Meta Thankful
Thanksgiving is a special time of the year. It’s a time when we take stock of all the things we are thankful for, and it’s a time for family gatherings. For parents of college freshmen, it’s also time for our kids to come home for an extended break and an opportunity to assess how the first semester has gone.
Metacognition is defined as an awareness of one’s thought processes – understanding how you think and how you learn, and what strategies work best for you. Metacognition is also typically an area of weakness for those with ADHD or other types of neurodivergence. So, what happens when metacognition meets Thanksgiving break?
It is not unusual to discover that the first semester of college did not go as expected or planned. Students who had 504 Plans or IEPs in high school benefitted from a scaffold of support that was often invisible. Bright students with ADHD and other learning challenges who were high achievers in high school may find that they stumble as they try to navigate the rigors of college studying, homework, and writing amid the changes in the scope of accommodations that occurs in post-secondary education. Even students who easily made A’s in high school can find themselves on academic probation come the end of the first semester of college, where metacognition, executive function skills, and self-advocacy are better determinants of success than IQ scores.
Thankfully, there’s a cornucopia of opportunities for support, including those to be found on campus. For those students who are confused or shy about accessing on-campus supports, or who need additional executive function coaching beyond typical college offerings, we’re here for you. EEG offers two levels of college coaching, College Weekly Coaching, and College Intensive Coaching.
Our 50-minute College Weekly Coaching sessions can include:
Understanding the syllabus and long-term planning
Office hours and advocacy
College resources and accommodations
Time management, planning, and follow through
Making wise choices
Sleep hygiene
College Intensive Coaching adds daily support (in the form of emails, texts, or short calls) to supplement 60-minute weekly sessions. Intensive Coaching will also include:
a three-way meeting with parents and student, before the start of the semester, to develop a contract of expected engagement from all parties
a longer planning meeting between the student and the coach to set the semester work schedule once syllabi are available
a three-way call with parents after midterms, notification to parents if students miss meetings or need to consider class change
a three-way, end of semester meeting to discuss areas of growth and plan for the next semester
A setback in college doesn’t have to mean anxiety and panic during what is supposed to be holiday time with family. Instead, Thanksgiving break can be an opportunity for self-reflection and metacognition, for taking stock of what is working, and for making plans to address what is not.
For more information on our college coaching options, click here: https://www.essigeducationgroup.com/executive-function-coaching#collegeweeklycoaching.Best wishes for a happy and relaxing Thanksgiving from Essig Education Group.