If you’ve ever felt like you’ve studied for hours, but still feel time slipping away… like you’re struggling with motivation, writing applications, or finding it challenging to create a study plan that works – then academic coaching could be for you.
These are all issues that so many people struggle with, and it’s important to remember you are not alone. Our current academic system can be incredibly challenging with the complexity, organisation and sheer volume of material covered.
But this is where academic coaching comes in.
At its heart, academic coaching involves personalised one-on-one support to help you improve your academic skills, confidence, and performance. We work holistically, not just focusing on academic demands, but finding ways to manage your work-life balance. You’ll feel reassured and empowered as you implement new and effective ways of learning.
Today, we’re unpacking the benefits of academic coaching. We’ll also explore how an academic coach helps students develop learning strategies, goal setting, time management, and ownership of their progress.
What is academic coaching?
In short, an academic coach helps students identify and pursue their personal, career, and learning goals. As well as core skills such as exam preparation, note-taking, time management, and reading strategies, we work one-to-one to understand and overcome students’ perceived barriers to success.
Our academic coaching UK services offer much more than just an educational focus. Sessions focus on the learner’s unique needs, specifically tailored to your goals and current workload.
For instance, this might involve working on university applications, helping you think about your career aspirations, identify the best courses and institutions, and assess grade requirements, acceptance rates, and future prospects. Working toward exams might involve study and revision skills, goal setting, and creating a personalised action plan.
Academic coaching can even extend to making your first steps in the world of work, guiding your selection of internships, building up the skills required in the modern workplace, interview practice, and CV reviews.
It’s all about helping learners achieve and develop their full potential, encouraging a positive mindset, and analysing how individual students work and learn best.
So, with all this in mind. What are some of the main benefits of academic coaching? We take a look at some of the many advantages…
Why should I meet with an academic coach?
Here are just some of the positive changes an academic coach can facilitate:
Responsibility and independence
Academic coaching helps each student take responsibility for their learning. It encourages an independent approach and focuses on transferring power to the students themselves.
With deeper ownership of our studies, we’re far more likely to work with increased motivation. Working on a student’s motivation (or the reasons they feel they’re struggling) is also a fantastic way of building rapport. This creates positivity, responsibility, and a mindset ready to tackle any challenges as and when they appear.
Self-awareness and goal setting
To allow for increased responsibility and independence, academic coaches help students think clearly and freely about their educational and personal goals. This is a crucial part of academic coaching, assisting learners in identifying their long-term and short-term goals.
Working in close collaboration, we’ll ensure all goals are personalised, meaningful, and attainable.
As part of this process, students become more self-aware and able to identify their strengths and weaknesses with greater clarity and detachment. With the ability to articulate strengths and areas for growth, it’s much easier for students to work on improving their study practices.
Developing core study skills
Students develop critical academic and life skills with personalised guidance from a dedicated academic coach. This could include (but isn’t limited to) time management, test-taking strategies, essay-writing tips, reading, and note-taking advice, maintaining focus, and avoiding procrastination.
These active study techniques create strategic learners who can seek out and utilise any additional learning resources from their school or university. This process builds upon the student’s specific strengths and areas for growth, as well as leveraging their newfound confidence and independence.
Managing anxiety and nerves
Managing anxiety and nerves is a massive part of academic coaching. So many people feel like they “freeze up” when they sit at their revision desk, have to tackle multiple deadlines or reach that exam hall. However, test anxiety is incredibly common, and an academic coach can discuss tools and tips to help you overcome these nerves.
In addition, academic coaching focuses on maintaining a positive balance between work, school, friends, and family. It’s all about prioritising academics alongside self and community care.
This holistic approach is essential to developing a constructive and practical approach to work and education, ensuring any plans fit the individual learner’s life and priorities.
Creating a productive and effective routine
As part of working on revision skills and managing anxiety around academic study, an academic coach helps students create personalised action plans to achieve their goals.
This benefits so many people, especially those struggling to overcome distractions, balance study and time off, and create effective revision methods. Creating a successful routine helps learners develop healthy study habits and time management strategies that aid academic study, everyday life, and professional work.
While creating and implementing productive study routines, an academic coach will also help you review, adapt, and change your plan as you go along. It’s all about recognising challenges as and when they appear, dealing with them positively and effectively.
Reaching your academic and career potential
Last but certainly not least, one of the key benefits of academic coaching is the realisation of your educational and career-based goals. As well as working on academic attainment, an experienced academic coach can help students develop their career goals, advise on CVs and cover letters, select internships, and even assist with interview and test preparation.
Academic coaching is all about empowering students to expand their knowledge and skills. We help people identify their goals and reach their full potential – whatever that looks like for each individual.
When should I meet with an academic coach?
In this article,we’ve covered just some of the benefits an academic coach provides. So, when’s the best time to reach out?
As academic coaching works to your personal goals and challenges, this will differ for each individual.
For instance, some people might appreciate help at the start of the term. Sessions may work on transitioning to a new environment and devising strategies to manage unfamiliar skills and workloads. For others, you might not have a specific goal in mind, but feel like you just need extra support. Some learners reach out once exams are on the horizon, seeking help sharpening their focus on revision and study skills.
In short, there’s no wrong time to reach out to an academic coach, we’re here to assist with whatever you need! The best time to meet with an academic coach is, quite simply, whenever you need some advice and help.
So if you’re ever feeling like you’re “not doing well”, have questions about academic study, are feeling under pressure, want to explore alternative courses or career paths, create test-taking strategies or time-management skills (the list goes on!), it’s a great time to meet with an academic coach.
To book a free initial consultation and explore how academic coaching could help you, get in touch today. We provide academic coaching UK services to help learners develop their full potential. We would be delighted to discuss your needs.