Focus, Growth, and Real Talk

From Ruth’s Desk: Insights & Strategies for Life with ADHD

Helpful articles, tips, and stories to support your academic and professional journey.

How to Talk with Your College Kid

Talking with your college son or daughter can be tricky. The roles you used to play are changed. You used to be the adult who had the final say so about major decisions but now you're more like an observer who pays the bills and hopes it all works out. But we both...

What Should You Do if You Earn a “C”?

Korbin was on his way to his history class. The week before he had turned in a paper on a topic he liked and understood. He had even turned it in on time. On this day, the professor returned the paper with a C and Korbin was very disappointed. Later that week, when we...

How to Get an “A” this Summer Semester

Make a plan and work the plan.  Summer semester can be both intimidating and discouraging especially when you would rather be on the beach. That's what Sylvia (pseudo-name) felt when she and I started academic coaching six weeks ago. Sylvia, a junior at a major...

How to take the perfect BREAK during Finals week.

This is what we know about the time of day and brain power.   First, our thinking power varies throughout the day. We are quicker, slower, more creative and less creative in some parts of the day than others.   Second, these ups and downs in our mental...

How to take the perfect NAP during finals week.

Preparing for finals means you must face the ups and downs of your day. Most of us have heard about an internal clock in each of us called circadian rhythms. (from the Latin circa which means around and diem which means day. Think carpe diem - translated Seize the...

Inner Critic – Part Three

  Over the summer, I enrolled in a Dissertation Coaching class which is part of my ICF coaching certification process. I am writing a blog series on issues that I faced as a doctoral student and the wonderful things I am gaining in my dissertation coaching class....

The Learning Brain – Part Three

Recently, I spoke at a wonderful Saturday-morning-gathering of learners, parents and educators. My topic was the three networks of the learning brain. In this three-part blog post series, I share with you, my blog readers, my notes from that presentation.   When...

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