It goes without saying, college is hard.
The demands of a new and changing daily routine in addition to studying and maintaining grades, sometimes bears weight on college students — creating cycles of frustration, stress, procrastination and withdrawal of effort.
Students who have learning differences, undiagnosed or diagnosed ADHD or autism may experience an even larger barrier when it comes to the amount of sustained attention, time management and performance necessary for college success.
But no barrier is too large with New Agenda Coaching, an executive function coaching practice in Los Angeles, founded by Maria Del Corso and Amie Davies. New Agenda believes strong executive function skills lead to higher performance in addition to life-long benefits for children, teens and adults.
For college students that are struggling to meet their goals and achieve success, Del Corso says the outcomes of having 45 minutes per week of virtual executive function coaching session are positive and productive for individuals who — amidst a busy schedule — may not believe they have the time for it.
Taking time to speak with a professional about executive function struggles gives them back time when they learn simple, yet effective, strategies for success.
“Executive function coaching works, especially when students have challenges that are generated from ADHD or other learning differences, neurodivergent patterns, or those who are feeling that overwhelmed, or cognitive drown, during college. This type of coaching supports increased graduation rates, improved grades and remarkably improved mental health and a greater sense of self worth,” Del Corso said. “It also supports post graduation readiness into the workforce or graduate school.”
With coaching, students are able to reorganize and reinvent themselves. New Agenda Coaching professionals work one-on-one with students to organize and unify their calendar system and create better study habits.
“Planning time for assignments and studying, working back from the due date and time blocking is part of our coaching. This practice is a lot more difficult than people realize, but it’s effective in helping students understand that unstructured time isn’t free time, and assigning time for high priority tasks and goals is an effective way to manage time,” Del Corso said.
New Agenda coaches look at the way students are studying and offer improvements to their “system of studying.” For example, study guides in high school were often provided, but in college, students are responsible for creating their own guides. New Agenda coaches help students create systems for studying, figuring out what works best from the concept of time management.
Maintaining health and wellness and socialization is extremely important for college students who struggle with executive function. They are often influenced by a negative self-talk, but New Agenda coaches help students “hear” through that voice and recenter with positivity.
“Some people find and create relationships with people automatically. But some students have trouble building connections and finding activities and modes of health and wellness that relieves stress,” Del Corso said.
College isn’t about just getting to class on time, it’s becoming responsible for self-imposed structure, active prioritization and constant decision making. It’s mindfulness, both for students, and parents of college students, Del Corso said.
“There’s a lot in that transition for college students as well as the parents. If their young adult has ADHD or neurodivergent patterns, there’s a lot of worry that goes on in their mind. When we focus on achieving mindfulness, that includes active moments in between semesters of rest, or preparing for the next semester and leaving the last one as it was,” Del Corso said.
To learn more about New Agenda Coaching or to schedule a virtual onboarding session, go to NewAgendaCoaching.com.
