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Did you know...

8/6/2018

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According to a nationwide survey of college students, Greenfield Online found that:​

  • 47% of college students feel their high school did not "teach them the organizational skills required to do well in college”
  • 54% of students believe their grades would be higher if they could learn to become and stay organized
  • 48.4% of college students feel they do not have enough time to complete their coursework
  • 87% of college students say they want to learn to improve their time management and organization skills
  • 50% of college students claim not to have any sort of system in place for managing their assignments, notes, supplies or time
  • 23% of college students keep only a mental to-do list

​College Success Plan offers solutions to EACH of these problems. By following our program, our students acquire the habits and skills necessary to become organized, accountable and self-sufficient individuals!
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Does your child experience executive function disorder?

6/19/2018

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At College Success Plan, we are devoted to strengthening our students’ executive functioning skills.  Here are some signs that your student might be struggling from executive functioning weaknesses:

  • Starting and/or completing tasks
  • Organizing thoughts and tasks
  • Prioritizing
  • Following directions
  • Anxiety or panic when routines or expectations change
  • Forgets spoken/written information quickly
  • Switching focus between tasks
  • Gets very emotional/obsessive over certain topics
  • Keeping track of belongings
  • Regularly struggles with time-management
Amongst high school and college-aged students, executive functioning disorder can also lead to difficulty following through with college applications, meeting deadlines, making smart /safe decisions, adapting to new and unexpected situations, creating structure and schedules, managing a budget and succeeding independently at school work.  
If your child is exhibiting signs of executive functioning disorder, please call us today to learn more! Make Fall 2018 an even better semester.
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It’s summer - now what?

6/19/2018

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So your college students are home for the summer - what can you do to keep them in the school mindset?

College students look to the summer as a much-needed break from their hectic and demanding school schedules.  Many students take on jobs and internships; others opt to take additional coursework. Along with the change of environment, routine and expectations, students often disregard the habits they created on campus.  We encourage you to view the summer as a time to help your students correct bad habits, replacing them with new, better and healthier choices.

While your students are home for the summer, encourage them to implement positive habits such as:

  • Getting enough sleep (!!!)
  • Maintaining a regular exercise routine
  • Eating healthily
  • Regularly checking their school email
  • Visiting their school portal for important announcements
  • Creating a back-to-school checklist that can be completed gradually over the course of the summer
  • Identifying summer goals and creating a schedule that will ensure completion of these goals
  • Staying in the habit of reading and writing, especially if these activities have posed challenges in the past
  • Anticipating potential obstacles of the coming year and brainstorming solutions

The summer can be the perfect time for a student to implement a new, healthier and more effective routine.  At College Success Plan, one of the most important contributions we make to our students’ lives is the creation and maintenance of balance.  We help our students achieve balance in their academic, personal, professional and social lives.  Such balance is a key component of a stable and happy lifestyle. Please encourage your students to view the summer as an important opportunity to create better habits and patterns that will set them up for success during the 2018-19 school year!
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Time for a Change:  Why College Students Are So Sleep Deprived

5/9/2018

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With most students already halfway through their second semester, the time to improve sleeping habits is now!  

The above graphic, while somewhat of a joke, depicts an all-too-common attitude college students have regarding the sacrifices they must make in order to have a balanced life.  In many cases, focusing on just two of these goals does result in a significant compromise of the third. Quite often, sleep is the chosen sacrifice.

In a 2004 study by the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, over 50% of students “strongly agreed” that their academic performance would improve if they prioritized sleep.  Furthermore, most students sited a minimum of 8 hours of sleep on a school night to be ideal. In this study, however, only 16% of students admitted to getting more than 8 hours of sleep, with almost 80% siting an average of 5-7 hours of sleep on any given school night.

Also noteworthy is the impact of social media on college students’ lives.  Over 85% of students report taking their electronic devices to bed with them, and over 90% leave their phones on while sleeping.  Less sleep compromises the immune system, increases the risk of getting sick, intensifies stress and anxiety, negatively impacts grades, lowers one’s metabolism and can result even in higher blood pressure.

How can students break this pattern?
  • Try going to bed 30 minutes earlier each night
  • Turn OFF your electronic devices while sleeping (and do not leave them within reach of your bed)
  • Take advantage of the numerous breaks you have throughout the day for naps

For more information on changing sleep trends, follow the Huffington Post’s “Sleep Revolution College Tour” as they hold sleep fairs at over 30 college campuses across the nation.  Huffington Post's Sleep Revolution College Tour
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Want to help your student explore potential career paths?

5/2/2018

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The Occupational Information Network (O*Net) is an online database.  O*Net was sponsored by the US Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration and is a terrific resource for students to search for occupational definitions.  

The site provides a job search feature that yields a list of related occupations based on the search criteria.  Students may browse by keyword, career cluster, industry, experience required, job zone and job family. O*Net also provides a resource center which allows students to explore careers, access job analysis reports and read employer guides.

Other helpful features:
  • List of jobs expected to grow rapidly
  • List of jobs predicted to be hiring in large numbers
  • Advanced search allowing students to search by a particular skill, specific tool or form of technology
  • Additional advanced search options: Abilities, Interests, Knowledge, Work Activity, Work Context, Work Styles and Work Values

Encourage your students to explore the wealth of information provided by O*Net!

https://www.onetcenter.org/
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Why is it important to know your learning style?

4/24/2018

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College Success Plan
At College Success Plan, we believe by understanding one’s personal learning strengths, students are empowered by greater self understanding and achieve greater success.  Our Mentors utilize learning strength inventories to help students contemplate their strengths and challenges and identify areas of improvement.

On a basic level, students should learn which learning cues they respond the most effectively to, be them visual, auditory or kinesthetic.  Our Mentors provide a list of common cues pointing to a specific style. For instant, students who are easily distracted by sounds might be more visual, students who struggle to understand written directions over spoken might be more auditory, and students who have difficulty sitting still for long periods may lean towards kinesthetic learning.  Understanding one’s learning style not only teaches students effective methods of study, but it also shows them how they interact with the world, how they process information and how they most effectively solve problems. Such knowledge assists students in selecting the right college, major, internship, job and living arrangements.

It is, however, widely acknowledged that people are highly complex and therefore cannot be quantified into one specific learning style category.  To compliment basic learning style inventories, Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences can offer information to complete a student’s learning profile.  Gardner did not view “intelligence” as a single aptitude but rather as the combination of eight intelligences, each representing a different method of processing information.
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His eight intelligences include:
  1. Verbal-linguistic
  2. Logical-mathematical
  3. Visual-spatial
  4. Musical
  5. Naturalistic
  6. Bodily-kinesthetic
  7. Interpersonal
  8. Intrapersonal

Understanding your learning tendencies can help you as the end of the year approaches by:
  • Helping identify the most appropriate methods of study/review for finals
  • Helping select the most effective environment to write/work/study in
  • Providing new study strategies to employ based on your learning strengths
  • Revealing information about your general tastes and interests
  • Helping identify strengths to maximize in the proper environment
  • Helping identify areas of deficiency that can be directly strengthened

At College Success Plan, we believe that self-knowledge is power.  By understanding one’s strengths, challenges, preferred learning approaches, and different intellectual abilities, students can embrace new and unfamiliar situations with a toolbox of strategies. Our students not only learn to identify their strengths, but they also learn how to apply these strengths to the classroom and workplace.  Greater self understanding leads to both personal and academic growth, two of College Success Plan’s highest priorities for our students!
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How to Spend Your Summer - The Importance of College Internships

4/19/2018

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College Success Plan
Internships are a valuable part of the college experience.  Relevant internships give students a significant advantage over other candidates when applying for jobs.  Recent college graduates often lack practical experience in their industry, and employers

When is the best time to search for an internship?  With competitive internships, it is recommended students begin applying the summer before their junior year, as many companies begin hiring summer interns in the fall semester.  International internships often begin the application process this early as well.

How do you select which internships to apply for?  The more relevant an internship is to the career a student intends to pursue, the better.  Some students have a clear and chosen profession in mind; this narrows down the search process.  For students who are unsure which area of their professional field would be the best fit, an internship allowing them to explore multiple facets of a company is highly desirable.

How does money factor in?  The purpose of an internship is to gain useful experience.  Regardless of the competitiveness, location or company size, internships do wonders to a college student’s resume.  While making money may be a necessity for some, seeking only paid internships will significantly limit your prospects.

Benefits of an internship:
  • Improved chance of finding a job after graduation
  • Opportunities for networking
  • Valuable references / Letters of Recommendation
  • Exposure to different aspects of a field - helps students find their niche
  • Internships oftentimes lead to future jobs within the same company
  • A transcript cannot attest to work ethic; whereas, internship experience can
  • Demonstrates confidence in a path and dedication to a purpose
  • Opportunities for teamwork
  • Real-world business skills
  • Responsibilities that strengthen time-management, organization and accountability (as well as other necessary executive functions)

Ultimately, the college student who can most confidently and seamlessly make the transition from student to professional will have an immediate advantage.  A great way to do this is through an internship!

​Forbes sites the following databases as the best for internship searches:
  • LinkedIn
  • Internships.com
  • Idealist
  • Global Experiences
  • Lastly, don’t forget to take advantage of your school’s internship database!  These can connect you with a vast alumni network.
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The first few weeks of class...

9/5/2017

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The first few weeks of class, say hi and bye to your teacher...or thanks!  This makes it easier to ask a question or go to office hours if you have communicated just a little bit.  And, take advantage of office hours.  At College Success Plan, we encourage that and help fit it in your schedule any week since we have all your syllabi and professor contact information.  We want to help you succeed and have the best possible college experience.
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Question:  Will your student be successful in college?

7/25/2017

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Do you worry about your college student’s success at school?  Is your student going to be a freshman and the transition may be challenging?  Do you wish your college student had a better plan?

Staying in college requires self discipline and strong time management skills.  Being organized is crucial yet sometimes overwhelming.  Keeping track of all assignments and the syllabus isn’t optional - it IS the class.  Staying on top of studying, even though the professor does not check for completion, is critical.  We know from experience that reading half a textbook the night before the first exam is impossible if you want to do well and stay in school.  Students need a plan to stay accountable.

Let College Success Plan help.  We teach life long executive function skills including materials and time management, goal setting, study strategies and test taking skills.  Our intention is to increase confidence and decrease anxiety.  Having a consistent plan makes a difference!

College Success Plan offers individualized, weekly Skype support.  

Each semester package includes:
  • Initial conference
  • Up to 20 Skype sessions
  • Weekly scheduled support with text reminders
  • Follow up student emails after each session, depending on your package
  • Mid-semester report for parents

If you know a student who can benefit from College Success Plan, contact us at 630-481-6153.
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I have a confession to make...

7/18/2017

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I have a confession to make...every Thursday at 8am I Skype with an accountability buddy.  We spend 25 minutes assessing the previous week, goals we attained, what tasks are moved to this week and what our goals will be for the upcoming week.  We make a plan.  Guess what?  I have personally experienced an increase in productivity and efficiency.  In addition, it feels good to share my accomplishments and say, “I did it!”  Having someone to keep me accountable keeps me focused.  It also allows one to share ideas or come up with new strategies if something isn’t working efficiently.  Ironically, this is what we do with College Success Plan.  Ultimately, students feel more confident, experience less anxiety and appreciate having an academic and organizational plan for each week.
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    Elizabeth Pyle, M.Ed., has been working with students for over 25 years as an educator in the public/private school system, tutor and successful business owner in the educational field.

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