The College Prep Podcast

If there’s one study tip Gretchen could infuse into the minds of every student and educator on the planet, it’s The Study Cycle. Tune in for Part 1 of the Anti-Boring Summer Series, where she walks you through a simple model for how to study in a brain-friendly way. Are you curious about: * More tools to fill your study toolbox? Check out the Anti-Boring Approach to Powerful Studying. * Gretchen’s training for educators? Check out The Art of Inspiring Students to Study Strategically? * Summer coaching? Check out these certified Anti-Boring Approach Coaches.

As a parent, teacher, mentor there are so many things we need to keep up with as we guide students. One new development at schools in the last year is the rise of vaping amongst teens. Is your student affected by this new trend in tobacco and marijuana consumption? In this episode Megan and Gretchen discuss: *  what vaping is and why it seems to be on the rise * how students tend to use it at schools, and how other students are affected even if they don’t vape themselves * how parents and teachers might inform themselves about the types of vaping devices that are used by students, * And more!

Too many students judge themselves as “stupid” because learning new things feels hard. Understanding this one brain fact goes a long way to helping students feel better about themselves as learners. Tune in as Gretchen explains: * What a neuron is and how a neural pathway is created in the brain, * Why it’s totally normal if learning feels hard, * How to stick with a hard task for long enough so that it feels easier, * And more! If you’d like to learn more tools and tricks to make learning easier, check out the  Anti-Boring Approach to Powerful Studying online course; you might also like to book a few sessions with any of these certified Anti-Boring Approach Coaches.

Having the right calculator can effect your math scores on the ACT and SAT, yet too many students have the wrong calculator with them. Megan walks you through how to get the right calculator ahead of time. Tune in to explore: * Common mistakes students make when choosing calcultors * Whether you need to purchase an expensive calculator, or whether cheaper versions will do * What the requirements are for ACT and SAT approved calculators * Whether to buy or rent your calculators, * And more! If you’d like some extra reading, here are the calculator policies for the ACT and the SAT.

It’s important to rest and rejuvenate over the summer, but it’s also a great time to reflect about gifts and challenges of the past year, learn from past mistakes, and make a success plan for the new year. Tune in to this episode during which Gretchen lays out a process to balance fun and learning over the summer. Specifically, she’ll cover how to: * Guide students through a year-end reflection process, and the importance of doing so as soon as possible after the school year has ended, * Use that reflection process to identify a few areas for improvement over the summer, with special attention to the areas of time management, organization, study skills and self advocacy. * Gather new tools to help with the challenges — time management, organization, study skills, self advocacy * Make a “Time Capsule” or “Cheat Sheet” of tips and tricks for the new school year that you can refer to when the school year starts * Make a plan for how to put those tips into action when the new school year begins. It is certainly possible for parents to lead students through this reflection process themselves, including working through the Anti-Boring Approach to Powerful Studying online course with their students; however, if you’d like a coach to guide you through this process, feel free to check out any of these Anti-Boring Approach Coaches.

Many families assume that AP, IB and Dual Credit Courses will help them get ahead and save money in college. However, this is not always the case. Listen in as Megan outlines how these higher level higher school classes in high school will — and won’t! — benefit you when you get to college. Specifically, she’ll walk you through: * The limitations of taking AP, IB and Dual Credit courses, including what can transfer where and what scores are needed, * Before taking these classes, how to establish your goals to you’re clear why you are taking them, and whether those reasons are realistic *  How to research the credit by exam policies at the colleges on your list, so you know in advance which courses will count towards college credit and which won’t * When to meet with an academic advisor to help determine which credits you should “cash in”, and * The importance of remember these programs are part of a complete academic plan, and not the “be all and end all” of your college career. Also note: It’s final exam time! If you need some help with studying for final exams, check out some of these episodes: * Episode 84: Everything You Need to Know to Rock Your Finals * Episode 158: Five Secrets to Taking Multiple Choice Tests Well * Episode 189: How to Make an Anti-Cram Plan for Final Exams       * Start directing people to final exam review episodes

Cheating is on the rise in high schools around the country! Megan has been observing this in the reports coming from her clients’ and her daughters’ school. Tune in as Megan and Gretchen explore this topic in more detail, including: * The reasons Megan observes for this epidemic, including the way the internet exacerbates the impulse to cheat * What the real harms are to students who succumb to temptation to cheat * Questions parents can ask their students to make sure that students have thought through impulses, consequences, and alternatives to cheating as a way to raise grades.

Did you know your friends can be a HUGE resource to help you get your homework done? Too many students try to go it alone, but school is hard enough as it is! One of your most useful resources as a teenager is your friends, after all. Why not use them for good? Listen in as Gretchen walks you through these six ways to use your friends to get stuff done and help you follow through on your academic responsibilities: * Study Groups * Co-working at school in between classes * Co-working on skype, Facetime, or Zoom * Bookending * Co-working right before a fun night out (or in) with friends * Typing while you talk  

College visits can get repetitive and boring, and the “official” tours offered by the school don’t always reveal the hidden details that help you make a decision about which school is best for you. Let Megan school you on how to take your visits to the next level! She’ll cover: * How early is too early to start taking college visits? * How to go beyond the basic two-hour info session, with tips like eating in the actual cafeteria picking up the school newspaper * How to use college visits to help make the “short list” Megan will also share some notes from the road, observations based on the college visits her clients and her daughter have done.

Do your teachers ever give you the essay questions far in advance of the chapter test or final? Many students don’t take advantage of this key resource. Gretchen walks you through a few ways to use these advance questions to your advantage, including how to: * Identify which questions can be answered by reading which chapters and/or sections * “Chart” essay questions so you understand a) what information you are supposed to learn and b) what kind of thinking you’re being asked to practice * Give yourself a map of the chapter using the essay questions as a guide * Take notes using the essay question as a guide. * Run your charts and notes by your teacher as a way to “assess” your understanding before chapter tests and quizzes, and * Use your charts and notes to study for the actual exam

April 1 was the date by which all colleges should have notified students of acceptance; students have this month to make the final choices and notify schools of their decisions. Tune in as Megan walks you through 10 factors to consider as you make this final decision, including: * General impression / ranking from your visits * Money– How much will you pay EACH YEAR? * Choice of Major– Are you in? Can you change your mind? * Required courses– what will you have to take at each * AP or transfer credits? * Activities, organizations, Greek life? * Travel costs and issues * Academic support * Need for family connectedness * Where will you feel supported and pushed to be your best?

By mid-semester students’ time management routines have often weakened or collapsed. Consider these four questions when giving your routines a makeover so that you can make it to the end of the semester with your grades and self esteem intact: * First, do you have a weekly planning routine? This can be a helpful Sunday task to help you look ahead and plan for the week ahead. * Second, do you have a daily routine to do right before and after your homework? This can be helpful to make sure you are adjusting your weekly plan as needed, with every new assignment your teachers give. * Third, if the daily routine doesn’t work for you, are you doing a midweek check-in ritual? This enables you to check off items from your To Do list, add new items, and make a plan for the weekend, so that you take action rather than procrastinate during your “off” time. * Finally, do you have a plan for accountability? Who else besides you can know about your plans and help make sure you feel a low-grade pressure to follow through?

Believe it or not — raising your reading comprehension scores on standardized tests is often not about improving your reading skills! Tune in as Megan outlines surprising skills to improve if you want improved performance on this section of your tests. Specifically she covers how to: * Develop college-bound vocabulary * Practice reading challenging material (fiction, non-fiction, archaic rhetorical style, complex scientific, detailed, etc. * Learn to find details (open book skills) * Practice analysis skills, and * Understand that every word matters

How much can a student’s behavior truly change after a semester of coaching? In today’s episode, Gretchen walks us through a sixteen year old’s reflections about how he has grown as a result of academic coaching. The following eight ideas resulted from a brainstorm during this young man’s final coaching session, during which he and Gretchen reviewed what he has learned and what habits he would like to maintain: 1. The Set Up Routine 2. Doing Spanish hw first 3. All the different study tools from the Anti-Boring Approach to Powerful Studying 4. Self Advocacy. 5. Keeping a Planner. 6. Finishing homework by a reasonable hour 7. Take advantage of meds before they wear off. 8. Marking period supply clean out. Tune in to the episode to hear more about each of these take aways!

The national average of number of AP classes taken by students admitted to top universities is five to eight total. That’s a lot! Deciding whether to take (or not take) Advanced Placement classes is more complicated that simply taking as many tests as possible. In this episode we discuss in detail the following considerations: * The importance of students choosing an appropriate level of challenge * The fact that AP classes (and the AP exams) can push students to learn at a higher level, which is great prep for college! * How to think through your priorities when considering AP * What does your family hope to get out of an AP class– higher learning, AP credit, boost to school GPA / rank, better teachers, taking class with peers, etc. * What are your alternatives? * What will the student have to give up to take these classes? * How to monitor appropriateness (grades, time spent studying, mental health) * When to go for it, and how to step down if you realize it’s too much