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Have you ever felt extremely excited about a new hobby or activity, only to quickly lose interest a ...
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When Getting Started is Impossible: 5 Procrastination Hacks that Work
Of all the Executive Function-related challenges we experience, procrastination is most pervasive. Even the most successful students and adults can struggle to initiate a difficult or less-than-exciting task. So what can they do about it? Plenty, it turns out. This week, we’ll be sharing the 5 best strategies to conquer procrastination, all of which have been tested b...
What College Students Struggle with Most (and what you can do to help)
When you’re struggling with self-management, every day can feel like an uphill battle. Not knowing how to manage time, effort, or emotions - or to organize and plan in order to meet demands, is an exhausting way to live. And although it can feel isolating for those who are struggling, these problems are far more common than most of us might think.
A Survival Kit for the New Year: Our 21 Best Tips from 2021
Somehow, we’ve reached the final chapter of 2021. It's safe to say that this year was one giant learning experience as we all have tried to adapt to a world that was unrecognizable just two years ago. We've been lucky to have so many brilliant individuals share their wisdom with our community and contribute to this year of learning. Between the dozens of teachers, the...
How Non-Cognitive Variables Can Help in the College Admissions Process
Editor’s note: This week, we feature guest blogger Karen Spencer, Director of Educational Counseling for Bright Horizons College Coach. Please read more about Karen below. Ask any high school junior going through the college search process about the one thing that scares them most and you’ll usually hear them say “standardized tests.” The SAT and ACT tests have been a...
Academic First Aid Kit for Students (When you forgot about that test!)
Disclaimer: Cramming the night before a test is never the best strategy. These tips are only to help you at the last minute when necessary, not to give you a reason to delay preparing well for a test. The Scenario: It’s Sunday night. You’ve had a long, fun weekend and then you realize you have a history test Monday morning...uh oh…OMG!!!! You start to feel like it’s t...
4 SAT Tips for Test-Preparation Success
Editor's note: This week, we feature guest blogger David Recine, a test prep expert at Magoosh. Please see David's bio below. What tips do you need to follow to ace the SAT? That depends at least partly on your own skills and learning needs. But here are four tips that can help any student get a strong start as they embark on their SAT preparation and chart their own ...
Know the Score on SSAT Scoring: What is a Good Score on the SSAT?
Editor's note: This week, our guest blogger is Alexis Avila, founder of Prepped & Polished, a tutoring and test preparation company in Natick, MA. Please read his complete bio at the end of this article. The Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) is the required entrance exam that leads to enrollment in some of the world’s best independent schools. It is undoubted...
Study Tips for Finals: 4 Steps to an Effective Game Plan
The scent of June’s peonies in the air brings the promise of blissful interludes at the beach for our students. But hold on. Keep the cap on the Coppertone for now. Preparing for final exams is now top priority for our weary scholars. “No mas!” a sophomore exclaims. “How the heck am I supposed to get ready for 5 exams in the next few days?” “Planning,” we say, all coo...
Test Prep Tips for Success: Studying for Finals
The last time I broke out into hives was when a new student I was working with said she was “looking over her notes” to prepare for an upcoming exam. You see, that passive eyeball approach is up at the top of an academic coaches’ list of What Not To Do When Studying For Finals. In between scratching (due to my allergy to ineffective study habits), I explained to my st...
What are Executive Function skills?
Executive Function Skills are a set of cognitive skills that help individuals plan ahead, stay organized, regulate thoughts and behaviors, stay focused, and achieve their goals. Each of these skills can be taught, learned, and applied at any stage of life.
- Time Management
- Maintained Focus
- Task Initiation
- Stress Management
- Organization
- Prioritization