What lured me to Waterville, Maine on a Friday afternoon in April wasn’t a fool’s errand, nor a professional endeavor; it was to satiate a personal curiosity. I wanted to walk upon the same path as one of the most compassionate and altruistic friends I have known, Abe. As a competitive masters swimmer, I met Abe at a Charles Rivers Aquatics Masters swimming practice at Harvard University. For several years, he offered his coaching skills for masters swimmers and triathletes alike.…
With summer approaching, it is the perfect time to select some books to read on the beach or on the porch with a tall glass of lemonade. With the volume of homework you manage all year it can be hard to find time to read for pleasure. Remember the joy you get from reading a riveting story and not wanting to put it down? Our friends at Wellesley Books offer recommendations in a range of genres to ease you into summer!
Ildi Szekely launched our new From High School to College Program. We are very excited! To learn more about what the program entails click here and if you are ready to register click here.
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Transitioning from home-cooked meals to college dining can pose serious challenges to students with medically restricted diets and/or food allergies. Navigating college dining can also be an arduous process. Many colleges require purchasing a meal plan, but they are not always transparent about where the food is coming from, whether the dining halls are safely equipped to serve all students, or if the dining staff is trained to accommodate students’ dietary needs. As students…
In the United States about 40% of undergraduate students drop out of college; a staggering 30% of those are freshmen. While there are multiple reasons for that number, many educators are concerned about the rising lack of student academic success and retention rate. To combat that, more and more colleges are implementing academic coaching as part of their student services programs.
What is academic coaching?
Academic coaching is based on a proactive relationship between…
The incidence of teen anxiety and depression had been on the rise prior to the pandemic, and has continued since. In a JAMA Pediatrics study, published in March 2022, researchers found that in 2020 alone, 5.6 million children were diagnosed with anxiety and 2.4 million with depression. Parents and schools are also working to address the issue. In the 2021-2022 school year, 96% of schools said they were offering at least one type of mental health service. Schools are responding…
Ildi Szekely has extensive experience in teaching, advising, and helping students transition into the rigorous academic collegiate environment. For more than a decade, Ildi has been a teacher, academic advisor, academic coach, and learning disability specialist. Ildi’s passion is education; she thrives around students both as an educator and as a person. Throughout her career in education, Ildi has learned the importance of fostering a culture that is caring, inclusive,…
My freshman year is clear as day: I pulled up to my campus with my mom and two suitcases ready for whatever was ahead of me and then…it went exactly like nothing I could have planned for. College, especially the fall of my freshman year, was a different kind of growth spurt. I struggled to fit in and while most of my friends were older, I couldn’t seem to socialize with those who were outside my door. I kept to myself, befriended my RA, and kept my head down. I didn’t embrace extracurriculars…
Overview
The University of Florida is a large, public research university. Founded in 1853, UF now ranks in the top five of public universities according to U.S. News and World Report (2022). Located in the quintessential college town of Gainesville, UF is home to more than 52,000 students, of which a little over 37,000 are undergraduates. UF offers more than 120 undergraduate majors across 12 colleges and schools, as well as four pre-professional advising programs for students…
I recently read Grit: The Power and Passion of Perseverance by Angela Duckworth. With a title like that, prior to even cracking the spine I was already inspired to think differently about my own determination and the determination of others–especially current students. After finishing the book, my educational experience—years full of learning about how I learned, slowly mastering skills that my peers caught onto fast, and ultimately feeling like I was missing the “how-to…