Students are bombarded with distractions and decisions all day, at school and at home. Although we frequently prefer systems to plain, old willpower, sometimes the latter is the only solution. For a student to say ‘yes’ to one thing (math homework), he or she must say ‘no’ to many things (video games, texting, sleeping, etc.). […]
How to Increase Willpower Read More »
Simplicity is underrated. Albert Einstein once said, “if you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” True mastery of a concept requires thorough understanding and condensation of complex matters into everyday jargon. Too often, when students learn a challenging new concept, they rely too heavily on complicated vernacular that, while precise, is
The Feynman Technique Read More »
We are big organization people, here at Staying Ahead of the Game. From binders to backpacks, calendars to planners, and everything in between, we understand the critical role organization plays in a student’s success. Combining top-notch organizational skills with time management, study skills, and impression management helps any student thrive. We have discussed our full-proof
Three Overlooked Steps in Creating a Winning Workspace Read More »
Students often tell us that they have a hard time motivating themselves to start studying. Once they get rolling, they are fine, but the genesis is insurmountable. It’s a common problem. After all, activation energy to beat inertia requires more force than sustained movement. That doesn’t help us, though. No, for students to beat procrastination,
The Pomodoro Technique Read More »
Measuring progress is one of the essential steps in building academic momentum. We often use the analogy of a long-road trip to convey the necessary inputs of long-term student success. One of the critical components of this fictional road trip is direction. Because this analogy is fictitious in form, let’s imagine the road trip taking
Self-Evaluation: A Guide Read More »
Unfortunately, most students mock the mere suggestion of using flashcards to study. Seeing this academic staple as some outdated deterrent to progress, these students instead turn to newer technologies (Quizlet, Anki, etc.) or choose another study method. While we sometimes encourage the use of Quizlet and other modern flashcard apps, sometimes the tried and true
Should My Student Use Flashcards? Read More »
A dean at a highly competitive Houston high school once told me, “students should expect three to four hours per night, including studying for tests and quizzes.” My students often disagree with this estimate, claiming that the average study time ebbs and flows throughout the school year. The average student studies for thirty minutes one
A Productive Tool for Busy Students Read More »
What distinguishes our unique executive functioning skills program from traditional tutoring companies is our focus on impression management in addition to organization, time management, and study skills. Impression management is the process by which people control how they are perceived by others. For students, this typically means teachers, parents, and peers. However, this circle of
As much as we love planners, binders, and other EF-driven systems, they are not perfect. Inevitably, something slips through the cracks or breaks the system. A student becomes distracted during the fifteen-second window when his or her teacher announces a major test on Friday. An extra-innings baseball game derails a student’s writing progress as the
Practical Ideas for Chaotic Moments Read More »
As the world slowly returns to normal, many families are eager to travel after eighteen months of COVID complications. Vacations and family trips are a great way to relieve stress and reconnect, but they also provide a unique opportunity to improve a student’s executive functioning skills. Many families see executive functioning skills like organization, time
Boosting Creativity and Executive Function on Vacation Read More »
