How 1:1 Mentorship Can Help Struggling Students

College can be a tricky transition for a lot of students, regardless of whether they excelled in high school or not. Speaking from experience, it took me a solid year to find my footing when I first entered college. I came from a small high school, graduating as the valedictorian of a class of about 120 students. I was used to things coming easily for me and, all of a sudden, I was in charge of my own schedule and how to spend my time. I had been used to a highly-regulated school, extracurricular, and work life and now, all of a sudden, I had large swaths of time that were mine to arrange. Without the scaffolding of familiar teachers championing me, friends supporting me, and my family tending to my basic needs, I was a bit adrift. I skipped class often, put in minimal effort on homework, and did the bare minimum to squeak by. It was only near the end of my fall semester, when I had a chance to reflect on something feeling off, that I began to consider that I was depressed. Luckily my grades hadn’t dipped too dramatically by the time I sought support and got my schedule back on track.

My story isn’t notable in any way: college kids often feel like they’re thrown in the deep end with social, academic and financial pressures weighing on them and a lack of tools to advocate for themselves. Kate Stone, a college coach at University Gurus, notes that students’ “first year in college will introduce [them] to a level of unstructured free time, unlike anything [they’ve] experienced before. College demands a fresh set of executive functioning skills essential for adapting to the unique learning environment, effectively managing [their] workload, and maintaining [their] physical, mental, and emotional well-being.” These new demands are quite difficult for students to navigate and many students don’t have the necessary tools to maintain their mental and emotional well-being. According to a recent study, “the majority of college students (more than 60 percent) meet the criteria for at least one mental health problem—a nearly 50 percent increase since 2013.” While college students experience mental health challenges across the board, race, ethnicity, gender and sexual identity, and socioeconomic status all play a role in how the crisis impacts students. For instance, non-white students are far less likely to seek out treatment because there are so few non-white counselors on campuses. Even when students do reach out, there are often waiting lists of 7 or 8 weeks to see a counselor. When the answer to a problem of this scale lies at the intersection of policies and funding, it often feels like a daunting task to know how to best support students in need.

While Tutor Corps cannot impact the availability of mental health resources on college campuses, we can do everything in our power to set our students up for success before, during, and after their university experiences. One-on-one tutoring is so powerful because it gives students access to trusted mentors who can coach and guide them through their academic journeys. This is because, first and foremost, our tutors strive to build academic self confidence and advocacy skills as they help students help themselves. This is especially true of our executive functioning tutors who, through a focus on organizational, time management, and leadership skills, provide students with academic and practical skills that foster success in the classroom and beyond. While many teachers and parents know that middle and high school students benefit from executive functioning support, we have also found that college freshmen benefit from it as well. Newly tasked with navigating an academic environment without the majority of their previous tools, college freshmen thrive when paired with a coach and an advocate who can, among other things, help them set and track goals, manage their time, and cultivate resilience. The flexibility of online learning, which allows students to meet with a mentor on their own schedule and in a familiar, safe environment, is helpful in reducing anxiety and allowing students to get the support they need. While tutoring is never a substitute for mental health services, we do believe that a strong mentor can be a part of the team that helps struggling students achieve their goals. Whether your child is an 8th grader preparing for high school next year, a high school senior looking ahead to college in the fall, or a college freshman struggling to find their way, an executive functioning coach might be a welcome addition for students looking to build confidence with the backing of a mentor and guide. Schedule a consultation with us today to discuss your child’s unique learning needs.