Care Habits
- Improving Organization Skills
- Building Independence and Accountability
- Strengthening Emotional Regulation and Focus
Common College Misconceptions
- Professors make study guides for students, schedules for projects, and worksheets to learn content, etc.
- Professors/Instructors will warn them when they’re underperforming.
- Professors/instructors will give second chances for missed assignments, absences, etc.
- Their newfound freedom and independence will not lead them to slack or coast.
- To be able to juggle social life successfully (partying, friends, activities) and school without forecasting intentionally.
Try Our Free College Time Management Tool
Are you a college student looking for a time management worksheet? The My Available Time lesson plan by Effective Students. The worksheet will help you build a strong time management foundation. The package includes an example worksheet and a free time management worksheet for download.
TRANSITION TO COLLEGE EFFECTIVELY WITH THE EFFECTIVE COLLEGE CONNECTION
Registration is now Open!
June 16, 23, 30 and July 7 and 14 from 6pm – 8:30pm.
Held virtually
Orientation to Executive Function Skills in College
Have a rising college freshman? To help students transition successfully to college, Effective Students offers the Effective College Connection sessions that specifically teach students how to manage their time successfully, plan ahead, self advocate with professors and how to study in college. Students engage in realistic and practical discussions of how to ensure they are caring for themselves and responsibilities, learn about the role of sleep, how to prioritize and hold themselves accountable.
Now that your student is ready for college academically, make sure they have the resources to transition successfully, thrive in their new environment and make the most of the college experience.
Students Learn How to…
- Chart a new path as they consider how they may want to reinvent themselves at the next level.
- Approach time management in a new environment and create structure for themselves within new found independence.
- Establish boundaries with friends and separating themselves when needed to attend to responsibilities.
- Approach managing academic expectations including self advocacy and how to study in college.
- Create habits and skills that will help them achieve their goals.
- Identify resources at school that are available and how to use them and how to keep track of them digitally.
- The role of self care including fitness, sleep, food and mental health.
- Set communication expectations with parents.
- The role of money, part time job(s) and the dangers of debt.
Along each unit, we will address common pitfalls we see and how to prevent them and/or get out of them. Students will have an opportunity to self reflect to consider where they stand with these skills today and how they may want to develop them and be held accountable for doing so.
At the end of the course, students have the option to schedule coaching sessions as needed once school begins for support to apply what they’ve learned over the summer.
COLLEGE CONNECTION
A small investment will give your student the tools to transition smoothly to college while giving you the peace of mind they are on track. Your student will learn to overcome typical freshman hurdles without being too stressed! Sign Up – you’ll be glad you did.
COLLEGE COACHING SESSIONS
We’ve made it easy to get started. Sign up here for an introductory session to see if personalized coaching is right for you. Individual support makes all the difference.
Are you considering academic coaching services for your college-aged student? We understand you may have questions beforehand. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we hear from parents and students:
Q: When should college academic coaching start?
Ideally, academic coaching for college students begins prior to their first semester of college—this ensures students are mentally prepared to hit the ground running and have a better sense of what’s expected of them academically. Students already taking college courses can still benefit immensely from academic coaching—it’s never too late to get started.
Q: How long are academic coaching sessions with Effective Students?
Life as a college student is busy, that’s why our college academic coaching services are designed to be flexible and work around your schedule. To begin, college academic coaching sessions occur once a week for 1 hour—depending on the student’s progress, sessions can later decrease to 30 minutes.
Q: Where are Effective Students academic coaching services available?
Effective Students works with students in-person throughout the Atlanta area. For those who are not local, college coaches are available online serving student Nationwide!
Q: Where are Effective Students academic coaching services available?
Effective Students works with students in-person throughout the Atlanta area. For those who are not local, college coaches are available online serving student Nationwide!
Q: What is Executive Function in College?
Are you unable to manage your schedule and execute on classes, projects, and exams? Executive Functioning skills will help you figure out how to manage sleep, time, class and a study schedule. These are all aspects of Executive Functioning.