Goals – DIY Homework

Analyzing Papers, Projects, and Tests

September 17, 2018

Goals, Strategic Advantage, Study Skills, Systems, Tests

When students get an assessment back it is very common for parents and teachers to help them analyze their work. This process can help students critically examine their work, effort, and approach. I explain how we can modify this process and help students become more self-reflective and open to critical feedback. When students can pinpoint what went well they can start to build mental models and study habits around their success. Many students have never been asked to reflect on what…

National College Fairs

July 23, 2018

jessicafinnigan

Anxiety, Balance, College, Goals, Motivation

Do you want to learn more about possible colleges? National College Fairs are a free resource for high school student. They are an excellent opportunity for students to interact with hundreds of colleges and universities, from the US, Canada, and Europe. Because there is a wide variety of schools students can get a sense of the broad options available in their future. I have found that this experience of attending a National College Fair has two main benefits for students.…

Review: My Class Tracker – College

July 2, 2018

jessicafinnigan

Goals, Habits, Homework, Planners, Procrastination, Product Review, Study Skills

Do you need a planner for college? My Class Tracker has introduced a College version of their student planner. The college version reflects the unique needs of college students. The College version of My Class Tracker can help students plan ahead, manage their time, increase their study skills, prevent procrastination, and help them achieve their goals. Like 0

Planners: A Strategic Advantage

June 25, 2018

jessicafinnigan

Anxiety, Balance, Goals, Homework, Organization, Planners, Procrastination, Productivity, Projects, Study Skills, Technology

As I work with students, I have noticed that the use of planners has started to become less frequent. When I was young planners were the go-to organization tool for students. I think that the shift away from paper planners is a result of more assignments being put online. Online systems are a great way for students to track their homework, but they have limitations. There is a strategic advantage to using a planner in conjunction with online systems. Planners…

Planning Productive Summers

May 28, 2018

jessicafinnigan

Goals, Habits, Motivation, Productivity, Projects, Study Skills, Summer

Do you wonder what to do over the summer while still having fun? Students and parents often feel burnt out from the school year and as a result, do not take full advantage of the opportunities that summer offers. Working on a few core skills can help students reduce their stress during school. I suggest that students start with something that interests them, such as art, writing, science, math, reading, or history. After they have picked a topic or project that…

Finals: Success Story

May 14, 2018

jessicafinnigan

Coaching, Finals Prep, Goals, Retrieval Practice, Study Skills, Studying, Tests

I wanted to share a fantastic story of a student that I coached through preparing for her high school finals. This was her first experience studying for finals, and she wanted to do well. However, she was very resistant to the idea of adding new study strategies, because she was convinced that she could do well with her usual methods. We came up with a plan to test her theory. We decided to randomly divide her classes into two categories, my…

US Congressional Award

April 9, 2018

jessicafinnigan

Awards, Extracurricular Activities, Goals, Organization, Projects

Two years ago I listened to a podcast, where they discussed the US Congressional Award. Although the award started in the 1970s, I was unfamiliar with the program. The description peaked my interest, and I decided to research it in more detail. A quick overview: The Congressional Award is the United States Congress’ award for young Americans. It is non-partisan, voluntary, and non-competitive. The program is open to all youth regardless of ability, circumstance, or socioeconomic status. It accommodates young people with…

Review: ScholarPrep College Organizer

March 26, 2018

jessicafinnigan

College, Extracurricular Activities, Goals, Motivation, Organization, Planners, Product Review

Are you stressed about college the college admissions process? There is understandably a lot of excitement stress around preparing for college. The process can feel overwhelming. I have found that the key to successfully navigating this process is to start early and to keep track of the awards, accomplishments, and events along the way. This approach can help students and parents be less anxious about because there are concrete steps they can take to shape their future proactively and will be…

The Power of Distraction Blockers

February 19, 2018

jessicafinnigan

Distraction Blockers, Goals, Habits, Technology

Do you ever feel distracted by the internet? Do you ever have every intention of doing your homework but the internet keeps you from getting things done? The question is how do we get our work done and still have time for fun? There are different parts of the internet that are distracting. That is why there are different types of distraction blockers. Assessing what is distracting you can help you pick the right solution. Browser extensions System-wide solutions Router-based solutions…